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Feb. 27, 2023

Black History Month

Black History Month

Black History Month was created to focus attention on the contributions of African Americans to the United States. As the month comes to a close, we discuss how some Blacks don't care for BHM the same way they don't care for the BLM movement. D.A.I. (diversity, and inclusion) in the workplace and in big business. Getting racism out of your mind as a first response.

Topics Discussed:

  • The Roots picnic
  • Lauryn Hill's chronic tardiness
  • Rosa Parks
  • Black History Month at work

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Transcript
Jeff:

Yo, yo, yo, welcome to another episode of the culture. your boy, Jeff here with my man ant. It's the final episode of Black History Month, Black History Month was created to focus attention on the contributions of African Americans to the United States. It honors all black people from all periods of US history from the enslaved people first brought over from Africa in the early 17th century to African Americans living in the United States today was good Yeah,

Anthony:

it's fine. We're going to talk about it's fine. I don't want you bucking up the spirit of it but it's fine. No, not Mac we were talking before before you press play. Like they have the roots picnic coming up. And I know you don't understand this. Let me kind of explain it. So the roots the group, yeah, they have this event every year at Fairmont Park in Philadelphia. Now what is it's a bunch of different artists performing on different stages and Brian is a really big part and they have different lineups on So for my first time going there I think was in 2019 2019 lineup had this so it was the 20th anniversary of things fall apart so the roofs were performing. We I saw that they brought out Joe Scott. Who else when a lot of her 21 Savage little baby Raphael Sadiq city girls quest love. They don't always have like this live mixtape so this dude's DJing and he's doing it like random say for everybody says it's always him in black don't. The year I went it was him and most def another year. I'll go back to 2020 the stars was the baby Meek Mills burn a boy Thundercat. They also have like this little r&b set to their r&b set that year was SW V brandy music soul chat. The live mixtape was obviously with black thought, but it was with Grizelda, Raekwon and Ghostface. Like they're performing live. It's all in a park. And they're doing a song so forth.

Jeff:

Hello, I think I know where you're going. Hola. Hola. Let me give you my opinion. Before like, I don't know where you're going with this. But are you saying that the level of artists is deteriorating every year? Like is getting weaker?

Anthony:

Well, no, you know what they always bring out somebody who ruins a client, like last year, like the lead artists was Mary J. Tons of people. There's Mary J. Blige had her on a lot of people enjoyed it. A lot of people call it a shitshow. Because, you know, the vendor's was in tight, it was hot out there. Everybody was late. It was expected. You're not going to have the little setlist on, they're going to be at this stage at this time to stage at that time, so on so forth, and he didn't quite do that. So my problem is this year, like I would love to go back. It's still in my mind.

Jeff:

But but you don't want to see 21 Savage,

Anthony:

not 20 one's not going to be on this card, I don't believe so I've actually got it up right here actually even have the card on my phone, to be honest with you. But the issue that it comes down to this year, is that they're going to have a few things that I am interested in and a few things that I'm like, Huh? Beginning that usually it's a two day festival usually Saturday and Sunday. Usually this year is Friday, Saturday and Sunday. But Friday, it's not really a performance at the park. There's going to be a performance at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. It's going to be Dave Chappelle that caught my interest. Still might get tickets today. I don't know gonna see like one of the weird things that you have a duty in the roots. I love the roots. I don't know how that works for Diddy because I don't know. What did he is going to actually do

Jeff:

and you'll be in the background. Take that Take

Anthony:

That but everybody Bad Boy hates him so it's not like they're going to bring in a whole bunch of bad boys right? Lucky days he's a great singer. He's gonna be there are a Linux DJ drama. Like the so like the r&b thing is going to be old school so we're gonna be the Isley Brothers and we're heirs if you're familiar with the culture, you know, I'm putting the yard divisions great. The live mixtape this year, right? Of course gonna be black dots because me Jay period who's the DJ, but it's going to be even Busta Rhymes.

Jeff:

That's the headline on tell me there.

Anthony:

No, no, that's not that's not the headliner. That's not the headline headline. They're gonna have another thing where it's gonna be state property we're giving everybody their beans freeway, young guns, PD, Moschino sparks, so everybody and Young Guns are gonna be there. So I'm fully that's going to be live. My problem is the main event. Because you've explained to me and other people have explained to me, as a matter of fact, when when the work and I gave someone a scenario, they're like, Oh, I'm not doing that. Because this year, there's going to be the 25th anniversary of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. He's going to be the headliner.

