MATTER MOVEMENT, HOUSE DEMOCRATS
LAST YEAR PASSED A GEORGE FLOYD
JUSTICE AND POLICING ACT, BUT
THE BILL STALLED IN THE
REPUBLICAN CONTROLLED SENATE.
IT WOULD END QUALIFIED IMMUNITY
FOR POLICE OFFICERS AND SEEK TO
BAN NO-KNOCK WARRANTS AND CHOKE
HOLDS.
ON WEDNESDAY THE BILL WAS
REINTRODUCED AND HEADS FOR A
VOTE NEXT WEEK, WHICH JUST
HAPPENS TO COINCIDE WITH THE
NATIONAL DAY OF EMPATHY THAT MY
NEXT GUEST IS A PART OF.
JOINING ME NOW, A SOCIAL JUSTICE
ACTIVIST WHO ALSO HAPPENS TO BE
THE QUEEN MOTHER OF BEYONCE AND
SOLONGE, MISS TINA KNOWLES.
MISS KNOWLES, I’M SO EXCITED TO
HAVE YOU HERE.
I COULD DIE RIGHT NOW.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
I LOVE THAT WE’RE GOING TO TALK
ABOUT SOMETHING OF JUSTICE.
TELL ME, HOW DID YOU GET
INVOLVED IN THE NATIONAL DAY OF
EMPATHY?
>> WELL, I HAVE BEEN TALKING TO
VAN JONES AND LEWIS READED ABOUT
COUPLE OF YOUNG PEOPLE THAT ARE
INCARCERATED, AND I FEEL THAT
THE TIME THEY HAVE BEEN IN THERE
HAS BEEN SO OVERKILL AND JUST
ABOUT THE DISPARITY BETWEEN
BLACK YOUTH THAT MAKES A MISTAKE
OR THEY GET INTO TROUBLE AND A
WHITE, IT’S COMPLETELY
DIFFERENT.
I REACHED OUT TO SEE IF I COULD
GET SOME HELP FOR MATTHEW
RUSSIAN.
I’M SURE YOU HEARD ABOUT HIM.
HE’S A YOUNG MAN THAT’S AUTISTIC
AND HE HAD A CAR ACCIDENT AND HE
WAS ACCUSED OF TRYING TO KILL
HIMSELF.
AND REGARDLESS AS TO WHETHER HE
WAS OR NOT -- AND HIS FAMILY
SWEARS HE WAS NOT -- HE GOT INTO
THIS ACCIDENT AND HE GOT INTO
THE STATE, AND HE TURNED AROUND,
AND THE ACCIDENT CAUSED A VERY
BAD ACCIDENT AND IT DID HURT
SOMEONE VERY BADLY, WHICH I’M
VERY SAD ABOUT.
BUT INSTEAD OF TAKING HIM TO THE
HOSPITAL, THEY TOOK HIM TO AN
INTERROGATION ROOM AND KEPT HIM
FOR LIKE EIGHT HOURS WITHOUT
SEEING HIS FAMILY, AND HE’S
AUTISTIC.
AND HE WAS GIVEN 50 YEARS FOR
THAT.
THEY REDUCED IT DOWN TO TEN
YEARS, BUT HE’S BEEN IN THIS
PLACE FOR -- IN PRISON FOR TWO
YEARS, HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO EVER
SEE HIS FAMILY.
YOU CAN IMAGINE IF YOU KNOW
ANYTHING ABOUT AUTISM, IT’S ALL
ABOUT KLOSS TRE PHOBY AND
TENSION AND ANXIETY.
>> YEAH.
>> THAT’S ONE.
AND THE OTHER IS THE CASE OF MY
GODSON, JASON GATEWOOD, WHO WAS
CAUGHT WITH MARIJUANA AND HE DID
HAVE A GUN IN THE CAR.
HE WAS, I THINK, 19, AND HE WAS
GIVEN 20 YEARS OF WHICH HE
SERVED 11.
AND I JUST SEE EVERY DAY
INSTANCES OF THE DISPARITY
BETWEEN HOW PEOPLE OF COLOR ARE
TREATED, YOU KNOW, FROM THE TIME
THEY’RE STOPPED IN A TRAFFIC
VIOLATION OR WHETHER THEY HAVE
MENTAL ILLNESS.
IT ENDS IN DEATH A LOT OF TIMES.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
SO I GOT INVOLVED, AND I WAS
ASKING THEM TO HELP, AND I HEARD ABOUT THE DAY OF EMPATHY, AND
ABOUT THE DAY OF EMPATHY, AND
IT’S JUST AN AMAZING THING.
