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“Black Americans Have No Culture?” Dave FIRES BACK | Bro Chat Ep 9 — Transcript

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0:00supremacy and you are the richest nation
0:01on earth [music] and you've done all
0:02this
0:02>> because even with white supremacy you
0:04can still accomplish more than anybody
0:06in the
0:07>> I understand then where is the problem
0:09we are here talking about [music] there
0:10is something that is just human when you
0:13find yourself in a certain situation you
0:14cannot explain it better create a
0:16boogeyman fast
0:18>> but a boogeyman only turns around and
0:19imprison you and your own children I
0:22refuse there is no psychological effect
0:24[music] on any black person on earth we
0:26are just what we are different [music]
0:29But can you right now with your wealth
0:32and the people that you know, how much
0:33land in Chinatown anywhere in the United
0:35States [music] can you buy right now?
0:37>> Which Chinatown in one year?
0:38>> Any Chinatown? How much can you buy
0:40right now? [music]
0:40>> Well, I don't know.
0:41>> Zero. They won't allow it. How much can
0:44you buy in the diamond district [music]
0:45in any place? Let's just start in New
0:47York. How much can you blow? How much
0:49you buy? Zero. Let's talk about
0:51>> No, no, no. I'm making
0:54I just want to give you too many history
0:56lessons. I can't verify because you
0:57don't know the history. follow you
0:59because you're not a history expert.
1:01>> So don't give me history that as if
1:03you're teaching [music] a high school
1:04kid. Just ask a list of questions and
1:07you said we're going to have this
1:09discussion.
1:09>> We But to go to Nazi, I wasn't born. I
1:11wasn't
1:12>> You're missing I'm trying
1:18[music]
1:29>> [music]
1:37>> All right, welcome back to another
1:38episode of the bro chat where we have
1:40real and honest conversation. Get away
1:42from the monotonous conversations about
1:44dating and relationships and all the
1:46goofy stuff we talk about that's
1:47entertaining. But you know, we we here
1:48to have some real conversations today,
1:50man. No book of by go by the name of
1:52Eli. As always, we got Ace with us. Yes
1:54indeed. The daily rapper crew the
1:55greatest core with the conversation
1:57you've been waiting for. You heard ace
1:59the golden.
2:00>> Okay. Okay. You was waiting you you was
2:02waiting all week to say that was it.
2:03>> No I just thought about that.
2:04>> Yeah. [laughter] Last but not least we
2:07got Jill.
2:08>> You had it actually flowed. So now I got
2:11to I got to come. Hello. Have a great
2:13day. No. What it do? What it do? It's
2:15your boy Jew. Thank y'all for tuned in.
2:17Make sure y'all like and subscribe. You
2:18heard? Mhm.
2:20>> Listen, today's conversation is long
2:22overdue. Um, intellectual class with um,
2:26two brilliant minds um, that are
2:29different different perspectives about
2:31the black agenda. Um, on one side we got
2:33Dave Anderson, other side we got Frank
2:36um, Zenu.
2:36>> Yes.
2:37>> Um, let me start here with Dave. Can you
2:40explain to the audience um,
2:42>> who you are and why you are qualified to
2:43have this conversation? I I I feel like
2:45um my qualifications are I'm a
2:47foundational black American, 22 time
2:49bestselling author, radio broadcast
2:50professional, husband, father, and liver
2:53of the black experience for the past
2:54five decades. You know, I don't think I
2:56need a doctor, but I got a couple
2:58degrees. Okay,
2:59>> it's all right. Aside from that, I've
3:01been living, baby. [laughter]
3:02>> Okay,
3:02>> let's go.
3:03>> And Frank, can you let the audience know
3:04who you are and why you are qualified to
3:06have this conversation?
3:07>> My name is Frank Zano, of course, uh
3:09from Beni Republic, West Africa, and
3:11have lived in about nine African
3:13countries. is I was trained to be a
3:14journalist. So I've been a reporter for
3:16the Washington Time for 13 years that
3:19allowed me to live in Asia, Europe,
3:21Africa and so and now of course I live
3:25in the United States of America. So I
3:27have a link seems to be the only bridge
3:30who can compare what I know from where I
3:32came from and then seeing people that
3:35were taken from that place now. So I can
3:37look at it too and be able to spell out
3:40the similarities and what the root cause
3:42of some of the problems are.
3:43>> Um the first topic I want to get into is
3:46how do you define culture and under your
3:49definition do black Americans have a um
3:52unique um culture? Let me start here
3:53with Frank.
3:54>> Well, I'm glad you use the word unique
3:57uh culture. So, yes, I'm sure you all
3:58saw the episode uh you know that got
4:02everybody on my on my case except this
4:04gentleman who was the only one brave
4:06enough to say, "Well, look, before I cut
4:08him into pieces, let me give him a
4:10chance to come into the studio and
4:11explain, you know, uh to to uh the
4:14audience."
4:15>> Yeah.
4:15>> Uh so, it's interesting. People say,
4:18"Oh, you're from Benin." And I'll say,
4:20"Yes." And they say, "What's Ben culture
4:22like?" And then I freeze
4:24>> cuz there's nothing like a Benin
4:26culture. Or if you're from Ghana or if
4:28you from Nigeria, Silon, Liberia, there
4:30is no such thing.
4:31>> Mhm.
4:32>> But if you say, "Oh, you're Euroruba."
4:34He said, "Yes, what is Euroruba culture
4:37like?" Then he or she is able to start
4:39to talk about it.
4:40>> Mhm.
4:41>> So there are similarities which I'm
4:43going to really explain and you can see
4:44it. So I'm first going to ask he's been
4:47on my show. I he has been he's seen my I
4:50do not put together that show which I
4:52fund from my own pocket because I just
4:54want to say things to make people angry.
4:56No, it's because I really care
4:58>> and sometimes I get frustrated about
5:00what I have seen from the continent
5:02where I come from and what I see here
5:05about my great great grandfathers,
5:08uncles, sisters who were taken away. So
5:10African-Americans would say, "Well,
5:12you're not one." Yes, I know. But I'm
5:14walking past my cousin, my nieces every
5:16day. So what is in my head is what is in
5:18their head. And what I'm explaining is
5:20something that they must listen to. When
5:22I say there is no such thing as Afric
5:24African-American culture, they're like,
5:26"What do you mean?" But culture for me
5:28is not dance, food, clothing. Those are
5:31not cultures.
5:32>> Culture is a world view. The world view
5:35is what drives people. Their
5:37relationship to wealth, to money, to
5:39community, to marriage, to family. It's
5:42the world view they have. That's the
5:44foundation of a culture. And number two,
5:47there is no possibility for you to have
5:49a culture without having a language. So
5:52if you read most of the books written by
5:54brilliant African-Americans, the first
5:56thing you see, the headline is the
5:59traumatic thing about slavery is not
6:01merely changing your environment.
6:03>> The traumatic thing about slavery is not
6:05merely asking you to work long hours.
6:09The Russians had hard labor camps in
6:12Siberia. Many countries, Japanese had it
6:15where people work and they die. The
6:18traumatic thing about slavery is one
6:19thing only which everyone has written
6:21about. They took our language away. They
6:25took our culture away. They took our
6:28history and religion away.
6:31>> That is a traumatic thing about being a
6:33slave.
6:35Now if they took those things away,
6:37how and when were they recovered?
6:42So I met a gentleman. I was attending a
6:44conference in Singapore and I met this
6:46gentleman who was a Korean sociologist.
6:48So we started talking during coffee and
6:50I said, "Oh, I lived in Korea for two
6:51years when I was reporting." He said,
6:53"Oh wow." And then we started talking. I
6:55I can I don't remember how the
6:58conversation came about when he asked
6:59me. He said, "So your country was
7:01colonized?" I said yes in my his country
7:03Korea was colonized by the Japanese for
7:0549 years. And he said what did you guys
7:08meaning referring to people in Beni what
7:10did you lose as a result of colonization
7:14and I froze and I said whoa nobody has
7:17ever asked me that question. So I said
7:19prof you tell me and that will give me
7:21some idea. And he said no we're Koreans
7:24were colonized by the Japanese. So when
7:26they left, all we lost was time. We just
7:29went back being Koreans.
7:32>> And from that day,
7:36I could tell clearly, what did we lose
7:39as a result of colonization in Africa?
7:41What did you lose as a result of
7:43slavery? [snorts] If you don't fix that
7:46which you lost, you are not going to
7:48make any way forward. So in Africa, the
7:51countries that exist today were never
7:54there.
7:55They force a group of tribe that have
7:58their own distinct cultures to become a
8:01country.
8:03So they've lost their distinct cultures
8:06trying to have a culture as a collective
8:08which is never going to happen. So for
8:10me first and foremost when I talk about
8:11culture I'm talking about a world view.
8:13Meaning the collective has to have one
8:15reason they are here on earth and that
8:17thing is what drives them. It's what
8:19makes them wage wars, conquer people,
8:22um, anything you ask anybody. In 1884,
8:26it was the Irish journalist who finally
8:28found a word to describe the English
8:30man, which he called the manifest
8:32destiny. That exceptionalism of the
8:35English men, now you call them
8:36Americans. The American exceptionalism
8:39is the American culture. That they
8:41believe that God put them on this earth
8:43to colonize and civilize others. And
8:45that's what drives them to go out there
8:47and try to give freedom and fight for
8:49freedom and do all the things they do.
8:51Good or bad, I'm not giving any value.
8:55You ask the Japanese, you will tell you
8:57their worldview. So they are dance and
8:59food and no those are not.
9:04I came from a place where as a young boy
9:06I was given a worldview and he guided me
9:08everywhere I went. So when you meet me
9:11outside my culture, you can tell from my
9:14behavior he must come from a culture
9:17that believes in XYZ.
9:20[snorts] So a culture becomes more
9:22pronounced when you are outside the
9:24group as an individual outside your
9:27group. People must be able to tell.
9:30>> Okay. Uh Dave, what is your rebuttal to
9:33that?
9:34>> It's not so much a rebuttal. It's a
9:36difference in philosophy, right? It is.
9:39And I I think we got to thank Frank for
9:42even coming here because I know for some
9:44people this would be very adversarial.
9:46Frank and I, we talk all the time. We
9:48we're very very good folk. And there's a
9:51couple of things that I got to push back
9:53on simply because they were not
9:55available to us. See, when Frank was
9:57born, he inherited a culture.
10:00>> We had to make one with what we had.
10:02Some of us, if you take any, if I were
10:04to swab any one of you, you would find
10:07some Nigerian, you would find some
10:10Ganaan. Like, we had to hodge podge. Not
10:13to mention, out of all of the places
10:16that black people were forced into when
10:19we were slaves, 3% came to what we now
10:22consider the United States of America.
10:24And then we were bred. Over time, we
10:27were buck broken. Over time, they would
10:29take our women and uh grape them out of
10:32respect for your channel. You know what
10:33I'm saying? Drop the G. And then on top
10:36of that, they had a uh a a split breast
10:39system. And the split breast system
10:41means that one breast would feed the
10:43white children of the slave master and
10:45the other one would feed the black
10:46children that were going to be bought
10:48off and sold. We also have a situation
10:51where we had to face things that no
10:53other black person on the continent had
10:56to face. you know, taking our children
10:58and feeding them to alligators,
11:00lynching, Jim Crow, all of those things.
11:03And when you look at it, whether we
11:06choose to acknowledge it or not, the
11:08pulse of America runs through
11:11foundational black Americans, who was
11:13the first person to die in the
11:14Revolutionary War. Christmas Addicts,
11:16black man, foundational black American,
11:19right? Harriet Tubman made the
11:21Underground Railroad and stopped it in
11:22Philadelphia. There are all of these
11:24things that have happened that make it
11:26who we are. Now, as a person who was the
11:28first black youth president of an
11:30organization called the National
11:31Conference of Christians and Jews, to
11:32Frank's point, I do agree. You don't
11:34really see your culture until you're out
11:36of it. So, I'm a raisin and buttermilk
11:38in a conversation where there's a bunch
11:40of white Christians and a bunch of
11:42Jewish people and they're like, "Hey, we
11:44do this." I'm like, "No, no, black
11:45people don't do that." You know what I'm
11:47saying? From the way we walk, the way we
11:48talk, the way we eat, the way we move.
11:50Not to mention, you can't go anywhere on
11:53this earth without seeing our influence.
11:56The problem is, unlike any other black
11:58culture in the on the face of the
12:00planet, we have been colonized and
12:02monetized for profit by everyone,
12:06including the Koreans. K-pop ain't
12:08nothing but R&B. Let's call it what it
12:10is. And it's R&B under duress. Cuz if
12:12you look at what happened with Megan
12:13Stallion when she was dealing with those
12:15K-pop girls, she was like, "Oh, it's
12:16serious up in here." Because if they
12:18miss a step, they get what Joe Jackson
12:19gave Mike and them. But worse, there are
12:21all of these things that take place
12:24>> that no one wants to talk about. So, no,
12:25we don't have a language because we
12:27weren't allowed to speak our language
12:29under penalty of death. When you talk
12:31about uh you can't come to the cookout
12:33and things of that nature, people forget
12:35picnic is uh is an abbreviated slang
12:38term which means you get to pick and to
12:40lynch.
12:41>> I didn't know that. postcards came from
12:45pictures that they used to take the back
12:47of and mail for people who couldn't see
12:49the lynching that they had. All of these
12:51things we survived. And the funny thing
12:53is everyone's coming over here and
12:56benefiting from the fact that we put out
12:58the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendment. All
13:01of those things that started as the
13:04black liberation movement but then got
13:06shoehorned into civil rights because
13:07everybody wants to come off of our pain
13:11>> is still a part of who we are. American
13:14culture is black culture. The problem is
13:18not only did we have to create it, but
13:21everybody else got to monetize it. We
13:23don't own major forms of media. So the
13:25message that goes out to the world about
13:27foundational black Americans is very
13:28lopsided. It's very negative. Even Frank
13:30said to um Nancy, he said, "Well, what
13:34is y'all called y'all? Twerking,
13:37>> negating the fact that twerking started
13:39in Africa,
13:40mating rituals, things of that nature,
13:42tying of the hips, stop me when I go
13:44wrong." All of these things get put out
13:47as if that's who we are. And it's a very
13:49limited, very narrow-minded, very sore,
13:53and very disingenuous snapshot of who we
13:56are. because we get put into killers,
13:59baby mamas, this and that and the other.
14:01And then when you look at how the media
14:03is weaponized, right? They'll take
14:05people throughout the diaspora and then
14:07put them on platforms and then bring
14:09them here. I'll give you an example.
14:10There's a show on CBS called Bob Hart's
14:11Abbasha and she said things that were
14:15much more incendiary than what Frank
14:17said, you know, oh, what is it?
14:18Gangbangers and baby mamas.
14:20>> Crazy. No,
14:22that energy
14:24>> is designed to keep us a certain way.
14:26And then when you talk about how the
14:28entertainment is weaponized because
14:29that's the message. That's our largest
14:30export. It always has been. Our talent
14:33and our our ability to entertain but not
14:36capitalize on said entertainment. You
14:38can't point to one major blackowned
14:41record company. You can't point to one
14:43major blackowned media outlet. You can't
14:46point to one major media or
14:48technological distribution center that
14:50is controlled, owned, and managed by
14:54foundational black Americans. And so the
14:55message of foundational black Americans
14:57that gets out is not our message. And I
14:59completely reject that. If that's what
15:01you think the culture is, I am here to
15:03tell you that ain't my culture. It ain't
15:05never been my culture. It ain't been the
15:06culture of most of my brethren. Do we
15:08have some knuckleheads? Absolutely.
15:10>> Of course we do. But do we also have
15:12things like Cointel Pro we've still had
15:14to overcome? Do we have things like the
15:1594 Biden Clinton crime bill that we've
15:17had to overcome? And throughout history,
15:20I have yet to see anybody from any of
15:21those 54 countries come back for their
15:23brothers that they say that they love so
15:25much. I don't remember the warships
15:27coming to get us. I don't. But what I do
15:30see is, oh, well, we're really good at
15:33educating. We take the opportunities and
15:35we're able to, you know, go and take
15:37these American opportunities that you
15:39guys squander. Yeah. Because you get an
15:41immigrant experience. You do not get the
15:44foundational black American experience.
15:47You get the same immigrant talk that the
15:50Russians get. And the Russians got a lot
15:52of nerve because if it wasn't for
15:53Alexander Pushkin, they'd still be
15:54speaking French. Alexander Pushkin
15:56created the Russian language. He was a
15:58black man. So when you when you talk
16:00about where we are and where we've been,
16:03you also have to talk about the mind
16:06screw out of respect for your channel
16:08that we have been put under. So, no, we
16:11don't have an official language because
16:12we weren't allowed to have one. But
16:13still, if you look at AAVE, it's
16:15everywhere. And and when it comes out of
16:17our mouth, it goes from the hood to the
16:19boardrooms to a billboard on on on on
16:21Broadway or in Time Square. So, we have
16:25culture, we have influence, and no, I'm
16:27not just talking about um taking taking
16:31um what's the word I'm looking for?
16:33Weeds and turning them into collard
16:35greens or taking inards and turning them
16:36into chillings. I'm talking about the
16:38fact that we have persevered and we are
16:41the most copied individuals on the
16:43planet. So much so if I'm wrong, please
16:46explain Acon to me. Please explain
16:48Burner Boy to me. They all do a
16:50variation of who we are. And I'm not
16:52just talking about music. I'm talking
16:53about the walk. I'm talking about the
16:55talk. I'm talking about the the
16:57hairstyles. I'm talking about the
16:58innovation. Everything we do. We took a
17:01construction worker's boot and made it
17:03the hottest item for the past 40 years
17:06because everybody finds a way to profit
17:08off of what we create and then demonize
17:10us for creating it and then label us
17:13criminals, uneducated, unwilling. We
17:15don't care. But they don't talk about
17:17all the systemic things that have been
17:18set up and profited by by people who
17:21want to keep us in a certain box. That
17:23doesn't mean we can't escape that box.
17:25But to act like we were not put under
17:28duress for what we had to put together
17:31as a culture when everybody else got to
17:33inherit it and that includes Haitians,
17:36Jamaicans, everybody else got to be left
17:38alone so that they could develop. We
17:40didn't have that. And to this day, I
17:43have yet to meet one African, one
17:46Jamaican, one Caribbean, one black
17:48person anywhere who comes into this
17:50country and has automatically ingrained
17:53in them before they start going my
17:55country t of the sweet land of liberty
17:57of the I sing that they're afraid when
17:59the red and blue lights come on behind
18:01them when they're pulled over. And I get
18:03it and I'm the son, brother, and nephew
18:05of cops.
18:07That's why I say yes, we have a culture,
18:09but of course we don't have a language.
18:11But let's not be disingenuous and act
18:13like it doesn't matter because it does.
18:14Because as foundational black American
18:17goes, so goes everybody else in society.
18:20>> So Frank, let me ask you a question. Um,
18:23if slavery erased our black Americans
18:25culture, what do you call what we built
18:28after uh slavery? What do you call that?
18:31>> Well, you have to give me an example of
18:33what you mean by what we build. What
18:35what are you referring to?
18:37>> Yeah, you you tied um culture back to
18:40African and and something that you
18:41inherit, but you said that that got
18:43erased um through well during slavery,
18:46but we built something clearly black
18:48Americans have built throughout um
18:50slavery and culture that we have
18:51currently.
18:52>> What I'm asking is give me an example so
18:54I'll be able to respond to that
18:56particular thing.
18:57>> Well, like things like gospel um is
18:59something that we built after slavery.
19:01Um what
19:02>> well songs and music
19:04>> foods that we that we eat that we can
19:06>> songs and music exist in every society
19:08that
19:09>> is that not a part of culture?
19:10>> No let me let me come to that and first
19:13let me make um a little u uh response to
19:16>> sure
19:16>> uh David's uh assession that we were not
19:20allowed
19:22>> so
19:23in Benin or Ghana or Nigeria pick any of
19:26the 54 countries in Africa right?
19:28>> Mhm. If you had gone into a Yoruba
19:31tribe, which is now part of Nigeria,
19:34>> they would speak Euroba.
19:37Now,
19:38when we were put together forcefully as
19:41countries,
19:42>> today my nieces and nephews can't even
19:45speak my language properly
19:48and the French and English, they can't
19:49even speak it properly because in one
19:52classroom, you have 36 kids who come
19:54from different tribes in that classroom.
19:57So they can only use English or French
19:58or Spanish or Portuguese to teach this
20:02myriad of tribes now who are not who
20:04don't speak their language anymore.
20:06African-Americans were not prevented
20:09from speaking their language.
20:10>> Mhm.
20:11>> When the ship arrived, it was one from
20:14this tribe, that tribe, that tribe, that
20:16tribe. So automatically you can't speak
20:19to each other. And when you don't speak
20:21your language for a while, like I've
20:23been outside Africa now going 40 years.
20:27If I meet any of my uncles and I start
20:29to try to speak my language, I'm
20:31interfered by English constantly and I
20:33can't finish it.