Jeff:

We got to get tickets. Now hold

Anthony:

on that here's the thing. I tried to be you know, park one o'clock in the mall. Okay, oh, let's be on at 10 Oh, yeah, I'm swinging. Yes, yes. The

Jeff:

problem is you're already know what it is, though. Right. But, you know,

Anthony:

I understand I understand there

Jeff:

was absolutely zero chance that she's gonna show up on time zero absolutely 0% chance that she's gonna be there by 10pm. I'm just telling you right now,

Anthony:

I asked someone at work, and I'm going to tell you this verbatim. I asked them. What if you what if there was an artist that you that inspired you and admired you and you admired, but the biggest thing is that they are chronically late no matter what. That woman looked me directly in my eyes and I and go and go see Lauren, it wasn't no hesitation. None, they know exactly what I was talking about. Like, I'm not going to see Lauren, when that becomes your reputation. And you have all these people here to celebrate the 25th anniversary of one of the greatest albums of all time for one of the greatest artists of all time. It will probably prove you to be you know, on time, seriously, just shut the fuck up on time. Like, I'm going to assume that she's going to be set to Saturday, like the Sunday act or probably be bitty and I think little Uzi Vert is going to be idea which like it, not saying that's not that's not for me, obviously. But he's from Philly. And like, there is an audience for him there at the crowd. I'm honestly gonna go crazy. I'm

Jeff:

Lauren, Lauren should be the first day because you don't want to leave her for Sunday when motherfuckers is gonna go to work Monday.

Anthony:

You know, I mean, they had they have like the like, like, the Gospel set out there. And so on and so forth. She's Lauryn Hill's more than likely going to be Saturday. I feel very comfortable saying that Diddy will probably be Sunday, Sunday afternoon. He was he probably close out the park. I get it. I do. I really, really do.

Jeff:

The worst thing too, is that she has to be a headliner, because you can't put her like first. She can't be the opening act or the second anatomy, because there's no telling what time she's gonna show up. So that'll fuck up your whole shit. That'll mess up everybody else's set.

Anthony:

It throws everything off. And I love that album. And I do love her. But the fact of the matter

Jeff:

is, I got that on vinyl by the way. Or you finally got it. I got it on vinyl. And and and I just ordered a little record player. A Colt Coseley Coseley, I think is the brand Coseley record play a little for you know, when it comes in a little briefcase. Probably not the best quality one, but it'll do the trick. It'll, it'll play it out. And the fun you asked me to do is shout out to the blog. Hell we got me that's just for Christmas.

Anthony:

All right, it's nice to get man. But there's the dilemma there at the dilemma because like, I'm a being apart early enough, like this is what they do. They always say who's going to be on it. But they don't necessarily set the times until they get closer to you. It's not to June. So what will happen is like maybe a couple of weeks before it is they'll be like playing at this age at this time as influenza season time was that like the like everyone was mad yesterday, like the last year because it was pissed off because marriage show started late and it was crowded, people were tired, my dad kind of happened could hear that part pretty much all day. Because once you're in and can't come out, like they have like the food trucks, they have vendors, they're selling stuff, and that's fine, but I get it, but they complain about it. But he still saw Mary, they complained about the sound system. So I'm gonna assume that they tightened up, but the whole fact of the matter is if it was anybody else, I get it, but it's just her and she just chronically fucking late and I don't want to do this shit. I honestly don't think though. I do want to do it. But I don't want to do it. Does that make any sense? Like, it's an anniversary album, and she should be there on time. And

Jeff:

it's a moment in history. It's a moment and you know, in the culture, so it'd be dope to beat it. Another thing too about her before we move on. Like she could do all her miseducation, which is probably the only thing she's going to do. Because she doesn't really own the rights to any of the foods she's music. No, so she can't go up there and do anything with white Clapham prize you know, I'm saying and she sometimes she does but she'll like change the beat around because she doesn't own the beat tonight like that. So she'll do like her verse on one of them Fuji songs with like a totally different be more focused like what does this but anyway,

Anthony:

what you're doing like sugar like food you like to like

Jeff:

to like some rock one.

Anthony:

fugeela to like shook ones part two.

Jeff:

But yo, Black History Month, man. What does this ship mean to you? Because some blacks I've heard from some blacks. I don't know how you feel about it. Metaphor. I think you might be one of them that don't care for, you know, Black History Month, the same way that they don't care for the Black Lives Matter movement. Like I've heard that you don't I'm saying because they feel like it's not something that was by us. Or for us. You know, I mean, like it doesn't serve the best interest of black people. So I've heard black people say That fox said that I've heard I'm just telling you, I've heard black people say like, oh, I don't really give a fuck about Black History Month, you know, do we care? Do we really care? They pose the question like, do we really care about it? You know, I mean, just like I've heard black people say they don't care about the Black Lives Matter movement. Now, I've seen it like online and I've seen people who I've heard people like, I work mumbling and shit, like, you know, talking. You know how some people you know how some people were like Trump supporters like, you have black Trump supporters and you question I'm like, yo, how to fuck are you a Trump supporter? And they'll tell you like, well, Trump did this, that or this, you know what I mean, that, in my opinion, was beneficial to my best interests, you know, he got me out of jail, or he got my uncle out of jail, or my dad adage, you know, let me know, he passed some type of law that benefited me let something like a little Wayne would say or, you know, like I said, I've heard a lot of people saying, Oh, he got this person out of jail, you know, and that that's all it took for them to become Trump's supporters, because he did something that to them was in their best interest. So in that same token, you'll have people that don't feel that the Black Lives Matter movement or that the Black History Month in general benefits their you know, their bottom line or their best interests

