Latest / The Breakfast Club / When Sorry Isn’t Simple ( Is The NAACP Accepting of Kanye Apology)

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When Sorry Isn’t Simple ( Is The NAACP Accepting of Kanye Apology) · The Breakfast Club

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: Jews.
• 0:02
  Speaker 2: I'm a homegirl that knows a little bit about everything
• 0:04
  Speaker 2: and everybody.
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: You know, if you don't lie about that, right Lauren.
• 0:10
  Speaker 2: Hey, y'all, what's up. It's Lauren Lo Rosa and this
• 0:12
  Speaker 2: is the latest with Lauren le Rosa. This is your
• 0:15
  Speaker 2: Deli dig on all things pop culture, entertimate news, and
• 0:18
  Speaker 2: all of the conversations that shake the room. So we
• 0:22
  Speaker 2: have been bringing you guys right in, like literally right
• 0:25
  Speaker 2: into all of the conversations that Kanye West yay, formerly
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  Speaker 2: known as Kanye West, music icon, celebrity superstar, all the
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  Speaker 2: things right that he's been having as he apologizes to
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  Speaker 2: the black and the Jewish community for some of the
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  Speaker 2: harmful things that he's done in the past. Now, joining
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  Speaker 2: me today here on the show, we have a very
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  Speaker 2: important fella. This is Derek Johnson from the NAACP on
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  Speaker 2: the line just to have a conversation. I was reporting
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  Speaker 2: this earlier today on the Breakfast Club, mister Johnson, and
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: we talked about the ADL and their statement, you know,
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  Speaker 2: in response to Kanye West's apology, and it made me think, like,
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  Speaker 2: you know, I wondered, I wanted to know what the
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  Speaker 2: NAACP felt about the apology as well, because that's been
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  Speaker 2: the dialogue these last couple of days. I mean, there's
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  Speaker 2: so much going on in the world right now, You're
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  Speaker 2: in Minneapolis right now, so other definitely more important things
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  Speaker 2: to focus on, but this is important as well too.
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  Speaker 2: Hate speech and actions are important, So let's get right
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  Speaker 2: on into it. When you saw the apology, the ad
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  Speaker 2: that Kanye West took out in the Wall Street Journal,
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  Speaker 2: what were your first thoughts to how did you feel?
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  Speaker 1: Well? The sumptance of his statement was around his mental
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  Speaker 1: health status and really the need to address mental health
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  Speaker 1: not only you know, with him individually, but he has
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  Speaker 1: an opportunity now to use his platform to begin to
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  Speaker 1: advocate on behalf of so many individuals across communities who
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  Speaker 1: are struggling with access to quality mental health support. So
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  Speaker 1: I hope he used the platform to address that the
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  Speaker 1: ad was taking out in the Wall Street Journal. And
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  Speaker 1: although he said he apologized that Afrimerican community, that's not
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  Speaker 1: talking to the black community. Yes, talking to the black
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  Speaker 1: community is coming on. The breakfast club is going on.
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  Speaker 1: Drey Reid is going to all the places that he
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  Speaker 1: know also well how to communicate with the community. He
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  Speaker 1: is a part of where he comes from. But I wish,
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  Speaker 1: I wish his health journey is one in which he
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  Speaker 1: can acknowledge, recognize, and not repeat past mistakes, but be
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  Speaker 1: an example for so many people who are suffering with
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  Speaker 1: mental health illness.
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  Speaker 2: Got you now, when you mentioned the platform that he
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  Speaker 2: went on, I want to I want to go back
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  Speaker 2: to that because being in you know, this journalism space,
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  Speaker 2: I understand exactly what you meant when you said that,
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  Speaker 2: but the everyday listener and viewer does not get it.
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  Speaker 2: So let's talk a bit about the Wall Street Journal
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  Speaker 2: in the place that Kanye West chose to put this ad.
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  Speaker 2: So Wall Street Journal has a notable, multifaceted connection to
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  Speaker 2: the Jewish community, you know, just because of an extensive
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  Speaker 2: coverage of Jewish affairs their opinion section, and you know
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  Speaker 2: just some of the topics and things that they cover
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  Speaker 2: from Israel and Jewish interests, and significant reporting on anti Semitism.
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  Speaker 2: So you know, when we talk about just the platform
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  Speaker 2: and the placement, I think that there is some conversation there. Now,
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  Speaker 2: you mentioned some outlets that Kanye West could come on, right,
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  Speaker 2: do you think he has to do the rounds in
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  Speaker 2: order for that apology to stick? To the black community
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  Speaker 2: as well.