20:35>> I can't make a coherent sentence in my
20:37own language because at school you could
20:41not use that language because we are now
20:43a bucket of different languages. The
20:47same thing happened here. You were
20:49brought as a a shipload of different
20:52languages. That is why creole and
20:54patchua were created. So you use the
20:57only word you can understand a little
20:59bit of the colonizer or the what whoever
21:01is controlling you and try to speak to
21:03someone who come from Sagal. You don't
21:04know what he speaks. So over time it
21:06becomes this hodgepodge of a language
21:08called creo or patchua.
21:10>> In silon they have it. In Liberia they
21:12have it. In Nigeria they have the pigeon
21:14English because they can't speak to each
21:16other. So nobody prevented you. All you
21:19need is to not to use your language
21:21because there is no one there to speak
21:22to and the next generation is gone. The
21:25Jews however it was Jews. They took them
21:29as Jews. Even though they went from
21:31country to country to country, they were
21:32lucky enough to keep talking to each
21:35other because they can understand each
21:36other. So they they were able to retain
21:39the language.
21:41This is my starting point. It happened
21:44to us on the continent. So don't be
21:46fooled. You hear countries like Nigeria,
21:48Ghana. If you ask five Ghanaians, one
21:52from the Ashanti, one from the airway,
21:54the Ghana the Awamu and the northern
21:57region and ask them are you Ghanaians?
21:59Yes, we are Ghanaians. Look at our
22:00passport. Ask them what is Ghanaian
22:03culture and they will start looking at
22:05each other. There is no such thing.
22:09Ask them what do you speak in Ghana?
22:11They will start looking at each other.
22:13Ask them what is a Ghanaian sense of
22:15value. There's no such thing. How do you
22:17guys marry in Ghana? There is no such
22:19thing. But you say you're Ghanaians.
22:25So what happened to us happened here.
22:27And when I arrived here, I understood
22:29it. When I went to Haiti, I was like,
22:30whoa. When I went to Jamaica, the same
22:32thing. So when I said I was only
22:35speaking here, so I said
22:36African-Americans, I would have said the
22:37same thing about my own countries in the
22:39continent. We have no culture.
22:41>> Yeah. But from from that video, what I
22:43what I got from it is you kind of you
22:46put Haitians on a pedestal. You you
22:48>> I didn't. No, let me correct you.
22:50>> When in comparison to black Americans,
22:51you said Haitians, they have a culture.
22:53Like you you said that out.
22:55>> I said so it was a long video about
22:57Haiti.
22:58>> Mhm.
22:58>> And during that conversation, I began to
23:01talk about why Haitians can't fix Haiti
23:03because you don't have Haitians. You
23:06have just a country forcefully imposed
23:09upon you a citizenship but you are from
23:11different places in Africa but right now
23:14if you go somewhere you would speak uh
23:17creole and somebody would say oh that is
23:18Haitian that's what I meant not putting
23:20them on any pedestal
23:22>> so they have a language
23:24>> they created one
23:25>> so you want to say
23:27>> and it's not even useful in any any way
23:29because it's not an international
23:31language
23:32>> so they they took French and made creole
23:35is what you're saying.
23:36>> Spanish, French, and then over 200
23:39African tribal languages into one.
23:41>> But Americans would say that they took
23:42English and made their own language as
23:44well.
23:44>> And what is that?
23:45>> I mean, it's it's a broken version of
23:47English, but it's still something that
23:48we could speak to that specifically to
23:50us.
23:52>> What language is that?
23:53>> I mean, it's English.
23:55>> He's talking about
23:57the African-American vernacular English.
23:59The same way for example in
24:01>> I think I've heard uh yes when I came to
24:04this country in 1994 I had a debate on
24:06my campus about Ebonics
24:08>> right same thing
24:09>> yeah and uh somebody corrected me and I
24:11think it was my professor said no if you
24:13say Ebonics there is no one collective
24:18>> Ebanics
24:18>> correct
24:19>> you have to go into pockets if the
24:20person is from the north the south the
24:22central they created their own style
24:24around it so I understand that part that
24:26didn't even qualify as a subculture So
24:29[snorts] let me give you Jamaicans don't
24:30have a culture. When you say the country
24:32Jamaica, no there's no identifiable as a
24:34culture but the Rastapharians have a
24:37culture. Now let me explain what I mean
24:40by worldview. The Rastapharian's
24:42worldview is that men were put on earth
24:46to take care of nature.
24:48>> Mhm.
24:48>> Okay. That wealth you have to create
24:51more than consume. So they live a frugal
24:54life. So politically they are pacifist.
24:56They will never go to war. Socially
24:59they're communal and what we call
25:01epicurian. They believe getting high,
25:04eat some food and have deep conversation
25:06is what life is about. And then
25:08religiously they are Rastapharians.
25:11[snorts]
25:12>> Hippies are the western version of
25:15Arstapharians. They also had a worldview
25:18and that dictated their relationship
25:20with wealth. The hippies believe that
25:22humans were put on earth to create than
25:25consume and that living in in community
25:27and being frugal as to wearing the most
25:29you know inexpensive clothing and and
25:31and using things together is what life
25:34is all about. So it guided how you see
25:36them dress where they shop from why they
25:38marry on and on and on. That's what I
25:40mean by any society if you want to
25:43understand them. It's the worldview. The
25:45Jews believe that they were put on earth
25:47as God's chosen people.
25:49>> Mhm. that threw them with that is a
25:52worldview. Now any child told that
25:56forget hurting one of them
26:00because they are driven by that. That is
26:02why they insist on having a community
26:04wherever they are. The Chinese,
26:09the white community.
26:12Do Africans that come from the continent
26:14have a community? We don't. Why? Because
26:16we don't have a culture. If we had, it
26:18would drive us to have a community. In
26:20the 50 states of the United States of
26:22America, African-Americans don't have a
26:23community. They have neighborhoods. Now,
26:26people who got angry with me didn't even
26:28ask me, "What does culture do anyway?
26:30What is it that if you I say you didn't
26:33have that it makes you what?" Nobody
26:36asked that question. What is that thing
26:38you're trying to hold on Paul culture?
26:40By the way, what is it?
26:42>> You care to elaborate on that then? Now,
26:44>> what am I asking? Once upon a time, John
26:47Leno sang a song. Imagine we don't have
26:49religion. Imagine a world without
26:51religion, without heaven and hell. He
26:53believe in what? The brotherhood of
26:55mankind. So imagine the people without a
26:57culture. Maybe they are striving to a
26:59brotherhood of mankind.
27:02>> So you take words out of context and
27:04then you crucify a man,
27:06>> right?
27:07>> Not knowing that I am a victim of a
27:09cultureless country.
27:10>> You know, that's sometimes the the risk.
27:12>> I think we get angry too quickly.
27:16We are too sensitive.
27:19I was giving a talk live talk the other
27:20day and a gentleman not the way David is
27:23behaving.
27:24>> He wrote the book and he said my brother
27:26Frank he doesn't know what this means to
27:28me. He called me on the phone and spoke
27:30with me
27:31>> and we we we like we became friends like
27:33on the phone and I said I got to go even
27:35if it's three hours drive if I have to
27:37fly I'm going to see this gentleman
27:39>> because more than this conversation
27:40there is someone here who really is a
27:43thinker. Mhm.
27:44>> But we got to begin to tame down and
27:48accept criticism because that is the
27:49only way societies were built in this
27:51world. In my live talk, I told this
27:53gentleman when he wouldn't get off my
27:54case. And I said, "Let me tell you
27:56something.
27:57>> You don't hate the white man. You don't
27:59even fear them." Because if black people
28:02hate and fear the white men the way they
28:04hate and fear each other, you would all
28:06have left this country at the end of
28:08slavery.
28:09>> Left this country and go where?
28:10>> Go where?
28:11>> Yeah.
28:11>> Where did the Jews go to? Do you know
28:13how many lines in Africa was offered to
28:15African-Americans through the black line
28:17black star line project? It was funded
28:19by a British through Marcus Gave
28:21andqaming Kruma. The Black Star line did
28:24you go? No. How did you get the Liberia
28:26America Liberia culture move? 3,400
28:29people only agreed to go to Liberia.
28:32What do you mean where to? Plenty of
28:34land everywhere. Where did you come back
28:35from? How about the Caribbean?
28:37>> See that in and of itself. But I'm not
28:39saying it as I said. Hold on, Frank. I'm
28:41not let me let me get the day real
28:43quick. No, no, no. See, the thing of it
28:45is, and you got to understand, right?
28:47Like my favorite verse in the Bible is
28:49Proverbs 4:7. It says, "And all I get
28:50and get an understanding." You got to
28:52understand Frank's perspective. In his
28:54mind, it's like, "Well, shoot, why
28:55didn't you go?" [snorts] To me, that's
28:57no different than when Kanye sat in
28:58front of Harvey 11 and um and uh the
29:01other the the light-skinned boy, never
29:03call his name, um and said, you know,
29:05"Well, shoot, for 400 years, that's
29:07slavery. That sounds like a choice.
29:09Like,
29:10no, it's not. It's not just that, right?
29:14It's bigger than that. Because what no
29:18one talks about is the SCOP that was
29:21done to us from 1619
29:24through 1865 and then after 1865 all the
29:28way through. Right? So if you have been
29:30told over and over and over and over and
29:32over again that you're less than, that
29:34you ain't nothing, that you don't even
29:35get the right to call yourself a name,
29:37there are certain things that get lost
29:39in translation because he does not carry
29:42that particular experience. He's got his
29:44own experiences. And one of the things
29:45that I love and I encourage absolutely
29:47everybody to go to this man's YouTube
29:49channel because when he talks about
29:50black-on-black crime, he does not start
29:52and stop the conversation at
29:53foundational black Americans. He talks
29:55about what's happened in Nigeria. He
29:57talks about what's happening in Liberia.
29:58He talks about what's [clears throat]
29:59happening in Ghana and that is something
30:01that's happened throughout the diaspora
30:02and the one thing we all have in common
30:04is that we were colonized and scoped but
30:08none more brutally than us. So if you
30:11think for example there have been
30:13writings from Frederick Douglas there
30:14there were writings from uh Harriet
30:16Tubman there have been plenty of people
30:17who have talked about how many people
30:20did not want to leave the plantation
30:22because it was all they knew and they
30:24were scared almost to a point where they
30:26had Stockholm syndrome. the idea of
30:28going back to a place they'd never been
30:29or had any historical reference to
30:32because they had been beaten,
30:33threatened, hung, stabbed, lynched out
30:36of them.
30:37>> Yeah. No, I'm I ain't going back there.
30:40Why would I? Now, me personally,
30:43>> I know plenty of people who have
30:45repatriated, right? And I know plenty of
30:47people who love it. I know plenty of
30:48people who get called all types of
30:50vicatas and every dag on thing else over
30:52there. I also understand that there's a
30:54cast system over there. There are people
30:55if I when there have been times when I
30:58have been called over there mixed
31:01because of the texture of my hair or the
31:03fairness of my skin or the narrowness of
31:05my nose
31:06>> because whether we like to admit it or
31:08not when it comes to a foundational
31:10black American line, you can always find
31:12if you go up farther enough somebody who
31:14played Massa got loose in the slave
31:15quarters, right? Or as they like to say,
31:18black buck got loose in the big house,
31:19but it wasn't us getting loose in the
31:20big house. You understand what I'm
31:21saying? So there's all these things. And
31:23to the John Lennon point, that's ironic
31:24and I will tell you why. John Lennon was
31:27a part of the Beatles. The Beatles
31:29invasion came about because the Beatles
31:32were the very first Backstreet Boys. The
31:35Beatles were doing what Ike Turner was
31:37doing, what Jimmyi Hendris was doing,
31:40what Little Richard was doing, what all
31:42these foundational black Americans were
31:44doing, but because they were palatable.
31:46And they told you themselves that they
31:48were singing black music no different
31:49than Elvis. So yeah, it's real easy to
31:51say imagine when you're a European rich
31:55white man with an Asian wife who has
31:57more money than he knows what to do with
31:59who had the unmititigated Gaul to say he
32:01was bigger than Christ himself and not
32:03get cancelled. Yeah, you can imagine
32:05that because you're imagining it behind
32:07a gated community and the second he
32:08stepped out of that gated community, one
32:10of his own people got it.
32:11>> But even that is culture. when we were
32:15not allowed to marry each other to the
32:17point when you talked about traditions,
32:18we jumped the broom as a symbol to each
32:21other and everybody on the plantation or
32:23the property because all slaves weren't
32:25on plantations that this person is my
32:28person. I jumped the broom to this day.
32:31>> I jumped the broom with my wife.
32:32>> Yeah,
32:33>> that's a part of who we are that is
32:34unique to us. No, we don't have a
32:37language. And I'm not going to rehash
32:38what I've already said, but we have to
32:39have a different level of understanding
32:42of what has happened, what continues to
32:45happen, and how there is a global
32:48conspiracy, whether we choose to
32:50understand it or not, to keep all of us
32:54separate. Having said that,
32:56>> Mhm.
32:56>> there are things that happen in Haiti
33:00because of what Bill Clinton did when he
33:03was president and afterwards. There are
33:06things that happen in Jamaica that
33:09happened because of the British crown,
33:12right? We all have our
33:16different cultural battles to fight,
33:18>> but we're all still black. However, me
33:21saying that I have to take care of my
33:24two daughters does not mean that I don't
33:25care about every other black woman on
33:27the face of the planet. They are my
33:28immediate responsibility as a
33:30foundational black American. My
33:31immediate responsibility is to
33:32foundational black Americans first. Not
33:34saying foundational black Americans
33:36first and f everybody else. I am saying
33:39foundational black Americans first
33:40because we're the ones that are bleeding
33:42and everybody has benefited from our
33:44blood whether they choose to admit it or
33:45not. The 13th, 14th, and 15th amendment
33:47do not happen with us. civil rights does
33:49not happen with us. Um these very loose,
33:52very fun um immigration laws that folks
33:55are now playing and screwing all of us
33:58throughout the diaspora who are here in
33:59the Americas um does not happen without
34:03foundational black Americans. And so all
34:05of those things are extremely important
34:07to that conversation.
34:09>> So what would be your definition my what
34:12would be your definition of culture?
34:14Frank gave his definition of culture.
34:15What is your definition of culture? My
34:16definition of culture is traditions.
34:19It's style. It's uh certain taboss, you
34:23know, and taboos don't have to be a big
34:25huge thing. Bring raisins in a in a
34:28potato salad to a family reunion. Watch
34:29what happens to you, right? Or if we're
34:31going to if we're going to talk about
34:33taboos that still happen but are still
34:35considered taboo, bring home a white
34:37girl, see what happens. You at bare
34:39minimum are getting talked about. Not
34:41saying that there's not an OJ. Not
34:42saying that, you know, the majority of
34:45um professional athletes, entertainers,
34:48those types of people, people who get to
34:49a certain level don't still do that. But
34:51it's taboo. Curse while the pastor is
34:54talking uh during his sermon.
34:56>> Those are all taboos, right?
35:02Walking on the inside of the street as
35:06opposed to the outside of the street. I
35:08was raised, but again again my uh my my
35:11grandfather was born in I think 1890 and
35:13my grandmother was born in 1904. So my
35:16dad was born in 35. So I got a different
35:18worldview than a lot of people my age.
35:20Um but there's certain things you don't
35:22do. You don't hit a woman. Like there's
35:23certain things that aren't necessarily
35:26only unique to us, but there are certain
35:28things that over time we have built that
35:30make up our culture beyond just
35:32language.
35:33>> Spirituality was robbed from us.
35:35Language was robbed from us. And yes,
35:36even with that, with the example Frank
35:38gave, and I'll lay my plane on this.
35:39Yeah. When you go to school, yeah, they
35:41got to teach a certain way. Even when
35:42you go, I got a cousin that lives in
35:43Osaka, Japan, and she teaches English as
35:45a second language to Japanese
35:47businessmen cuz they want to come over
35:48here. You understand what I'm saying to
35:50you? But you have to have a baseline
35:52language. But the difference is you're
35:54choosing to go to school versus being
35:57forced, whipped, you know, chained, bred
36:01like cattle, and had anything
36:05um cultural taken from you. Even the
36:07ability to name your child wasn't up to
36:10you.
36:11>> My last name didn't come from the
36:13continent. My last name comes from the
36:15Anderson slave owners of South Carolina.
36:18>> I know exactly what plantation my
36:20ancestors come from.
36:23Can't tell you the boat though.
36:27>> I wanted to ask like so where did you
36:29get your definition of culture?
36:32>> Well um my background is mask of
36:34journalism and if you do advanced mask
36:37of journalism of course you're going to
36:38do multicultural understanding
36:41>> and in the study of multicultural
36:43differences understanding of course you
36:44study how languages were developed what
36:46it meant for people and so on and so
36:49forth. And it's the first thing that
36:50allows you to understand how to interact
36:53when you move from one place to go uh to
36:55another place. So through that um uh uh
36:59uh and then of course my column for 13
37:01years was life and culture. I didn't
37:03report on politics, economics or wars. I
37:05I reported on life and culture. It
37:07allowed me to study and I realized how
37:09would I know. I began to compare it
37:13>> okay to where um I'm coming from and I
37:16said something went wrong. I I would uh
37:19make give me just a little bit to
37:21explain something. You know where my
37:23interest as a black man
37:26>> became picked
37:28>> after traveling the world
37:31when I began to hear the slogans we
37:33create, the narratives we create.
37:35>> Okay. I was speaking in Kenya on a
37:39university campus.
37:41>> One young man got up and told me how I
37:44missed the point about why Kenya is the
37:46way it is. and uh blame the white man
37:49who came to take their culture and stop
37:50them from speaking their local languages
37:52and gave us Christianity. Oh, he went
37:54down the laundry list of things that
37:56happened to them and is still happening.
37:58So I said, "Wow, you are a brilliant
38:00man. I've never met anyone
38:03>> who have made this list, but I have only
38:05one question. Why did it work?"
38:11>> And that is what we refuse to ask
38:13ourselves. So we always say that
38:18They did this to us. They did this to
38:19us.
38:21>> But we never ask ourselves why did it
38:23work. See, I've been to Caribbean.
38:27>> I've been to many cities in the United
38:29States. I've lived in the UK. I've seen
38:31blacks in the UK. I've seen black in
38:33China. I've seen blacks in almost every
38:35corner of the world.
38:38>> And I've seen blacks in the America and
38:40on the continent.
38:43And everything we are describing is
38:45uniform about us. You really think that
38:50the largest number of people on earth in
38:52terms of countries
38:53>> Mhm.
38:54>> 54 in one continent about 10 or 13 in
38:58the Caribbean, black groups in the UK,
39:02in China, in America, and we are all
39:05suffering that psychological warfare and
39:09responding to it for years. Nothing in
39:13the world, use any probability, has ever
39:17touched a coin and it fell on its head
39:18nine times out of 10. Impossible. We
39:21need to re-examine us as black people.
39:23What is it? And it's nothing we are
39:25saying. Because if it is true
39:28and there's something really wrong first
39:30with us, let me tell you something.
39:32Korea, nobody, it's a miracle that Korea
39:35is what it is today. It is the only
39:37country in the world or in Asia, let me
39:39just be
39:40>> that has never waged war. They call them
39:42pakacho
39:44inferior by the Japanese, but
39:46Mongolians, Chinese. They were bullied
39:49and they were invaded, colonized,
39:52tortured for hundreds of years. Why
39:56didn't it work on them?
40:00The Jews went into slavery, the globe,
40:024,000 years in the diaspora, in Egypt,
40:06in Baghdad, which which was formerly
40:08Babylon.
40:09when they were in Europe, what was the
40:11name? The Aryan race through the Nazi
40:13organization said they were Jews are
40:16inferior. It's what they said over and
40:18again to German kids.
40:21>> When they arrived in America, Sammy
40:23Davis had a joke. He said he was getting
40:26on the bus in Montgomery. The driver
40:27told him to get to the back of the bus.
40:29He said, "No, you don't understand. I'm
40:31a Jew." He said, "Oh, get off the bus
40:32then."
40:34In 1977, a black man bought a home in
40:38Westport, Connecticut before a Jew. Jews
40:41were not allowed to rent or buy a home
40:43in Greenwich in Westport in Darian.
40:46>> There's a story Donald Trump had to
40:47build the first golf course when he
40:49became aware that Jews and blacks were
40:50not allowed to play in golf courses.
40:52Jews had it tough in this country
40:54through redlinining where they were not
40:56allowed to set up businesses. So, they
40:58were forced to converge and start
41:00loaning to themselves from within. It
41:02didn't happen to them 4,000 years longer
41:04than we were in slave or colonization.
41:06So the question you need to ask is if
41:08they did all these things against us,
41:09why did it work?
41:12>> Let me give you one thing to the
41:14response I said earlier. Why
41:15African-Americans didn't leave after
41:17slavery? Not because there was no place
41:18to go to. That is completely a lie.
41:20>> Mhm.
41:21>> Ask yourself, the Ashantis knew that
41:23they were the most powerful tribe in
41:25Ghana, followed by the airways, the
41:28guns, the trees, Aquamus, everybody.
