Roland Martin Reports Daily Podcast

Roland Martin talks to Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to President Barack Obama, about the 2014 State of the Union address.

Roland Martin talks with Tyrell Collier about the lack of diversity at the University of Michigan. Collier and other students of color are fighting for an almost 6% increase of the amount of black students at the university, emergency scholarships for black students, and lower housing rates for low-income students. Do you think black students could avoid this problem if they just attended HBCUs?

Roland Martin talks with ESPN’s Cari Champion, “First Take”, about the 2014 NFL Pro Bowl and whether or not it will be a successful event.

Roland Martin talks with attorney Chris Chestnut, the lawyer representing the family of Jonathan Ferrell, about a grand jury’s controversial decision to not indict Randall Kerrick on a voluntary manslaughter charge. Kerrick is responsible for the death of Ferrell after he shot the former FAMU football player 12 times.

Roland Martin speaks during an event honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the University of Texas as Arlington. Roland explains that Dr. King was bigger than his 'I Have A Dream' speech.

Roland Martin encourages individuals to 'Wake The Hell Up' and launch a movement to impact change in America during an MLK speech in St. Louis.

Roland Martin talks with Don Thompson, CEO of McDonald’s, about Dr. Martin Luther King‘s legacy and economic equality.

Roland Martin wants you to ‘Wake the Hell Up” in this commentary about how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.‘s legacy is often misrepresented or diminished in the media and in our own community.

Roland Martin talks with Rosalind Morgan, the wife of ex-cop Howard Morgan, who was shot 28 times by officers but sentenced to 40 years in prison. The Morgan family is currently attempting to have his sentenced appealed. The family is being represented by Attorney Ben Crump. Crump and Mrs. Morgan joined Roland Martin on the Tom Joyner Morning Show to discuss the latest details surrounding the troubling story. Read the entire interview below. ROLAND MARTIN :  Tom, Sybil, J, I hope all is well with you this morning.  I spent three years as executive editor of the Chicago Defender and there was one story that was utterly perplexing to me, the one that we covered the most.  It is the case of Howard Morgan, the former Chicago police officer who was later a detective for the Burlington Northern Santé Fe Railroad who was shot 28 times by four white Chicago police officers.  And the jury convicted him of attempted murder.  The appeals court right now is considering his case.  He was sentenced to 40 years in prison. And joining us this morning is his wife Rosalind, but also our good friend Ben Crump who is now working with the family as well on this case.  I want to go to Rosalind first.  Rosalind, this was a stunning story.  It took place on February 21st, 2005 and Howard says he was driving down a one way street.  Cops pulled him out of the car.  He told them he was a police officer; they didn’t believe him, began to beat him and then opened fire.  Was it 21 times in the chest and seven times in the back he was shot? Rosalind Morgan:  It was 21 times in the back and seven times in the front. ROLAND MARTIN :  So 21 times in the back, seven times in the chest, and they claim he was trying to assault them. Rosalind Morgan:  Yes. ROLAND MARTIN :  First of all the fact that he is still alive is a stunning itself. SYBIL WILKES :  It’s a miracle. ROLAND MARTIN :  And so the appeals court is considering the appeal.  Is he trying to get it thrown out?  Get it reversed?  Exactly what is he trying to achieve with the appeal? Rosalind Morgan:  Prayerfully, we are trying to achieve that the conviction will be reversed prayerfully.  So at this point Attorney Crump would know more about that aspect of it than myself. ROLAND MARTIN :  Ben, one of the things about this story that is stunning is that a number of the bullets that were fired also hit his van.  The cops destroyed the van? Rosalind Morgan:  Yes, they destroyed the van. BEN CRUMP:  While he was in the hospital shackled to a bed. ROLAND MARTIN :  So they destroyed evidence? BEN CRUMP:  They destroyed evidence.  They never had the bullet proof vest that alleges one of the officers was shot.  They produced a replica.  And if we know anything about court that you have to have the evidence against you in a court of law.  And so, so many things were done that boggles the mind in this case.  I’ve said, Roland, he was shot 28 times in the street but the worst shot came in that courtroom from the judge and the justice system.  Howard Morgan was 60 years old when he was sentenced to a 40 year sentence, essentially a death sentence, Roland. SYBIL WILKES : Just for clarity, the first round of the trial he was found not guilty of battery or discharging a firearm, right? BEN CRUMP:  Exactly. Rosalind Morgan:  Yeah. SYBIL WILKES :  So they re-tried him because they weren’t satisfied with that? BEN CRUMP:  Sybil, they were hung on attempted murder, and that’s what boggles the mind.  If they found him not guilty of not discharging the firearm, and not guilty of battery, how can you find me guilty of attempted murder? SYBIL WILKES :  Right. ROLAND MARTIN :  Right. ROLAND MARTIN :  So Ben, the same prosecutor in the first case, prosecuted this case and it was the same judge the second time around. SYBIL WILKES :  Which doesn’t even seem right. BEN CRUMP:  And as Ms. Morgan and her family shared with me, the judgment,

Roland Martin talks with Elmira Mangum about being elected Florida A&M University’s first female president.