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  Speaker 1: Well, he doesn't have to do anything, but if he's
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  Speaker 1: sincere about an apology campaign, there are some things that
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  Speaker 1: he must still. You know, you have to talk to
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  Speaker 1: the targeted community that's been hard because of your words,
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  Speaker 1: actions and statements. And so if he's sincere about apologize
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  Speaker 1: to the black community, talk to the black community, come
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  Speaker 1: to the black community, to the places where he has
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  Speaker 1: been able to perfect to promote his music and his voice.
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  Speaker 1: He knows those things. My concern has always been and
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  Speaker 1: with the entertainment class and Lauren I mentioned, as I
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  Speaker 1: think last week, who's surrounding him and advising him to
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  Speaker 1: ensure he's actually talking to the target audience that he
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  Speaker 1: intends to talk to. So if an apology is to
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  Speaker 1: the Black community, that come talk to the community that
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  Speaker 1: he seeks to apologize too.
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  Speaker 2: Well, Okay, So I was trying to find because I
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  Speaker 2: know a lot of times, you know, when things happen
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  Speaker 2: and issues happen, if people are pointing to the fact
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  Speaker 2: that Kanye West this is not his first time apologizing
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  Speaker 2: to either community, I was trying to find a time
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  Speaker 2: where you guys, the NAACP may have sat down talked
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  Speaker 2: with him, built a relationship with him, and couldn't find it.
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  Speaker 2: Has that never happened, Not.
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  Speaker 1: That I'm aware. I've been in this position of eight years.
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  Speaker 1: You know, entertainers, they have the discretion to pursue whatever
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  Speaker 1: avenue they seek to promote their work, to talk to
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  Speaker 1: the communities they care about, and to really advocate on
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  Speaker 1: behalf of the communities they come from. I'm not not
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  Speaker 1: aware of Kanye doing any of those things, and I'm
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  Speaker 1: not suggesting he hasn't done it, because we're not a
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  Speaker 1: monolist as a community. There are many platforms that people
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  Speaker 1: can choose to communicate through, and I'm not here to
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  Speaker 1: punch down on him when he's saying that, you know,
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  Speaker 1: he's struggling with mental health challenges. And I think that's
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  Speaker 1: the key point there for us is we have so
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  Speaker 1: many individuals in this country, in our community who've been
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  Speaker 1: struggling with mental health illness, much of which have not
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  Speaker 1: gone attended to because of the barriers in terms of
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  Speaker 1: access to health care right.
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  Speaker 2: And I think that that was one of the things too.
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  Speaker 2: You know, in reading the letter or the ad which
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  Speaker 2: was the letter in the apology that Kanye was or
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  Speaker 2: taken out in that the Wall Street Journal the very like.
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  Speaker 2: Within the first three graphs, he talks about just being
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  Speaker 2: overlooked by you know, or alleging that or what he
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  Speaker 2: felt like happened in his own experience, relooked by the
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  Speaker 2: best of doctors in the medical system. Which is a
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  Speaker 2: conversation we have a lot in our community, but I
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  Speaker 2: think it puts things into a real perspective for some
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  Speaker 2: people to say, Okay, this is Kanye West, who has resources,
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  Speaker 2: who has you know, he can pick up the phone
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  Speaker 2: and make these calls, but these things still happen to him.
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  Speaker 2: So when you talk about platforming and kind of how
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  Speaker 2: his platform can be used, if you know, people choose
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  Speaker 2: to depending on whether you accept the apology or not.
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  Speaker 2: I think that there's something there. There's millions and billions
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  Speaker 2: of people who are now tuned into this conversation because
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  Speaker 2: of who we're talking about.
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  Speaker 1: You know, access to healthcare, mental health care particularly, is
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  Speaker 1: it an issue that he has he has access because
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  Speaker 1: he have the means to really access some of the
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  Speaker 1: best in the profession. The real question, and we all
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  Speaker 1: have friends and families who struggle with mental health conditions,
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  Speaker 1: is he ready to really go on that journey his
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  Speaker 1: statement says he is. His statement said he his wife
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  Speaker 1: and others, you know, push for him to go in
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  Speaker 1: that direction, and that's a great thing, and that's a
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  Speaker 1: supporting network that many people need. So he doesn't have
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  Speaker 1: a question of access, but his platform could really advocate
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  Speaker 1: on behalf of those who may have barriers in front
• 7:14
  Speaker 1: of them, whether it's financial or understanding how to navigate
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  Speaker 1: the landscape. I grew up with several individuals who were
• 7:21
  Speaker 1: self medicating, only to realize that they should have really
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  Speaker 1: had some mental health counselings so they didn't have to
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  Speaker 1: be self medicating and in many ways, you know, creating
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  Speaker 1: a lot of harm to their personal life.