41:30They knew that they didn't inform the
41:32country Ghana that they were forced.
41:34Okay. But it came to an end for Ghana
41:381957. Why didn't they go back to become
41:42the individual tribes they were? Did was
41:43there anybody there telling them you
41:44can't? No. Do you know why they stayed
41:47as a country?
41:48>> What?
41:49>> They were attracted by the blame the
41:52colonial left behind. M
41:54>> the roads, the hospitals, the schools,
41:56the post office, the fire, the
41:57department, the the buses with air
41:59condition from London imported to their
42:01country, the railway lines, all the
42:03beautiful things. Why didn't you leave
42:05here? It's not because you don't know
42:06where to go.
42:08>> It's because you didn't hate the white
42:10man and you were not afraid of them. I
42:12think you're eliminating the fact that
42:13we built blood, sweat, tears, deaths,
42:16you know, so much. We we the biggest
42:19innovators. We built America. Why give
42:22up everything we built? We America
42:25wouldn't exist off the pains and
42:26struggles off of black Americans. We
42:29don't you don't just give that up. We
42:31also if with with asking your question,
42:33we do also ask why didn't Africans or
42:37other Caribbean people or other nations
42:40join us and make us a bigger nation in
42:44in America? We built it.
42:46Everything came off our death. And every
42:49time we created something big, it was
42:51destroyed. Burned down. Like where?
42:54>> What are you talking about?
42:55>> Oh, wait, wait, wait. I got I got this
42:56one. Don't worry. Wilmington, North
42:58Carolina. Eatenville. Uh, Rosewood. Um,
43:02Tulsa,
43:04>> Philadelphia, Chester, Pennsylvania,
43:07Wilmington, North Carolina, uh, shoot,
43:10South Carolina. Yeah. You know, there
43:13there were plenty of places. Anytime we
43:15had any infrastructure, two things
43:17happened. They decided to integrate it.
43:19Look at um Have you been to Central
43:20Park?
43:21>> Mhm.
43:21>> You know what Central Park is, right?
43:23>> It's a park.
43:24>> No, it's not. Central Park was actually
43:26a place called Senica Village. It was
43:27when freed black people decided to
43:30converge in one area. And they decided
43:33to redistrict that area even though they
43:35owned the land and the the houses that
43:37they built free and clear. And they
43:39destroyed those people, displaced those
43:42people, and built a park around it.
43:43There's an old song uh Jonie Mitchell
43:45sang said, "Don't it always seem to go
43:47this you don't know what you got till
43:48it's gone." They paved paradise and put
43:50up a parking lot. They paved paradise
43:51and put up Senica Village. In Georgia,
43:53just outside of Atlanta, there's a place
43:55called Lake Laneir. It used to be a
43:57thriving black town. They decided to
44:00kill the black folks, get rid of the
44:02ones they couldn't kill, and then people
44:04right now are boating on it every
44:06weekend. That's what happened to us.
44:10That's what got destroyed. And it
44:12doesn't mean that we don't keep
44:13building. But after a while, even if you
44:15look at the flea experiment, are you
44:17familiar with the flea experiment?
44:18>> The what?
44:19>> The flea experiment.
44:20>> No. So the flea experiment goes like
44:22this. You take a bunch of fleas, you put
44:23them in a jar, you put the top on the
44:25jar, and you put holes in the top of the
44:27jar. After a while, the fleas will stop
44:29at the top of the jar because they get
44:31tired of smacking up against the top of
44:32the jar. Now, because you have
44:34conditioned the fleas that they're not
44:36going to go above the top of the jar,
44:37you take the top of the jar off and you
44:39never have to worry about them jumping
44:40out of the jar because they don't think
44:41there's anything above the jar. So, if
44:44you have been killed, bombed, drowned,
44:47thrown out, redistricked, redlinined.
44:50>> Mhm.
44:50>> Yeah, those are historical facts. I got
44:53time. We can Google it.
44:54>> Sure. But, but that's what
44:56>> I'm not I'm no expert.
44:57>> No.
44:58>> On all the things he has listed. I'm
44:59just saying we shouldn't just talk about
45:01leaving.
45:02>> I I'll build that.
45:03>> Yes, I'll respond to you. I'm no expert
45:05on all the things he has listed. I might
45:07have read read about them, but you see
45:09every time I read something or I
45:11encounter a story, my mind works in that
45:13way because I'm an anal critical
45:15thinker.
45:16>> All right. I have also known societies
45:18in the world that once upon a time were
45:20prevented to do anything. They were
45:22prevented to do anything. Like the Jews
45:23is an example of it. Indians were
45:25example for 81 years by the British.
45:27They couldn't build, innovate, do
45:28anything. think they have to rely on on
45:30the on the on the on the white people,
45:32right? And you can go down Korean uh the
45:34same way. However, I believe in
45:37something called the second advantage,
45:39meaning when the phenomena the phenomena
45:40is over,
45:42>> you should repeat it.
45:43>> So, somebody gave me the first lecture
45:44about Tulsa, Oklahoma. And I said, what
45:47year was that? Quite a long time ago,
45:49right? Okay. At one time in this
45:51country, you and you and you and we will
45:54not have an opportunity to do certain
45:56things. Mhm.
45:57>> But if that ability to build Black Wall
46:00Street is innate,
46:01>> why haven't we repeated it?
46:03>> Because we cannot. And here's here.
46:05>> Now, let's go to your flea experiment.
46:07>> Sure.
46:09>> How about the other people who've been
46:10held down also by the same condition for
46:13long. Why are they not? Here is my
46:16problem.
46:18>> I have a lot of mentees.
46:19>> Yeah.
46:20>> African-American students whom I used to
46:21take to Africa. I had a program every
46:23year. I take a bunch of them to build
46:24schools in Benin. Mhm.
46:26>> A lot of that money out of his own
46:27pocket. By the way, credit where credit
46:28is due.
46:29>> Now,
46:30I really get the goose on my skin
46:35>> when we keep repeating the very thing
46:37that is building prisons around us.
46:39>> One is that we've been psyched up so we
46:42can't do anything. Two is somebody is
46:44always lurching in the dark. That's why
46:46we are the way we are.
46:47>> If you say so and then you ask a kid to
46:49go to school and stay in school and do
46:51well, well, you sound stupid.
46:53Why don't you go and kill the white
46:55supremacist so the problem will go away
46:57from me?
46:59There is something that is just human.
47:02>> When you find yourself in a certain
47:03situation, you cannot explain it. Better
47:05create a boogeyman fast.
47:07>> But a boogeyman only turns around and
47:09imprison you and your own children.
47:12>> I refuse. There is no psychological
47:15effect on any black person on earth. We
47:17are just what we are different.
47:20And whenever we find ourselves among
47:22other people, the first thing we start
47:24doing is compare.
47:26Let me give you a country South Africa.
47:29>> 12 tribes, seven major ones. Chaka the
47:33Zulu is from the Zulu land and then the
47:35Kosas and then Vendas and Limpopos.
47:38Okay. Makes one huge region. 51 million
47:41black people. Sispark and big chest.
47:44They'll kill you with their bare hands.
47:462.8 8 million white people arrived and
47:49build that country to the standard of a
47:51European country
47:54>> 2.8 million
47:55>> South African white
47:58then the people started bickering they
48:01said apathide was the reason the black
48:03man was poor in South Africa so the
48:05majority 51 million black people were
48:08waiting on 2.8 a saying that apathite.
48:10You don't know what apathite is?
48:11>> Yes.
48:12>> Aparttheite was no economic thing.
48:15Aparttheite simply is what is happening
48:16or happening in America like in
48:18Westport. Look, don't have children with
48:20my our girls.
48:22>> We want to keep a pure race. Apathide is
48:24what is happening in India. We want to
48:26keep Indians bury themselves.
48:28>> Koreans are eugenics. They marry each
48:30other. How many Koreans have you seen in
48:31America married to celebrities? Nope.
48:33That is apathite. So if you start
48:35marrying them, they'll tell them clean
48:38out. How was it? Now if blacks believe
48:42that they can build South Africa, you
48:44know what? Mandela wouldn't waste his
48:46time in prison and all these things, he
48:48would have simply said, you know what,
48:50let's have a BSA, black South Africa,
48:53Republic. Let them cut off
48:56white South Africa and let's compete.
48:58No, they wasted their time asking the
49:00whites, just allow me to come to your
49:01beach, to your clinic, to your schools.
49:04Okay, 32 years ago the white man said
49:06just wait and see. We are warning them
49:09that managing a country is not something
49:11anybody you can just do. So 32 years ago
49:13they gave the country back to the
49:14blacks. I was there in 2022 to speak.
49:18They are now having load shared
49:20electricity can stay on. Water is not
49:22flowing. Roads are cracked. Airport is
49:24breaking down. The Durban train station
49:26is finished
49:28>> when they gave it to blacks.
49:30>> So So you saying that they're not
49:32capable? No, they are not capable. I
49:34don't have to say it. 32 years it took
49:37Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea,
49:38Malay, Malaysia, and Indonesia to build
49:40themselves up right after independence.
49:4314 countries in the Balkans. Many people
49:45in this country who are below the age of
49:4740 don't understand what Soviet Union
49:49means. That was a devil's empire that
49:52colonized 14 countries in their grip for
49:5440 years. Name one Eastern European
49:56country that is downthrodding because of
49:59the Russians. So do you have the answer
50:00to the reason they're not capable? There
50:02is no reason.
50:03>> So they're just not capable because
50:05they're just not capable. There's no
50:07reason behind it. There's nothing behind
50:08it. There's not a particular mindset. I
50:10will tell you because if you look in the
50:13generation of where I come from, my
50:15grandfather, great-grandfather, great
50:16great grandfather, none from Africa has
50:19ever managed, build and manage a
50:20country.
50:21>> Ain't got to be a reason though.
50:22>> No, no, no. I'm saying we have never
50:24done it. Just like no lion has ever dug
50:29a foxhole.
50:30>> Only fox can dig a fox hole,
50:32>> right?
50:33>> Only rabbits can dig a rabbit hole. So
50:36lions can't. So why would you say is
50:38there a reason the lion can dig a
50:39foxhole?
50:40>> No, there's no reason. It's a lion.
50:41>> But those different animals we talking
50:43about lack of breath of experience.
50:44>> Humans are my friend.
50:46>> Not having the experience is a reason.
50:48And again,
50:49>> okay, so maybe we have not had the need.
50:52You see, we make too big a deal about
50:55industrialization as if
50:57industrialization is for people who are
50:59smart. No, industrialization is for
51:01people who were threatened by nature.
51:03And the continent of Africa, which is
51:05the home place of black people, is the
51:07most comfortable place that has never
51:09had any threat. Tsunamis, earthquakes,
51:12tatanic plates, uh winters 10 feet high,
51:15springs for no. Oh, you wake up every
51:17day, the trees are green, the tomato is
51:19365 days, right behind your house, the
51:21river is there, and you just lie out
51:23there, eat something, and just chill. So
51:27your brain for millions of years is not
51:32inventive because
51:34>> there's no need.
51:34>> There's no need.
51:36>> So we build little communities.
51:39>> Africans are communal. The black man by
51:42nature is not an individualistic actor.
51:45No,
51:46>> the black man relies. That's why you
51:48can't finish a sentence with a black man
51:50without him saying, "Oh, my niece, my
51:51cousin." You can talk to a Japanese, a
51:53Korean, and a white man for 3 hours and
51:55is my wife and children. That's all
51:57you're going to hear because they come
51:58from that kind of scene. All right? So,
52:00where we come from, where we evolved,
52:03gave us something. And that something
52:07is what we are. So, what the white
52:09person did in South Africa is not
52:11because he's smart. is because just over
52:14years, millions of years, they've been
52:15in threat from nature. So always their
52:18brain is inventive. Oh, how can we
52:20protect ourselves? We didn't need a
52:22reason to let the water be in some
52:24because it's it's not going to freeze.
52:27>> And we have to come back to that. But we
52:29keep preaching that somebody this wiggly
52:32white small race have held down black
52:35men shakil size of people. And then our
52:39childrens are hearing it. And you forget
52:41to see why our children hate each other
52:43because you said we are nothing.
52:44>> So it's easy for the black man to kill
52:46the other person. And I'm just saying we
52:48need to stop this.
52:51>> Stop it. How can one race on earth have
52:54the same experience and it's not going
52:57away?
52:58>> I agree with you right to certain
52:59degree.
53:00>> That's my question. We build it so we
53:01won't live it. You're lying to yourself.
53:02What did you build in America? Name one
53:04thing you built.
53:06>> Everything. You were in a six states in
53:08the south farms because of your ability.
53:11They took them to Jamaica because of
53:13plantation. They took them to Haiti
53:14because of plantation. So when you they
53:16brought you here is because farms. And
53:18you keep saying we build we build.
53:20You're making the kids angry. If the man
53:22didn't have a home, how could he bring
53:24you as a slave? He built the country. He
53:26wanted you here to maintain some things,
53:28man. So what you build? So what? You
53:31will give your dignity, your children's
53:32dignity because we built a country.
53:33Therefore, we are going to stay in a
53:35country where we will be looked down
53:36upon. We will be indignified because I
53:39build it instead of you going and build.
53:40You know what the Jews build in other
53:42people's country, but they left it
53:43easily to go to a desert. And look at it
53:45today. Touch one of them and God bless
53:47you.
53:48>> A desert that was started and state
53:52sanctioned in 1946, the year my mother
53:55was born. A desert that also came with
53:59infrastructure. A desert that also came
54:02with banking systems. was a desert that
54:04also came with absolutely no laws
54:07preventing them to build freely. That is
54:10no noank.
54:14I sat here very quietly listening. I got
54:16two ears and one mouth. So I was
54:18listening twice as much as I normally
54:19talk.
54:20>> Jews were allowed to build institutions,
54:22hospitals, banks, all of those things
54:25over time. And when they left what was
54:27happening because of Hitler, they also
54:30came with their wealth intact. And they
54:34were allowed to commune together and
54:36build those things without
54:37infrastructure. You know what happened
54:39right after emancipation? The federal
54:42government created something called the
54:43Freeman's Bank. You familiar with the
54:45Freeman's Bank?
54:45>> I've heard of it. I'm not familiar.
54:47>> So the Freeman's Bank was marketed to
54:49black people, foundational black
54:50Americans, recently freed men. And
54:52that's why it's called the Freriedman's
54:53Bank as a place for them to take the
54:55money they had uh acquired over time
54:58either from sharecropping what they had
55:00earned from buying their freedom or
55:02whatever the case may be and they all
55:04put their money in to the Freedman's
55:07Bank. And you know what happened? The
55:08government and the robber barons and the
55:10people running the Freeman's Bank took
55:12all of their money. Do you know how many
55:15blackowned and operated banks there are
55:17currently in these United States?
55:18>> Nope.
55:19>> 22.
55:20Most of those are completely underfunded
55:22and they don't have a network that does
55:25not get the same support from the FDIC
55:28as a Wells Fargo, a Chase Manhattan, all
55:30of those things. These things are
55:32unique. There is in fact, and you know
55:35this because you have lived I I've lived
55:37in 34 cities in 19 states. I've been
55:39around. I I understand how certain
55:40things go. But can you right now with
55:43your wealth and the people that you
55:45know, how much land in Chinatown
55:47anywhere in the United States can you
55:48buy right now?
55:49>> Which Chinatown? The one here?
55:50>> Any Chinatown? How much can you buy
55:52right now?
55:53>> Well, I don't know.
55:54>> Zero. They won't allow it. How much can
55:56you buy in the Diamond District in any
55:58place? Let's just start in New York. How
56:00much can you blow? How much you buy?
56:02Zero. Because they're they're allowed to
56:05gatekeep that. There is no situation
56:08that you can name in America in modern
56:11times taking slavery and everything off
56:12the table just starting from 1865 on
56:16that does not have white involvement and
56:19white interference if you can name it I
56:22will apologize but it does not exist and
56:25that's what makes us unique versus the
56:27Jews who were allowed to take their
56:29money. Oh, and by the way, the United
56:30States of America, also Germany, all of
56:33those countries that were involved in
56:34World War II, paid and repaired the
56:37Jews. Japanese Americans who were put in
56:40interament camps because America
56:41allegedly was afraid of another Pearl
56:43Harbor. But we all know historically
56:44that was some BS because they knew Pearl
56:46Harbor was going to happen before it
56:47happened and they allowed it to happen.
56:49Took the Japanese Americans out of their
56:51homes, out of their stores, out of their
56:53businesses, out of their communities,
56:54and put them in internment camps. And
56:56when they released them when the war was
56:57over, you know what they did?
56:59They repaired them financially. They
57:02gave them grants, land grants. So, it's
57:04easy to talk about, well, look at what
57:06the Jews did this, that, and the third.
57:08Because the other part of that is you
57:10can freely, without fear of recompense,
57:13without fear of cancellation, without
57:14fear of any type of retaliation, talk
57:18extremely
57:20um critically of foundational black
57:22Americans. I dare you to go do that to
57:24Edstein and the folks over at the
57:27National Defamation League and see how
57:29quickly Frank Zanu gets canled. See how
57:31quickly your bank accounts get frozen.
57:33See how quickly you become public enemy
57:35number one. But they will back you and
57:38make sure your algorithm goes viral to
57:40the point where people wrongly are
57:42threatening your life. It's not an
57:44applesto apples comparison. We're
57:46comparing apples to ancestry and the
57:49freedom to make it happen. That's not an
57:52excuse. And by the way, I'm not saying a
57:53white man is holding me down. I have
57:55plenty of businesses. Google is a
57:57snitch. It'll tell you all of my
57:59business. But the truth of the matter
58:01is, am I a dyslexic, discalculate um kid
58:05with a speech impediment that became a
58:06speaker and a 22 time bestselling
58:08author? Yes. In spite of the fact that
58:11my family started in the Richard Allen
58:13projects. In spite of the fact that I
58:15have to read a little different. In
58:17spite of the fact that I might jumble my
58:18words here and there. It's not that it's
58:21impossible, but to me to act like that
58:23is the rule as opposed to the fact the
58:25truth is that I am the exception is not
58:27only disingenuous, it's very very
58:29>> shortsighted.
58:30>> Mhm.
58:31>> That's the only point I'm making.
58:33>> Look, when I use the Jews,
58:35>> I I don't talk about something like, you
58:38know, the Jews have this money, this
58:40person. I don't know and I don't want to
58:42talk about it and I don't talk about
58:43other people because I don't have to.
58:44They have done nothing to me. I talk
58:47about people like me. So I'm not going
58:50to criticize them and the fear of my
58:51algorithm and by the way I do not like
58:54that anybody will say because I'm
58:56criticizing my people that my algorithm
58:58is going up. If it is so fine all I'm
59:00saying is I am talking about us and I'm
59:04saying if all the things you are
59:06mentioning happening where wouldn't that
59:08be enough reason for you to here for 40
59:10years? You said
59:12>> 34. Okay. Before then, what what were
59:14what was your understanding of
59:17foundational black Americans at that
59:19point? Have you heard about us even when
59:20you were wherever you were from?
59:22>> Well, you must understand that when we
59:25began to know about African-Americans,
59:26they were called college people
59:28>> and then from college it became negro
59:30>> and then after negro he became
59:32afroamerican. So we in high school if
59:34you had come to Africa we call it
59:36afroamerican and then from there became
59:38black American and then from there
59:39became African-Americans and now I'm
59:41hearing the new terminology which is
59:42foundational black Americans. I don't
59:44understand it. I don't know where it
59:45came from. So if I knew about
59:48African-Americans yes my name was
59:50Superfly. We all have to choose from
59:52African name African-American name
59:54because we watch Koulih High uh you know
59:58rock and all these things. We we knew
1:00:00the names have changed just as the style
1:00:03the lifestyles have changed also. So
1:00:05yes, of course we read it in high
1:00:06school. We knew about
1:00:07>> but what was the gist of what because my
1:00:10whole point of bringing this up is you
1:00:12know the media and the world of the
1:00:14power of America let's just like you
1:00:15mentioned those those movies those
1:00:17movies depicted you know black people in
1:00:20a certain way but we're ignoring the
1:00:22fact that black people are are uh found
1:00:26foundational black Americans are being
1:00:28pictured as criminals
1:00:30uh your enemy uh everything anger
1:00:33everything evil everything is baldled
1:00:35in. So when you guys hear that from
1:00:37wherever you're from, you come here and
1:00:40have that same
1:00:41>> No, that that same.
1:00:42>> You know what is funny?
1:00:43>> I'll tell you this.
1:00:45>> In Africa, you can New York has many
1:00:48Africans. Ask any African who is over 50
1:00:50years old or 60 years old
1:00:52>> to name one negative thing we heard back
1:00:54in Africa about African-Americans. Zero.
1:00:56>> So, so where does that come? Cuz we had
1:00:58African people on the show say that
1:01:01their parents gave them the talk when
1:01:02they came over here. Stay away from
1:01:03those black Americans. Mhm.
1:01:05>> They just going to get you pregnant.
1:01:06They they drug deal. So where did that
1:01:07white supremacist talking point about
1:01:09black Americans come from with Africans
1:01:11and even some Caribbeans?
