Roland Martin Reports Daily Podcast

  Roland Martin is in L.A. for this weekend’s 46th Annual NAACP Image Awards airing on TV One on Friday, February 6 at 8 p.m. He says that the Awards is an important honor to African-Americans due to the exclusion they can experience from mainstream award ceremonies like the Oscars. One of the events Martin attended while in L.A. was the celebration of actor/author/comedian activistDick Gregory who received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame this week. It took 14 years for Gregory’s star to come to pass, Martin says. “Dick [Gregory] said, “I need y’all to understand I’m here today for black people. Black people paid $0.35 to come see me.” Gregory said that once Black support made him popular, he was moved downtown to where he became unaffordable for many.  “It reminded me what Monique said last year,” Martin continued. “She said she treasured her Image Award more than her Oscar because it meant more. When we talk about black self-love we’re trying to chase something that isn’t. I literally had a brother tell me, ‘When you gone get you a real show, nothing against TV One but like on MSBNC or CNN’,” he said. Martin says that we can’t truly evolve as a Black community until we begin to celebrate and appreciate our own. It’s the ‘white man’s ice is colder’ mentality and its one that Martin says we need to be aware of and reject. “When we denigrate our own, when we see our own as being less than compared to something else,” he says,”People will see the Image Awards Friday and say why isn’t it on ABC or NBC or CBS instead of being proud that it’s 2015 and it’s on a Black [owned] cable network. We have too many of our people who don’t love ourselves enough that we’re chasing something that we can’t have and when we have our own we see it as less than. Sometimes you’ve got to love yourself and appreciate your own.” The 46th Annual NAACP Image Awards airs on TV One Friday at 8 p.m. Listen to the Tom Joyner Morning Show 24/7! WEEKDAYS: listen continuously every 4 hours starting live Monday – Friday at 6am ET. Catch Tom Joyner's Right Back at Cha every WEEKEND: starting at 6am ET Saturday – 5:59am ET Monday.

Beware Of Revenge Porn, Those Photos And Videos You Sent Could Go Public A San Diego court shutdown a revenge porn site being run by 28-year-old Kevin Bollaert. According to CBS News, Bollaert was convicted of 27 felony charges including identity t...

Will The CBC Revolt Against Dems Over Proposed Changes In House Seniority Rules? Democrats in the House of Representatives have proposed a change to seniority rules. The proposal could marginalize the political power of the Congressional Black Caucus at a time when they make up nearly a quarter of the Democrats in the House. Members of the CBC have waited for their time to ascend into leadership roles according to House seniority rules. Now as they are poised to seize power it appears as though their colleagues are changing the rules to keep them from key leadership posts. On Monday, Roland Martin and the "NewsOne Now" Straight Talk panel looked at the brewing firestorm as well as the political ramifications if the proposed changes to House seniority rules are put into place. "NewsOne Now" panelist Joia Jefferson Nuri told Martin, "Everybody is fearful of the color majority that is coming in this country. It is coming whether you like it or not." She believes lawmakers looking to change the rules in the House all want to modify the current system to resemble an Apartheid system where "you could be the majority number, but you have no power." Martin said Black Caucus members have a valid point because, "Even when you are in the minority, when you are a ranking member on a committee -- that holds significant power." He continued, "Having Maxine Waters on the House Committee dealing with banking and finance, that's crucial" to how minorities are included in monetary policy. Attorney and Consultant Shelby Emmett disagreed with the sentiments of Martin, Nuri and Manago who all felt the move to change rules showed malice towards Black lawmakers. Emmett said, "I hate to break it to the CBC and members of Congress, but it's not about you. It's not about your power. This is about you representing your district, not about you having seniority." Fit!Live!Win! Fitness Expert Mocha Lee Breaks Down The Shockwave Workout Fitness professional Mocha Lee joined Roland Martin on "NewsOne Now" for this week's installment of Fit!Live!Win! to break down the new exercise craze, the Shockwave Workout. According to ShockwaveWorkout.com, the Shockwave is being touted as the most efficient total body workout in the world. The extreme circuit challenge is specifically designed to tone and chisel the legs, core and arms. Lee explained the big deal behind the popularity of the Shockwave is that "you get so much work done in a short amount of time." She added, the workout is "very interactive" which makes it fun. Participants in the Shockwave rotate through a series of stations that focus on different parts of the body and work in conjunction with one another. You can also partake in a Shockwave workout session in the privacy of your home. Lee detailed how you can set up four workout stations at home. Lee said, "Spend 30 seconds at each station, a minute, whatever you can handle, but just do something because something is better than nothing when it comes to exercise." NewsOne Now Grammy Awards Preview With Antonique Smith The highly anticipated, star studded Grammy Awards are just around the corner and some of our favorite artists are up for this year's top honors. Here is a brief rundown of some of this year's high profile Grammy nominees: Beyoncé and Pharrell Williams received separate nominations for Album of the Year. Iggy Azalea was nominated for Best New Artist. John Legend and Pharrell received separate Grammy nods for Best Pop Solo Performance. Jazz saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist Gerald Albright is up for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album honors. The Best R&B Performance category has some of music's heavy-weights going toe-to-toe for an award. Beyonce's "Drunk In Love" featuring Jay-Z faces stiff competition from Jennifer Hudson's "It's Your World" featuring R-Kelly; Ledisi's "Like This" and Usher's "Good Kisser." In the Best Traditional R&B Performance category,

