Latest / The Steve Harvey Morning Show / American Black Film Festival Founder & CEO, Jeff & Nicole Friday explain why they started the ABFF

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American Black Film Festival Founder & CEO, Jeff & Nicole Friday explain why they started the ABFF · The Steve Harvey Morning Show

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  Speaker 1: My next guests all industry decision makers. They are Power
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  Speaker 1: Couple Jeff and the Cold Friday, both for HBCU graduates
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  Speaker 1: of Howard University. Jeff is the founder and CEO of
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  Speaker 1: the American Black Film Festival, and the Cold is the
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  Speaker 1: president and general manager the American Black Film Festival. The
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  Speaker 1: a BFL is an annual event dedicated to recognizing black
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  Speaker 1: talent and showcasing quality film and television content by and
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  Speaker 1: about people of African American descent. And the festivals returned
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  Speaker 1: to Miami Beach. Come on, so I got it too
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  Speaker 1: excited thing? Sorry about that. The festivals now celebrating this
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  Speaker 1: twenty fifth year. We'll be discussing the festival objectives, their
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  Speaker 1: partnership deals with Sony Pictures, Entertainment and Endeavor Content, and
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: most importantly, how the two successfully worked together in business
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  Speaker 1: as partners as a married couple. Please work in the
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  Speaker 1: money making conversations, Jeff and the co Friday, How my
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  Speaker 1: team doing? Come on, y'all, how y'all doing. I gotta
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  Speaker 1: go to my man Jeff, because I've been knowing him
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  Speaker 1: a long, because I've been following them since nightty seven.
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  Speaker 1: You know when I when I was when he was
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  Speaker 1: down to Acca Poco, the very first one. You know,
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  Speaker 1: when I just wrapped up writing on the sitcom with
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  Speaker 1: Robert Towns's Parenthood, And that was the very first. That
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  Speaker 1: was the very first one officially, wasn't it in ninety seven? Correct,
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  Speaker 1: that's right, and thank you for your support. Yet ninety
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  Speaker 1: seven was the first year, and Robert was right there
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  Speaker 1: with it. He's one of the first people, uh, that
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  Speaker 1: we called when we decided to do this festival for
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  Speaker 1: black and brown folks. So I gotta shout out my
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  Speaker 1: brother Robert. Well, you know, I was telling him, you know,
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  Speaker 1: he's important in my life. I was at the time
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  Speaker 1: I got into sitcom. Steve Harvey gave me my first
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  Speaker 1: writing job on ABC, Me and the Boys, and uh
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  Speaker 1: it was unsa only his league canceled and I had
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  Speaker 1: no nowhere to go, and Robert Cowncord called me and
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  Speaker 1: he hired me. And I always tell him every time
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  Speaker 1: I see him. Without him about I wouldn't have a
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  Speaker 1: career in Hollywood because he trusted my voice, he trusted
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  Speaker 1: my writing skills. And when I talk about things like that,
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  Speaker 1: that's why it's important to have people empower people who
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  Speaker 1: are trying to deliver the message or the creative support
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  Speaker 1: or the platform for black and people of color. So
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  Speaker 1: that's why this film Festival is so important. That's why
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  Speaker 1: I have to say It's not something that just came
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  Speaker 1: around last week. It's something that's been around. But it
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  Speaker 1: had to start somewhere, and it started with you. Why
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  Speaker 1: did it start with you? Jeff? Yeah. You know, it's
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  Speaker 1: funny because people always answer that question at I think
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  Speaker 1: the most um accurate response I could give is because
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  Speaker 1: I was I was working in advertising in n and
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  Speaker 1: when I would go to major film festivals, I never
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  Speaker 1: saw black and brown people. I primarily saw white men,
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  Speaker 1: and I was, you know, I was impressed with what
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  Speaker 1: I would see, and it was creative, and it was
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  Speaker 1: deals getting made, and you know, there's a whole industry
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  Speaker 1: around film that people that we don't only think about, right,
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  Speaker 1: and festivals are market for buying and selling movies. And
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  Speaker 1: I just didn't see brothers and sisters there, you know,
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  Speaker 1: And I thought that that needed to be a change
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  Speaker 1: in my nature. And when I don't, when I see
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  Speaker 1: something that brings me discomfort, I don't complain about I
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  Speaker 1: just I just do something about it. So, you know,
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  Speaker 1: we've always been very action oriented, and we decided I
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  Speaker 1: partnered with Byron Lewis and Warrenton, there were two of
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  Speaker 1: my mentors and friends, and we created the festival. We
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  Speaker 1: did the first one, as you know, in Acapulco, Mexico.