1:01:12>> Yeah. So you have social media, right?
1:01:16Before social media.
1:01:17>> No, no, no. I'm talking about Listen,
1:01:19you talking about today. This been going
1:01:21on for centuries.
1:01:22>> No.
1:01:22>> You asked me about what we knew about
1:01:24African-Americans back in the And I'm
1:01:26telling you, I am telling you, we never
1:01:29knew one negative thing about
1:01:31African-Americans.
1:01:33Never.
1:01:35Now let me make it clear so you can
1:01:36understand.
1:01:37>> Start from 1957
1:01:39>> when we d moved to to Ghana.
1:01:43>> Malcolm X Muhammad Ali Maya Angelo moved
1:01:46and lived there for 14 years. The Ghana
1:01:49became or West Africa became the the
1:01:51mecca for African-Americans. Not one has
1:01:53any bad message when they come back
1:01:55here. So we were only knowing things and
1:01:57we were copying your style. You made
1:01:58Dashiki become even attractive to us to
1:02:01wear it, you know, uh platform shoes and
1:02:03all that. We followed today any barber
1:02:05shop in Africa you don't see any African
1:02:07it is all you know iced tea and all
1:02:09these people
1:02:10>> only when we arrived here
1:02:13then we see it for ourselves what we see
1:02:15so you follow the white supremacist
1:02:17mindset when you guys got here that's
1:02:19that's what I'm hearing
1:02:21>> what is it because the hatred that
1:02:25that's put upon or frowned upon you know
1:02:28black Americans
1:02:29>> by who what
1:02:30>> no by the spec by Africans
1:02:32>> African
1:02:33people of I'm my father's Jamaican.
1:02:36[laughter] I hear it in that household
1:02:37too, brother. So there's not coming over
1:02:41here and then saying embracing, hey, I
1:02:43got a black brother. I have a black
1:02:44sister. It's more like, oh, I heard what
1:02:47they said
1:02:48>> and I agree with them. Y'all some [ __ ]
1:02:50over there. You know what I'm saying? So
1:02:52that's the problem. In one of my
1:02:54episodes, I ended it by saying I I talk
1:02:56about how we started worshiping
1:02:58African-Americans when we were in
1:03:00Africa. M
1:03:01>> all my classmates, you are not going to
1:03:03have a name. You pick one of the movie
1:03:04names. I knew about Isaac K, the black
1:03:06Moses. I met him when I came here. It's
1:03:08like a legend standing in front of me.
1:03:10Okay. So, we copied African-Americans
1:03:12before we came here. I ended the episode
1:03:15by saying when we got here, we stay away
1:03:18from you because we see too much of us
1:03:21in you.
1:03:23>> Now, now here is what I was saying from
1:03:26the beginning. Why don't you ask me
1:03:28>> why when you arrive here you don't unite
1:03:31with us then you concluding that you
1:03:33hate us why supremacy's talking point
1:03:36>> well our eyes can see things so ask me
1:03:40why is it so I mean and I will ask you
1:03:42how many times have you tried to go
1:03:44visit us on the continent if my
1:03:46resources was
1:03:47>> resources you rich than I am [laughter]
1:03:49>> how how
1:03:50>> you're not okay you're flashy by the way
1:03:52fine what's [laughter] the leather pants
1:03:55oh it's leather pants Okay. Okay. Um, at
1:03:58$16.99 H&M, go get, [laughter] you know,
1:04:00go get two of them. You know what I'm
1:04:02saying, my brother? You know, just cuz
1:04:03I'm stylish don't mean nothing. You got
1:04:05stylish. You're stylish. Look, what I'm
1:04:07trying to say is this. I'm not afraid. I
1:04:08ended the episode by saying,
1:04:10>> yeah,
1:04:10>> I love African-Americans. When I was
1:04:12coming here, I'm telling you the truth.
1:04:13My mom, my dad, my people, nobody told
1:04:15me stay away. Do you know my first wife
1:04:16is an African-American.
1:04:19>> She's now the superintendent of schools
1:04:21here. So, when did that change then?
1:04:23When we arrived here, we saw too much of
1:04:24us in you and we stayed away.
1:04:26>> What do you mean by that?
1:04:27>> Huh? When you say too much of us in
1:04:29youth specifically,
1:04:29>> the violence, the meanness, Rwanda,
1:04:31Chileon, Liberia, the killing of each
1:04:34other, the dishonesty, the anger. Look,
1:04:36let me tell you. If I go home, this guy
1:04:38you see here, I'll live like Michael
1:04:40Jackson.
1:04:41>> I have money to live like a king in
1:04:43Africa. Why do you think I'm still here?
1:04:44The snow
1:04:47>> or the taxes? [laughter] Because I don't
1:04:49want to go back and take what I see
1:04:51here.
1:04:52So, so aren't you don't you say it
1:04:54yourself? Come on. Don't you say it all
1:04:57the time. African-Americans are a crap
1:04:59in a bucket. They don't support each
1:05:01other's business. They don't come
1:05:02together to do so. Why are you blaming
1:05:04that on me? You've said it yourself. I
1:05:06heard it from you.
1:05:07>> And the same thing you're saying is over
1:05:09there. A Chinese lady just opened a hair
1:05:12a hair shop next to three Ghanaians in
1:05:14in Ara. It's all on YouTube.
1:05:17Blessed in America. I'll tell you that.
1:05:19>> All the blacks started going to her.
1:05:21Mhm.
1:05:22>> Of course.
1:05:23>> On the continent, the same thing you say
1:05:24here. Oh, you start a business in
1:05:27Nigeria, your own family and friends are
1:05:28going to bring you down. What you're
1:05:30saying here, we are saying it there.
1:05:31When I moved to Kenya, the same thing I
1:05:32keep hearing.
1:05:33>> So, I love to ask why.
1:05:35>> I think you're you're you're
1:05:36overlooking. A lot of people overlook
1:05:39the success and achievements that black
1:05:41y so fixated on the negative. Black
1:05:43Americans, we are.
1:05:44>> They copied it from you. Your music says
1:05:46it.
1:05:47>> Uh what is the deal with the guy with a
1:05:48glass eye? Uh something white. Uh he's
1:05:51all white. He says it. Cosby says it.
1:05:55You've written books about it. We hear
1:05:57it from you first. We want to. We were
1:05:59focusing on your success when we see you
1:06:01come to Africa.
1:06:02>> Okay.
1:06:04>> Mhm.
1:06:04>> We never had a problem. Have you heard
1:06:06any African-American tell you, I went to
1:06:08the and and they did this to me. But do
1:06:10you know what we have gone through in
1:06:11the hands of African-Americans here in
1:06:12America? How many times a white man has
1:06:14called me a Buddhist culture? But I can
1:06:16tell you when I go to high schools to
1:06:17speak, that's what they call me.
1:06:19laughing.
1:06:21So you think it's just you.
1:06:23>> But that
1:06:24>> so I'm asking I hate that analogy from
1:06:26the other place who is now here
1:06:28observing the two people asking the
1:06:30questions that making conclusions that
1:06:32oh we are just following white supremacy
1:06:34talking point. No we're not.
1:06:36>> Well hold on let me let me let me let me
1:06:38step in here for a minute. I I I hear
1:06:39where Frank is coming from. But again
1:06:42there has to be just a little bit of a
1:06:45shift, right? Because two things that
1:06:47are very very important. My man said he
1:06:49loved [ __ ] High, right? He he said
1:06:51that, you know, we made dashikis and
1:06:53platforms. Cool. Afro and bell bottoms,
1:06:55whole nine. Iced tea on the wall. Boom.
1:06:57Boom. Boom.
1:06:58>> Wonderful. He's right. Cosby did say it.
1:07:02Pull up your pants. All that good stuff.
1:07:03He's absolutely right. Our music says
1:07:05it. He's absolutely right. Um, our
1:07:07television says it. He's Am I Am I Am I
1:07:10Am I Am I in the right ballpark? Cool.
1:07:12How much of that did we that we produce
1:07:15>> of what?
1:07:16>> All of those things. All the media that
1:07:17you're speaking of who
1:07:18>> media I live in Bridgeport.
1:07:20>> No, no, no.
1:07:21>> It's a firsthand experience for me.
1:07:22>> No, no, no, no, no. I I don't want to
1:07:24move the goalpost. I want to talk about
1:07:25exactly what you said when it comes to
1:07:28the music, the the books, the TV shows,
1:07:31the movies, those things are media.
1:07:33>> Okay. Sure. How many of that how
1:07:35>> how much of that did we produce and
1:07:37distribute?
1:07:38>> Oh, I I don't know who wrote the lyrics
1:07:39for Tupac or who wrote the lyrics for
1:07:41BI.
1:07:42>> No, no, no. The producer is saying,
1:07:43"Bring your product and I will just
1:07:45produce it. You went with smoke [ __ ]
1:07:47like a cigarette. He produced it. You
1:07:50blaming the the medium.
1:07:51>> No, no, no.
1:07:52>> Let's get real.
1:07:53>> Oh, I am getting real. Here's what I
1:07:54know.
1:07:55>> So, I come to you
1:07:58>> and I bring my lyric.
1:08:00>> Right.
1:08:00>> Glad Davies produced uh what is her
1:08:02name? Uh Whitney Houston.
1:08:04>> Okay.
1:08:05>> You know, she sung people's songs. You
1:08:06could say, "No, this song I don't want
1:08:08to sing it because I want to protect the
1:08:10dignity of my people."
1:08:12>> But you write your lyrics, you take it
1:08:13to the guy said, "Great, your people
1:08:15love this." She said, "Yes, I produce
1:08:17you." I would do the same.
1:08:18>> That's the truth. But here's here's a
1:08:20here's a fun fact. You don't know about
1:08:21me, Frank. Um, when I was a kid, I I
1:08:23used to sing backgrounds for Teddy
1:08:24Pendigrass and people like that. Um, I
1:08:27grew up in the music industry.
1:08:28>> Wow.
1:08:29>> Yeah. Gerald Levert. Wow.
1:08:31>> I'm the youngest person to re-record The
1:08:32Twist with Chubby Checker. Like, I've
1:08:34been around the music business for a
1:08:37very formidable part of my life. I also
1:08:39was a radio programmer. I also ran CBS
1:08:43in Austin. And I also put Ricky Smiley
1:08:45in this indication. I work with Wendy
1:08:46Williams, DJ Clue, so on and so forth. I
1:08:48can tell you from firthand experience,
1:08:50and I defy anybody who watches this to
1:08:53tell me I'm lying, that we do not get to
1:08:56pick what records make. See, when
1:08:59somebody makes a record, you might not
1:09:00know this cuz you're not in the
1:09:01industry. When somebody makes a record,
1:09:03they can make a bunch of songs. Marvin
1:09:05Gay and Barry Gordy because Barry Gordy
1:09:08was answering to palm colored people at
1:09:10this particular point in history had an
1:09:12issue because Marvin Gay wanted to sing
1:09:14what's going on and start reaching his
1:09:16people a different way. And what Barry
1:09:19Gordy wanted was I wasn't nothing. He he
1:09:21wanted he wanted the fun stuff. He
1:09:23didn't want anything, you know, too
1:09:25controversial because he didn't think it
1:09:26was going to sell. When you make an
1:09:28album, it's usually anywhere from 30 to
1:09:31100 songs. Out of that 30 to 100 songs,
1:09:33they pick 12. And when you look at it,
1:09:36the people who are making, it's funny
1:09:38you said Clive Davis because Clive Davis
1:09:40is also responsible for B.I. because
1:09:42Clive Davis distributed Bad Boy and then
1:09:45after him um you had uh Jimmy Ivine
1:09:49distributed Bad Boy. You and Death Row
1:09:52you at different points in history. The
1:09:54point of it is when the people, the
1:09:57board that are not us
1:10:00>> Mhm.
1:10:00>> statistically and historically because I
1:10:03defy you to find a major record company,
1:10:05a major media platform that is owned by
1:10:08us. We don't get a say. We can make a
1:10:10million in one songs. I have sat in
1:10:12meetings with people who were signing
1:10:14record deals and they were like, "Yeah,
1:10:15we like this, but no more of this. You
1:10:17can't talk about this, this, that, and
1:10:18the third." And if you say no, you know
1:10:20what there is? There is a line of
1:10:23foundational black Americans who all
1:10:24want to buy their mama a house and the
1:10:26only thing they know how to do is rap.
1:10:28The only thing they know how to do is
1:10:29make beats. And so once the product gets
1:10:32in their hands, it's not about what we
1:10:34want. Because if you go back, you were
1:10:35here
1:10:37>> 1992. Were you here?
1:10:38>> Right. No, you weren't here. Yes.
1:10:40>> 92. Do you know what the number one
1:10:42record on the radio in 1992 was?
1:10:46>> Oh jeez.
1:10:46>> It was It was I I'll save you the
1:10:48trouble. It's Public Enemy, Fight the
1:10:50Power. Mhm.
1:10:51>> And that's when the Rodney King verdict
1:10:53happened. And that's when folks were
1:10:54were riding and they said, "Never
1:10:56before, never again."
1:10:57>> And they made a distinct And when I say
1:10:59they, I'm talking about the major media
1:11:01companies said, "We're not going to
1:11:03allow this to happen ever again." So
1:11:06they decide what goes out. They own the
1:11:08radio stations. They own the billboards.
1:11:11They own the distribution channels. They
1:11:13have global distribution. That has
1:11:17absolutely nothing to do with I bring my
1:11:19lyrics because there have been plenty of
1:11:20people who bl uh bought lyrics. Okay.
1:11:23Right.
1:11:24>> Last point, I'll land my plane. You're
1:11:25familiar with Tyler Perry, are you not?
1:11:27>> Okay. Do you know what his lowest
1:11:29grossing movie was?
1:11:31>> It's a movie that shows a responsible
1:11:32foundational black American man who had
1:11:34two daughters. Like, I got my two
1:11:36daughters and I take care of my two
1:11:39daughters. But that is not what sells.
1:11:41How many times have you turned on the
1:11:42news and and heard a foundational black
1:11:44American businessman went home to his
1:11:46wife and two daughters today and
1:11:47absolutely nothing bad happened? But
1:11:49you'll hear about all the grapes and
1:11:51take the G off. You know what I'm
1:11:52saying? You'll hear about all the
1:11:53unalivings. You will hear about all the
1:11:54stabbings. You'll hear about all the
1:11:56drug raids. You'll hear about absolutely
1:11:58everything because we are the only
1:12:01people who do not own and control our
1:12:05narrative. We get to perform. We do not
1:12:07get to collect. We get to put it out.
1:12:10they get to produce it and decide the
1:12:12message that goes out into the world.
1:12:14>> Yeah, business works like that. Of
1:12:15course, um I remember long back that we
1:12:18were dancing to Nat King Po, we were
1:12:20dancing to Ella Figerat, we were dancing
1:12:22to Sacho, uh we were dancing to, you
1:12:25know, Heb Hancock and all these black
1:12:26people. Yeah.
1:12:27>> But you understand? And there was no
1:12:30violence and dirty language in it. But
1:12:32it was the same producers. In fact, back
1:12:33then you can say there was no Bad Boy,
1:12:36there was no death row, there was no
1:12:38Young Money. Now you have it and you're
1:12:40still writing the bad lyrics. This is
1:12:42what I understand about the culture.
1:12:44Cultures have gatekeepers.
1:12:46>> Did you wear the t-shirt? Did you dance
1:12:49with the song? Did you buy it? Did you
1:12:51allow him to remain in your
1:12:52neighborhood? Well, you promoted it. So
1:12:54don't blame the guy over there. If
1:12:56you're going to sell your dignity, as
1:12:58you said, so your lyrics can sell. Well,
1:13:00you choose because you don't have a
1:13:01culture that has a gatekeeper. But I
1:13:03promise you one thing. The people I have
1:13:04lived among in Asia, they will never let
1:13:07you back again into the community if
1:13:08you're going to sing songs about our
1:13:10women that way or make videos with our
1:13:11women. Didn't you allow it? You did. So
1:13:14I don't like to blame who produced.
1:13:18>> So at what point by at one point by that
1:13:21same logic, if it's just business,
1:13:23slavery was just business. Jim Crow was
1:13:25just business. Segregation was just
1:13:27business. Pole taxes was just business.
1:13:30All of it is just business. But the
1:13:32truth of the matter is there is
1:13:34irreparable harm and to act like that
1:13:36irreparable harm does not exist and lay
1:13:38it on the artist and not on the people
1:13:40who go looking for those particular
1:13:42artists. When I was coming up, when I
1:13:44got my deal, right, there was a
1:13:46department. It was called artist and
1:13:48repertoire. The average bear calls it
1:13:50ANR. And you had to go out and you would
1:13:52develop talent over time. Now that's not
1:13:56what happens. They want the most
1:13:58ratchet, the most gutter, the most
1:14:01despicable situation they can possibly
1:14:03have. And when we do own it and we get
1:14:05too old and we're like, you know what, I
1:14:07want to retire, they back up the Brinks
1:14:08truck and they take us out of the game.
1:14:10When you look at what happened when BET
1:14:12got sold by Bob Johnson uh over to
1:14:15Viacom, which is now Paramount or
1:14:17whatever the heck they are this week, um
1:14:19do you know the first things they did?
1:14:21>> No. The first thing they did was they
1:14:23got rid of the news because the news was
1:14:25showing us in not only what was
1:14:27happening bad in our communities, but
1:14:28what was happening positively in our
1:14:30communities highlighting. They got rid
1:14:31of Ed Gordon so fast it made your head
1:14:33swim and right after that they kicked
1:14:34Tavis Smiley out. Then they got rid of
1:14:37Teen Summit because you had a bunch of
1:14:38positive kids who were being examples,
1:14:43black kids being examples of what to be,
1:14:46what you could aspire to. So you take
1:14:48all the hope out of a situation. And
1:14:50these are historical facts. This isn't
1:14:52conjecture. You [snorts] take all the
1:14:53hope out of a situation and you continue
1:14:55to promote hopelessness. There is a
1:14:57distinct line that starts in the summer
1:14:59of 1992 and continues on because if it
1:15:03bleeds, it leads. You got a masscom
1:15:05degree. I got a masscom degree. Hell, I
1:15:06was a masscom professor at Temple
1:15:08University. You know as well as I do
1:15:10that sensation always sells. And nothing
1:15:14sells more than anything else. You know
1:15:15what a gaper delay is, right?
1:15:18>> A gaper delay. So pretend you're in
1:15:21traffic, right? Whether you're on 95,
1:15:22the Tapency Bridge, wherever you are,
1:15:24and [clears throat]
1:15:25there's a delay in traffic and you can't
1:15:27figure out what it is. And so you're
1:15:28driving up and all of a sudden you see
1:15:31that there's somebody with a uh there
1:15:34somebody with a bad uh accident, their
1:15:37arm is off or their head's rolling down
1:15:39and your mouth is a gape. People are
1:15:42slowing down because they want it's a
1:15:45gaper delay. We have been programmed,
1:15:48all Americans, regardless of skin color,
1:15:50okay, to ingest a diet of negativity.
1:15:54But the biggest producers of negativity
1:15:57without any balance or the biggest group
1:15:59of people that have negativity without
1:16:01any balance by design are foundational
1:16:03black Americans. And we're the only
1:16:05culture in America that has that.
1:16:09>> I keep saying the same thing. I would
1:16:10ask the same question. You would say,
1:16:12"This person did this to me." I would
1:16:14say, "Why did it work?" The propensity
1:16:17must be there before the stimulus was
1:16:20introduced. Now if you do not, my
1:16:22grandfather told me something.
1:16:23>> He said anything that happens to you,
1:16:26>> forget about the resolve. It's
1:16:28unpleasant, unfortunate. Do not focus on
1:16:31what happened to me because everybody
1:16:33knows what happened to you and you know
1:16:35what happened to you.
1:16:36>> Ask why was I susceptible to it?
1:16:39>> And from that day, nobody can mess with
1:16:42you. I think it's not that simple. All
1:16:43right. I know it's not that simple.
1:16:45>> The the traffic light was created by a
1:16:47black man, right? You know what they
1:16:48did? They start making tickets for
1:16:50people at red lights. Um the light bulb
1:16:53was created by a black man. They started
1:16:55making con Edison bills. Like everything
1:16:57the telephone the cell phone was created
1:16:59by what I'm saying. It's not that
1:17:03sample. If we created all these things
1:17:05and they add a bill to what we created.
1:17:08>> Look man, I cannot defend what you you
1:17:11have just listed. I have no proof of it.
1:17:13I have no name of it. If black Americans
1:17:16are fewer than Africans, is that not
1:17:17true? Wait. Huh?
1:17:18>> Certainly. The population of
1:17:20African-Americans in America.
1:17:21>> It's like one country in Africa, isn't
1:17:23it? Certainly.
1:17:24>> Okay. So, if all these abilities to do
1:17:27all these things,
1:17:29>> why always the invention is
1:17:30African-American and never anything
1:17:32happens where you came from?
1:17:34>> We repeat the because I know that
1:17:36>> Let me repeat the question so it's
1:17:37clear. Yeah.