Roland Martin talks with Omaha City Councilman Franklin Thompson and Willie Hamilton, Executive Director of Omaha’s Black Men United, about the viral toddler video and what the men believe is the bigger problem in Omaha.   Read the entire interview below.   —   ROLAND MARTIN:  We, of course, have seen this story, Sybil has talked about it, it’s on blackamerica.com of this toddler in Omaha, Nebraska videotaped and it was placed on YouTube cussing, shooting the finger and being called all kind of crazy vile things.  The child has been removed from the family’s home after the Omaha police union posted this on their Facebook page…He’s cussing out, N word; I mean just all kinds of stuff being used.  And, again, the Omaha police union, they’ve come under fire for posting this video.  Right now, Franklin Thompson, who is a City Councilmember, one of two African-Americans on the City Council there in Omaha, joins us on the phone line.  And we have two guests, but first I want to go to Franklin.  Franklin, the Omaha police union, you go to their website, the website has been taken down.  They’ve come under fire, you know, for this.  There’s been lots of discussion in Omaha about this.  What do you make of their actions to post this video and to bring this level of attention to the City of Omaha?   FRANLIN THOMPSON:  Good morning, Roland.  First of all thank you for addressing this issue, it’s needed.  And to answer your question, you could make an argument for reposting the video, but you can also make an argument for standing down from taking that action.  It’s unfortunate.  I probably would have not reposted it.  But it’s not all negative.  There are some good things that can come from it.   ROLAND MARTIN:  Like what?   FRANLIN THOMPSON:  Oh, for example, for years I said that the effects of racism and poverty have gotten into the black system here in Omaha in a way that causes us to hate ourselves as a people.  It’s not a new concept, Malcolm said it quite often, for one reason or another both political parties don’t get it.  So we’re politicizing it rather than getting to the core issue.  And the core issue that we have a lot of people here that hate themselves.  And I’m not sure that just talking about the police part of it is enough.  It’s a good thing that we’re talking about that, but there are other issues to that, that are not being [discussed]   ROLAND MARTIN:  Oh, absolutely.  And that’s why we talked yesterday, that there are so many different angles to this.  I want to bring in Willie Hamilton, the Executive Director of Black Men United there in Omaha, and Willie I am very, clearly I am bothered by this toddler, and the language being used towards him, and coming back at him.  And you have the police union saying, oh, this is about thug culture.  But one thing that does jump out at me, Child Protective Services removed the kid.  Now nothing illegal has been done.  It’s not like they were physically harming the child.  And so what do you make of this, how this whole thing is played out, Willie.   WILLIE HAMILTON:  I think racism is at the core of this, Roland.  And before I get started I want to thank you for giving me an opportunity to come on and talk about an even wider issue when it comes to what just actually took place.  Councilman Franklin Thompson and I know each other very well, and we have worked together in the past regarding issues with this particular piece.  The piece with the Child Protective Services I think is the wrong way to go, simply for Nebraska, because we take more kids out of their homes, number two in the country, but not in the state, Franklin Thompson.  So I didn’t think that would be the way to go.  I think this thing is far-reaching.  I think it has to do with the culture of the gang, and what the gang unit is trying to do, and the history behind that.  So I’m very upset that they took this route.  I think they should’ve come to the community,

Roland Martin talks to Congresswoman Corrine Brownabout the latest developments in the Marissa Alexander case including why the State Attorney’s Office is trying to revoke her bond.

Clifford Hall is set to go to prison despite paying an outstanding child support bill which accrued unbeknown to him. Hall says he paid the almost $3,000 in child support but the court ordered him to pay the mother of his child’s attorney fees which totaled to almost $3,000. The court also cited him for skipping out on court scheduled visits. Eventually Hall was held in contempt of court and ordered to 6-months in jail. Roland Martin talks to Hall’s attorney Tyesha Elam to get to the bottom of this strange story. Houston weather, traffic, news | FOX 26 | MyFoxHouston

Roland Martin talks with Louisiana State Senator Karen Carter Peterson about why the state hasn’t utilized $1.5 billion in storm recovery aid despite the area being hit by three separate hurricanes and a struggling community.

Roland Martin talks with Congressman James E. Clyburn about the issues surrounding long-term unemployment benefits and what needs to be done to keep them in place.