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  Speaker 2: So I mean, I don't know if this is a
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  Speaker 2: black and white answer, no pun intended, But like, does
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  Speaker 2: the NAACP accept Kanye West's apology? That's a conversation right now.
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  Speaker 2: And do you think, you know, it makes sense for
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  Speaker 2: people to give him a shot at trying to rectify
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  Speaker 2: some of his wrongs.
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  Speaker 1: But I appreciate the fact that one he acknowledged that
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  Speaker 1: he needs to reverse course and seek mental health support.
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  Speaker 1: I commend him for being able to step up publicly
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  Speaker 1: and do so. Now the real journey happens. You know,
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  Speaker 1: I'm looking for him to talk to the black community,
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  Speaker 1: whatever platform he choose to do. I'm looking for him
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  Speaker 1: to understand the harm of his words and his actions
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  Speaker 1: as they were directed towards the black community. I'm looking
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  Speaker 1: for him to begin to go down the path to
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  Speaker 1: repair some of those harms, and then from there use
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  Speaker 1: his platform as an example to advocate for access to
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  Speaker 1: health care, but be a model for our young people
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  Speaker 1: to know that as a community, we have so many
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  Speaker 1: people and institutions shooting at us. We don't need to
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  Speaker 1: take a friendly fire for one of our own, right.
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  Speaker 2: Are you guys willing and open like you know, Kanye
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  Speaker 2: were to reach out today and say, hey, this isn't
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  Speaker 2: going to be like a linear path. Like you know,
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  Speaker 2: mental health is a and down thing. Rectifying people you've
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  Speaker 2: heard is not an up and down thing. I need
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  Speaker 2: some guidance. You talked about the people around him with
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  Speaker 2: the NAACP be willing to be one of those organizations
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  Speaker 2: that stands beside Kanye Westn't and helps him figure this
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  Speaker 2: out along the path.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, if he's sincere about the journey, absolutely, you know,
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  Speaker 1: we're not here to punch out on anyone. We all
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  Speaker 1: make mistakes, and you know, those mistakes can be large
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  Speaker 1: or small depending on one stature, and he's one with,
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  Speaker 1: you know, significant stature in our community, in pop culture,
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  Speaker 1: in the culture. And so it would be a great
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  Speaker 1: thing for him, now that he has said he's recognizing
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  Speaker 1: the harm that he's created, for us to sit down
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  Speaker 1: and talk about, you know, what are some of the
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  Speaker 1: paths and ways he can begin to repair those harms.
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  Speaker 2: And that's the question too, It's like, what does because
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  Speaker 2: everyone's like, okay, well the best apology has changed behavior?
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  Speaker 2: What has changed behavior? Is it just him being quiet?
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  Speaker 2: Like what is it that I mean? Of course he
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  Speaker 2: doesn't say the things that he was saying before, but
• 10:00
  Speaker 2: in his day to day life in a real way,
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  Speaker 2: how would you advise him? What is changed behavior? What
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  Speaker 2: does that look like?
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  Speaker 1: I think the journey for him would be two. For one,
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  Speaker 1: understanding the significance of his platform and begin to promote
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  Speaker 1: more resources, both public and private resources directed towards mental
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  Speaker 1: health support. And then secondly, you know, really review what
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  Speaker 1: were the things that he said that were harmful and
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  Speaker 1: how he used his platform to educate our community young people,
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  Speaker 1: particularly around the falsehood of those statements and can use
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  Speaker 1: his platforms to educate about who we are as a community,
• 10:38
  Speaker 1: the journey we've been on, and how each one of
• 10:41
  Speaker 1: us within the African American community, although diverse and dynamic,
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  Speaker 1: we should be empowered and have a real voice around
• 10:49
  Speaker 1: the contributions that we have made, will make, and are
• 10:52
  Speaker 1: making today.