1:17:38>> Africa has almost 1.2 2 billion people
1:17:4254 countries.
1:17:43>> Yes.
1:17:43>> All right.
1:17:44>> African-Americans 13% maybe 54 million,
1:17:47right?
1:17:48>> All right. If these abilities you keep
1:17:50naming that you can build a country like
1:17:51America, you can invent all the things.
1:17:53>> Yeah.
1:17:54>> Why the people from whom you came, why
1:17:56are they not doing it?
1:17:56>> Because they don't got the same pedigree
1:17:58as black people in America are the the
1:18:00richest black nation on earth. We're the
1:18:02most successful black nation on earth.
1:18:03We got the we don't have the res we
1:18:05can't leverage resources like they do in
1:18:06Africa. We built
1:18:07>> I'm asking about the ability for you to
1:18:09do the things he listed. Why are they
1:18:10not doing it on the continent if it's
1:18:12>> I can't speak of the continent. I can
1:18:13only speak about black Americans in this
1:18:15country. Like that's this is what we did
1:18:17in this country with less resources with
1:18:19less and we still accomplish more than
1:18:21anybody in the diaspora.
1:18:22>> Well then what is a complaint about
1:18:23about the white supremacist?
1:18:25>> Here's the complaint about the white
1:18:26supremacy
1:18:26>> and you are the richest nation on earth
1:18:28and you've done all these
1:18:29>> because even with white supremacy you
1:18:31still accomplish more than anybody in
1:18:33the
1:18:33>> I understand then what is the problem we
1:18:36talking about?
1:18:37>> Here's the problem. We are the only
1:18:39group.
1:18:39>> Why are you complaining if you just say
1:18:41now that no I mean him you are the
1:18:43richest nation on earth. I agree with
1:18:45you
1:18:45>> and we have done all these things and
1:18:47accomplish all these things.
1:18:49>> Then why are we talking about somebody
1:18:51did something
1:18:52>> life is just going on. You're going to
1:18:54be better more. Talk about what is here
1:18:56so the kids can hear it. Pointing that
1:18:57to them. You are pronouncing and
1:18:59highlighting. You're the one making it
1:19:01that the kids are demoralized by these
1:19:04narratives. And I refused to participate
1:19:06in that because the day I knew I'm just
1:19:08a different person. I'm an accidental
1:19:10citizen of this earth. I didn't choose
1:19:12my skin color. I didn't choose my tribe.
1:19:14I didn't choose my nation. I didn't
1:19:15choose my race. What is there for me to
1:19:17defend anyway?
1:19:18>> Knowing that I'm an accidental being
1:19:20here, I get along with anybody based on
1:19:23me. That's it.
1:19:24>> And I'm tall, handsome, and happy.
1:19:26That's when I respond when people ask me
1:19:27how are you.
1:19:29>> What is the headache?
1:19:30>> What is it?
1:19:31>> I think that
1:19:32>> what is wrong? I think the issue is the
1:19:34lack of respect that we get from
1:19:36>> You feel it. You said so.
1:19:38>> Mhm.
1:19:39>> When I came to this country, there was
1:19:41one word common among gang bangers. Yo,
1:19:43you disrespected me. What the heck is
1:19:45that? It's an abstract noun. You can't
1:19:47even see it. You hang on to abstract
1:19:49nouns and kill people over it. How do
1:19:51you know you've been disrespected? What
1:19:53does it do to you? Did I pinch you?
1:19:55>> Did I hit you on the head? I mean,
1:19:57>> what what is it? Right.
1:19:59>> Only because you mentioned being called
1:20:02African booty a booty scratcher affected
1:20:04your mindset.
1:20:05>> No, I didn't. I didn't end by saying I
1:20:07said only African-Americans did it to
1:20:09me. Did I tell you it affected me? It
1:20:11didn't. I still took kids.
1:20:13>> Okay. So, you Africa take you out of it,
1:20:15right?
1:20:16>> You talking about the the millions of
1:20:18Africans is here. It didn't affect them
1:20:19cuz that's the one thing they always
1:20:20come and say.
1:20:21>> I don't know.
1:20:21>> It's a throughine. I'm only telling you
1:20:23about what happens. I I was in Kenya and
1:20:27this Sudanese girl,
1:20:29I was online and I met her online. So,
1:20:32finally we met in person and she said to
1:20:34me, you know, I knew you are from
1:20:36America, but I knew you were not an
1:20:38African-American. That's why I agreed to
1:20:39meet with you.
1:20:40>> And I said, why would you say that? And
1:20:42she told me her story.
1:20:43>> She's a refugee in Kenya,
1:20:45>> tall,
1:20:46>> and uh so she got a scholarship to come
1:20:48and play here in Maryland.
1:20:50>> I don't know which school she went to, a
1:20:51high school.
1:20:51>> Yeah.
1:20:52>> She said every day she cried. she can't
1:20:54go to the locker room because of the
1:20:56black players basketball girls. So one
1:20:58day they played against a white team.
1:21:00One of the white girls saw that she was
1:21:02not in a good mood and asked her and she
1:21:04told her mother, the white girl's mother
1:21:06came to the school and made sure that
1:21:07she took this girl out to go to a
1:21:08different school. She said the last two
1:21:10years in America among all white, not
1:21:12that I didn't miss my black people was
1:21:14the best I ever had. They call me duck.
1:21:17They call me names. They the one uh uh
1:21:20blacks you used to joke about.
1:21:22>> He said all that. He said I cry every
1:21:24day. Listen, I am not blaming.
1:21:28>> I'm only telling you
1:21:30same it is back home.
1:21:34>> This is my people. I'm among and I can
1:21:37tell you I have a credibility. I'm from
1:21:39the continent where my
1:21:40great-grandfathers and mothers were
1:21:41taken from and I'm among them. So I see
1:21:43more than you see. But you say
1:21:45disrespected us. What disrespect? Why
1:21:48should that matter?
1:21:49>> It it it doesn't matter. But the thing
1:21:50of it is that I need you to understand.
1:21:53If any other group in this country gets
1:21:56disrespected by whatever measurement
1:21:58they feel, for example, Kyrie Irving,
1:22:01you familiar with Kyrie Irving?
1:22:03>> We talk about uh he sent a link of a
1:22:05Jews uh documentary.
1:22:07>> Yes, that is correct. On Amazon, last I
1:22:09checked, Jeff Bezos wasn't exactly a
1:22:11foundational black American. Um Kyrie
1:22:13Irving did not produce that documentary.
1:22:16Kyrie Irving did not star in that
1:22:18documentary. He just said, "Hey, this
1:22:21looks interesting."
1:22:22>> Yeah.
1:22:23>> What did the Anti-Defamation League do
1:22:26to Kyrie Irving?
1:22:27>> They asked him to go to five classes and
1:22:28learn about uh Jewish sensitivity.
1:22:30>> What else?
1:22:31>> Uh pay some fees, become friends with
1:22:33the rabbis, take a lesson, and he was
1:22:35like, "Yes, sir. Yes sir. Yes, sir."
1:22:37>> All because they felt disrespected
1:22:40because he tweeted something. because
1:22:42there is an infrastructure there in
1:22:44order to punish people that feel that
1:22:48>> they feel like have disrespected them.
1:22:51And the irony is these are the same
1:22:53folks who will say that we're not like
1:22:55that. We don't run this. We don't punish
1:22:57people. We don't terrorize people. And
1:22:59then they go out of their way to make
1:23:01demands and sanctions on the very people
1:23:03that they say are disrespecting them or
1:23:05or are or are anti them by forcing them
1:23:07to do certain things. There in lies the
1:23:10difference. And so I want to I want to
1:23:12answer the real question you asked and
1:23:14I'm paraphrasing so forgive me but it's
1:23:16like well what is the problem when it
1:23:18comes to this? If we can do all of this
1:23:20then what is the issue? Are you familiar
1:23:21with Eli Whitney?
1:23:24>> Give me a look.
1:23:24>> Okay. Eli Whitney was a landmass slave
1:23:27owner
1:23:28>> who
1:23:31said he invented something called the
1:23:33cotton gin. The cotton gin was a machine
1:23:36that cleaned and picked cotton and
1:23:39basically expanded slavery and cotton
1:23:42manufacturing by about 400 to 4,000%
1:23:45depending on which estimation you have.
1:23:47The thing about that is Eli Whitney was
1:23:50an educated white man. The term cotton
1:23:54gin is pigeon English for cotton engine.
1:23:58>> Black slaves created it. but a white man
1:24:03monetized it. You can't name one
1:24:06foundational black American invention
1:24:09that has not been co-opted, cashed in,
1:24:12or monetized by
1:24:16uh white hands.
1:24:18>> And that is the unique disparity that
1:24:21nobody wants to talk about. It's not
1:24:22about a white man holding me down
1:24:23because ain't no white man holding me
1:24:24down. Ain't no white man holding me
1:24:25back. My daughter's sitting right there.
1:24:27will tell you every dime of her tuition
1:24:29I paid out of state at Howard University
1:24:30$186,38363
1:24:34out of my pocket. So it's not a matter
1:24:36of what we can't do. It's a matter of
1:24:39what happens when we do certain things
1:24:42and it becomes harder and historically
1:24:46we're unique amongst that even to this
1:24:48day. Right? We talk about what Clive
1:24:51Davis did with Whitney Houston. But
1:24:52Whitney Houston was a was a kid from the
1:24:54projects who smoked who smoked
1:24:56cigarettes and had a cocaine habit.
1:24:58Those are facts. That's not that's not
1:25:00disparagement. Um the other part of that
1:25:03is we never talk about what Clive Davis
1:25:04did to Millie Vanilli cuz those are
1:25:06young black men, but they looked a
1:25:08certain way and they were too pretty.
1:25:09But we have these big old fat black guys
1:25:11that can really sing. So we're going to
1:25:13have them sing, but we're going to put
1:25:14Millie Vanilla up. And then when it got
1:25:16discovered that the scam was happening,
1:25:19Clive Davis didn't lose a Grammy. Millie
1:25:22Vanilla did. Clive Davis wasn't shunned.
1:25:24Millie Vanilla was. Clive Davis went on
1:25:26and made Bad Boy, made Jay Records, gave
1:25:28Usher record deal, built Leface Records,
1:25:31did everything he wanted to do without
1:25:34any consequence or recompense to what he
1:25:36did to those young boys who were out
1:25:38front through no fault of their own who
1:25:40were forced into that situation and the
1:25:43the the fat black kids who were in the
1:25:44back singing. When you don't control the
1:25:49media, when you don't control the
1:25:51message, when you don't control the
1:25:53invention, when you don't have the
1:25:55ability to freely monetize the creation,
1:25:58how can you ever dominate?
1:26:00>> No, I don't. No, I can't answer that
1:26:02question.
1:26:04>> I do want to interject um because we
1:26:07still got a couple of more questions to
1:26:08go to. Jew, I know you had a topic that
1:26:10you you wanted to get into.
1:26:12>> Okay. Um,
1:26:14so when you hear the word tether, do you
1:26:16feel like or do you believe that is a
1:26:19word to just, you know, separate
1:26:21non-black Americans from foundational
1:26:25black Americans or do you believe it's
1:26:28more of a on the line of a hateful
1:26:30speech?
1:26:31>> No, I I don't consider anything as a
1:26:33hateful speech. I don't
1:26:35>> I know that people, you know, use words.
1:26:38Would you consider yourself the same
1:26:40along the lines tether?
1:26:41>> I said tether.
1:26:42>> Yeah,
1:26:43>> it's a grammar. I mean, I don't know how
1:26:45people define it.
1:26:46>> Well, basically they say on on on the
1:26:48lines of
1:26:50non-black Americans that benefit from
1:26:54black Americans but talk down on black.
1:26:57>> That's what tether means.
1:26:58>> Yeah.
1:26:58>> Oh, okay. They must have a reason. Yeah.
1:27:00They must have a reason to say that.
1:27:02>> Yeah. I mean, I I wouldn't be offended
1:27:03by that,
1:27:04>> but I'm saying, would you consider
1:27:05yourself
1:27:07>> that you benefit from the labor of black
1:27:09Americans being here, the opportunity,
1:27:12and then
1:27:13>> Well, I don't know.
1:27:14>> And you speak down on black Americans
1:27:17now as well as as well as
1:27:18>> Okay, let me go to other people. Let me
1:27:20go to the other words.
1:27:21>> Yeah.
1:27:21>> You see, this is the problem.
1:27:23>> I'm not speaking down. Stop using the
1:27:26words. We are having a very heated
1:27:30discussion. Okay,
1:27:31>> these are my views and I'm sharing them
1:27:34>> about a certain people who are close to
1:27:37me. It's not speaking down. This is
1:27:39where the violence starts.
1:27:41>> So, let me answer to your
1:27:43>> I came to this country with money.
1:27:45>> Mhm.
1:27:46>> My my my school fees didn't come from
1:27:48the United States government. It was
1:27:49paid through my former employer. So, I
1:27:53brought $148,000
1:27:55to the University of Bridgeport to
1:27:56study. All right. And I have remained
1:27:58this country. I raised my hand and I
1:28:00swore oath to the white government to
1:28:01say I want to be a naturalized citizen
1:28:03and he accepted me. I've worked my butt
1:28:05off you know in corporate my own
1:28:08nonprofit and now my destiny. So I don't
1:28:10know what you mean by benefit. No, I
1:28:13worked myself just like I worked in many
1:28:15countries places where there were no
1:28:17black people but I succeeded. I lived in
1:28:19Japan for four years. I've been in
1:28:21China, Malaysia, Indonesia, everywhere.
1:28:23So it's no different from my hard work
1:28:25and my attitude to be in this country.
1:28:27So I don't want anybody to tell me that
1:28:28I came here to benefit from anybody. So
1:28:31if somebody call me a feather, I'll say
1:28:33he must have a good reason to call me
1:28:34that. That shouldn't make an enemy at
1:28:36all for me and that person.
1:28:37>> Well, I mean it's still a benefit to
1:28:39come to the country cuz you wouldn't
1:28:40have came here if it wasn't a benefit,
1:28:41right?
1:28:42>> What benefit?
1:28:43>> Why did you come here?
1:28:44>> I came here to go to school and I stayed
1:28:45just like any place. My freedom to
1:28:47choose any place including the desert if
1:28:48I want to.
1:28:49>> But is But you came here because it was
1:28:51more opportunity there.
1:28:52>> I came here to go to school. I stayed. I
1:28:54told you I could go home and live big.
1:28:56>> Mhm. But I don't want to deal with the
1:28:57headache of what I'll get at home.
1:28:59>> So this is the country I choose to live
1:29:00in.
1:29:01>> Okay.
1:29:02>> So
1:29:02>> go ahead. Go ahead.
1:29:04>> Um there's two points I want to make
1:29:06actually. Um there there is some black
1:29:08Americans that um have come to this
1:29:10country and like you said you was
1:29:12already well off financially. You said
1:29:13your employer paid you. You already came
1:29:14over here with over 100 100 grand you
1:29:16said right to go to school. Yes. You
1:29:17>> paid so you already was established
1:29:20coming here. There's some black um black
1:29:22immigrants that are the same way. They
1:29:24come here established already and then
1:29:26they come here and then look down upon
1:29:28the black Americans just like something
1:29:30we say in black America. You didn't get
1:29:31it out the mud like how we did. So now
1:29:33some people come over here in the
1:29:35diaspora that are already established
1:29:36and now they want to say damn you know
1:29:38what you didn't work as hard as me and
1:29:40they already got a they already got a
1:29:41pass. You get what I'm saying?
1:29:43>> But that that's the type of rhetoric
1:29:44that's when we have the panels that's
1:29:46the type of rhetoric okay you guys are
1:29:47lazy you guys are going off of
1:29:49government assistance when you guys came
1:29:50here already established some of you
1:29:52guys. I'm not saying all of them. Oh,
1:29:53okay. Let me make it clear. I wasn't
1:29:55already established. Okay. As a
1:29:56reporter,
1:29:57>> coming over here with 100 grand, that's
1:29:58more than most people.
1:29:59>> My money scholarship,
1:30:01>> it doesn't matter.
1:30:02>> Scholarship giving still majority
1:30:05doesn't mean my money. If I wasn't
1:30:07established, no. Established, I don't
1:30:09know what it means. But I knew that I
1:30:11was an emotionally stable, well
1:30:13ststructured, sophisticated gentleman
1:30:15from Africa. That is all that matters to
1:30:16me.
1:30:17>> Mhm.
1:30:18>> Okay. I'm not interested in the American
1:30:20dream and wealth and house and picket
1:30:22fence and all these flashy cars. Go and
1:30:23see outside what I brought here. 2014
1:30:25Kia Soul with 188,000 miles on it. I've
1:30:28never bought a brand new car in this
1:30:30country cuz I don't need it.
1:30:31>> Yeah, neither do I.
1:30:32>> Okay, so this need a Ferrari.
1:30:35>> I'm just waiting to die. That's it. And
1:30:37I chose to die in America.
1:30:40>> What is the point? Like I got something
1:30:42from somebody here.
1:30:43>> If anything, I beg the white man whose
1:30:45country I came to and he gave me the
1:30:46citizenship. not a Japanese, not a
1:30:49Chinese, not a African-American.
1:30:52>> But the reason that you talking about
1:30:54things that would make us understand
1:30:56each other and maybe I thought we would
1:30:58use this to understand why do people
1:31:00from the Caribbean in Africa come. I
1:31:02have defended but you see when I speak
1:31:04about myself, you may think I'm trying
1:31:06to make things up. I used to get very
1:31:07angry when I hear any of the Caribbeans
1:31:09and Africans say things like this about
1:31:10African-Americans,
1:31:11>> right?
1:31:12>> I have been.
1:31:13>> There's not a man who be lying here for
1:31:15that. And I used to say, I give it to
1:31:18the African-Americans. They were
1:31:20uprooted, shook so hard, there is no
1:31:23soil left for the root to germinate.
1:31:26>> And yet, look at them here. You come
1:31:28from your own place and we are all
1:31:30messed up out there.
1:31:32>> So, who should I give the credit to?
1:31:36>> Well, the other the other point I do
1:31:38want to make, I want to get to you,
1:31:39Dave. Um, you said that you said at your
1:31:42own mouth that you didn't want to go
1:31:43back and deal with what you have to deal
1:31:45with in your country, right? I think
1:31:47that is the difference between black
1:31:48Americans because we stood here and
1:31:50fought have that luxury to to leave our
1:31:52country and go live somewhere else and
1:31:54benefit off the hard work of other
1:31:55people. You said out your own mouth, I
1:31:57don't want to go back home and deal with
1:31:58what my my country is dealing with right
1:31:59now. I'd rather stay over here in
1:32:00America. And I think that's the
1:32:02difference between foundational black
1:32:03Americans and not and black immigrants
1:32:05is that you guys are leaving your
1:32:07situations instead of staying and
1:32:08fighting and and making your situation
1:32:10better. That way the citizens don't have
1:32:12to leave and go somewhere else to live a
1:32:14better lifestyle for themselves and
1:32:15their family. You guys chose to go to
1:32:17another country instead of staying and
1:32:18fighting fixing the um the corrupt
1:32:20politicians, fixing the economy, fixing
1:32:22the poverty, fixing the crime rate,
1:32:24fixing the educational attainment. You
1:32:26guys chose to leave. Especially the br
1:32:28the the brilliant minds. They are
1:32:30leaving their countries to go live
1:32:32elsewhere. That's not something black
1:32:34Americans have in us. We don't we stood
1:32:36we stood here.
1:32:37>> Japan was the number one economy for
1:32:38about 20 something years until the
1:32:40bubble bursted in 1989. Japan the most
1:32:43beautiful place I have seen on mother
1:32:44earth.
1:32:46>> You won't find a poor person. Denmark,
1:32:48Scandinavia, you won't find.
1:32:51But they migrate here a lot.
1:32:55>> So it's not just because people come
1:32:56everywhere. their country is bad.
1:32:58Migration is something in people. There
1:33:00are more people back home in my country
1:33:01than I am.
1:33:02>> There's a reason people individuals feel
1:33:04certain way doesn't mean that it's for
1:33:06everybody.
1:33:07>> So Japanese are here.
1:33:08>> Sure.
1:33:08>> It could be in Japan which is very
1:33:10quiet, polite, organized, no crime.
1:33:13>> I went to LA for a conference. I went to
1:33:15little Tokyo. They've boarded up every
1:33:17place. And I know Japanese like what is
1:33:20this? But they choose to I just like
1:33:22this place. Scandinavians are here.
1:33:25They're not from poor place. So I don't
1:33:27think that fixing a I'm not in a
1:33:29business of fixing no politician a cor
1:33:30polician in my country for what? I don't
1:33:31have a country. I told you it was forced
1:33:33put together by some foreigner.
1:33:36>> So you're calling something I don't have
1:33:37my country.
1:33:39>> No I don't have that allegiance really.
1:33:41No
1:33:42>> but but I think I think where the
1:33:43benefit lies is that you were able to
1:33:46come here with
1:33:47>> here you talking about
1:33:48>> America.
