Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:00 Uh, podcasts and NPR called code switch, and this called the racial reckoning. That wasn't right. And they're basically part of the podcast. It's talking about how in 2020, cause you know, cause I mean, you know, George Floyd, you know, a lot of humble, like, and actually I think there's a brother , um, who's an Imam and a scholar in Detroit and he was talking about George Floyd's status. Right. Because you know, because of the way the whole world responded right. To his murder. Um, but you know, so the whole world is responding. Right. You know, and you're getting 25,000 statements from your universities, from the companies in this kind of thing. And now it's 2021 and your voting rights are getting taken away. They don't have to overturn Roe vs. Wade. I mean, it's just like, you know, police is getting off power, not, you know, it's just like you got like kind of like really as a one thing that I wanted to share that I'm gonna open it up for other people to reflect on this.
Speaker 0 00:00:55 It's like, so in the episode they, they cited this, um, it's like a think tank there called creative investment research. And they're like a black run think tank that kind of focuses on, I think economics and finance vis-a-vis the conditions of black people. And they said that when they did a report and it says something like corporate America pledge last year, $55.6 billion in response to what happened with George Floyd, basically, they're going to give this to the black community as of their report. And I think it was AB June or was it October? I'm not sure there's only been 250 million dispersed. Now I'm no mathematician. Cause that's not my area. So somebody can correct me. But I did. I found a percentage calculator and I went online and I was like, what is 250 million? A 55.6 billion. And there was something like 0.4%. So it's like this huge pledges, but we haven't seen enough. There was this other black news tonight that guy, Michael Harriet from the root was saying that there were these reports that like since 20, 20, every other sort of racial, like, you know, racial indigenous group in the United States, their sort of conceptualization of black people, their support for sort of like black lives matter, broadly speaking increased except for white people.
Speaker 0 00:02:25 So yeah, so it was kinda like, yo, everybody went away on that one.
Speaker 1 00:02:35 I think it's just like the title says white people still, still being wiping because we have this expectation that they're going to do what they say they're going to do, but they have no history of that. They really have hit. I mean, they have Ms. They have a poor history. You know what I'm saying? No, he's had a poor history of doing that. Nah,
Speaker 1 00:02:53 No, no, no. Maybe I need to clean that up. I was like, killer. Mike is starting a black bank because white banks and studying the black community, they have high interest rates that don't support black businesses. And he has a waiting list for black people who want to join and get involved as in the bank is supposed to launch, you know, next year. It's like, but it just shows that you know, that when it shows the black people want to do something for themselves, you know, they want to be able to support ourselves. Wouldn't be able to do for ourselves. And just that they started in a black bag. And so many people want to be involved in that. As long as we continue to wait for white people to do something for us, we'll just continue to be waiting. Uh, people had such great hopes for Joe Biden as president.
Speaker 0 00:03:38 I
Speaker 1 00:03:38 Think some people, maybe anybody, but Trump maybe get him, but you know, , you know, like you said, Roe V. Wade is about to be overthrown. You know, voting rights are still a shamble. I mean, it's just, what are we going to do?
Speaker 0 00:03:56 So I don't know whether black capitalism, but anyway, sorry,
Speaker 2 00:04:01 You know, you had said something to me many years ago, side is white. Supremacy has been around a long time. So, uh, it's going to be here for a while. It's going to take us more than a year and some promises to get out of it. Right. Um, it's a generational curse or if you will, am I surprised? I don't think any person who is down of black liberation and Pan-Africanism is truly surprised because if we look at what happened in 1960s, this happened, you know, when the black Panthers came on and said, okay, gun rights. And they marched into the Capitol building in California, what happened after that?
Speaker 0 00:04:42 Great.
Speaker 2 00:04:43 And then you had that systematic roll back that we lived under. If you're, if you're my generation, we lived under in the eighties, in the nineties. So I wasn't surprised. I was just like, all right, when, when is this really going to happen? And it just, it basically happened on January 6th and
Speaker 0 00:05:06 Yo that yes, if that's not like why people white people ain't for real, for real. Like, and I have to be honest though, like, I guess I knew that could happen, but even I was like, yo, what's going on right now? Like, it was just like, you're like, wow, like they're just all up in the building with what's that the guy who had the
Speaker 2 00:05:28 Ram and hat
Speaker 0 00:05:29 Or whatever, it's like, yes. I was like, yo, that's crazy. I mean, Jermaine Tasha, you want to talk about this? Are you, are you, are you done? What about why people about this topic? Number one before?