Anthony:

that's gonna be totally is cheap. That's the whole problem. So the whole thing the talking about like, no, they got so and so out of jail, like what is also doing the first place to get out of jail. Now understand that the legal system itself it has been irreparable harm to the black community in regards to unfair policing the dangerousness of it, you know, the, the difference between charges between, you know, rock, cocaine and powder cocaine and a particular period of time, which really led to this this overspill of mass incarceration, that really took a toll on the community itself. Now, if he was caught selling that shit, you got caught dealing that shit, he went to jail for that shit, you did that shit. Like, I don't have something for you. I got I got people in my family who were drug charges, who've done time in jail, who went to jail for armed robbery charges, bank robbery, dealing, like dealing copious amounts of drugs, like none of that shit matters. Don't make me love them any less. Yeah, you did what you had to do, you got caught, so on so forth. But just because someone set you free to all of a sudden makes them like my friend, like enemies do good things for you all the time, just to make sure that you keep them in a position where they can kind of control you. Just because he did this one thing doesn't make much of a difference in regards to it. The problem Black History Month is like it's it's tainted. And I don't necessarily know if you're qualified as compensation, but we're gonna try to have it. Do you celebrate?

Jeff:

That's the kind of reasons

Anthony:

and I want to break through to try to be direct. You do celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month?

Jeff:

I do not to be honest with

Anthony:

you know what it is? I have

Jeff:

no idea that it might be sad, but at the same time, it's like, because Spanish heritage month is basically just putting all Hispanics into one basket and saying, I hate here's your month all Yeah, you know, I'm saying it's not like specifically for one person, you know, for one, people.

Anthony:

Because it's 12 months out of the year. So

Jeff:

it's not like, you know, like Mexicans have Cinco de Mayo. And all it is but it's not like they're specifically celebrating Dominican American month or Puerto Rican American.

Anthony:

Nothing about that. Because May the fifth isn't really Mexican Independence Day.

Jeff:

Nobody knows what that is. Nobody knows what that.

Anthony:

Like, let's, let's go. I know I just kind of slipped my mind Mexican Independence Day. Mexican Independence Day is actually Saturday, September 6. So had they got the fifth the fucking May. Cool. That's four months apart, right? But they do it. They celebrate it. And most people in regard if this was like Mexican Independence Day, I don't see a whole bunch of Mexican Independence Day celebrations. I see a lot of tacos and tequila. And I'm not saying that should be funny. Like, it's just

Jeff:

like, but that's just what it is. It's just an excuse to party. It's like, what's the Irish day?

Anthony:

I think parish. St. Patty's.

Jeff:

We don't know what the fuck that is. But as just an excuse to go drink and eat some corned beef and cabbage or whatever the fuck with some of that sweet bread. And that's it.

Anthony:

Right? And so when it comes to like, Black History Month, like, it just doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me anymore. Like because we kind of lost the essence of it. You don't get a chance to and in all honesty actually enjoy it to be really, really clear what you like. Like when I was like, think of matter more when he was a kid than it does now. Because when you were a kid, you do these certain things and it just makes a whole lot of sense to you. It really really, really does. But you have your celebrations you talk about the important black people in history. You have these events and so on so forth. Like you don't do those things anymore. Like Like even on television, like a staple for Black History Month like they always showed roots. Now understand People get tired of the slave narrative and so on so forth. Like, we're above that, and yada, yada, yada. I get your point, I really do. But the remnants of slavery still exist. And you got to kind of fight back against it. Like you hear things like what Governor DeSantis is doing, trying to like, no pick me paint a very particular picture of American history by eliminating what people of color have done. The whole argument of critical race theory, so on and so forth, they deem it racist, but the the black experience is pretty much intertwined into black,

Jeff:

we could do a whole episode about the Santa is trying to outlaw what teachers can and can't teach in fucking classrooms.

Anthony:

