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<v Speaker 1>You're listening to Later with Moe Kelly on Demand from

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<v Speaker 1>KFI AM six forty.

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<v Speaker 2>It's February twenty eighth. I want to do something a

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<v Speaker 2>little bit different tonight. You may not have noticed, or

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<v Speaker 2>maybe you did, but I don't talk about quote unquote

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<v Speaker 2>Black History Month. I don't do Black History Month features

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<v Speaker 2>or mentions or anecdotes. It's not that I'm not aware

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<v Speaker 2>of it. I'm just something that I don't do. And

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<v Speaker 2>that's always been intentional. And again, don't get me wrong,

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<v Speaker 2>it's not that I couldn't. Nobody has ever told me, Mo,

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<v Speaker 2>you can't say that, you can't talk about that, you

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<v Speaker 2>shouldn't talk about that. But for me, it clouds my

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<v Speaker 2>intended message and confuses some folks. Some people wrongly think

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<v Speaker 2>that Black History Month quote unquote is exclusionary, but actually

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<v Speaker 2>it's quite the opposite. It's including. It's inclusive of a

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<v Speaker 2>lot of the stuff that most people me included, missed

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<v Speaker 2>in our primary and secondary college education. No exaggeration. When

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<v Speaker 2>I was attending Arnold Elementary and Calimeher Middle School in

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<v Speaker 2>South Torrens High School in the early nineteen seventies and

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<v Speaker 2>into the eighties, the only thing I was ever formally

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<v Speaker 2>taught having to do with African Americans was slavery and

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<v Speaker 2>George Washington Carver.

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<v Speaker 3>That's it. That's it. No exaggeration.

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<v Speaker 2>Oh I forgot and doubled down with Huckleberry Finn and

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<v Speaker 2>of mice and men. Not exactly flattering portrayals, as if

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<v Speaker 2>that was the only thing connecting us with American history.

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<v Speaker 2>And that couldn't be further from the truth. Not even

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<v Speaker 2>taught about doctor Martin Luther King Junior. And this was

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<v Speaker 2>even during the fight to make his birthday a holiday.

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<v Speaker 2>No mention of doctor King. What's your point, Moe, Well,

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<v Speaker 2>here's my point today. As I said, is February twenty

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<v Speaker 2>eighth the last day of quote unquote Black History Month,

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<v Speaker 2>and for some folks is still in twenty twenty five

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<v Speaker 2>a controversial idea, some people even call it racist. Oh

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<v Speaker 2>my goodness, and I'm here to tell you you have

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<v Speaker 2>been participating in Black History Month basically all year long,

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<v Speaker 2>and you're none the worse for it. You may not

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<v Speaker 2>have realized it, but all of you, including Mark Ronner,

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<v Speaker 2>including Stephan what yes, oh, all of you you listening

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<v Speaker 2>in your car right now, you in the gym with

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<v Speaker 2>your earbuds are you've been participating the fact that you

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<v Speaker 2>know anything about doctor King today and can mention that

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<v Speaker 2>one line from that one speech of his, that's a

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<v Speaker 2>direct result of Black History Month. It just crossed over

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<v Speaker 2>into the mainstream. I bet you didn't know that. I'm

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<v Speaker 2>here to tell you. And it's not like the country

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<v Speaker 2>is worse off for learning about doctor King. You use

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<v Speaker 2>that quote today out of context, usually incorrectly, but you

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<v Speaker 2>use that quote today, and you know about that quote today?

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<v Speaker 2>Why Black History Month? And you probably never even made

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<v Speaker 2>the connection. It was Black History Month which made him

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<v Speaker 2>a historical figure who is now taught in schools. If

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<v Speaker 2>I went back to Arnold Elam or Caliban Middle School,

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<v Speaker 2>South Towarrents High School, they'll talk about doctor King, They'll

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<v Speaker 2>learn about doctor King.

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<v Speaker 3>There's a connection. We're not worse off today because of that.

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<v Speaker 2>The fact that you know anything about Jackie Robinson, same

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<v Speaker 2>thing just crossed over into the mainstream. And now all

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<v Speaker 2>of Major League Baseball celebrates him every single year and

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<v Speaker 2>his number has been immortalized in the sport and the

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<v Speaker 2>Dodgers start their season very soon. Guess what, you can

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<v Speaker 2>thank Black History Months for that. And you know also

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<v Speaker 2>what America didn't fall into the ocean and sink. If

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<v Speaker 2>you know anything about Jackie Robinson, there's a connection. And

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<v Speaker 2>it's for me at least. And this is just my

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<v Speaker 2>one guy's opinion. It's never bad to learn more American history,

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<v Speaker 2>even if it can be uncomfortable at times. And in fact,

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<v Speaker 2>that's why I love this country. I hope you're hearing me.

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<v Speaker 2>I love this country because when you learn all of

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<v Speaker 2>its history, including the part with all the warts, you

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<v Speaker 2>can see what a mighty long way we've come as

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<v Speaker 2>a nation.

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<v Speaker 3>Think of it this way.