1:33:49>> Who's who's America? I didn't think I
1:33:51was going to a black country. I would
1:33:52have gone to but the reason
1:33:54>> I came to a white man's country when I
1:33:56went to the embassy I saw the United
1:33:57States of America and read about what
1:33:59wait but the reason a black man yourself
1:34:02can come here is because of what the FBA
1:34:04did to make it to make it lawfully like
1:34:09possible for you to come here with your
1:34:11100 grand and go to college that was not
1:34:13a possibility that was not a possibility
1:34:14a century ago
1:34:15>> do not know there are many countries
1:34:18that don't have slaves UK is one of them
1:34:20that are no slaves like African America.
1:34:22So why you go there?
1:34:23>> Wait, wait, wait, wait.
1:34:25>> There are many countries in Europe, they
1:34:27don't have blacks there,
1:34:28>> right?
1:34:29>> But all Africans are there,
1:34:30>> right?
1:34:30>> Okay. So who made it possible for
1:34:32Africans to go to those countries?
1:34:33>> It's a world of difference. And here's
1:34:34why. And I think
1:34:35>> why only when it comes to America,
1:34:37you're thinking that you made it
1:34:38possible to come Saudi Arabia.
1:34:41I lived in Japan. I got I got a resident
1:34:43permit for four years. I could have
1:34:44asked for permanent permanent residency,
1:34:47right? They would have granted it to me.
1:34:48Same as in China. There are 14,000
1:34:51something of Africans living in China.
1:34:54Okay. What I'm saying is you go through
1:34:55the 46 countries in in Europe, you find
1:34:58almost in every one of them that
1:35:00Africans are there driving, working,
1:35:02doctors, students and everything. It
1:35:03wasn't no black person that is there to
1:35:05make it possible for them to come. So we
1:35:06can say that if you were not here,
1:35:08therefore blacks wouldn't come to
1:35:09America. So that one is not a good
1:35:12point. But you have a question.
1:35:14>> No, it's not. It's it's not even a
1:35:16question. Right. So [laughter]
1:35:19the the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendment.
1:35:22The 13th probably really doesn't apply
1:35:24to you too much because you were never
1:35:26enslaved, but that abolished slavery.
1:35:2914th amendment, just because I want to
1:35:30make sure I get this right, is
1:35:31birthright citizenship, right? Because
1:35:33we were denied rights after slavery,
1:35:35right? The 15th amendment is voting
1:35:37rights. the Civil Rights Act that got
1:35:40put into law was because my people, you
1:35:44know, my my mother's generation, my
1:35:46father's generation, um, fought for you
1:35:49to become for you to come over here.
1:35:52>> No,
1:35:52>> not yet.
1:35:52>> No, no, no, no. They fought for their
1:35:54freedom.
1:35:55>> I was never informed, sent any letter in
1:35:59Africa that you should come to America.
1:36:01I'm just telling you, nobody fought for
1:36:03me. You were in a condition. You need to
1:36:06fight for your freedom.
1:36:07>> Mm. And so you fought for your freedom
1:36:08benefit from you benefit from that
1:36:11picture. I've given you an example.
1:36:12There are many places I have lived.
1:36:14>> But we're not talking about many places.
1:36:15This is unique. One of them. What makes
1:36:18you think that if you're not here,
1:36:20therefore America wouldn't allow black
1:36:21people to come here. We were the ones
1:36:24who fought to make no Asians are not
1:36:26white.
1:36:27>> Frank, you got to let you got to let me
1:36:28rock for a minute. Right. So here's what
1:36:30I need you to understand. The reason
1:36:32that it went from the black liberation
1:36:34movement to civil rights was twofold.
1:36:37The first one was they wanted to make
1:36:39sure they could shoehorn everybody else
1:36:41in because when folks come here they
1:36:43contribute to the economy.
1:36:45>> Who?
1:36:46>> Okay. When I say that
1:36:47>> I mean who made that folks should come
1:36:49and contribute to the economy? You mean
1:36:51the white Americans?
1:36:52>> The white government.
1:36:53>> Okay. Sure. Yeah.
1:36:54>> Right.
1:36:55>> When that civil rights bill got passed
1:36:58into law when LBJ signed it into law.
1:37:01>> Right. After that, you got fat white
1:37:05women being steartesses on panam, right?
1:37:08You got uh women had rights. You've got
1:37:11gays having rights. You have people
1:37:13being able to come into this country and
1:37:18have the opportunities that were not
1:37:20allowed prior to us bleeding, fighting,
1:37:23and dying for those rights to be put
1:37:25into law. That is uniquely on us that we
1:37:29whether you realize you benefited from
1:37:31it or not.
1:37:32>> What right is that?
1:37:33>> The right to come into this country to
1:37:35come to school in this country to become
1:37:38a citizen of this country.
1:37:40>> I'm just asking for
1:37:41>> black people fought for civil rights.
1:37:43You are here because of civil rights.
1:37:44>> What is civil rights?
1:37:46>> That's a great question and it depends
1:37:47on who you ask. the the right to be able
1:37:51to participate in what the Constitution
1:37:53of the United States provides for
1:37:55everybody. We the people of the United
1:37:57States in order to form a more perfect
1:37:58union, establish justice, ensure
1:38:00domestic tranquility, provide for the
1:38:01common defense, promote the general
1:38:03welfare. I mean, it's a long
1:38:04constitution, but in there there's a lot
1:38:05of amendments in the 13th, 14th, and 15.
1:38:07>> Yeah. So, the civil rights simply says
1:38:09that people living here,
1:38:10African-Americans who were brought here
1:38:11illegally and forcefully must have the
1:38:14freedom to participate in everything
1:38:15civic.
1:38:16>> Not everybody. You see, that's what
1:38:18that's that's that's the distinction
1:38:19that they don't tell you. It's not just
1:38:21about African-Americans. They shoehorned
1:38:24absolutely everybody else into
1:38:25>> Americans who enacted a civil rights
1:38:27were thinking about other people.
1:38:28>> No, we weren't. But that's what the
1:38:30government did with it. That's what I'm
1:38:32trying to
1:38:34>> It's not about whether you were
1:38:35extending an invitation or not.
1:38:37>> Make it You are trying to make it more.
1:38:39>> If I buy you a ticket to the Yankees
1:38:40game, you didn't buy the ticket or you
1:38:42didn't ask to go to the Yankees game,
1:38:43but you're sitting in the stands.
1:38:45>> It's saying you still benefit from still
1:38:47benefit from it. Whether I did it, I
1:38:49don't believe it and therefore it made
1:38:51whether you believe it or not. I don't
1:38:52believe that's a camera. It doesn't stop
1:38:53it from recording.
1:38:54>> I also showed you that other country 196
1:38:58countries on the surface of the earth.
1:38:59Out of that 46 or 48 of them are white
1:39:01countries. You go to any of them, you'll
1:39:03find us. We didn't wait to see, oh,
1:39:05black people are here waving flags and
1:39:06say now you can come.
1:39:07>> Why the [ __ ] y'all wasn't here when we
1:39:09was out here getting our ass whooped and
1:39:11hung? Okay. I don't know want to talk
1:39:13about the conditions people face and
1:39:15what they fought for.
1:39:16>> It's one thing I respect it.
1:39:18>> It don't
1:39:20because you
1:39:22>> you wouldn't be able to walk these
1:39:24grounds.
1:39:25>> The rights you have as a black man
1:39:27regardless of where you come from in
1:39:28America. You are an American citizen,
1:39:29right?
1:39:30>> Yes.
1:39:30>> You are a you are a American citizen.
1:39:34>> You're a naturalized American citizen.
1:39:36>> 13th, 14th, and 15th amendment like
1:39:38that. You became a naturalized citizen
1:39:41because that amendment was fought for by
1:39:44us.
1:39:44>> Oh. So,
1:39:45>> so you benefit the
1:39:46>> Southeast Asians who are here.
1:39:47>> Same. Yes. The South Asians, the
1:39:50Germans, everybody.
1:39:51>> Yes. Everybody.
1:39:53>> And I don't have anything to say about
1:39:54that because I'm not on why American
1:39:57white American government decided to
1:39:58allow immigration to build because it
1:40:01was a it was of a financial benefit. It
1:40:04was of a financial benefit. They have
1:40:06taken. Of course that is one of the
1:40:08things America did that is so unique
1:40:10from other countries. They knew the the
1:40:12line they have taken and the country
1:40:14they want to build. Of course every
1:40:15country on on the surface of the earth
1:40:17builds into each system a form of
1:40:19immigration. Even the most homogeneous
1:40:22like Japan they always know what
1:40:24immigration does to a country.
1:40:27>> And so if you're going to go on telling
1:40:29everybody who is here is because of us
1:40:31uh then fine. I wouldn't argue at that.
1:40:34>> You did.
1:40:35>> I mean it my in case it's everybody then
1:40:37I think I mean
1:40:38>> no but the the thing of it is it's a
1:40:40historical fact that whether you
1:40:43recognize it or not there is a debt of
1:40:46gratitude to be paid to foundational
1:40:48black Americans who got their heads
1:40:49cracked in who got beaten and lynched
1:40:52and had dogs sicked on them and still
1:40:55happens you know where that right would
1:40:59not have been available to you that
1:41:02privilege would not have been something
1:41:04that you would have been able to have
1:41:05taken advantage of you would have wound
1:41:06up in Oxford
1:41:08>> if it wasn't for that. That's a
1:41:09historical fact. It's not
1:41:10>> I I don't know what government of
1:41:13America, white government of America had
1:41:14in mind in terms of immigration,
1:41:16>> right? And I think that's why that's
1:41:18important for us to have these
1:41:19conversations because it's about
1:41:20learning both ways. There's certain
1:41:22things that
1:41:22>> I know Europeans migrated here.
1:41:24>> Sure.
1:41:24>> I know Arabs migrated here. Migration is
1:41:27migration. So I don't know. So I can't
1:41:30speak about it. But if you want to take
1:41:32the credit,
1:41:33>> but you understand how black people was
1:41:35treated in this country, right?
1:41:37>> Understand?
1:41:38>> It's pointless. Giving backhanded.
1:41:41>> So you you understand how they were
1:41:42treated before we fought for civil
1:41:43rights and and the right to vote and the
1:41:45right to you. You understand how how
1:41:47black people treated before all these
1:41:49laws is passed.
1:41:50>> I do not have to if you migrated before
1:41:53somebody is in slavery.
1:41:55>> Well, that alone explain itself,
1:41:56>> right? So if you migrated here, you're
1:41:59jumping to say because of that as if
1:42:01other countries don't give immigration
1:42:04>> and you haven't proven that
1:42:06>> other countries don't. If this is solely
1:42:08exclusive to the United States, then I
1:42:10would say you're right, but it's not
1:42:11exclusive to the
1:42:12>> No one said immigration. Everybody knows
1:42:15that's a bit of a straw man.
1:42:16>> Immigration,
1:42:17>> that's a bit of a straw man.
1:42:19>> That's a bit of a straw man
1:42:20>> because they know that there are many
1:42:21talent and skills. They have to import
1:42:23it even if it means by force. They
1:42:25bribe. Japanese did it. But how you
1:42:26think you would have been imported in
1:42:28this country had we not fought for these
1:42:30rights?
1:42:30>> What right? Tell me the right.
1:42:33>> The right for naturalized citizenship,
1:42:35the right for civil rights, whether you
1:42:37came so so say for example you came
1:42:39let's let's pretend that we're on Earth
1:42:41two and let's pretend that Earth 2 is an
1:42:43alternate universe just like us except
1:42:44for one particular change. And that one
1:42:46particular change is segregation is
1:42:48still in place. White supremacy is the
1:42:50law of the land. If it's white, you're
1:42:52right. If you're black, get back
1:42:53regardless of where you come from. Now,
1:42:55let's say that you did apply and you
1:42:57became a citizen. You would
1:42:59automatically be a secondhand citizen
1:43:00and they would say, "Get your black ass
1:43:02to the back of the bus. You can't do
1:43:03this. You can't do that." Do you know
1:43:05that when you became a lawyer in this
1:43:07country, up until black people started
1:43:08becoming lawyers, there was no such
1:43:10thing as a bar exam. They created bar
1:43:12exams to bar us from becoming attorneys.
1:43:15When we got the when we got the right to
1:43:18vote, they started creating things
1:43:20called grandfather clauses and pole
1:43:22taxes in order to keep us from
1:43:24exercising those rights. You understand
1:43:26that that to be a fact, correct?
1:43:28>> I don't know.
1:43:29>> Okay. But trust me, the comment section
1:43:31will tell you that that's a fact. Civil
1:43:33rights, which started off as the black
1:43:35liberation movement and then co-intelpro
1:43:37did its thing and and and gave us civil
1:43:39rights.
1:43:39>> So, back to you. The rights I'm
1:43:41enjoying.
1:43:41>> Hold on. I was I was landing I was in
1:43:43the middle of telling you the rights
1:43:44you're enjoying. Okay.
1:43:45>> Civil rights gave you the opportunity to
1:43:49be here, take that $148,000
1:43:52scholarship and sit in a classroom
1:43:56amongst all Americans and make that make
1:43:59that happen.
1:43:59>> You have to show me where that does not
1:44:01happen. If it is exclusive to the United
1:44:03States, please please.
1:44:05>> No, that is not true. United
1:44:09many places
1:44:10>> before I were black people being burnt
1:44:12and brutally killed over those places.
1:44:15No, no, no. Were they black people
1:44:16shipped over there, burnt, killed,
1:44:18destroyed and abolished every
1:44:20opportunity they have? Was that
1:44:22happening in those other places first?
1:44:24>> You talking about these other places?
1:44:25The the American experience is unique.
1:44:27>> You can't compare. [laughter] You can't
1:44:29compare to these other places. That is
1:44:30something you're missing. I think you
1:44:33understand when you take somebody as a
1:44:36slave as it happened in Northern Europe,
1:44:38the whole of Northern Europe, slaves,
1:44:39right? As it happened in Africa between
1:44:41tribes, as it happened in Asia, uh with
1:44:44the with the uh Mongols, as it happened
1:44:46in the Middle East with the Ottoman
1:44:48Empire, slaves have been taken. The
1:44:50condition is never something anybody is
1:44:52ever comfortable with. So, what you're
1:44:53describing, my head was busted. Yes, you
1:44:56are in a slave condition. They took you
1:44:58and they said, "You're going to be my
1:44:59slave." Mhm.
1:45:00>> Let's not begin to say what it did to
1:45:02me.
1:45:03>> But you're trying to make an argument
1:45:05that, oh, when slavery was over and I
1:45:08fought for civil right is why you came
1:45:10here. I would buy that argument. I'll
1:45:12bow to you if you told me that was
1:45:14exclusive to the United States because
1:45:16other countries do not allow black
1:45:18anywhere, which is not in the text. Now,
1:45:21tell me what I'm benefiting
1:45:22>> again.
1:45:23>> No, he she he said it. Please go ahead.
1:45:25>> I'm telling you.
1:45:26>> No, no, no. Name it at items, please.
1:45:29Just name the item that you're
1:45:30benefiting from.
1:45:31>> Yes.
1:45:32>> The reason that you were able
1:45:33>> No. What is the item? It's a business
1:45:35relationship I have with the United
1:45:36States of America.
1:45:37>> I brought money. I pay taxes on my
1:45:39money.
1:45:39>> The reason you were able to do that is
1:45:41because I'm asking you give me the
1:45:43benefits.
1:45:44>> I can't I can't.
1:45:45>> Exactly.
1:45:46>> Okay.
1:45:46>> I can't. So, let me
1:45:49>> I don't Frank Frank here here's here's
1:45:52here's what I need you to understand.
1:45:54Right. Immigration is not something that
1:45:57is unique to America.
1:46:00No one ever said it was. That's the
1:46:01straw man argument. That's not what I'm
1:46:03on. Here's what I am on. Are you
1:46:05familiar with the Nerburgg laws?
1:46:07>> What?
1:46:08>> The Nerburgg laws.
1:46:09>> Yeah. In Germany.
1:46:10>> Yes. In Germany. Okay.
1:46:11>> Do you know where those came from?
1:46:12>> No, I don't.
1:46:13>> No. See, Hitler went on record.
1:46:16>> No. Mh. Talk about No. You got
1:46:18[laughter] black Americans. I just want
1:46:20to say that. You give me too many
1:46:21history lessons. I can't verify because
1:46:23you don't know. I'm not going to follow
1:46:24you because you're not a history expert.
1:46:27>> So don't give me history like as if
1:46:28you're teaching a high school kid. Just
1:46:30ask list of questions and you said we're
1:46:33going to have these discussions. But to
1:46:35go to Nazi, I wasn't born. I wasn't
1:46:37>> You're missing the trial. I am asking
1:46:41you to tell me I'm working in this
1:46:43country. But look,
1:46:45>> what is that one right that you can say
1:46:47I'm enjoying?
1:46:48>> Okay. You you have the right to be a
1:46:50citizen here, which you would have not.
1:46:52>> For the Americans, they wanted it and
1:46:54they gave it to Frank. We going to let
1:46:55we going to let him talk.
1:46:57>> We let you talk. Let him have his his
1:46:59moment.
1:47:00>> You have the right to sit down in a
1:47:03classroom and pay for tuition that you
1:47:07would not have been able to do in any
1:47:10place in the United States with very few
1:47:12exceptions if it were not for civil
1:47:15rights. That is an irrefutable fact. And
1:47:17the reason I was bringing up the
1:47:18Nermberg laws is because Jim Crow in and
1:47:20of itself was so bad that Hitler modeled
1:47:23the Nerburgg laws off of Jim Crow. And
1:47:25I'm not trying to give you a history
1:47:26lesson, but there's a lot of history
1:47:28that comes with foundational black
1:47:29Americans that you do not know. That
1:47:31would change your perspective. We came
1:47:32here for this conversation. Not so much
1:47:35to try and convince you or you to try
1:47:38and convince me, but to have a exchange
1:47:40of ideas so that you can understand our
1:47:43perspective and we can understand yours.
1:47:46When we had our initial phone
1:47:47conversation, we talked about the
1:47:49importance of people understanding that
1:47:52you are not coming from a place where
1:47:54you're trying to demean people and
1:47:56people are threatening your life and you
1:47:58know your team is like you know should
1:47:59we call the FBI? And you're like no but
1:48:02this is insane to the point where when
1:48:04we were talking you said well you know
1:48:06this this this group foundational black
1:48:08Americans. I said no Frank it's not a
1:48:10group it's a lineage. That's what it
1:48:12means.
1:48:12>> I what I'm saying please ask me the
1:48:15questions. I don't like the chum long
1:48:16because the things you're saying I can't
1:48:18verify them. I wasn't there. So when you
1:48:20say something like that, you're forcing
1:48:21me to say should I should I concord and
1:48:24say it's true?
1:48:25>> No, I'm not trying to I'm not trying to
1:48:26get you to agree. I'm trying to give you
1:48:28things that you can look up later on for
1:48:31your own benefit for so that you can get
1:48:33a better understanding. This is not
1:48:34about
1:48:36>> the question now.
1:48:37>> Okay. So let me go back to cuz I asked
1:48:39you and and Dave, I want to switch to
1:48:41you because
1:48:41>> Yeah. Frank said uh he's not offended by
1:48:44the word uh tether. Sure. Right. But
1:48:47when you hear the word akata
1:48:49>> and there's uh countless amount of
1:48:51words,
1:48:52>> do you believe those words are to
1:48:54embrace uh foundation black Americans or
1:48:58>> to do the term?
1:49:00>> No. But the thing that I I think is
1:49:02extremely important is is twofold. The
1:49:04first is when you use a term like a kata
1:49:07that comes from institutionalized
1:49:10hate and divisive language that has been
1:49:13spread through through media and
1:49:15narrative that puts us in a certain
1:49:18light, right? That we're lazy. We don't
1:49:20care about
1:49:20>> like the nword in a in a
1:49:22>> Exactly. It's it's it's it's a it's a
1:49:24nice little code word. You know, for
1:49:25example, I know people that would call
1:49:27uses. I've known Italians that would
1:49:30call us [ __ ] mullingans. There's a bunch
1:49:32of uh terms that come up, right? The
1:49:37thing that people don't understand when
1:49:38it comes to the tether word is it's not
1:49:41every single person who is black who
1:49:45decides to become a naturalized citizen
1:49:47and take the oath. That is extreme
1:49:50ignorance. A tether is somebody that
1:49:52goes out of their way to disparage,
1:49:54disrespect, and not understand the the
1:49:58heritage, the sacrifice, and the
1:50:00contributions of foundational black
1:50:02Americans to the fact that they are
1:50:04here. You are tethering yourself because
1:50:06the average person, we had this
1:50:08conversation the last time I was here,
1:50:09the average person can't tell an African
1:50:12from a Jamaican, from a Ganaian, from a
1:50:15foundational because they don't have a
1:50:17basis. It's just like many black folks
1:50:18don't know the difference between a
1:50:19Japanese, a Chinese, a Vietnamese, or a
1:50:22Korean. They don't know. They just put
1:50:25us all in one boat. So when you come
1:50:26here, they're just like, "You're black."
