HUGE DEAL AND THAT’S WHY WE
START HERE.
I GUESS THE QUESTION, JASON, AND
THEN WHAT?
IT ISN’T JUST THE FIGHT IN
GEORGIA.
IT IS A FIGHT IN 47 STATES AS OF
TODAY, AGAINST 108 BILLS RACING,
NOT PLODDING, BUT RACING THROUGH
LARGELY REPUBLICAN-LED
LEGISLATURES.
I WANT TO PLAY BISHOP REGINALD
JACKSON’S SOUND FROM YESTERDAY
AND THEN GETTING SPECIFIC OF
WHAT COMPANIES NEED TO DO.
IF THIS IS NOW A MOMENT OF
CHOOSING.
LET ME PLAY THAT AND TALK ABOUT
THIS ON THE OTHER SIDE.
>> WE CANNOT SUPPORT COMPANIES
WHO SUPPORT OR REMAIN SILENT
ABOUT LEGISLATION THAT IS BASED
ON A LIE, THAT SEEKS TO SUPPRESS
OUR VOTE, IS RACIST, AND SEEKS
TO TURN BACK TIME TO JIM CROW.
THERE IS NO WAY THAT THESE
COMPANIES DID NOT KNOW THAT THIS
LEGISLATION WAS BASED ON A LIE.
I AM PLEASED WITH THEIR PUBLIC
COMMENTS.
LET ME ALSO SAY THAT IT IS A
LITTLE TOO LATE.
THEY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK
OUT AGAINST THIS LEGISLATION
SOMETIME AGO.
AND I CANNOT HELP BUT BELIEVE
THAT IT WAS NOT UNTIL WE TALKED
ABOUT A BOYCOTT THAT THEY SAID
WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING.
>> THAT WAS FROM THIS MORNING
AND HE IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR
COMMENTS FROM THE COMPANIES AND
NOT UNTIL I BELIEVE STACEY
ABRAMS TWO WEEKS AGO RAISED THE
SPECTOR OF PRESSURE ON GEORGIA
COMPANIES THAT THEY ISSUED THE
ALMOST IDENTICALLY WORDED
STATEMENTS YESTERDAY.
>> RIGHT.
AND HERE’S THE THING.
THERE’S ALSO HISTORY OF THIS.
RIGHT?
WE HAVE THE FAYE MOUSSE STORY OF
COCA-COLA PUTTING PRESSURE ON
WHITE BUSINESS PEOPLE IN THE
1960s BECAUSE THEY WERE GOING TO
BOYCOTT MART LOOUT KENGIN LUTHER
GETTING THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE IN
THE CITY.
I SPOKE TO LA TASHA BROWN AND
DID AN INTERVIEW ABOUT THIS ON
THE PODCAST.
EVERY SINGLE BIT OF PRESSURE TO
BE FOCUSED ON GEORGIA BECAUSE
SYMBOLICALLY THAT DOES AFFECT
OTHER PLACES.
THIS STATE HAS BECOME GROUND
ZERO FOR THE ISSUES.
IF BIG BUSINESSES LIKE DELTA AND
COCA-COLA SAID YOU NEED TO STOP
THIS YEAR ERE STATES WOULD BE
NERVOUS.
THEY CAN PULL BACK PLEDGE MONEY,
ASK REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES IN
PARTICULAR OR REPUBLICAN SITTING
OFFICIALS WE WANT THE $5,000,
THE $10,000 BACK.
ATHLETES CAN ALSO GET INVOLVED
OF THE TEAMS.
ASK KELLY LOEFFLER IF TEAMS MAKE
A DIFFERENCE.
IF GEORGIA WANTS TO MAKE A LAW
SAYING YOU CAN’T GIVE PEOPLE
WATER IN LINE WAITING TO VOTE I
WOULD LOVE TO SEE MATT RYAN,
LAMAR JACKSON
LEBRON JAMES IN A GATORADE
TRUCK.
THERE’S THINGS THAT CAN BE DONE
AND I THINK IT SPREADS IF THESE
LAWS ARE PUSHED BACK.
>> LET’S BE CLEAR ABOUT WHY ALL
EYES ARE ON SPORTS AND CORPORATE
AMERICA.
BECAUSE THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IS
A FAILED STATE.
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY DOES NOT
BELIEVE IN ACCESS TO VOTING
RIGHTS.