Speaker 3 00:05:54 Yeah, I don't, I, I don't think anybody is surprised at white, white people. It was like, you all have said, you know, they they've been white peopling since whatever The mountains or whatever.
Speaker 3 00:06:07 Yeah, exactly. And, you know, they'll continue to, to, to white people. Um, I guess the bigger question is, you know, for another day or whatever, but when are we going to start black people hang out and start doing it, start doing for ourselves? You know, kind of like, you know, what was just discussed about the, you know, the black bank created by Keller Mike. But I, you know, I kind of think things are moving towards moving more towards, uh, black entrepreneurship and things like that. Especially with, with the younger crowd, with the younger folks. I don't know if any of you follow like 19 cheese or no brother BNX or, you know, uh, you know, any of 'em, you know, the group of individuals, uh, kinda in that round, but you know, they are, you know what I'm saying, brothers in the nation of Islam and they are, you know, all about, I mean, pretty much what, you know, the NOI has always been about, which is, you know, empowering us and, you know, worrying about what white people are doing later, you know, or if at all. And I, you know, I, I think the shift just needs to, it needs to focus. It needs to shift there, um, more so than what they're doing because, you know, they're just going to keep white people forever, you know? So I'm not surprised, I'm not surprised. I wasn't surprised that the Capitol building situation and, you know, they want to reverse bills and laws and things like that. I wouldn't be surprised at that either. So, you know, the most important thing is, is we get our thing together, you know, keep it moving.
Speaker 0 00:07:41 Yeah. I mean, I think, I mean, yeah, I think I liked so one, cause that was big. I was like, she shouldn't say our top moment. I was like, that's kind of, maybe that's not why, but I mean also think, I guess I don't want to push back a little bit. Like I don't think, I think black people are black people and we always invite people in and I don't think we're going to black entrepreneur always to freedom. So I think like, I think that is like, like even a sample, like this is why, why do we have savable square for black people? And like, we're doing some for ourselves. Right. So I think, I think it's complicated and it's difficult, but I think you're right. I agree totally that like our focus has to be, I mean, you have to know your enemy, you have to know what's up, what you're up against, but you, but you, you don't start from a place of that.
Speaker 0 00:08:28 You kind of start from a place of what you want and what you've envisioned and what you dream and what you desire. Right. And you worked for that. And in acknowledgement that you're going to have these things coming up against you, as opposed to, I think maybe just kind of start from a place of like, well, I gotta fight this thing. Do you know if that makes sense? And I think what you were saying about like how you were describing the nation, I think like, I think that is a kind of ethic. That is definitely one that I feel like comes out of black Muslim experiences. Um, and also I think in broader black experiences, kind of, you, you have a vision, you have a dream, you know, you have a truth and that is kind of like your guiding your north, your north star, right. As opposed to what white people is doing, I think on some level, oh God. All right. So we have come to the conclusion of our top 10 moments right. Of 2021. But before I let the squad lead, there's a question we ask all of our gifts and I'm going to ask them as well. And that question is what is your black Muslim theme song?
Speaker 3 00:09:47 I don't know if any of you remember the group, poor righteous teachers like that early nineties, late eighties. Yeah. And they had a song called rock, this funky joint. I was in third grade. Um, and I, you know, I just remember, I remember, um, wise intelligence saying, he said, uh, he said, I Salaam alaikum, Salaam the universal greeting of my, of the people of my kind or something like that. And at the time I, you know, I didn't had no idea. I had never heard anybody say Salaam-Alaikum or anything at the time, like, what is he saying? What is it? You know? So for me that was kind of a, it was an awakening moment, just like in a, just like an awareness that, you know, Islam even existed, you know? Cause, you know, before, you know, it was like a, like I said, I was in third grade. So before then, you know, just totally oblivious to everything, you know, but right there, right there at that moment, that was pretty much, you know, when the light went off, oh, you know, Islam exists, you know? And th th you know, that's when I started asking questions and things like that. So for me, rock this funky joint, my poor rights was teachers.
Speaker 3 00:11:04 That is my black Muslim.
Speaker 0 00:11:07 Thank you, Joe. All right.
Speaker 4 00:11:11 Mine is Loren Hills, Los ones. When I got that missing miseducation of Lauryn hill and listened to that, like I was just so excited. I was just so excited. And then I like, this is still when there was tape players and you had to record on the tape, you know? So I actually recorded songs off the radio, but I would record it on the tape. And, and when I heard Lauren Hill's last ones that just set me off, I was just like, I'm Muslim. Like, like, it's like, this is my love. And just the way she just, you know, like I like memorize all the lyrics. I was just so hype. Like, it was just my, that was my jam. And it still is, but just how she like just came out and just the beat, all of it was, is amazing. It's still like an incredible song. This is an incredible track.