Roland Martin talks about the changes in the infamous Super Bowl 49  commercials with Ahmad Islam, co founder of Common Ground in Chicago. “There are times when you run out of jokes. You’re also in a situation where the mood in the country is sensitive. You still had humor with celebrities. But there’s just a movement to be more serious, to deliver a more impactful message and go beyond trying to entertain humor,” Islam said. Listen to the Tom Joyner Morning Show 24/7! WEEKDAYS: listen continuously every 4 hours starting live Monday – Friday at 6am ET. Catch Tom Joyner's Right Back at Cha every WEEKEND: starting at 6am ET Saturday – 5:59am ET Monday.

The debate over legalizing marijuana in the United States rages on. Do you think legalizing pot is this generations prohibition? Day 2 of the Loretta Lynch Attorney General confirmation hearings witnesses continue to rip current AG Eric Holder and President Barack Obama, but none of the Senators who spoke oppose Lynch's nomination. Detroit police officer Joseph Weekley will not face a third trial for the shooting death of 7-year-old Aiyana Stanley-Jones and will walk away scot-free. Dream Hampton joined Roland Martin on "The Roland Martin Show" to discuss this case and law enforcement's use of excessive force against African Americans around the country. All that and more in this edition of the ALL NEW “Roland Martin Show” Audio Podcast. Be sure to tune in weekdays to “The Roland Martin Show” on the Empowerment Radio Network from 10 AM EST – 1 PM EST. Subscribe to  “The Roland Martin Show” on iTunes.  

GOP Rep. Will Hurd Talks Minority Outreach, Steve Scalise Civil Rights Leader Meeting  "When I was a member of the C.I.A., I knew who my enemies were," Rep. Will Hurd said jokingly to Roland Martin, host of "NewsOne Now." "If I can navigate the bac...

Marissa Alexander Is Released From Jail, Will Serve The Rest Of Her Sentence On House Arrest Marissa Alexander, the Black woman who many feel was unfairly jailed per Florida’s seemingly disparate application of its “Stand Your Ground” laws, was released from prison Tuesday afternoon, according to local Jacksonville station 4JAX. Alexander will come home, but will spend the next two years under electronic monitoring. FOX’s ‘Empire’ Addresses LGBT Issues In The Black Community During Primetime TV Fox's new television series "Empire," starring Terrance Howard and Taraji P. Henson, depicts a family struggling to control a  rap record label. The show highlights the struggles for power between music executives, sex and the use of drugs within the culture surrounding the Hip Hop music industry. "Empire," created by  Daniels, also deals with homophobia in the Black community. On Wednesday, Roland Martin, host of "NewsOne Now," Cleo Manago, Kelly Carter, entertainment reporter for BuzzFeed  and Auba "Tommy" Bennett discussed how Fox's new hit show addresses LGBT issues and some of the images that the show is promoting. Manago told Martin he does not think the show "gives enough context regarding what's happening in the Black community" as it relates to homosexuality. He added, African Americans are the last demographic in this country to talk about same-sex relationships in "direct ways." Manago also expressed concern over the representation of Black people in the show. He explained "All of the people that do the help are dark-skinned and all of the people that are luxurious are light-skinned" and the "underdeveloped homosexual story in terms of attitudes in the Black community towards the LGBT community" is not contextual enough to be helpful. There is a message there that bothers me," said Manago. Bennett said,"I think this is one of the best shows in a long time" to address homosexuality. "I think it's time to bring gay to the television screen, to the light and say exactly what it is." Carter, Senior Editor and entertainment reporter for BuzzFeed told Martin, "Empire" is Fox's most successful new show in years." She later stated, "I think largely it's (Empire) is  growing because we're finally having a conversation on primetime television that we've never seen before and that is homophobia and LGBT issues in the Black community." "It's not going to be all things to all people, but it is a vey significant conversation that is being had right now amongst people, driven largely by social media." ‘Oh Jah Jah:’ Eddie Murphy Talks New Music, Return To ‘SNL’ For 40th Anniversary (VIDEO) Comedian/actor and singer Eddie Murphy joined Roland Martin Wednesday on "NewsOne Now" to talk about his new reggae single, "Oh Jah Jah." Murphy's latest song comes 20 years after "Party All The Time" from his debut musical album, "How Could It Be." He told Martin, "I never ever stopped making music, I stopped putting music out in the '80s. In the '80s for some reason more than in any decade, there was a bunch of actors that was trying to sing and put records out and it looked crazy." Murphy said before he started doing stand up comedy that he had a band. "I've always done music. I've played guitar, piano and I write and produce and I was coming at music that way because I didn't want to get thrown in a barrel with everybody else." For the last 25 years Murphy has been recording music for himself. He said, "I never ever left it alone, I just stopped letting y'all hear it." The long-time comic also shared his views on the success of Kevin Hart and Chris Rock saying, "I love Chris Rock, I love Kevin Hart. I love them both. There's a lot of funny dudes around, there's a lot of people around that's funny, those two dudes are special." Murphy, who has not been back to "Saturday Night Live" since 1984 said his return to the show has not happened because the timing never worked out.