Yeah. And like I said, No, no, it wasn't a thing before, we would have like a, you know, thing in the auditorium celebrating the people do a little speeches, or the dances or so forth to kind of show memory and ideas of how important it is. Like, that's just faded away. And that really, really bothers me. And people complain about you know, it, of course, to give us a shortest month, like, I don't give a fuck about that. The fact that you got a month, it's important, but the fact that you're not doing anything with it, it's more of a concern to me. It's always like, you celebrate our culture, you celebrate our food, you celebrate our dress, but the point we're supposed to celebrate a fully, no one cares, it just kind of, you know, you're kind of passing through like we used to. Well, actually, when I first started my job, we actually had a celebration. Like they had people speak like, they had spoken word they had, people will see like particular quotes from particular African Americans who historically, Frederick Douglass, Fannie Lou Hamer, who was can I remember, James Baldwin, we try to avoid like the Malcolm Martin kind of thing, because everyone knows that there's a lot of other people that were involved, and the history of this thing, and the fact that you don't get anything, like outside like, like, maybe he served fried chicken or some shit, like during lunch hours. I know that might sound racist, but like, it's part of our code. So I kind of get it even though it does bother me. But the fact that you don't get those things, you don't really get the chance to really envelop and learn your history. Now, I want you to pay a very clear distinction over the next month or so we're not we're not talking about the movies, because we were talking about that offline. But next month is going to be Women's History Month, you're going to see a gang of shit. And I mean, a total fuck ton. And there's nothing wrong with it at all. But this is how it's going to occur. And hear about women doing certain things in space and technology, art, all the above anything that involved in the kind of digital record yourself involving women you can hear a lot about. But the fact that you don't get the kind of thing for Black History Month, where we kind of did so much in regards to this and it just kind of a passing thing. Like, I mean, fuck, I literally remember being a kid. And always remember, and I haven't actually seen this month. For one, I really watch too much television. But did you ever remember it was like, like, like McDonald's celebrates Black History Month. I NC nested at all. And that was we're always on.

Jeff:

You know what I think? I think big businesses now are going away from trying to single out a particular group of people because they don't want to alienate another group of people because they know everybody's paying. It's like the whole Jordan shit where he never spoke about politics, anything because he didn't want to alienate anybody. Because he knows that everybody buys his product. So I think that's what big businesses are doing now is like Disney, you know how to Santa is one of the outlaw with Disney in it. I mean, what Disney could promote, and they don't want them, you know, basically wanted them alienating like the LGBTQ community and shit like that. And Disney was like, Oh, look, these motherfuckers buy our tickets to you, then I'm saying, we're trying to sell to everybody, we don't give a fuck what you are. As long as you come and pay. We're not alienating anybody. So I think that's what happens.

Anthony:

The AI, that's a term that you that people should be familiar with. It's a general overarching term, what you do to kind of, you know, push away from what you're talking about, to not give the individual groups their kind of time and space. And that term that dai means diversion, no diversity and inclusion. So we're going to celebrate the different colors and different ethnicities and cultures within our company. And we're going to call it inclusivity. And in inclusivity, sorry, and regards to gender and sexuality. Because you can just say that term, and bundle everybody together instead of actually giving people their prep. Everyone in a particular category isn't everything. You should be able to celebrate your blackness you're able to celebrate your sexuality should be able to celebrate your humanity. Whatever it might be, it should be that because the more we start doing things like that, trying to lump things together to try to make it easy for everybody else. We're consumer culture, man, we're going to buy shit anyway. The thing you're thinking about Jordans not just black kids aren't buying Jordans? Everybody does everybody does. So even though Michael wasn't, he was a political, I guess you can say. But he also came to a very clear realization like, you know what, they're gonna buy T shirts and like, Joe has been retired, what would damage more than 20 plus years? Guess what they still buying shit. He just he's really mixing the same thing and people still find value in it no matter what color it is. So he was correct in that matter, like, you know, in the end, the only color that really matters, the green and people are really just to know, collecting his shit. But the truth of the matter is is like, like even Michael Michael Mack matters to black history. But I don't think you need to speak about Michael all the time, the fact that you don't get these people or people don't get the job to do and regardless, all that's occurred, everything that's happened in black history, and understand that the brevity of the timing of it, but the fact that you don't get celebration of something, like last night was the NAACP, like the NAACP, it was on last night. Yeah. But like it was a celebration, that thing you call it a day, but it and they showed it on MTV VH one BT, but then I was about it. Like it wasn't a big thing like the Grammys, you're not something you really kind of showing off, but it's important to the culture itself. But these things we need to be aware of, because the moment you start to, like lessen the impact of it, or you just don't like, give a shit about it. People are going to care less and less than these generations of missing out on things that are very important, impactful to the culture. The fact that just let the slide every year and it gets worse and worse. And I don't see anything really reflecting the culture of black people itself. Makes it a really trying time for me to be honest, but she just is difficult to comprehend. Like, it's all kind of brushed aside like I haven't seen her really going to route a hurt anything in regards to really the celebration of black culture. Just, it's just a month and it's becoming that and that's that's pretty painful to me.

Jeff:

Speaking of diversity and inclusion, does your job do anything? Does your company do anything for Black History Month? I mean, I'm sure you have a large majority of African Americans and American

Anthony:

Yeah, yeah, we get cake, is it I can't find a picture. But like, it's like the local union gives us like a gigantic cake. And like in celebrate Black History milestones, they've always done that. But just like you get it. Like we used to do that and just have like a little celebration. But now it's like, when he did it, they were handing it out and had like a little quote on the wall of like famous African Americans, but it wasn't really a thing just felt like somebody handing you fucking cake. So it wasn't a big deal. I wish it would have been more especially we have so many African Americans there like they're going about the history of it, of us being people of service and trying to help out others. That's literally what the job is. And like taking time and showing appreciation for something like that. But again, it's kind of becoming a thing and I've voiced my concern about it because just naturally rebellious I really can't help myself but that's what kind of occurred we just got kicked. Did you guys do anything?