1:50:29>> Mhm. But our unique distinction is we
1:50:34did fight for the right for Frank to be
1:50:37able to come over here and sit in a
1:50:39classroom to be a a citizen with all of
1:50:42the rights that are imbued in us. Life,
1:50:44liberty, and pursuit of happiness by the
1:50:46US Constitution. We fought for that
1:50:48uniquely and that part is unique.
1:50:51Immigration is not unique. Having people
1:50:53come and become naturalized citizens is
1:50:55not unique. But black people and other
1:50:58people, other marginalized groups who
1:51:00are not white Anglo-Saxon Protestants
1:51:02being able to take advantage of the same
1:51:04freedoms, the same benefits, the same
1:51:07laws that are inalienable, God-given
1:51:10rights according to manifest destiny in
1:51:12the US Constitution is uniquely because
1:51:14of what we fought for. There in lies the
1:51:18difference. Do you agree with the the
1:51:21term Akata being used
1:51:23in a in a way to disrespect or harm uh
1:51:26in a harmful way?
1:51:28>> Oh, no, no, no, no, no.
1:51:30>> You know, so many things happen with
1:51:33that word. Okay, even some of us if you
1:51:36use the same word in a Ghanaian one of
1:51:38the Ghanaian languages or one of the
1:51:40Nigerian languages on and on and on.
1:51:43>> It was a movie with Wesley Snipes, I
1:51:46believe. Mhm.
1:51:47>> that that poisoned that word because
1:51:50when he said uh something in Euroba
1:51:53language and the guy asked him what did
1:51:54he mean he translated to him and said
1:51:58>> and then snipe swung at him in that
1:52:01movie. I hated the whole thing.
1:52:03>> Okay. But if you go to any of the West
1:52:06African countries, especially Ghana,
1:52:08>> in the airway language of Ghana,
1:52:10>> your name is Amaybo Yoo, the black white
1:52:16man.
1:52:16>> The black white men.
1:52:18>> Yes.
1:52:18>> Why is that?
1:52:19>> That's what that's that's the name in
1:52:20the airways. That's what they called
1:52:23African-Americans.
1:52:24>> And is that
1:52:24>> what do y'all call the Caribbeans? And
1:52:25why why do we have a specific term? What
1:52:27are the Korean uh the Caribbeans called?
1:52:29But you must understand that United
1:52:31States and subsahara Africa
1:52:34>> things that happened and the people who
1:52:36came and went myAngelo you know
1:52:39>> yeah the 60s movement was never between
1:52:42Caribbeans
1:52:43>> and uh what is it called Africa it was
1:52:46between American blacks and Africa so we
1:52:49came to see more of you now the word ga
1:52:52does anybody here know the word ga
1:52:55>> so gaen is Japanese word for foreigner
1:52:58>> gin E A I J I N.
1:53:01>> Gajin is the Japanese word for
1:53:02foreigner.
1:53:04>> Do you know when you are a foreigner to
1:53:06Japanese?
1:53:06>> I prefer to be called a foreigner than
1:53:08you know when or where they will refer
1:53:11to you as a foreigner.
1:53:12>> When you not when you're not when you're
1:53:13not born there.
1:53:15>> No, what I mean is when a Japanese
1:53:17anyway when the Japanese definition of
1:53:19the word foreigner is not when you visit
1:53:21his country.
1:53:22>> What is it? If four Japanese come to the
1:53:25United States, they refer to everybody
1:53:26here as ga the foreigners.
1:53:30>> Because ga means those who are not like
1:53:33us.
1:53:33>> Okay.
1:53:34>> Okay.
1:53:34>> So, it's not only when you go to their
1:53:36country
1:53:36>> when they in your country, all of you
1:53:38are gaen.
1:53:39>> Okay.
1:53:40>> So, you're asking me why do they call
1:53:41you uh what is it? Uh uh the black men
1:53:44white.
1:53:45>> Well,
1:53:46>> in Africa, we don't say that skin color
1:53:48is what identifies you with an ethnicity
1:53:50or a tribe or this. We don't. Mhm.
1:53:53>> It's more of trait,
1:53:56personality, character.
1:53:59>> Yes.
1:54:00>> So if you have lived among the white and
1:54:02you are from a western country, yes, you
1:54:04wear the same skin color, but we know
1:54:06that if we interact, we have to learn
1:54:09how do we interact with this person.
1:54:11>> Okay? You wouldn't go to Ghana and feel
1:54:13comfortable sitting on somebody's l
1:54:15because the the the the public transport
1:54:17is full and sit on his l. I don't have
1:54:19any problem with that because we don't
1:54:21have special communication. Only
1:54:23westerners have special communication
1:54:25which means that you don't get to yo yo
1:54:27yo you know
1:54:28>> when we were in high school we hold each
1:54:29other's hands boys.
1:54:31>> Yeah.
1:54:32>> Here
1:54:32>> in high school.
1:54:33>> Yeah.
1:54:33>> For what?
1:54:34>> Like walking home.
1:54:36>> Okay.
1:54:36>> You see what is going through your mind
1:54:38now? [laughter]
1:54:41>> He's like pause.
1:54:44>> I remember my best friend always we're
1:54:46holding hands. We put hands on each
1:54:47other's shoulder and walk home. Yeah. I
1:54:49mean, but why why hold hands though?
1:54:51>> You see, you're asking why about some
1:54:53people's cultural cultural
1:54:55>> difference? I'm I'm just asking why you
1:54:57asking why.
1:54:57>> I'm asking what's the reason? Like, is
1:54:58there reason?
1:55:00>> Oh, there's no reason. I just
1:55:01>> expressing love that's how they um
1:55:04>> I'm just trying to show you that the
1:55:06reason we see you as an American is
1:55:09because we Okay, I can describe it. You
1:55:11couldn't deal with it. No, but you can
1:55:13say black American, not black white
1:55:16American is the disconnect.
1:55:18>> But my friend, I am t you see here is
1:55:21the problem.
1:55:21>> It's a huge disconnect. I am a black
1:55:24American. I'm not a black white
1:55:26American. I don't care. It's a huge
1:55:28disconnect. You are using the word.
1:55:30>> You are disconnected already.
1:55:33>> No, you're disconnect.
1:55:34>> When you are when you visit my country,
1:55:37>> I have to help you understand many
1:55:38things and how to do it.
1:55:40>> So where is the disconnect? the the
1:55:42disconnect is just how you said you said
1:55:45the Japanese they have that term and
1:55:47everybody falls under that foreigner
1:55:49term. It's not they don't look at
1:55:51Russians and like you know only them are
1:55:52foreigners. The thing is you're trying
1:55:54not you but the the culture or the tribe
1:55:57is saying that they have a specific
1:56:00unique name for one set of people in the
1:56:02diaspora that they don't have for
1:56:04anybody else. Like I ask you what do
1:56:05they call the Caribbeans or the
1:56:07>> Caribbeans are not living in the white
1:56:08in the white man's country. They don't
1:56:09>> so what do they call them? Do they do
1:56:11they have a name? Are they are they what
1:56:13what do they name?
1:56:14>> So this is the confusion, right? Until
1:56:16until they say I'm Jamaican.
1:56:19>> As long as they speak with a different
1:56:21accent in English, we simply would say
1:56:23the same thing until they say no, I'm
1:56:24from Jamaica. We didn't know about
1:56:26Jamaican. All these things you must
1:56:27understand. We didn't.
1:56:29>> You're still not answering the question
1:56:31though.
1:56:31>> Yes. We did not know about the
1:56:33Caribbean.
1:56:34>> Okay.
1:56:35>> Our high school books didn't teach us
1:56:37about Caribbean. Wouldn't you
1:56:38understand? We thought the people they
1:56:40took from the continent the first place
1:56:42we all know they went to that is why
1:56:43most of you came was died in Ghana they
1:56:47didn't go to the Caribbean they all came
1:56:49to so we be we had this connection to
1:56:52learn about this group of people
1:56:54>> but we know also that when they come to
1:56:56Africa that the way they are carry
1:56:59themselves what they do different from
1:57:00us so they are yo black men white
1:57:06>> I get that
1:57:07>> not an insult No.
1:57:09>> Okay.
1:57:10>> It is.
1:57:10>> But when
1:57:11>> it's not but he what he's trying to say
1:57:14it's not it's not he's not he's not
1:57:15trying to make it an insult. Jew
1:57:17>> No, he's not. I'm just saying it's not
1:57:19an insult. It's not an insult because
1:57:21you can say it until the cows come. You
1:57:23don't understand. I told you from the
1:57:24beginning.
1:57:25>> If you come to Ghana right now, my
1:57:28Ghanaian family and friends and
1:57:30neighborhoods will drop everything to
1:57:32protect you more than they will protect
1:57:35a citizen. M
1:57:37>> I've seen it.
1:57:39>> Okay.
1:57:39>> But you don't appreciate it. And this is
1:57:41the problem that is crossing the
1:57:43discourage. You have to No, you don't.
1:57:44You don't. You don't. Because my Angelo
1:57:47lived in Ghana for 14 years.
1:57:48>> Okay.
1:57:49>> What did she write about Ghana? Have you
1:57:50read it?
1:57:51>> No.
1:57:52>> Exactly. But he can quote me all the way
1:57:53to Nazi.
1:57:55>> Why didn't you read what she said about
1:57:57living in Ghana for 14 years?
1:57:59>> So that means who moved to Ghana and
1:58:02died in Ghana? What he wrote about
1:58:04Ghana? Did you read it? No, you didn't.
1:58:06How about the myriads of other academics
1:58:08who moved out of this country to Ghana
1:58:10because the Ghana was a black star you
1:58:12know was the first person to get
1:58:13independence. So everybody thought whoa
1:58:14whoa whoa. So it became a place uh when
1:58:17Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X met in the
1:58:19elevator and refused to shake hands
1:58:20which is what hurt Muhammad Ali until he
1:58:22died in Ghana.
1:58:25>> So you didn't read anybody who went to
1:58:27Ghana or West Africa what they said
1:58:30about that place. So they have a reason
1:58:32and you are right to even understand how
1:58:35the people in South Sahara Africa wanted
1:58:39so much and then we arrive here
1:58:42>> and then we have these kind of feelings
1:58:45so we don't okay so what I would say is
1:58:48because I'm a man and a man of honor and
1:58:50respect I apologize if that
1:58:53>> if I was taken you're a good man
1:58:56>> but in in the same way I want you to
1:58:58understand like
1:58:59>> you I'll even go to the minuscule thing
1:59:01of African booty scratch, whatever the
1:59:04case.
1:59:05>> How young black kids connect. You You
1:59:08guys hold hands,
1:59:10>> right?
1:59:11>> So teenagers, you could be 30 years old
1:59:12holding a man hand and that's how you
1:59:14bond, right?
1:59:15>> But how me and these young black
1:59:17brothers,
1:59:18>> we crack on each other.
1:59:19>> Yeah.
1:59:20>> You could have a [ __ ] You can have a
1:59:22You can have a million dollars and I'mma
1:59:24find a way to make somebody laugh at
1:59:26you. You [ __ ] rich [ __ ] Get
1:59:27out of my face. That's what black men
1:59:29do. an African thing.
1:59:31>> No, but look, I'm telling you,
1:59:32>> we cannot distinguish and understand
1:59:35from your culture.
1:59:36>> I apologize.
1:59:40>> We have different ways.
1:59:41>> I'm glad you brought it up because it
1:59:43allows you to not
1:59:44>> when when we speak to African brothers
1:59:47and we're making cracking jokes at them,
1:59:49they have that disdain for us, but
1:59:51that's how we bond.
1:59:53>> Yeah. So, so what he's saying is in
1:59:55essence, the term African booty
1:59:57scratcher is just like any other thing.
1:59:59thing like when I was a kid, you know, I
2:00:01I got I got called chubby. I got called
2:00:04big head. I got called eggghhead. All
2:00:06all that stuff. I got called simbag and
2:00:08arsenio cuz I had a high butt. Like
2:00:10that's just part of who we are
2:00:14>> because that's not something um what's
2:00:17the word I'm looking for? That that's
2:00:18something that's not uniquely ingrained
2:00:20in your culture. It can be a core memory
2:00:25insult to you. A
2:00:27>> sign of disrespect. a sign of disrespect
2:00:28when it's actually a a a term of
2:00:30endearment. It means that you part of
2:00:32the coup because try but no
2:00:35>> the year of return the year of return
2:00:38started in 2019 in Ghana.
2:00:40>> Yes.
2:00:41>> Do you know how many people have gone to
2:00:42Ghana? A lot. Including Umar Johnson got
2:00:44a citizenship.
2:00:45>> Yep.
2:00:46>> Did anybody did anybody in Ghana,
2:00:48Nigeria, Benny Togo called Ya by any
2:00:51name as an endearment? You don't call
2:00:54somebody with a name that is among you
2:00:56and you know he doesn't understand.
2:00:59>> So I understand you've done a good job
2:01:01and a lot of
2:01:02>> what you said they call us what's the
2:01:03word you said for the white black man.
2:01:06Didn't I tell you it's a cultural we
2:01:08understand you everything [laughter]
2:01:12you are you are considering just because
2:01:14we said white meaning that anyone who
2:01:16was not born raised in Africa it's from
2:01:19a western country and we refer to all
2:01:22western as yo
2:01:23>> right and there's no offense
2:01:25>> but that's but that's a part of your
2:01:26culture right when you
2:01:28>> what you mean though that's that's
2:01:29specific to you and your culture that's
2:01:30what you call people that's not from
2:01:32western western black people
2:01:33>> that cultural thing I'm just trying to
2:01:35tell you for people to understand a
2:01:37distinction and treat this person
2:01:39differently because he's not from here.
2:01:41He's a black westerer, right? But
2:01:44western is usually when you use it,
2:01:45you're talking about European countries,
2:01:47>> right?
2:01:47>> So that's it.
2:01:49>> It allows us to know that this person
2:01:51can do no wrong because he's not from
2:01:54here.
2:01:54>> Mhm.
2:01:55>> Okay. Gotcha. Look, look, you want to
2:01:59really understand, then you got to
2:02:02refuse to have these conclusions and all
2:02:04that.
2:02:05>> Uh Steve Harvey went to Ghana.
2:02:07>> Mhm.
2:02:07>> He come back with a big pants on. Did he
2:02:10do a segment to just enlighten anybody
2:02:12here? No, he didn't. And I can go down
2:02:14the list of those of them who've gone
2:02:16there, shook hands with president, and
2:02:18then come back and don't say anything.
2:02:20>> Correct.
2:02:21>> Why don't they build a bridge? Why don't
2:02:22they build a disconnect and say, "Guys,
2:02:24look at the way I was treated, man. I
2:02:26just came here. Look at the way I was
2:02:28treated. Um Johnson with his head
2:02:30smaller at the top and big at the bottom
2:02:32went to Ghana, got a citizenship and
2:02:34grabbed the microphone asking for where
2:02:35are my wives at? Where are my wives at?
2:02:37Is that a respectful thing to do in a
2:02:39country that gave you citizenship? We
2:02:41didn't say anything wrong against him.
2:02:42He's walking around making money,
2:02:44calling himself prince of
2:02:45panaffricanism. Do you know where
2:02:46panafricanism is? Is in Africa. He
2:02:48hijack it. Have you heard any African
2:02:50tell him stop? Stop it. Stop it. No. But
2:02:54if I say one thing about
2:02:55African-Americans, you're looking down
2:02:57upon us. You're doing this upon us.
2:02:59>> Let's stop it.
2:03:00>> Especially for people like us who are
2:03:02more sophisticated.
2:03:03>> Mhm.
2:03:04>> Oh, trust me.
2:03:05>> I came here because he made an
2:03:07impression on me.
2:03:08>> Right.
2:03:08>> He sent me the question. He said,
2:03:10"Brother, I'm not going to embarrass
2:03:12you."
2:03:12>> Now, that is unique.
2:03:14>> Mhm.
2:03:15>> This conversation, I wouldn't come from
2:03:17my state, drive here, sit with brothers.
2:03:20I'm coming to look down upon you.
2:03:21>> Not at What kind of culture is that
2:03:23you're thinking about me? So I shouldn't
2:03:25criticize. Why? Europe was built faster
2:03:28than any culture. You know why?
2:03:30>> It's the only place also you have just
2:03:32countless number of philosophers. None
2:03:34of their books was ever pleasing.
2:03:38>> You're too sensitive to criticism.
2:03:40>> There's some truth in that. Let's open
2:03:42the door a little bit.
2:03:43>> Absolutely. Look, in private, we still
2:03:46talk about you guys.
2:03:48>> Mhm.
2:03:48>> I have been in it. The day you're going
2:03:50to visit Bridgeport.
2:03:51>> Yeah,
2:03:52>> I'm a commissioner.
2:03:53>> Fair. Did you look it up? Fair rent and
2:03:55fair housing commission. Last month
2:03:57alone, three people I prevented from
2:03:59abion. Who are they? They're not Chinese
2:04:01or Koreans. African-Americans.
2:04:03>> Yeah.
2:04:04>> The whole city council is
2:04:05African-Americans.
2:04:06>> My students are all African-Americans.
2:04:09>> There's a guy who looks down upon you.
2:04:13>> Well, why not?
2:04:14>> This is the thing I'm Your sensitivity
2:04:16is not only towards white people. is
2:04:17always towards us because you
2:04:19misunderstand. I wish you call us
2:04:21African African so you can understand.
2:04:22We call you black [laughter] westerners
2:04:25so we can understand.
2:04:29>> I think we just need to take time to to
2:04:32understand the same way how we just
2:04:33tried to explain to you about the
2:04:35African booty scratcher. I understand
2:04:36that that you
2:04:38>> No, man. No, man. No, no. The kids just
2:04:40wanted someone also can laugh at Look,
2:04:44the earth is building.
2:04:45>> Listen as as as That's how you're taking
2:04:48it. I am telling you, as a kid, they
2:04:49used to get picked on all the time. The
2:04:51dozens is a huge part of foundational
2:04:53black American culture. Some people call
2:04:55it snapping. Some people call it busting
2:04:57on each other. It's what we do. DL
2:04:59Hugley when he was hosting Comic View
2:05:01would find people in the audience and be
2:05:02like, "Hey man, listen, stop that right
2:05:05there. Your your neck is too small."
2:05:06Like it's it's because I went to the
2:05:08space. It's a comic space. So, I would
2:05:10take it as a comic. But if I'm brought
2:05:11to come and speak in a school and kids
2:05:13are laughing and throwing things at you,
2:05:16you know what they have heard.
2:05:18>> Why do you think hanging on a tree?
2:05:20>> Why do you think it got to that point?
2:05:22>> It's started from somewhere.
2:05:24>> It it started in a schoolyard
2:05:25>> and then evolved into the comedy club.
2:05:27>> So to your word that I've seen it in my
2:05:30comment section. No, it doesn't at all.
2:05:32I have trained myself.
2:05:33>> It's a word a person used, right?
2:05:36>> That's [ __ ] What is there to hurt me
2:05:37about this word? And even with the way
2:05:39you've explained it, as long as I know
2:05:42that is never part of who I am, then the
2:05:45person is free to use that word and it
2:05:47will never never and I don't take people
2:05:48off my comment section. I don't.
2:05:50>> No. If you're going to go out there to
2:05:52speak on a public platform, be ready
2:05:54that you're going to have people. Okay.
2:05:57And so both those who call me names and
2:06:00those they are all the same to me.
2:06:02>> They are all the same.
2:06:03>> Right.
2:06:04>> I don't I don't differentiate at all
2:06:05among them.
2:06:06>> Right. I I do want um Ace to ask his
2:06:08last question before we we get up out of
2:06:10here cuz I feel like we could have this
2:06:11conversation for another all day. Like
2:06:13for sure like
2:06:14>> by the way, how many hours?
2:06:16>> Uh we had about uh two and a half.
2:06:18>> Yeah,
2:06:19>> for real.
2:06:20>> Yeah.
2:06:20>> I mean, the conversation is flowing.
2:06:22>> Yeah, it's good. Go ahead.
2:06:23>> My last question. Um is unity across the
2:06:25African diaspora possible or are the
2:06:28differences in history, culture, and
2:06:29class too deep for a black agenda?
2:06:31>> If what is unity
2:06:33>> is unity across the African diaspora?
2:06:35Africa, [clears throat] right? Yes.
2:06:37>> Across the African diaspora meaning
2:06:39African-Americans, Caribbeans.
2:06:41>> Oh, hell no.
2:06:42>> Never. What is unity? Describe the
2:06:45unity. Show me a picture of what you
2:06:46mean by unity.
2:06:47>> Coming together
2:06:48>> like no. Coming to conference.
2:06:50>> The European Union is together. No, as
2:06:53countries.
2:06:53>> Yes.
2:06:54>> Countries that are uh uh autonomous
2:06:57>> and because they know that trade and
2:06:59economy would work
2:07:01>> because they have something. First you
2:07:03have have something to trade for that
2:07:05unity you are asking for. We don't have.
2:07:07So what is the unity? Unity based on
2:07:09what?
2:07:09>> Why? Why do we need to have something to
2:07:11trade for you?
2:07:11>> Then why are you going to unite with
2:07:12people?