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<v Speaker 2>Think about learning the story of World War Two and

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<v Speaker 2>the majesty of d Day, but leaving out Pearl Harbor. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 2>it changes the story. All of it matters, and all

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<v Speaker 2>of it made America stronger. Believe that part. And I

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<v Speaker 2>don't explicitly talk about Black History Month because I don't

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<v Speaker 2>segregate it unintended in my mind. But you get a

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<v Speaker 2>steady diet all the time and you don't even know

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<v Speaker 2>it all year long, and you didn't die from it either.

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<v Speaker 2>When I gave you the history of ROBERTA. Flack, remember

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<v Speaker 2>that at the beginning of the week and her time

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<v Speaker 2>at HBCU Howard university with my parents. That right there,

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<v Speaker 2>That right there when I talked about the anti ice

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<v Speaker 2>marches and economic blackout happening today that I'm not participating in,

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<v Speaker 2>and I compare contrasted it to the civil rights movement.

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<v Speaker 2>That right there when I shared the story of astronaut

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<v Speaker 2>Ronald McNair his contributions and the challenger. That right there,

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<v Speaker 2>when I told you about a Philip Randolph and FDR.

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<v Speaker 3>That right there.

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<v Speaker 2>It's not black history, it's just good old American history,

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<v Speaker 2>and I submit that we're all better for it.

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<v Speaker 3>You might have even learned something.

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<v Speaker 2>Nobody's face melted, nobody's not one person's face. And you

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<v Speaker 2>might have also noticed that during quote unquote Black History

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<v Speaker 2>Month or African American History Month, I don't much quibble

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<v Speaker 2>about the title. You may have noticed that a common

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<v Speaker 2>theme is acknowledging the first person to do this or

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<v Speaker 2>the first person to become that. I know it just

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<v Speaker 2>drives you up a wall. You're annoyed by it, and

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<v Speaker 2>I know a lot of folks are tired of hearing it.

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<v Speaker 2>But if I could let me offer a different perspective

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<v Speaker 2>each time you may hear something like I don't know,

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<v Speaker 2>Colin Powell, the first African American Secretary of State.

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<v Speaker 3>Let's use that for example.

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<v Speaker 2>It's for me at least, another public acknowledgment of how

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<v Speaker 2>much this country has grown, how far this country has come,

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<v Speaker 2>another door which has opened, and room in which we

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<v Speaker 2>all can walk into, one once upon a time which

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<v Speaker 2>was unavailable. I tend to think of it as a

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<v Speaker 2>very public acknowledgment of how great America is presently. How

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<v Speaker 2>As the late Congresswoman Barbara Jordan said that America can

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<v Speaker 2>be as good as her promise, a lot of people

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<v Speaker 2>talk about making America great again, won't call any names,

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<v Speaker 2>but want to pick and choose what and who are

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<v Speaker 2>considered great. I'm just saying, include all of it and

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<v Speaker 2>include everyone. For me, each time I hear about another first,

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<v Speaker 2>I celebrate and I make no apologies for that. It

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<v Speaker 2>makes me love this country even more because it's something

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<v Speaker 2>probably my grandparents never lived to see. I attended Georgetown University,

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<v Speaker 2>a school that my parents couldn't imagine attending. It didn't

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<v Speaker 2>even have its first black student until nineteen fifty. I

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<v Speaker 2>was one of the first black males in the Torrents

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<v Speaker 2>Unified School District back in nineteen seventy three. I was

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<v Speaker 2>called the N word the first day of kindergarten. I'll

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<v Speaker 2>never forget it. I was the only black male in

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<v Speaker 2>my high school graduating class. And today it's no big deal.

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<v Speaker 2>And I think about that and I'm proud. I remember

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<v Speaker 2>when my parents weren't allowed to buy a house in

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<v Speaker 2>Torrance back then. I remember how Torrance as a sundown

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<v Speaker 2>town that it looked that up do not sell to

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<v Speaker 2>black's racial covenant back then. And it's okay to celebrate

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<v Speaker 2>growth and inclusion. It's okay to acknowledge that things are

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<v Speaker 2>much better now. And as I celebrate that and the

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<v Speaker 2>growth of America, America continues to grow. Black History Month

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<v Speaker 2>for me, quote unquote, is a way of reminding all

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<v Speaker 2>of us, not just you, but me as well, how

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<v Speaker 2>much we've grown in a very positive way, learned about

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<v Speaker 2>its struggles, so celebrate its successes. And if you learn

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<v Speaker 2>anything from me beyond what you were taught in high

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<v Speaker 2>school about these subjects, sorry, I'm here to tell you. You

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<v Speaker 2>can thank Black History Month, and no, you didn't melt

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<v Speaker 2>in the process. Imagine that America is the greatest country

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<v Speaker 2>on the face of the earth, not just because it

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<v Speaker 2>exists not because of the Constitution, but because it has

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<v Speaker 2>overcome every obstacle which has come its way. I don't

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<v Speaker 2>call it Black History Month because for me, it's just

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<v Speaker 2>American history, and American history is alimited to twenty eight

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<v Speaker 2>days of the year.

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<v Speaker 3>But hell, what do I know.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm just the first African American to ever host a

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<v Speaker 2>weekday talk show on KFI since its inception in nineteen

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<v Speaker 2>twenty two. Only took one century for it to happen.

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<v Speaker 2>KFI Am six forty We're live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.

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<v Speaker 1>You're listening to Later with Moe Kelly on demand from

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<v Speaker 1>KFI AM six forty