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  Speaker 2: And what would you say that people you know following
• 10:56
  Speaker 2: that answer that will say we're two forgiving of our
• 11:00
  Speaker 2: like we're too forgiving of these actions. This has happened
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  Speaker 2: multiple times. It's not punching down, it's just set in
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  Speaker 2: the boundary.
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  Speaker 1: No, but nothing I said with limited us from sayding bounder.
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  Speaker 1: I'm saying that if he's wading to go on the journey,
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  Speaker 1: then we should be willing to go on that journey
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  Speaker 1: with him to support him, but also recognize whom me
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  Speaker 1: once staying with me for me twice. You know. Whatever
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  Speaker 1: that's saying is because that is an issue with someone
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  Speaker 1: who really struggles with mental health issues. Relapses are real
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  Speaker 1: when there may be pressure points that cause someone out
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  Speaker 1: of stress to do it about face. That's the reality.
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  Speaker 1: That's why I'm not reacting as much to what he said,
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  Speaker 1: but acknowledging that you know, he said, listen, I'm ill,
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  Speaker 1: I was ill, I am ill, and I am seeking help.
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  Speaker 1: That's the most important part of any of this for me.
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  Speaker 2: I got you. Is there anything I didn't ask that
• 11:56
  Speaker 2: you want to just share on the topic, you know,
• 11:59
  Speaker 2: when it comes to this apology.
• 12:01
  Speaker 1: You know, all of us should embrace the fact that
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: in this current environment, particularly after the pandemic, we all
• 12:09
  Speaker 1: go through bouts of mental health struggles. And the more
• 12:13
  Speaker 1: open we are about that, the struggle we will be
• 12:15
  Speaker 1: as individuals, the struggles we can be as a conditioner.
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  Speaker 2: Now, I know you're in Minneapolis, and I mean, I
• 12:22
  Speaker 2: don't know how long you've been on the ground there,
• 12:25
  Speaker 2: but would love to just hear kind of like, you know,
• 12:26
  Speaker 2: what you guys are doing over there, you know, and
• 12:29
  Speaker 2: all everything that's happening there as well too.
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  Speaker 1: But I just landed and I'm here because we are
• 12:35
  Speaker 1: at a crisis point in this nation as it relates
• 12:40
  Speaker 1: to the ICE Agency. We have taken a position that
• 12:45
  Speaker 1: I should be abolished. That's a very clear position. You
• 12:48
  Speaker 1: can't reform something that's so disrepaired that you have individuals
• 12:52
  Speaker 1: in masks cause and harm, literally killing our citizens. They
• 12:57
  Speaker 1: should be on the border, address to individuals who are
• 13:01
  Speaker 1: here undocumented, or addressing individuals who are undocumented causing crime.
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  Speaker 1: And what we witness in the last three killings, not
• 13:09
  Speaker 1: the two because you can forget the brother in la
• 13:12
  Speaker 1: who was killed by ICE agents and the two here
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  Speaker 1: in Minneapolis. This is a crisis point and the city
• 13:18
  Speaker 1: can do something about it. Congress can't do something about it.
• 13:21
  Speaker 1: This week. We should not be authorizing a budget. Will
• 13:26
  Speaker 1: we give ICE more money? So right now we're asking
• 13:30
  Speaker 1: people across the country text to the number to zero seven,
• 13:36
  Speaker 1: zero seven, Dry Ice. We need to dry them out
• 13:39
  Speaker 1: and get rid of them because reform a broken system
• 13:44
  Speaker 1: that's unreformable won't work. They are killing United States citizens
• 13:49
  Speaker 1: with their charges to address undocumented individuals. That's a problem.
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  Speaker 1: That's why we're here.
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  Speaker 2: Do you so with the dry Ice campaign? You know,
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  Speaker 2: in the midst of all of it now, and I
• 14:00
  Speaker 2: know you said you just landed, But for people that
• 14:03
  Speaker 2: are looking at this like you know, for our people,
• 14:05
  Speaker 2: for black people that are like, okay, this has been
• 14:08
  Speaker 2: happening to us for a very long time. Now right
• 14:11
  Speaker 2: now and now what's happening to the people on the
• 14:13
  Speaker 2: other side of things? Do you think now, And I mean,
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  Speaker 2: it's it's so hurtful to even have to say this,
• 14:21
  Speaker 2: but do you think now, because it's not us and
• 14:24
  Speaker 2: it's them, this will spark conversations that need to be spread.