Jeff:

Yeah, um, I don't want to say the company as a as a whole thought of anything but there's a group of black sisters and my job shout out to Varsha Madonna and they went, you know, when they put together a team of people that wanted to do some stuff, right? So they got approved to show they have a Netflix documentary called high on the hog

Anthony:

about about buying African

Jeff:

culinary and the history of black food and, and so forth. It's like a four part show. So it's four hours so they watch it. Yeah, it was though they spread it out until a couple of days they sent everybody an email and wanted to whoever wanted to attend afterward boom, they go to little conference room, they had it set up and they have food and snacks and ship. And they did that over a course of a couple of days. And then on the final day, which was a Thursday they brought in so food they had a catered from some black restaurants, I think in Newark, New Jersey and Marie and in Jersey City. And you see that it'd be like you know for the for the viewing of the movie obviously it's all you know, blacks in there but then it's like a couple of whites you know, I'm saying and I'm looking at him I'm like I you know, are they genuinely here you know, they're just here to like not be called racist. Which is a fucked up thought to have but that's that's a thought that comes to your mind. Like if you look around the room like I let me see how many of these MAFAC is gonna show up. And they asked us if we could wear something, you know, green, black or red. Right symbolizes the African colors right? First day, you know, it was a nice little turnout. The second day was way less people you know, I mean, it was it was expected. And then the soul food although people didn't even RSVP but everybody showed up to eat the food there was a line long as fucking line when they heard it was food being served. So they had you know, they had to have rice. Jolla is a jolla djoghlaf Jollof rice Jollof rice. Yes, all of rice. Got it right. Yup. Then they had the baked beans. They had fried chicken, which was gone immediately that she was scrumptious. They have fish. There are two types of fish that cat fish. And they had whitening white waiting, waiting, waiting, which I never had. I was not at that time. Yeah. And then they had, right. And then oh, and then they have a big mac and cheese bet. Should I ever had the mac and cheese. And then I'm sitting down eating, the white lady comes up to me and she's like, Hey, did you have the CalArts? Like, excuse me? Did you try the CalArts? I'm like a lards. She's like the greens. She's like the greens. I'm like, Oh, you mean the collard greens? Yeah, I'm like, Yeah, I had them. They I had a good, like, Oh, I'm like, god damn the CalArts. Fuck.

Anthony:

She gave me

Jeff:

it anyhow, like two different types of hospitals on the table. Because one of the things in the documentary that they were saying is, you know, black people can't be with our hospitals. So they had actually right on the table.

Anthony:

Right, to the point where francs and something else. Yep. I know how to give it up. And then that's the thing about the culture. But yeah, continue.

Jeff:

And then like some of manage matter of fact, I don't even think I don't remember most of management wasn't that they had some people with management, submit videos, and they will put it up on the teleprompter, whatever. Sorry, I couldn't beat it, you know, Black History Month, blah, blah, blah, you know, say a few words, enjoy the food, try to make it next time. And again, I get the fucked up thoughts in my head. I'm like, I wonder if it would have been a different holiday. What would they have been here? You know, I mean, but I think that's a flawed mentality that we're, you know, sometimes we get stuck on that like, right, we can't make everything like a racist thing. You know what I mean? But sometimes it's hard for me to not even think like that, like, all right. If this was, you know, a white holiday with these motherfuckers have been here. But sometimes I gotta, like, you know, take a step back and be like, I can't make everything about racism.

Anthony:

No, it's not okay. But my whole thing is like, it's the thing about food is that foods entered integral to everybody's culture, everybody, because we're not always a particular way, like learn a high in the hog. So universal language means that it is, and it's like, it's not for the people think that it's not for everybody, but it really is for everybody. Because there is there's a story. In your cooking, there is an everyone in every culture there is Indian food. Nigerian gotta Chinese, Italian, Greek, Portuguese, German, whatever it might be. It all tells a particular story because it's all kind of ingratiate it and the history of these people. So like, I don't necessarily find it racist, that they serve tacos and stuff when it's Cinco Demayo I get it. I understand that I think the palette is a lot as long I versed in what it is, but it's

Jeff:

more as long as they're authentic tacos. Don't give me the American fucking street tacos with cheese and shit on it. That's not what Mexicans eat.