2:07:13>> Because we're black and we're black
2:07:15everywhere.
2:07:16>> Every other culture has unity.
2:07:19>> Show me one culture that has unity, but
2:07:21they have nothing to trade among
2:07:22themselves.
2:07:23>> No. Take a continent because you're
2:07:25talking about a continent.
2:07:26>> Oh, a continent.
2:07:26>> Asia.
2:07:27>> Uhhuh.
2:07:27>> Yeah. What is a unity?
2:07:29>> Japan invaded China. Yes. colonized
2:07:32Korea, tortured the Philippines, almost
2:07:34went to Okay, so he's hated by many of
2:07:37them. But do you know where Nissan's
2:07:39biggest manufacturing is is in China,
2:07:41Toyota? Okay, they have the best of
2:07:43relationship right now. So, show me a
2:07:46continent where people are united only
2:07:49on Kumbaya.
2:07:50>> No, nobody's saying Kumbaya. But what
2:07:52>> Okay, what is it?
2:07:53>> Here's the thing, Frank. There is a
2:07:55reason and and and if I'm wrong, I
2:07:57apologize in advance, but there is a
2:07:59reason that you became an educator.
2:08:01There is a reason that you took little
2:08:03boys, you know, not unlike me over to
2:08:06Africa. There is a reason that you
2:08:09prevent people who look like me and who
2:08:12come from my particular lineage from
2:08:15getting thrown out in the streets. And
2:08:16I'm willing to say that that reason is
2:08:18because you care. Because whether you
2:08:21understand it or not, and I think that
2:08:22you do, I can't speak for you, but I I
2:08:24I'll allow you to tell me if I'm wrong,
2:08:26because you still see me as a brother.
2:08:29You still see me as a black man that you
2:08:32care about because you understand that
2:08:35there is a bigger there is a bigger
2:08:38picture. We're still connected to the
2:08:39motherland. We still have a same
2:08:41ancestral home, do we not?
2:08:43>> I don't know.
2:08:46If you're talking about what I'm saying,
2:08:47if you are talking about the continent,
2:08:49yes, you are from the continent.
2:08:52>> But when the continent is only known,
2:08:54let me tell you, if I get to the airport
2:08:56in Benin Republic and I bring my
2:08:58passport out, they see my last name,
2:09:00they know exactly where I come from.
2:09:02>> If the officer there is not from my
2:09:04place, I'm in trouble. He'll treat me
2:09:05like a piece of crap.
2:09:07>> Right.
2:09:08>> And you think that's right.
2:09:08>> Happens in Jamaica, too.
2:09:09>> Huh?
2:09:10>> And you think that's right?
2:09:11>> No, he don't think that's right. It's
2:09:12not a question of right or wrong. I know
2:09:14why he's doing it. Why?
2:09:16>> Because he's in a country that was put
2:09:18together by force. He has nothing in
2:09:19common with me except skin color.
2:09:22>> So he so that gives him the right.
2:09:25>> It's not a matter of giving the right.
2:09:26It's it's more about that's what they're
2:09:28>> mistake was for us to accept the country
2:09:31and think we can run it when we have
2:09:33nothing in common.
2:09:34>> So one country has nothing in common.
2:09:36Now let's talk about the unity, right?
2:09:37>> What is the youngest country in the
2:09:39world today?
2:09:40>> The youngest.
2:09:41>> So only about 14 years old. South Sudan.
2:09:43>> South Sudan. Yeah. Okay.
2:09:45>> South Sudan and Sudan, one country.
2:09:47>> Mhm.
2:09:48>> Okay. Black people of the same lineage
2:09:50and same skin color,
2:09:52>> but they couldn't like each other. Danny
2:09:54Glover and George Clooney and some
2:09:57celebrities made it possible. They said,
2:09:58"Yeah, we want to cut off." And they cut
2:10:00off. As we speak in Nigeria, Nami Kalo,
2:10:03Mr. Namu is asking for the EOS to cut
2:10:06away from Nigeria. There's another
2:10:07Euroba man who is asking for the Eurobas
2:10:09to cut off. in Cameroon as I speak the
2:10:11com tribe of Cameroon under the French
2:10:13section is asking for them to secede.
2:10:15This is going on in the continent.
2:10:16You're asking for unity.
2:10:18>> So you saying because the continent of
2:10:21Africa
2:10:22>> is not unified then we can't have a
2:10:24global unification of the dias the black
2:10:26diaspora.
2:10:27>> But what is what are you unified around?
2:10:30>> That's something that's something we
2:10:31could build. What is the purpose of
2:10:32pan-Africanism if you're saying that
2:10:35unity is impossible? You said as if I
2:10:37believe in Panaffrican is the most
2:10:38stupid bogus thing ever anybody to even
2:10:40say.
2:10:41>> But you spoke about you spoke about
2:10:42world view earlier, right?
2:10:43>> Mhm.
2:10:44>> So what if our world view was to uplift
2:10:47each other?
2:10:48>> Whose world view?
2:10:49>> Black people.
2:10:50>> Which black people?
2:10:51>> All black people.
2:10:52>> No, there is no such thing. You can't go
2:10:54to Asia and say all Asian people.
2:10:56>> But why not?
2:10:57>> I am telling you this is the mistake.
2:11:00Mhm.
2:11:00>> We are the only ones who walk the earth
2:11:02and as soon as we see a black person at
2:11:04an airport, oh brother, no, I'm not your
2:11:06brother.
2:11:06>> What's wrong with that?
2:11:07>> Oh, Jesus Christ. Have you gone to
2:11:09Europe and he had an Italian man calling
2:11:11calling a German brother?
2:11:12>> [ __ ] them. What's wrong with What's
2:11:13wrong with me seeing you at the problem?
2:11:16>> You might have to explain it to me then.
2:11:18I don't get it.
2:11:18>> Let me ask you.
2:11:20>> Let me tell you something.
2:11:21>> The story of Chaka Zulu.
2:11:23>> Chakulu.
2:11:24>> What was he what was he famous for
2:11:27before they killed him?
2:11:29tormenting
2:11:30>> fellow black tribes in that region.
2:11:33>> Okay.
2:11:34>> So that's the man you're going to unite
2:11:35with?
2:11:35>> No.
2:11:36>> Okay.
2:11:37>> I'm just telling you,
2:11:39>> we think that skin color makes you and
2:11:43me the same. We're not.
2:11:44>> Mhm.
2:11:45>> I am from a small tribe called the Aja
2:11:48tribe in Benin.
2:11:50>> Mhm.
2:11:51>> Benin is only 6.5 million people with
2:11:54over 40 tribe. When I say tribe, I mean
2:11:57the language is like French and Chinese.
2:12:00>> I don't have anything in common with the
2:12:0249 other people in my country. Nothing
2:12:04in common.
2:12:05>> They speak a different language. They
2:12:07have a different god, a different
2:12:08religion, different food, different
2:12:10forms of wear and culture, traditions
2:12:12and customs. We were forced carved and
2:12:16say remain here.
2:12:17>> He's not my brother.
2:12:20>> Now you're asking for a global
2:12:22brotherhood of all black people. Why?
2:12:24Why? Why would the black people be
2:12:26different from any continent? Europe is
2:12:29a global community of white people, but
2:12:31they don't go around saying brother and
2:12:33sister. Asia is a community of all
2:12:35yellow Asians in Asia. They don't go
2:12:38around calling each other brother and
2:12:39sister. Same with the Middle East. Same
2:12:41with everywhere. Where only when it
2:12:43comes to black people, you think we are
2:12:44all the same. We're not the same.
2:12:45>> Okay? And look, look, hold on really
2:12:47quickly. you. This is why FBA was
2:12:52announced because once you guys
2:12:55acknowledge us as color people, right?
2:12:58And then it went from that to
2:13:00African-Americans, we embraced our
2:13:03brothers and sisters that was on the
2:13:05other side, right? and getting [ __ ]
2:13:07on
2:13:09and you know
2:13:12people with selfish mindsets not
2:13:14thinking like how we're thinking like
2:13:16let's connect let's let's be let's adapt
2:13:19to each other when [snorts] you get
2:13:21frowned upon now this is why black
2:13:24Americans foundation black Americans say
2:13:27okay I don't want to be a part of what
2:13:30African-American stands for because I'm
2:13:32not African- they clearly
2:13:34>> okay
2:13:34>> then that's where the conversation comes
2:13:36to okay then but look but then you go
2:13:39with oh so what is this foundation you
2:13:41guys was African-American well it's like
2:13:43why the why would I want to be
2:13:45African-American if I know that you guys
2:13:47>> who is you guys well the people that
2:13:50look at a African-Americans as if you're
2:13:54not African-American unless you know
2:13:55what tribe you're from what else unless
2:13:57you didn't read
2:13:59>> no
2:14:00>> no no but what he's what what he's
2:14:01trying to I got you okay so you have to
2:14:03remember when it comes to their show.
2:14:05They have a lot of people throughout the
2:14:08diaspora, a lot of women who come up
2:14:09here and they will say things like,
2:14:10"Well, you guys don't know who you are.
2:14:13You guys don't understand where you are.
2:14:14You guys don't understand your culture
2:14:15because you don't even have a language.
2:14:17You can't tell me where you're from."
2:14:18And and they're like, "I'm from
2:14:19Brooklyn. I'm from Philly." No, no, no.
2:14:20You from you from Africa, but you don't
2:14:22know what tribe. You don't know this,
2:14:23that, and the third. So, you're not
2:14:24really African-American. Y'all don't
2:14:26y'all are lost. Y'all are lost people.
2:14:28[snorts] Like that is a like you could
2:14:31just just taking their show as a case
2:14:32study. You could pick any random episode
2:14:35and find somebody saying something along
2:14:37those lines. None of that does anything.
2:14:40>> I see
2:14:40>> for for for things. Let me explain
2:14:42something.
2:14:43>> So
2:14:43>> the term African-American
2:14:46>> is correct.
2:14:47>> It's Afrobrazilians, Afroubans,
2:14:50Afroamericans.
2:14:52The Afro, you can make it African.
2:14:55>> Mhm.
2:14:56I am not African-American because I'm
2:14:58from Benin.
2:15:00>> So I'm a Beninoa American.
2:15:02>> Obama is Kenyan American.
2:15:04>> Right.
2:15:05>> You are African-Americans which means I
2:15:08can look at you and trace that you are
2:15:10from the continent except that I can't
2:15:12trace which specific tribe. That's why
2:15:15we use the continent as a whole as a
2:15:17prefix to your current nationality. So
2:15:20would you call somebody from Haiti Haiti
2:15:22uh Haitian Afro Afrohian or AfroJamaican
2:15:25or Afro Trinidadian?
2:15:27>> Now very good point. You see those who
2:15:28live on the on in the Caribbean, they
2:15:31are homogeneous by skin color and by
2:15:33they don't have any mix of people. So
2:15:36you just call them Jamaicans, Haitians.
2:15:37You don't say Afro. But Brazil is not
2:15:40originally all black Caribbean country.
2:15:44It was Portuguese and then they took
2:15:46blacks there. So to differentiate you
2:15:48say Afrobrazilians.
2:15:50>> Yeah. So that is the difference.
2:15:52>> Mhm.
2:15:54>> Yeah.
2:15:54>> Okay. So if I look at you I say oh wow
2:15:58these are brothers and sisters who once
2:16:01could have belonged to. Now I bet you if
2:16:04uh the African-Americans who came here
2:16:06had been able to trace their tribes,
2:16:08their country, you know that kind of
2:16:10thing. Oh, you wouldn't look at me and
2:16:11say uh I'm a brother. No.
2:16:15I'm telling you, without that
2:16:16information, I want to call you a
2:16:17brother.
2:16:18>> Oh, no. I I totally I I admire it.
2:16:20>> Yeah.
2:16:21>> I admire it because I know it's a very
2:16:23endearing word that African-Americans
2:16:25use here to show that
2:16:27>> we are in a struggle together. Okay. I
2:16:29understand. We're unified to build
2:16:31together. I think you're looking.
2:16:33>> Okay. So, that is what he was saying. He
2:16:35said something was interesting that I
2:16:36educate for a reason. I do.
2:16:38>> Yeah.
2:16:39>> I also uneducate.
2:16:41>> Meaning there are certain promises we
2:16:43are being given. is just diverting us
2:16:45and it's not going to happen. You're not
2:16:47going to have a panafricanism. That is
2:16:48one. It is only for groups of people who
2:16:51are thinking that there's a reason they
2:16:52can't build South Africa. So now you're
2:16:53looking to join because misery loves
2:16:55company.
2:16:56>> Uh oh, don't let Dr. Umar hear you say
2:16:58that. [laughter]
2:17:00>> So no, I I don't believe in
2:17:01panafricanism. It was created after
2:17:04Okay. Uhwamian Kruma made it popular,
2:17:08you know, but even though it was created
2:17:09long time ago and why why was it created
2:17:12here? It makes sense. Mhm.
2:17:14>> Because when you are in captivity
2:17:16outside, you long for the people there.
2:17:20>> You know, you remember the song by the
2:17:21rivers of Babylon. Here we sat and we
2:17:23remembered Zion even they don't know. So
2:17:26you are remembering Zion.
2:17:28>> Mhm.
2:17:29>> So it's fine for you to have that need
2:17:33to say look if I can only connect with
2:17:35my people.
2:17:37But I also I am realistic that unless
2:17:42you and I one onone we decide on how we
2:17:46want to relate, there is nothing common
2:17:48and natural that is going to make me and
2:17:49you
2:17:50>> ever understand each other easily as an
2:17:53African-American and Impossible.
2:17:55>> Well, do you think that um we're
2:17:57intentionally divided?
2:17:59>> Intentionally divided black people.
2:18:01>> No. No. No. No. Which one? Africa from
2:18:05African-Americans.
2:18:07>> No, it's just natural because we we
2:18:11don't have anything in common, man.
2:18:14>> We're not intentionally divided. What do
2:18:15you mean? You were intentionally
2:18:17separated by being taken away from the
2:18:19continent.
2:18:20>> Mhm.
2:18:21>> Now, you are asking for a unity with
2:18:23Africans or the continent.
2:18:24>> Mhm.
2:18:25>> We have huge problems of our own.
2:18:28>> Curable diseases we can cure. Okay. All
2:18:31right. Inside the United States. Yeah.
2:18:35>> The African-Americans themselves don't
2:18:36get along.
2:18:38>> Yes. Crime in and killings in Chicago,
2:18:41Baltimore, Lake Detroit, you name it. In
2:18:43Bridgeport, you know, I'm the gun
2:18:45violence director for my city.
2:18:46>> Yep.
2:18:47>> So, you go to uh uh New Haven, Hartford,
2:18:50Waterberry, and Bridgeport. And we don't
2:18:53shoot Asians and white. We shoot each
2:18:55other. Now when are you going to even
2:18:57fix that to unite in the United States
2:18:58of America first and say now we can look
2:19:01towards the continent when we are
2:19:02divided over there
2:19:06we can't there's better chance you guys
2:19:09can unite here
2:19:11>> than we can ever dreamed no don't be
2:19:14fooled by that and don't let anybody who
2:19:15comes here tells you anything flowery
2:19:17about the continent as if we have
2:19:18accomplished anything no we haven't
2:19:21>> I think that's one of the biggest
2:19:22weaknesses of Africa is the lack of
2:19:25unity. I think once the Berlin
2:19:27conference happened and they started
2:19:28putting these invisible borders and
2:19:30created all these um countries, you go
2:19:32in and you you conquer Africa because
2:19:35everybody is so segregated. Then you got
2:19:37things of y' don't have racism over
2:19:39there. Y'all created your own form of
2:19:40racism called xenophobia. Like that's
2:19:42y'all don't even experience racism, but
2:19:43y'all needed to create some system to um
2:19:46divide each other. So y'all created
2:19:47xenophobia. You discriminate against
2:19:48somebody because y'all from a different
2:19:50country, you see them as an enemy is no
2:19:52different from gang violence. These are
2:19:53the same people that look like you and
2:19:55they don't respect or want to unify.
2:19:57They see each other as the enemy and
2:19:59that's the issue.
2:20:00>> I'm telling you when Frank talks about
2:20:01African-American, he points also onto
2:20:03the continent. You have missed the
2:20:05similarities. I'm trying to It blew me
2:20:07away when I arrived here, man. I'm
2:20:08telling you when I say
2:20:10>> when I arrived here. Oh, I was yearning
2:20:12for some black women. I mean, I've seen
2:20:14them in movies like sisters are fine.
2:20:17Not the fat ones on [laughter] the
2:20:18continent. Okay. Until I got here and I
2:20:21said, I can't. Yeah,
2:20:22>> I can't. And I'm telling you the truth.
2:20:24>> I can't. You African-Americans are
2:20:27impossible.
2:20:28>> So you wouldn't date a African-American
2:20:30woman?
2:20:30>> He said he met one his first wife. His
2:20:33first wife.
2:20:34>> Okay.
2:20:34>> Seriously, I'm being honest, man.
2:20:36Because as soon as I walk in here today,
2:20:37I knew I would speak freely.
2:20:38>> Yeah, for sure.
2:20:39>> Okay.
2:20:41>> And I'm telling you, I don't take
2:20:44anything against
2:20:46>> African-Americans come to my city and
2:20:47see me and African-Americans, man. Every
2:20:50Father's Day, cards are coming in from
2:20:52all my students. They call me dad. I I'm
2:20:54a surrogate to three different
2:20:56African-American kids who didn't know
2:20:57their dad.
2:20:59>> I was an MC yesterday. I have to take
2:21:01one with me.
2:21:04>> But I'm not fooling them that it's
2:21:07because I love you and I want to connect
2:21:08and I want to unite. No. Because my
2:21:11world view as I was raised in my tribe
2:21:14as my grandfather explained it to me
2:21:17>> as an aan that's my tribe. Okay. When
2:21:20you step outside here, anything in front
2:21:23of you, find a way to embrace it, find a
2:21:26way for that thing to have part of you.
2:21:28So everywhere I have lived, that world
2:21:32view is the reason I am a human being
2:21:34because that's what I believe.
2:21:36>> So when I went to Japan, it took only 3
2:21:38months. I started feeling, you know,
2:21:40uneasy because language difference,
2:21:43everything. So I went to my landlord. I
2:21:45said, "Where is the community center?
2:21:47They call it Kinga." M
2:21:48>> he said, "What do you want to?" I said,
2:21:49"I want to study Japanese." And he he
2:21:52took me and I said, "I would teach
2:21:54English." Because they were housewives
2:21:56plenty, right? And homeowners and
2:21:58foreigners were coming to Japan back in
2:21:59the uh early '9s and late ' 80s. So they
2:22:03all embraced it. They thought I was
2:22:05being kind. No, that is me being driven
2:22:07to say I need to form oneness. Now I am
2:22:10here
2:22:12>> and that is it. Next town was asking for
2:22:14me. Next town I became very popular. I
2:22:16have breakfast with the mayor almost
2:22:17every weekend. As soon as I arrived in
2:22:20Bridgeport, yes, I could have left and
2:22:21gone to California. I could have gone
2:22:23anywhere, but I have been, you know, a
2:22:26member, a board member of the
2:22:27International Institute of Connecticut.
2:22:28I've been on two different mayors board,
2:22:31youth, you youth development board for
2:22:33my own. It's me
2:22:35>> just picking something in front of me
2:22:37because that worldview my culture says
2:22:39everywhere you lead
2:22:40>> if you don't make yourself part of that
2:22:42place
2:22:43>> you are not fully human and your success
2:22:46is limited.
2:22:47>> So that drives me for community service.
2:22:50>> Yeah. Um, again, I do want to cut the
2:22:53conversation here because we've been
2:22:54here for our editor is probably upset at
2:22:56us right now like, "Damn, I gotta do."
2:22:58But again, longest episode
2:23:00>> for sure. I do I [laughter] do
2:23:01appreciate both you gentlemen being on
2:23:03this platform. Um, I learned a lot. I
2:23:05hope everybody that was watching, y'all
2:23:07learned something and caused y'all to,
2:23:08you know, maybe think a little deeper.
2:23:10Um, again, Dave, let them know where
2:23:11they can follow you at.
2:23:12>> Uh, you can follow me on all social
2:23:13media platforms at the businessbully.
2:23:15Make sure you get my book, The Realblack
2:23:16Aaggenda, at theblackaggenda.com,
2:23:19man.
2:23:19Yeah, Frank's got his car and for week
2:23:22it's going to be my reading.
2:23:23>> Yes, sir.
2:23:24>> And Frank, let them know where they
2:23:26going to find you at.
2:23:27>> So, yes, my platform on YouTube, Tik
2:23:29Tok, and Instagram is Zanu Zu. Project
2:23:33Rethink.
2:23:35>> Yes.
2:23:35>> And listen, um, we had we got a ton of
2:23:38questions we didn't even get to go
2:23:39through. Yo, join the Patreon, man.
2:23:41We're gonna try to get some extra
2:23:42questions in over there. Um, so make
2:23:44sure y'all join the Patreon link in the
2:23:45description. And we see you guys on the
2:23:47next one. You heard?

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