• 14:28
  Speaker 2: I know the Trump administration is fighting back even you know,
• 14:30
  Speaker 2: with telling us we don't see things that are happening
• 14:32
  Speaker 2: with the killing of Alex Preddy, right, But like, do
• 14:35
  Speaker 2: you think that we'll see some forward movement at this point? Now?
• 14:38
  Speaker 2: Like what will come out of this because it's on
• 14:39
  Speaker 2: the other side.
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  Speaker 1: For two examples I used with that one, the individual
• 14:45
  Speaker 1: that was killed in Los Angeles was US. It was
• 14:47
  Speaker 1: African American mail, so we can't say it's not us.
• 14:50
  Speaker 1: But to here Minneapolis, the target of much of ISIS
• 14:54
  Speaker 1: focus have been individuals from Sudan, And quite honestly, you know,
• 14:59
  Speaker 1: the those brothers and sisters we all sat in the room,
• 15:02
  Speaker 1: they couldn't tell whether you or I wa suit the
• 15:04
  Speaker 1: needs or from Detroit or Chicago. So let's not play
• 15:09
  Speaker 1: the politics of race. Let's focus on the rightness of
• 15:13
  Speaker 1: a constitution that should protect all of us that we're
• 15:15
  Speaker 1: all entitled to do process. But more importantly, ISIS charge
• 15:20
  Speaker 1: is to address individual under a civil crime, not a
• 15:24
  Speaker 1: criminal crime. And what they have done is grossively enriched
• 15:28
  Speaker 1: private industries, particularly the private detention centers, cause harm and
• 15:33
  Speaker 1: chaos in our communities, seeking to restore the state of
• 15:38
  Speaker 1: Minnesota for their voter role and literally killing citizens.
• 15:44
  Speaker 2: And what about exactly and what about I'm seeing a
• 15:48
  Speaker 2: lot of the conversation now leaning toward the comparisons between
• 15:51
  Speaker 2: Alex Preddy in the Kyle Writtenhouse because of the you know,
• 15:54
  Speaker 2: the gun illegal or legal, all of that conversation, like
• 15:58
  Speaker 2: you know what, things like that. Is that helpful or
• 16:01
  Speaker 2: harmful to the solution where we're trying to get to
• 16:04
  Speaker 2: where people are not being killed and these these systems
• 16:07
  Speaker 2: are not being funded and people are being thrown away
• 16:10
  Speaker 2: like behind bars. Is it helpful or harmful to have
• 16:13
  Speaker 2: comparison conversations like this at all?
• 16:16
  Speaker 1: I think it's a distraction. I think the focus really
• 16:18
  Speaker 1: is we have federal agents who are invading communities in masks, unidentified,
• 16:26
  Speaker 1: causing harm, creating physical harm, killing people. We don't even
• 16:32
  Speaker 1: know the two officers who shot why because they have
• 16:35
  Speaker 1: no identification. They're wearing masks, and so we are told
• 16:39
  Speaker 1: they're ice agents. All we know they could be a
• 16:41
  Speaker 1: part of a white supremacist group masquerading as ICE. People
• 16:44
  Speaker 1: are being pulled over unmarked cars, no identification, and when
• 16:49
  Speaker 1: they're asking the agents for identification, they're refusing to provide identification.
• 16:55
  Speaker 1: In fact, ICE has no authority to ask a US
• 16:59
  Speaker 1: city this is for proof of citizenship, zero authority. So
• 17:04
  Speaker 1: we have a problem with how this agency is being
• 17:08
  Speaker 1: run at this moment. That's why we're calling for the
• 17:12
  Speaker 1: US City not too fund the agency in this budg
• 17:15
  Speaker 1: of negotiation. In long term, it should be abolished. Anything
• 17:20
  Speaker 1: else was a distraction.
• 17:22
  Speaker 2: Well, I appreciate you for joining me. Please stay safe
• 17:24
  Speaker 2: where you are, stay warm. I know it's like so
• 17:26
  Speaker 2: cold over there. You guys are on the ground, and yeah,
• 17:29
  Speaker 2: I mean we'll stay tuned in and tapped in all
• 17:31
  Speaker 2: the work. Anything you need, you know, just shoot it
• 17:33
  Speaker 2: our way. Appreciate what you guys are doing though.
• 17:36
  Speaker 1: All right, thank you for the opportunity.
• 17:38
  Speaker 2: Thanks saying goodness too.