THEY’RE TAKING A LIE THAT LED TO
A DEADLY INSURRECTION AND USING
THAT LIE TO ROLL BACK ACCESS TO
THE POLLS AND I’M OLD ENOUGH TO
REMEMBER WHEN REPUBLICANS LIKED
PEOPLE TO MAIL IN THE BALLOTS.
THAT’S NOT TODAY’S REPUBLICAN
PARTY BUT I WANT TO GO THROUGH
WHERE CORPORATE AMERICA IS
TODAY.
THIS IS A LIST OF COMPANYS THAT
HAVE CALLED FOR ACTION AGAINST
VOTING RESTRICTIONS IN THE WAKE
OF THE GEORGIA BILL.
APPLE.
B OF M.
MERCK.
VIACOM.
JPMORGAN CHASE.
GOOGLE.
COCA-COLA.
TIM KEKE’S STATEMENT FROM APPLE,
THE RIGHT TO VOTE IS FUNDAMENTAL
IN A DEMOCRACY.
BLACK PEOPLE IN PARTICULAR HAVE
TO MARCH AND STRUGGLE AND GIVE
THEIR LIVES TO DEFEND THAT
RIGHT.
APPLE BELIEVES IT OUGHT TO BE
EASIER THAN EVER FOR EVERY
ELIGIBLE CITIZEN TO EXERCISE THE
RIGHT TO VOTE.
WHY DOESN’T BIG BUSINESS IN
AMERICA GET BEHIND A PUSH IN THE
OPPOSITE DIRECTION?
THAT’S TO SAY, NOT JUST
DEFENDING THESE LAWS BUT WHY NOT
HAVE CORPORATE AMERICA PUSH FOR
VOTING ON THE PHONES?
>> YOU KNOW, THAT’S A VERY GOOD
QUESTION.
BUT THE ROOT OF IT, ALL OF IT,
LIES IN SOMETHING THAT BEGAN IN
THE SUMMER AND FALL OF 2016 AND
THRIVED THROUGH THE FOLLOWING
FOUR YEARS OF THE ELECTION OF
THE FORMER GUY AND THAT’S THE
ROOTS OF FEAR HE INJECTED INTO
OUR POLITICS AND CULTURE.
SO NOW CORPORATE AMERICA IS THE
SAME AS AN AVERAGE CITIZEN IN A
SENSE.
THEY HAVE A FEAR OF THE BACKLASH
AGAINST A STATEMENT THEY MIGHT
MAKE.
>> YEAH.
>> THEY HAVE A FEAR OF LOSING
PROFITS AS MANY PEOPLE -- LOOK
WHAT’S HAPPENED TO THIS COUNTRY.
WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO HAVE A FEAR
OF MASKS.
A FEAR OF VACCINES.
A FEAR OF THE OTHER.
ALL THE TIME.
THAT HAS THRIVED, THRIVED IN
THIS NATION OVER THE LAST FOUR
YEARS.
AND AS MUCH ATTENTION AS WE PAY
TO IT WE DON’T PAY ENOUGH
ATTENTION TO IT.
>> SAY MORE.
>> I MEAN, YOU CAN SEE IT.
YOU CAN SEE IT IN THE NORMAL
COURSE OF CONVERSATIONS THAT
PEOPLE HAVE.
PEOPLE ARE AFRAID TO SAY THINGS
TO SOMEONE THEY BARELY KNOW FOR
FEAR THAT THERE’LL BE A BACKLASH
AGAINST THEM.
THAT’S AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS.
BUT IT’S ALSO A THRIVING MARKET
OF FEAR THAT GOES FROM STATE TO
STATE TO STATE.
YOU KNOW?
WE COULD CUT DOWN ON THE VIRUS
IF YOU’D WEAR THE MASK.
WEAR THE MASK.
NO, NO, NO, I’M NOT WEARING A
MASK.
BECAUSE YOU ARE AFRAID THAT YOUR
PEERS MIGHT SAY SOMETHING TO
YOU.
THE PEOPLE YOU PLAY CARDS WITH
ON A FRIDAY NIGHT THAT VOTED FOR
TRUMP OR MAYBE DIDN’T VOTE FOR
TRUMP BUT LIKED THE WAY HE
TALKED, THE LIKED THE WAY HE
VERBALIZED THEIR FEAR AND THE
CHANGE IN AMERICA WE’RE ALL A
PART OF.
NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE FEAR OF
CHANGE IN THIS COUNTRY.
WE’RE LATE TO GET TO IT.
IT’S TOUGH FOR MANY PEOPLE TO
HANDLE BUT A FACT OF LIFE IN
2022 AS A FACT OF LIFE IN 1902
AND 1922 WHEN IMMIGRANTS STARTED
TO ARRIVE ON THE SHORES HAND
OVER FIST.
MY PARENTS WERE IMGRANTS.
THERE WAS A FEAR OF THEIR
PARENTS WHEN THEY ARRIVED HERE
AS IRISH-CATHOLIC AND CAME FROM
A DIFFERENT COUNTRY AND
PRACTICED A DIFFERENT RELIGION
SO FAST FORWARD 110 YEARS, 115
YEARS AND AMERICA IS STILL SO
SUSCEPTIBLE TO THIS FEAR AND
IT’S PREDOMINANTLY PREVALENT
AMONG PEOPLE WHO WEAR SKIN LIKE
I WEAR TODAY.
>> SO, JASON, I THINK WHAT MIKE
JUST DID WAS STRIP THIS DOWN TO
THE REAL WORLD.
AND WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE REAL
WORLD IS THAT THAT FEAR IS
DRIVING SUPPORT FOR BILLS LIKE
THIS.
IT’S LETTING THE COMPANIES
WITHOUT THE SCRUTINY AND THE
SPOTLIGHT STAY SILENT UNTIL DAYS
AND DAYS AND DAYS OF SCRUTINY
FORCES THEM TO SPEAK UP AND
SPEAK OUT AND LAND ON THE RIGHT
SIDE.
BUT I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, IT
IS PERVASIVE.
I’D ADD VACCINE HESITANCY.
FEAR OF WHATEVER.
I DON’T KNOW WHAT THAT -- I
THINK THE RIGHT WING LEGEND GOES
BILL GATES GOT THEIR -- I DON’T
KNOW WHAT IT IS.
THERE’S FEAR OF VACCINE, SO
PREVALENT.
HOW DOES A WIN AGAINST THIS
GEORGIA VOTER SUPPRESSION LAW,
THIS LAW THAT WILL HAVE THE
EFFECT TO SUPPRESS THE VOTE, HOW
DOES THAT FUEL AND ANIMATE THE
PUSH AGAINST FEAR?
>> I DON’T KNOW IF IT DOES
BECAUSE THE FEAR IS ALWAYS
UNFOUNDED.
THE FEAR IS -- SOME PART OF
RACISM IS FEAR BUT OTHER PARTS
ARE JUST YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE
BETTER THAN EVERYBODY ELSE.
THE REASON THAT THE WHITE PEOPLE
HERE BEFORE DIDN’T LIKE THE
IRISH WHITE PEOPLE THAT CAME
OVER LATER IS BECAUSE THEY
THOUGHT THEY WERE BETTER.
THEY DIDN’T LIKE THE ITALIANS
BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE
BETTER AND ASIAN-AMERICAN DON’T
LIKE OTHER -- LATINOS, ALL THIS
RACISM IS SOMETIMES BASED ON
FEAR OR SUPERIORITY.
WHEN PEOPLE ARE OPERATING RATHER
FROM FEAR OR A SEASONS OF
SUPERIORITY, THE ONLY THING YOU
CAN DO IS BEAT THEM.
I CAN’T WALK DOWN THE STREET NO
MATTER HOW CHARMING AND
CONSIDERATE MAY BE I CAN’T
CHANGE A BIGOT’S OPINION OF ME.
ALL I CAN DO IS AVOID THAT
PERSON OR KEEP THEM FROM HARMING
ME AND PEOPLE THAT LOOK LIKE ME
SO STOPPING THIS BILL OR
CONVINCING PEOPLE IF STACY ABRAM
IS YOUR GOVERNOR SHE WON’T TAKE
YOUR GUN AND ENSLAVE WHITE
PEOPLE AND WON’T CHANGE ANYBODY
IN AQUA NON.
RATHER THAN CHANGING PEOPLE WE
HAVE TO MOVE PAST THEM. WE HAVE TO MOVE PAST THEM JUST
WE HAVE TO MOVE PAST THEM JUST