>>> IT'S "LIFTING OUR VOICES." [ APPLAUSE ]
>>> BLESSINGS, AND WELCOME TO "LIFTING OUR VOICES," WHICH
FOLLOWS B.E.T.'S MOST POPULAR SUNDAY PROGRAM, CHURCH.
[ LAUGHTER ] I'M DR. JEREMIAH THIBODEAU.
IT'S BLACK HISTORY MONTH AND TODAY WE SPOTLIGHT ONE GROUP
THAT IS OFTEN OVERLOOKED, WHITE PEOPLE.
WHITE ALLIES HAVE BEEN PART OF THE BLACK AMERICAN STRUGGLE FOR
CENTURIES, LIKE AUTHOR OF "UNCLE TOM'S CABIN,"
HARRIET BEECHER STOWE AND TNT'S ERNIE JOHNSON.
TODAY, WE LOOK AT OTHER INSPIRING STORIES.
FIRST IS A BOND THAT GOES BACK 15 YEARS.
PLEASE WELCOME ANNETTE GIBBS AND MARY DINWIDDIE.
[ APPLAUSE ] >> HELLO!
WOW. LOOK AT THIS WONDERFUL PLACE.
>> ALL RIGHT, NOW, ANNETTE, MS. DINWIDDIE WAS YOUR SEVENTH
GRADE TEACHER. >> YES SHE WAS, AND SHE WAS THE
FIRST ONE IN MY ENTIRE SCHOOL TO TEACH BLACK HISTORY.
SHE OPENED UP THE DOORS TO KNOWLEDGE FOR ALL OF US.
>> ALL RIGHT. SO YOU'RE A HISTORY TEACHER?
>> NO. I TEACH MATH, BUT I LOVE BLACK
HISTORY. IT IS SO INSPIRING.
I REP MY BLACK SHEROES, Y'ALL. HEY, DID YOU KNOW THAT A BLACK
WOMAN, MADAM C.J. WALKER WAS THE FIRST BLACK MILLIONAIRE?
>> I DID KNOW THAT. I HOST A BLACK HISTORY SHOW,
OKAY. WELL, A LOT OF MY STUDENTS
DIDN'T KNOW AND WHY I WOULD DRESS UP AT MADAM C.J. ON HER
BIRTHDAY AND BRING A HOT COMB OR A JAMAICAN CASSEROLE.
>> VERY DANGEROUS. I MEAN GENEROUS.
DID ALL THE BLACK STUDENTS ENJOY THAT?
>> ACTUALLY I WAS THE ONLY BLACK KID IN MY SCHOOL BUT A LOT OF
WHITE GIRLS GOT CORN ROW ES. EVERYBODY LOOKED LIKE THEY CAME
HOME FROM A CRUISE FROM JAMAICA WITH THEIR PARENTS.
I MEAN, SHE TRYING, BUT MAYBE TOO MUCH.
>> YOU'RE WELCOME! >> WE'RE ALL TRYING.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
ALL RIGHT. [ APPLAUSE ]
OUR NEXT PAIR OF ALLIES, THESE TWO PARTICIPATED IN 36 BLACK
LIVES MATTER MARCHES. JUST IN THE PAST YEAR.
HERE'S JAMAAR RILEY AND BLAKE GREENFIELD.
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ] >> WHITE SILENCE IS VIOLENCE.
>> OKAY. YOU MIGHT WANT TO GO AHEAD AND
TAKE THAT OFF. >> WHAT?
YEAH. >> ALL RIGHT, NOW YOU TWO HAVE
REALLY BEEN OUT ON THE FRONT LINES?
>> YES, INDEED. LETTING OUR VOICES BE HEARD IS
IMPORTANT BECAUSE -- >> WHITE PEOPLE NEED TO LISTEN.
YOU KNOW? WHEN RACISM CAME BACK INTO
AMERICA THIS SUMMER, I COULD NOT STAY SILENT.
I HAD TO MARCH. I HAD TO CONSTANTLY POST ON
INSTAGRAM. TWO MONTHS AGO I POST ADD
PICTURE OF ME AND MY GREATEST INSPIRATION TUPAC.
>> OH. OKAY.
>> THAT POST GOT 20,000 RETWEETS ON BLACK TWITTER.
>> FOR MANY DIFFERENT REASONS. BUT BLAKE DOES MORE THAN
SLACK-TIVISM. HE'S OUT THERE IN THE STREETS,
MAN. >> I AM, REMEMBER THAT MARCH IN
LOUISVILLE WHEN I GOT SO MAD ABOUT RACISM THAT I THREW A
BRICK THROUGH A WINDOW OF A WENDY'S?
>> I DO. I ACTUALLY THINK ABOUT THAT A
LOT. >> IT WAS CRAZY.
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO SEND THE MESSAGE, AND WHEN THE COPS SHOWS
UP, THEY DID NOT TAKE IT EASY ON ME.
THEY WALKED RIGHT UP, AND TOOK MY FRIEND TO JAIL.
>> YES, THEY DID. [ LAUGHTER ]
>> HOW CAN I SHOW EVERYONE MY JOHN LEWIS TATTOO?
YOU WANT TO SEE IT RIGHT NOW OR WAIT UNTIL LATER.
>> ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW WHAT? IT'S AL ROKER.
>> WHAT? >> IT'S AL ROKER.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. LET'S GET TO OUR LAST PAIR OF
ALLIES. THEIR BOND IS LIFELONG BECAUSE
THEY'RE MARRIED. HERE'S NATASHA HAMPTON AND
DALE STRANDHOYT. [ APPLAUSE ]
>> OKAY. >> HELLO.
>> ALL RIGHT. NOW, YOU HAVE BOTH BEEN
PROMOTING THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN ART SCENE FOR YEARS.
>> WE HAVE. I'M A PROFESSOR OF AFRICAN ART
AT GEORGETOWN AND DALE IS AN ARTIST.
>> WHO'S INSPIRED EVERY DAY BY THIS STRONG MAHOGANY QUEEN, HER
CINNAMON SKIN, HER SHEA BUTTER KISSES.
MM-MM. YOU SEE?
FOR ME, WHITE WOMEN DON'T HAVE CULTURE, MAN.
THEY CAN'T DANCE. I LIKE TO MOVE MY HIPS, JACK.
[ LAUGHTER ] >> OKAY.
>> HE'S A KIND MAN AND HE HAS A LOT OF MONEY.
>> MONEY AIN'T EVERYTHING, RIGHT?
I'M JUST A SIMPLE MAN WHO LIKES LISTENING TO MILES ON A FRIDAY
NIGHT. GREENS SLOW COOKING ON THE
STOVE. TWO HEARTS BEATING TOGETHER IN A
PAPASAN CHAIR. >> I MEAN, HE IS RICH.
WE'RE TALKING, FROM BIRTH. OKAY?
>> TRULY. WHICH ALLOWS ME TO FOLLOW MY
PASSION -- AFRICAN ART.
I PAINT MYSELF, LOOK. [ LAUGHTER ]
THAT'S PURE, BLACK LOVE RIGHT THERE.
DEEP, SWEET FRUIT. >> I SOLD THAT TO AN
ANTHROPOLOGY STORE FOR $90,000. >> OKAY.
THIS WAS FUN, BUT I DOUBT WE WILL DO IT EVER AGAIN, BUT IT
WAS FUN. AH, THAT'S IT FOR "LIFTING OUR
VOICES." STAY TUNED FOR THE B.E.T.
ORIGINAL BIOGRAPHY, "JOHNNY GILL: MY, MY, MY STORY."
COMING UP. [ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]