Speaker 0 00:12:19 Who's up next?
Speaker 1 00:12:20 I can go next. So mine is, um, redemption song by Marley's redemption song, but I like the John legend Virgin. So he does it. And it's really good. So redemption song originally by Bob Marley done by John legend.
Speaker 0 00:12:38 I'm gonna keep my comments if you choosing John legend, Bob Marley for myself. Okay, good redemption. All right, we'll
Speaker 1 00:12:52 Go with the song, but this go with this song redemption. So
Speaker 0 00:12:56 We got, no, we got to keep, this is yours. This is your song. I'm just being petty.
Speaker 1 00:13:03 I love the John legend version of redemption
Speaker 0 00:13:05 Song, but I
Speaker 1 00:13:08 Heard it first with Bob Marley.
Speaker 0 00:13:10 Right.
Speaker 6 00:13:12 Okay. So I'll go next. I wouldn't say that I have a Muslim theme song. I embrace this lamb like later in life. So I'm still hearing songs now that I grew up with like Jermaine stayed at and they're referencing Islam and I'm like, am a Muslim. So I would have to like really think on this to say what my theme song is, but I do like J electronic cause all praises due to Allah. So that's one of the songs whenever it comes on. And for some reason when I get in the car and I have the Bluetooth on and it goes to iTunes, that song always comes up. So I always listen to it when it comes on. Um, but I wouldn't say that it's necessarily my theme song, but I do. I do really like it.
Speaker 2 00:14:05 Um, okay. Like, I, I feel like I should have something really dope and really Islamic, but, um, going along with the theme of R and B, I liked Joe, Scott's a long walk, um, because
Speaker 2 00:14:22 It reminds like we're all, like I should say, I'm familiar with a lot of Philadelphia hip hop artists and even New York hip hop artists that influence and infuse Islam. But I think hers was one of the first, besides Lauren Hill to come out in that Neo soul era where you just felt it was a natural interchange and exchange between blackness, so music and an appreciation for Islam and like the dominant Christianity. Um, so I remember when I heard it, you know, you're usually like, yeah, duh and then she says server, what? I was like, wait, what, what say what
Speaker 2 00:15:06 You got to go back and like, like rewind, uh, what she said. Um, and then, you know, there was the live version and the, this version, you know, and, and she's from Philly. So just that interchange of hip hop R and B soul thing. And with that melodious, like appreciation for, you know, as black Muslims in particular, we have family who are Christian. And so for her in the first verse to go from Christianity or reverse from Christianity to go to a verse from Islam and like talking about people who have different backgrounds and we got to do what we got to do, let's take this walk. It's like, let's go on this journey together. That's what Islam is. That's anyway. So yeah, that that's, that's mine. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:15:56 Wow. I'm not a thought. I mean, that's a great way to think about that song, you know? I mean, I feel you. And so I was like the kind of the back and forth the Christian was something. Cause that's like our lives, you know, I was actually interviewed by obviously hear about when these archive and I gave him a song, but that was more ramen on base. But I think if I think about this, like my black Muslim things on, you know, from me, like my blackness and my Muslimness are not they're one in the same. Right. So, so then I'm thinking about was the song that like gets me hype, like a see, ready to face the day. And it really, um, uh, talent qualities get by. Um, yeah. You know, and the hook is like this morning, I woke up feeling brand new.
Speaker 0 00:16:40 I jumped up feeling my highs and my lows and my soul and my goals just to stop smoking, stop drinking. I've been thinking, I got my reasons just to get by just to get by. And I love the song because I think, you know, you know, we all, everybody's struggling with something right in this Dunya, in this world that we got to get up over. Right. We gotta get through and we got to work with right. To get by and getting by is not just, it's not just surviving though. Right. I think it's really about living. And so I don't know that song for me is one of those things. That's like, all right, all right. This why people, so why people in, you know what I mean? Like they ain't giving no vaccines people, you know what I'm saying? It's like, but you know, they're having their lows. Right. But we still got them. So that would be my plaque. Well, something so, well, I want to thank you squad goals for showing up today and showing out and sharing your top 10 moments. It's 20, 21 hour on the square family. And thank you. Thank you so much for joining us.