Roland Martin talks to Congresswoman Corrine Brown about Marissa Alexander, the Florida woman who was finally set free after a judge wanted her to spend 60 years in jail after firing a warning shot toward her abusive husband. “This is a true example of what is wrong with the justice system. If she had killed him she wouldn’t have gotten that much time the prosecutor tried to give her,” Congresswoman Brown said. Listen to the Tom Joyner Morning Show 24/7! WEEKDAYS: listen continuously every 4 hours starting live Monday – Friday at 6am ET. Catch Tom Joyner's Right Back at Cha every WEEKEND: starting at 6am ET Saturday – 5:59am ET Monday.

America's Wealth Coach Deborah Owens joined Roland Martin on the "Roland Martin Show" to explain how we can transition ourselves from an income mindset to a wealth mindset.   All that and more in this edition of the ALL NEW “Roland Martin Show” Audio Podcast. Be sure to tune in weekdays to “The Roland Martin Show” on the Empowerment Radio Network from 10 AM EST – 1 PM EST. Subscribe to  “The Roland Martin Show” on iTunes.  

Journalist, professor, and former SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) activist Charles E. Cobb, Jr. joined Roland Martin on “The Roland Martin Show” to talk about his book, “This Non-Violent Stuff Will Get You Killed: How Guns Made the Civil Rights Movement Possible.” Cobb also shared his views about the #BlackLivesMatter movement and Ferguson. Plus, Viola Davis wins a SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series for her groundbreaking role in, "How To Get Away With Murder." During her acceptance speech, Davis addressed colorism and how she deals with it in her relationship with her 4-year-old daughter. “When I tell my daughter stories at night, inevitably, a few things happen. Number one, I use my imagination. I always start with life, and then I build from there. And then the other thing that happens is she always says, ‘Mommy, can you put me in the story?’ And you know, it starts from the top up.” Martin takes your calls and explains why Davis' acceptance speech was so powerful. All that and more in this edition of the ALL NEW “Roland Martin Show” Audio Podcast. Be sure to tune in weekdays to “The Roland Martin Show” on the Empowerment Radio Network from 10 AM EST – 1 PM EST. Subscribe to  “The Roland Martin Show” on iTunes.    

Viola Davis Captures SAG Award, Addresses Colorism In America On Sunday, Viola Davis won a Screen Actor's Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series for ABC's smash hit, "How To Get Away With Murder." During her SAG Aw...

Roland Martin talks to the Weather Channel’s meteorologist Paul Goodloe about the upcoming blizzard scheduled to hit the East Coast. “Flights are being cancelled due to the snow but also the wind. Between today and tomorrow we’re talking 3500 flights being cancelled. The hardest hit cities are Boston and Providence,” Goodloe said. Listen to the Tom Joyner Morning Show 24/7! WEEKDAYS: listen continuously every 4 hours starting live Monday – Friday at 6am ET. Catch Tom Joyner's Right Back at Cha every WEEKEND: starting at 6am ET Saturday – 5:59am ET Monday.

Sil Lai Abrams  domestic violence activist and founder of Truth in Reality joined Roland Martin on "The Roland Martin Show" to discuss the importance of positive Black images as well as how damaging negative images of African Americans are . What we see in the media, how African Americans are represented in movies, on television and in music matter and make a difference on how people of color view themselves as well as how others view us. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Ernie Suggs joined Martin on "The Roland Martin Show" to analyze the latest drama between the King children. On Friday it was reported that Martin Luther King's sons dismissed their licensing lawsuit against King Center. Is this the end of the tensions between the King children or is this just a temporary thaw? Suggs and Martin break down all of the details involved in the now defunct legal proceedings on "The Roland Martin Show." All that and more in this edition of the ALL NEW “Roland Martin Show” Audio Podcast. Be sure to tune in weekdays to “The Roland Martin Show” on the Empowerment Radio Network from 10 AM EST – 1 PM EST. Subscribe to  “The Roland Martin Show” on iTunes.  

According to this year's State of the Black Union report, "the shadow of crisis has NOT passed." Roland Martin talks with Erika Totten, Founder of ToLiveUnchained.com and Nyle Forte break down the State of the Black Union report that was released on Thursday, January 22. Plus, the New York Times is reporting Justice Department lawyers will recommend no federal Civil Rights charges be filed against former Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson who shot and killed 18-year-old Michael Brown in August. All that and more in this edition of the ALL NEW "Roland Martin Show." Be sure to tune in weekdays to "The Roland Martin Show" on the Empowerment Radio Network from 10 AM EST - 1 PM EST. Subscribe to  "The Roland Martin Show" on iTunes.

Let the gamesmanship begin! Speaker John Boehner has attempted to one-up President Barack Obama after the State of the Union Address by inviting none other than Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to speak at a joint session of Congress without c...