Jan. 6 Remembrance, LA Mayor Karen Bass, Richard Smallwood Talks
Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖The host asserts that Republicans refuse to acknowledge the severity of the January 6th insurrection, actively blocking a plaque honoring Capitol Police and promoting a narrative of 'peaceful grandmothers' on a 'self-guided tour'.
- ❖Congresswoman Norma Torres highlights that many 'co-conspirators' from January 6th remain in Congress and that some individuals pardoned by Donald Trump have re-offended, including for child porn and rape.
- ❖LA Mayor Karen Bass recounts hiding during the January 6th attack, noting the stark difference in response had the rioters been Black, and reveals a staff member overheard a Congressman being complicit in letting rioters into the Capitol.
- ❖Richard Smallwood's autobiography, 'Total Praise,' took over six years to write due to the difficulty of being transparent about personal struggles like depression, illegitimacy, and childhood abuse by his stepfather.
- ❖Smallwood credits his stepfather, despite a volatile and abusive relationship, for pushing him into music and teaching him essential skills that formed the foundation of his musical journey.
- ❖Smallwood emphasizes that music transcends cultural and language barriers, acting as a spiritual force that connects deeply with people, often fueled by personal pain and experience.
- ❖A mental health therapist developed the 'Cheesy Dates' board game to help couples and friends improve communication and explore tough topics like finances, intimacy, and political issues in a low-pressure environment.
- ❖The host criticizes the White House website for publishing a timeline of January 6th that frames Ashli Babbitt as 'murdered in cold blood' and Mike Pence's actions as 'cowardice and sabotage'.
Insights
1Republican Whitewashing of January 6th
The host and guests consistently accuse Republicans of deliberately downplaying the January 6th Capitol insurrection. They point to the refusal to install a plaque honoring the police officers who defended the Capitol, the absence of Republicans from remembrance hearings, and the promotion of a narrative that frames the event as a 'peaceful tour' rather than a violent attack.
Host Roland Martin states, 'Five years later, this plaque still is not up because the so-called people who love talking about protect the blue, they are in cahoots with Donald Trump and these domestic terrorists, and they do not want to honor those Capitol Police officers.' () Congresswoman Norma Torres notes, 'Republicans didn't even bother to show up for it.' () House Leader Hakeem Jeffries' video montage highlights Trump calling it 'a day of love' ().
2Local Impacts of Federal Policies and Natural Disasters
LA Mayor Karen Bass discusses the ongoing recovery efforts in Pacific Palisades following devastating wildfires, highlighting the trauma and logistical challenges of rebuilding. She also criticizes federal immigration policies, specifically the daily ICE raids in Los Angeles, which she states affect a significant portion of the city's diverse population.
Mayor Bass reports, 'We have over 400 homes that are actively under construction now... People are running into all sorts of problems, but most of the problems are related to insurance, financing, and and their mortgages.' () On immigration, she states, 'border patrol and ICE roaming the cities snatching people out of car washes, you know, off of lawns doing landscaping and and chasing people in Home Depot parking lots.' ()
3Richard Smallwood's Musical Journey and Mental Health Advocacy
Gospel maestro Richard Smallwood shares deeply personal stories, including dealing with depression, discovering his illegitimacy, and enduring physical and sexual abuse by his stepfather. He explains how these painful experiences profoundly influenced his music, making it a spiritual outlet and a source of connection for others. He strongly advocates for professional mental health help, dispelling the notion that medication stifles creativity.
Smallwood states, 'I didn't know if I wanted to be that transparent, you know, about my depression issues and things in my family, you know, scandals in my family.' () He recounts, 'my stepfather didn't allow secular music in the house. So, when I was about 14, 13, I started sneaking Motown.' () He adds, 'the medication that people take now are not the medications of 20 and 30 years ago... it hasn't stifled my creativity.' ()
4The Urban Civil Rights Museum in Harlem
Marc Morial, CEO of the National Urban League, announces the upcoming opening of the Urban Civil Rights Museum in Harlem, part of a new 17-story Empowerment Center. This museum aims to tell the often-overlooked story of the Black experience and civil rights struggles in the northern United States, from slavery and the Great Migration to the rise of African-American political and economic power.
Marc Morial states, 'Next fall, we will open another component of the building, which will be the Urban Civil Rights Museum in Harlem.' He adds, 'Slavery existed in the north... so much of our history is tied into the Great Migration... and then there's the Harlem Renaissance period.' ()
Opportunities
Cheesy Dates Board Game
A board game designed by a licensed mental health therapist to help couples and friends improve compatibility and communication by prompting discussions on various lifestyle and relationship topics (finances, intimacy, social issues, politics) and suggesting date ideas. It aims to facilitate dialogue on tough subjects before they become critical issues.
Lessons
- Support Black-owned media like the Black Star Network to ensure diverse stories are told and to counter misinformation.
- Engage in civic action and vote, recognizing that political disengagement can lead to the election of leaders who undermine democratic processes and essential social programs.
- Prioritize mental health by seeking professional help when needed, understanding that modern medication can manage conditions like depression without stifling creativity, and challenging societal stigmas around mental illness.
- Be prepared for unexpected opportunities in your career or personal life, learning from past missed chances and actively developing skills to seize future moments.
- Support initiatives like the Urban Civil Rights Museum in Harlem to preserve and educate on the full scope of African-American history and civil rights struggles, including those in the northern states.
Notable Moments
Richard Smallwood recounts Sammy Davis Jr. asking him to play the piano backstage, and Smallwood freezing up due to shyness, leading to his friends being upset and a lifelong lesson in preparedness.
This personal anecdote illustrates the importance of seizing opportunities and overcoming personal inhibitions, even when facing an idol, and highlights a pivotal learning experience in Smallwood's early career.
Richard Smallwood reveals the painful backstory of his hit song 'Total Praise,' explaining it was written during a period of intense personal struggle and caregiving, when his mother and godbrother were terminally ill, and a foster brother had a mental breakdown.
This moment offers profound insight into the creative process, demonstrating how deep pain can be transmuted into universally uplifting art, and challenges assumptions about the origins of praise music.
LA Mayor Karen Bass describes the surreal and terrifying experience of being in the Capitol during the January 6th insurrection, having to hide from rioters who were 'hunting' members of Congress, and the realization that the Capitol, usually a safe place, was under attack.
Quotes
"You can't BEAT BLACK Owned Media and be scared. It's time to be smart. Bring your eyeballs home."
"If those protesters, rioters, looked different, there would have been blood everywhere. They would have never entered the Capitol."
"We know how to break Humpty Dumpty, but we do not know how to put him back together again."
"You will never find justice in a world where criminals set the rules."
"It's amazing to me to watch what was going on in real time. But it's all the more amazing that the lie continues and continues to be perpetuated now."
"Your power is tied to your vote. And when you didn't vote, you gave these folks the opportunity to be able to do these types of things."
"Music is spiritual. Uh I think that it's something beyond us."
"I don't really hear the kind of writing that really stands the test of time. I hear a lot of times I hear ditties and just something for the top 10 Billboard charts."
Q&A
Recent Questions
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