Anthony:

No, no, no, they don't. And the thing like you got to taste it a culture like, like I never had whiting before. As far like man, I grew up waiting, so I know exactly what you're talking about. And I knew exactly that Frank's hot sauce is going to be in Frank's Red Hot, it's going to be in a table Kadesh it is always served with fried fish and all EFSA comes along and macaroni cheese is very filling and very whatever. And the thing about high on the hog, they're trying to explain like, slave, we're not giving a bunch of options. They had to take what we basically left of the pig, that they slaughter to make meals for everything else. That's why grits are so ingrained in our culture because it's a leftover grain that was leftover. And that we made something of and make pretty much making something out of nothing. Like in other cultures, it's foods that are familiar with the region of where you are if things of that nature. So when the lady said collards like I knew it wasn't anything racist, just kind of how it is. You know, you don't under you don't necessarily grasp it. I give you the points for trying and so on so forth. And I'm not even upset by that large color she tried. She tried. But I bet she had enough. Because she actually did you have to probably man he's a good I know they are. They are and I think the problem is you're always going to run into things like these are things that make us these are things that are put on our table since we were children, things that grown up things that we do during celebrations, weddings, funerals, whatever. These are things that we have. So when people use those same things that kind of pull closer together and use them as like a path to divide people. things that bother me. Like they always say something about black people in fried chicken but y'all be fucking that up to you say some I don't care about the little Mexicans little tacos, like you eat tacos to, you try the different things in different foods of people and you enjoy them and you, you love the taste of it and the feel of it, the mouthfeel, the texture, so on and so forth. But then, when you want to say something that is like off putting discriminative or racist, you try to use the same things, again to people. So I say when it comes down to Black History Month, the things that we've done the things we put forward, the things that we talked about in the show, regardless of clothing, movies, music, lifestyle, whatever, how we've influenced America, and and tried to use the same things against us. What bothers when the time comes up for Black History like this, in just a moment should be in celebration of everything that we have put forward and push the society forward, not just do our culture and just do our will alone should matter. And we should celebrate that more. And I want to respect other people cultures, too. I want to be a part of those celebrations as much want to be a part of mine, it seems that mine has been a little bit less celebrated. I don't see it advertised on TV, I don't see the thing that I used to see, I used to grow up with. Like I said, it's kind of saddening, because something's going to get lost. And the time that we're not doing what we need to do, to make sure that you know, we matter, we we made this happen, we, you know, influence enrich every part of your life in a moment that we should come forward and really express that we're not. And I wish that you know, we would learn these lessons. And we began to push this forward and began to do more. Because as you said, like I said, it wasn't a company thing, those black women had to step up to do this because they understand what that means the pride of what it means to be black and to try to like, show unity and love through food, which everybody enjoyed. And that's something that I just don't want to see Get lost man seriously.

Jeff:

But going back to having to get racism out of my mind as a first impression. Give you another example. We go to a bowling alley, right? Bolero, we go to Bolero, and we have the black, you know, the black girl that's serving us, right? And she's attending to us or whatever. And then all of a sudden, she disappears, right? And we're like, you know what the fuck this girl that she's supposed to be bringing our food out and all of this. She finally shows up. And she apologizes. It turns out that another party had complained about her right to their manager and the manager came out and pulled her out and had a meeting with her and, you know, try to get her in trouble, whatever. So we're complaining to the manager like, Yo, why are you over there talking to her? She's not out here doing her job, right? Just because one particular party complained about her we haven't complained about she's doing a great job for us. So we were telling the girl this and I asked her, by the way, but by any chance was the people that complained about you. Were they white? And she was like, yes, they were. I'm like okay, figures, you know, say but that's my first inclination is to think that like, Oh, it must have been a white family that complained about you, you know, I'm saying she's black. You know, I mean, we wasn't complaining about her, we thought it was nothing wrong with her. And she was like, Yo, how you know, I'm like, Well, you know, shit, who else would have complained about you? You know what I'm saying? So, you know, so it's a flawed mentality to have to think that automatically is a white person that had to complain about you. But it turned out that it was so bad. Like, it almost justified my thinking as well.

Anthony:

No, it's not flawed. It's, um, it's not flowing. It's not in green. It's just, is what sad is taught you like, generally you motherfuckers complain about shit that don't need to be complained about like, is making a big deal about something seriously. It's like, it's this ongoing joke of always having my father for you. She'd gone on decades now. Like, um, it's kind of fucked up, though. You remember the DC sniper? Yeah. Right. And we was like, if their main focus was to just stay low and not gotten on board, they've still been killing people today. Because the truth of the matter is, you're not looking for a black person. You're looking for a white person. You know why? Because white people do shit like this. It was the whole thing. They could they could be killing people up until today. And it's still better than looking for a white guy. Because it's not that it's ingratiate in us. We just take the particular cues that we've been told time and time and time and time and time again. That generally, if x happens is probably you guys. That's why we always get surprised when it's like a school shooting and there's like someone of color, like, we don't do shit like that. Not saying that we're not capable of but generally it's kind of the realm of the whites. It's not a negative and it's not trying to be racist. I'm just trying to just look at the historical perspective on it is generally you guys, so when they brought that young lady to complain, it wasn't you being racist, like the people who generally complain about some other shit like this generally, you guys and there's really no reason to complain about you guys because not really like a big fucking deal. You got to make it a big fucking deal because of whatever men One thing that might have annoyed you or pissed you off, which only makes things worse, right? Was the guy in the park who was out there taking pictures and the woman with the dog who called the police and that this black man is harassing me. And he wasn't and then he like they filed charges against her and whatever happened that she tried to sue her employer because they fired her. Like say you complain about nothing. You know, that is they find danger in places where it's not dangerous. Like you know how many times I've gone to elevator and like someone's grabbed a person I like laughed at them like loudly like not like No, no snicker like, I busted out laughing. And I remember one time woman asked me like why are you laughing? I'm like, ma'am, I'm going to two floors if you think I have the time in front of this camera to punch in the fucking face. Take out all your money and then get out of here scot free without anybody bothering me. You're you're sadly mistaken. She's like, I didn't mean it. Like I know you didn't mean it. But you react in a way that put me in danger because you feel afraid because I walked into the elevator and the first thing you like you didn't do was smile or ask what floor the first thing you did was grab your bag. How do you think that makes me feel like I no more threat to you than anybody else? Criminals come in all shapes, colors, forms and sizes. When a fucking corporate office I'm wearing a tie. I'm gonna rob you right here. Come on now stop that.

Jeff:

I avoid that. Well, I just take the stairs bro. Not even for now and even racially to was just you don't you don't fucking know especially with COVID now you don't know whose comfortable you if it's a female in your you know, I'm saying you just don't know now with the climate the way shit is now I would just avoid all of that. I just take the stairs every time.

Anthony:

Man. Look, if your company is hiring robbers and rapists, look, ya'll need to talk to HR about that. Your hiring practices suck. I'm getting wherever I'm gonna go and get on to. I'm gonna get on here without no fear. I know. I'll be worried about nothing else like that, to that degree. For me to be like, I know danger. I know. threatened. Nobody ain't my job to prove it to nobody either. I'm gonna get on the ship, get off the elevator and go on about my merry way. You don't

Jeff:

even know who you don't even know what female might complain like, oh, he was too close to me. He was you know what I mean? Like you just don't even know. I just thought.

Anthony:

I don't know. Give a good guy. It's an elevator. Yeah,

Jeff:

you know what it is? Shit. Yeah.

Anthony:

Here's the thing. Like you ever notice when you get on an elevator? You always pick a corner. You never stand right in the middle. Yep. It's, it's, there's no one there. You get on the elevator you go either to immediately one of the four corners. You never stand in the center like this. No one here. Let me stand in the center. Everyone always picks the corner. Me being an asshole. Damn, I always stand in the middle. I can't help myself. I'm like what I mean, it's free rein. It's not like saying it's not assigned seating on an elevator you go. When you get in. I've always found that weird. Like people do that like, and there's a whole thing. It's like, if you're in danger. Why would you want to put your back against anything? I can see what you don't want anybody behind you. But if you miss, like, step back a little bit.

Jeff:

I've thought about this. I think a systemic programming, if that's even a thing. For example, you know, Rosa Parks was told to stand up, she was sitting in the front, right? She was told to go sit in the back because the front was reserved for whites. We're not going to bet and when I go on a bus, my first inclination is to sit in the back. I don't even want to sit in the front. You know what I mean? I go right to the back, for whatever reason, like I just feel more comfortable in the back knowing that there's nothing behind me there's nobody behind me. I want to be able to see everything you know what I mean? Like my wife is the same way we go somewhere she needs to sit where she can see her surroundings. Because she doesn't I don't know if it's a trust issue. It's subconscious. So like I said, like some type of probe systemic programming, like you want to see what's in front of you. You don't want to be in behind you where you can't see it. Then I always thought like, Damn back in the day, you know, we were told we can't sit in the front, you know? And now we don't even want to sit in the front row say

Anthony:

oh, man, you don't want to sit in front I love sitting in front. Because Eric because every time I get on the bus the bullshit pop off in the back not in thinking that the Bush or pop off in the front. I can I'm right there by the door like your next stop. Let me was it me? Let me off. Let me off next. What two minutes. Next up. I'm standing up right now. Let me I'll catch the next one. Because it's always some bullshit popping off in the back of the bus. Not the front. And the funny thing you talking about black history. You ever heard the story about Rosa Parks? Enlighten me. She wasn't the first. Oh, she wasn't supposed to be the first. They cannot remember the woman's name. They actually the NAACP pick Rosa for a very particular region. She was well spoken. She was a member of the church community.

Jeff:

She was a they finally felt that she was the best person to represent their cause.

Anthony:

There was a woman before her who was younger, that they were going to, you know, try to do this with so and so forth. But she was young and she was a pregnant unwed mother so they felt that she wouldn't fit in division are what they were trying to do. Then they they would arose, and hence history. And like I said, I mean that's the one that's weird little things about black kids we have we tried to mold it particular aim away about things because the other one didn't project the right. Image. Right. Like if like Barack Obama, Barack Obama had to be married with a smart driven wife with the right kids the right look the right sound the right everything.