>> YOU’RE SPEAKING ABOUT A LOT
OF PEOPLE.
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT IT AND THE
JUXTAPOSED VIOLENT INSUR REXISTS
WHO GET TO GO TO MEXICO AND
PERHAPS SIT AT HOME AND WATCH
THIS SEGMENT, I’M THRILLED
YOU’RE DOING THIS.
TELL ME EXACTLY WHAT YOU’LL BE
DOING ON THEDY OF EMPATHY.
>> ON THE DAY OF EMPATHY I
DECIDED I WOULD PRAY AND I WOULD
REACH OUT TO SOME OF THE
MOTHERS, YOU KNOW, WHO THEIR
KIDS DIDN’T MAKE IT TO JAIL LIKE
TAMEKA PALMER WHO’S A FRIEND.
HER DAUGHTER, BREONNA TAYLOR WAS
GUNNED DOWN AND TRAYVON MARTIN
WAS LOST NINE YEARS AGO.
I’M GOING TO SPEND THE DAY TO
MOTHERS WHO HAVE LOST THEIR KIDS
AND THE MOTHERS WHO HAVE KIDS
INCARCERATED FOR UNACCEPTABLE
AMOUNTS OF TIME.
>> RIGHT.
AGAIN, IN THE CASE OF BREONNA
TAYLOR, WE SEE HOW OTHER PEOPLE
ARE TREATED.
LIKE YOUR GODSON WHO WAS SENT TO
JAIL FOR AN UNGODLY AMOUNT OF
TIME FOR MARIJUANA WHILE
STATE-SPONSORED VIOLENCE IS
CONSIDERED ACCEPTABLE IN MANY
PARTS OF THIS COUNTRY.
WAY TONIGHT SWITCH TOPICS REALLY
QUICKLY BEFORE WE HAVE TO LET
YOU GO.
I WANT TO ASK YOU, IS YOUR
FAMILY OKAY IN TEXAS AFTER THIS
HORRIBLE STORM THAT IMPACTED SO
MANY PEOPLE THERE, AND ARE YOU
DOING ANYTHING ON THE GROUND
THERE IN.
>> OH, ABSOLUTELY, BECAUSE, YOU
KNOW, TEXAS CAN’T CATCH A BREAK.
THEY’VE HAD TWO MAJOR STORMS,
COVID, AND NOW THIS.
A LOT OF MY RELATIVES WERE
AFFECTED VERY BADLY BY THIS.
BUT BEYGOOD, BEYONCE’S
ORGANIZATION HAS TEAMED UP WITH
NIKE AND JACK DORSEY WHO’S BEEN
A GUARDIAN AYN JAL AND OTHER
ORGANIZATIONS LIKE MATTHEW 25.
THEY’RE GIVING WATER AND FUNDS
TO PEOPLE.
THEY CAN APPLY FOR FUNDS IF
THEY’VE BEEN AFFECTED, HAD PIPES
BURST OR FLOODING.
IT’S THROUGH BREAD OF LIFE.
IT’S AN ANGEL TO THE COMMUNITY
BECAUSE THEY’RE DISTRIBUTING
WATER TODAY AND SUPPLIES AND
MEALS.
WE’RE TRYING TO DO WHAT WE CAN
BECAUSE IT’S OUR GOOD OLD
HOMETOWN, HOUSTON.
>> I THINK THAT’S CERTAINLY
APPLAUDABLE AND I LOVE THAT
YOU’RE DOING THAT AS WELL.
AND I WANT TO TELL YOU I DO
FOLLOW YOU ON INSTAGRAM.
YOU’RE LIKE EVERYBODY’S MOTHER.
I LOVE YOUR CORNY JOKES.
I SHARE THOSE WITH MY MOM ALL
THE TIME.
YOU BROUGHT UP BEYONCE.
DID SHE FORGET MY HOME ADDRESS?
I CHECK MY MAIL EVERY DAY AND I
HAVE NOT GOTTEN ANYTHING.
IF YOU COULD --
>> I’LL PASS THAT MESSAGE ALONG
TO HER.
>> ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING
US.
BLEW DID SUCH A WONDERFUL JOB ON
YOUR MAKEUP, BY THE WAY.
I DID SEE THAT ON YOUR
INSTAGRAM.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
YOU’RE SUCH A DELIGHT.
>> THANK YOU.
>> YOU’RE SUCH A DELIGHT.