Jeff:

He was the mother. It was the safe. Yeah, safe choice.

Anthony:

They had tried to put a motherfucker like me looking like nice president. No, it was the what was

Jeff:

that? pizzeria owner, that was a pimp that wanted to run.

Anthony:

He would run back father's pizza, something like that.

Jeff:

He was in the safe choice. They went

Anthony:

like no, no. I know you're talking about I can see his face. Were Herman Cain. Herman Herman fucking Cain, a fucking pimp? Who owns a pizza shop?

Jeff:

It was like, Yeah, we can't really market this shit to the American people.

Anthony:

We can push this forward to the masses in the community. You got your own little pocket, but Godfather pizza, nah, we can't do this brother. We're gonna try but not and I don't know. But that's the way it goes. Like the image of things and the perspective that we create and going forth and no push forward to the society to show these things, like, I know a few people that know that story. Not a lot of people because it's not. It's not the Rosa Parks story, her story is more inspiring woman that said, the bus, you know, has sparked the change in society that we needed. And to push things forward and you know, create a better world. But we had to do it from a view that was palatable to people when talking about food, like, you gotta teach right to everybody. Like, she got to look just right. Because like, if some, like some unwed mother who's young, and she's blocking him like, well, she wouldn't be sitting on the front of the bus, she had a husband that would take a wish needed to go it'd be shit like that. But you kind of know, the woman fair skinned, wears glasses, you know, part of the church congregation, like someone you're not gonna see a whole lot of wrong with like, why would you not do that to this woman, she's, quote, unquote, good. That's a whole nother conversation we'll have for another day. But that's the kind of shift that occurs. But, but again, like because of that, she's always gonna be mentioned in black history, and especially on Black History Month, but the other girls never going to be mentioned. So we're not at fault. Here. We do pick and choose our heroes as well. But the truth of the matter is, is like for Black History, these are things that you need to know the things that you need to discuss, and things you need to put forward and have these conversations about uncomfortable and not to really get to the real of how things are and how we perceive things. And how even though I personally, that was a bad decision, it, it was a decision that really did no cause a great change within this nation of ours. But it's kind of thing that comes and goes man, we just tried to do better at it. And next year, I want us to do better, like I want to see more, maybe it's COVID maybe it's a change in the world. Inflation just don't have the time energy money to do the thing that you want to do to properly celebrate it. But culture can be celebrated in a multitude of ways. It does not have to be expensive or cost much. It's got to do a better job at it.

Jeff:

That's right. So Happy Black History Month. And going off topic right quick. How would you feel about having an LGBT LGBTQ plus guest come on the show, cuz I want to revisit I want to revisit an old conversation and when we had the conversation about Lea Thomas, the transgender athlete and I couldn't get any, you know, trans people or anybody from that community to come speak on it. I'm still trying and I might have found somebody that can be maybe willing to come on and not not only talk about that, but talk about all the trends and all the LGBTQ issues you know, I'm saying that that we have questions about because a lot of us are still ignorant about a lot of us still want to know shit. They just never want to really talk about it like we got questions you got to answer them.

Anthony:

I have zero issue with that.

Jeff:

Alright, so your that might be coming, but it's fine shot shout out to the coaching crew.

Anthony:

What how many how many how many y'all in the coach crew are sick?

Jeff:

Oh no, but I feel like I'm constantly sick now my son's sick with pneumonia I feel like that kindergarteners the fuck is the devil?

Anthony:

No they know I'm trying to I've been trying to tell you for the longest they all are they just the incubators for all type of diseases needs to bring them home to like family members to test out. All of them trust me. He's not special. All those kids cough and touch and play with every fucking thing. So when one has they all have it and the thing is that you don't keep them out of school you still send them back If your son has been sick how many days in school he's missed

Jeff:

a year well I mean the last week he missed two days I think in total was probably been like maybe six is all been excused but he's had like doctor's notes it should like that. And the doctor always says you know keep them home for a day or two and and send them back as long as you don't get a fever that's all they care about as long as you don't got a fever. He go right in they don't go further off and on people

Anthony:

could because kids are durable, like they are like the human Incredibles. Like they kids get fucked UPS fuckup diseases all the time and they never die. Like they just like, oh, people get the flu they die. Kids get the flu like they sweat for like 20 minutes like aren't we good to go? Immune System is like fantastic. So y'all gonna be sick? Because you're older and shit, but he hated me finally bouncing around for a couple of days and like complain all selfishly like I call it what you call it. I don't bounce back like you do my brother like go sit down somewhere. But I mean, as long as everybody feeling better to bluff,

Jeff:

but Stacey Abrams said, we will all at some point encounter hurdles to gaining access and entry moving up and conquering self doubt. But on the other side is the capacity to own opportunity and tell her own story. The Culture See you next week. Peace