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  Speaker 1: UM ninety people showed up the first time, and for
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  Speaker 1: all the millennials out there, there were no cell phones,
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  Speaker 1: there was no Instagram, we had no convenient ways of
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  Speaker 1: even promoting it. You know. We just kind of went
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  Speaker 1: around in different cities and got on radio shows and
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  Speaker 1: things like this, and it just became a thing and
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  Speaker 1: ninety people showed up. But the first year we had
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  Speaker 1: Robert as we said, halle Berry was there. Bill Duke
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  Speaker 1: has been a friend forever and it's a big time
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  Speaker 1: supporter of every thing that we've done. Um Baby Faced,
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  Speaker 1: Debbie Allen, Regina King, you know, people like that. So
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  Speaker 1: we really got off to a great start and we
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  Speaker 1: and we realized after that first week John that it
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  Speaker 1: really was we really were filling in the filling a gap,
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  Speaker 1: filling a need for bringing black people together in film
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  Speaker 1: and TV. And that's really been our story and our
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  Speaker 1: mission for the past twenty five years now, you know, black,
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  Speaker 1: black and brown people together in film and which was
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  Speaker 1: really a journey. And when you bring in the cold
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  Speaker 1: and the cold you have that always tell you have
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  Speaker 1: like that third eye, you know, because you're seeing it.
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  Speaker 1: You know he started it. And sometimes when you just
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  Speaker 1: start something, you grinding and and then some of the
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  Speaker 1: things you don't see because you're so protective sometimes and
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  Speaker 1: sometimes you just say this is the way I want
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  Speaker 1: to do it. But when you bring that third eye
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  Speaker 1: in the cold, that's what you brought. You the president
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  Speaker 1: general manager of the a BFF. What did you see
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  Speaker 1: when word When I say the word change, change is good,
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  Speaker 1: but also people can perceive change is bad, something we're wrong.
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  Speaker 1: What did you see that they elevated the platform of
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  Speaker 1: a BFM. Yeah, I mean I would say that it
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  Speaker 1: wasn't something that I saw that needed to be changed.
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  Speaker 1: It was definitely definitely more growth opportunities um that I
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  Speaker 1: think we have been able to do together. And I
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  Speaker 1: always like to tell people I've been like and I
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  Speaker 1: want to take too much credit, but I've been the
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  Speaker 1: Michelle Obama for years. I've been I've been the pillow talker.
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  Speaker 1: I've been behind the scenes, always knowing what's going on
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  Speaker 1: and lending a helping hand from AFAR and recently within
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  Speaker 1: the past five years, I guess I've really been on
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  Speaker 1: the front lines with Jeff as his as his partner
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  Speaker 1: and what we've been able to do together. Um. You
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  Speaker 1: know what he has started obviously was was a need
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  Speaker 1: for this platform to create diversity and inclusion, and we
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  Speaker 1: continued to build that through the years and even last
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  Speaker 1: year when we had to we couldn't be in Miami
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  Speaker 1: obviously because of the pandemic. We decided that we wanted
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  Speaker 1: to still keep a play is to have a place
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  Speaker 1: for the community because it's so important for the filmmakers
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  Speaker 1: to be able to showcase their talent, and what better
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  Speaker 1: place to do it than than the American Black Film Festival.
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  Speaker 1: So we didn't want to just go away last year.
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  Speaker 1: We don't want to do anything. We wanted to have
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  Speaker 1: a place, and so we built the platform a virtual
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  Speaker 1: platform so that we could have those filmmakers UM showcase
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  Speaker 1: their their artistry. UM, so that you know, we wouldn't
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  Speaker 1: miss a beat, they wouldn't miss a beat. UM. But
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  Speaker 1: I think that it's just been growth, and so that's
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  Speaker 1: part of the growth that I've been able to help
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  Speaker 1: Um lead or help help Jeff do. Side by side,
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  Speaker 1: I would say that, well, you know, the thing, the
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  Speaker 1: thing about it is that when when I when I
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  Speaker 1: communicate with both of you, guys, Jeff because he brought
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  Speaker 1: up Byron Lewis. I remember the first time I was
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  Speaker 1: sitting in Byron Lewis office and Byron news is and
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  Speaker 1: founder just a background, see if we created UNI World,
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  Speaker 1: one of the largest black media advertising is based in
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  Speaker 1: New York. Also have headquarters in Detroit, Michigan. And that's
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  Speaker 1: the first time I really you know, a b F
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  Speaker 1: F kmr RD because he was talking about Miami. He
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  Speaker 1: was asking me Rashaan, you know, we was talking about
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  Speaker 1: different that and so the thing I liked about my
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  Speaker 1: relationship with Jeff is that I've always been a fan
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  Speaker 1: and people have always asked me and like, like, I know,
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  Speaker 1: I've gotten Jeff on when I was managing Stephen running
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  Speaker 1: the morning show Steve Hart. I've gotten them on that
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  Speaker 1: because I always felt what he was doing was necessary,
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  Speaker 1: it was important because but there was a period where
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  Speaker 1: right now, you guys seemed like to be at the
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  Speaker 1: right place at the right time, because there's so many
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  Speaker 1: black muvies out there's so many great black television shows,
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  Speaker 1: it's so many black documentaries. But it was a period
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  Speaker 1: that Jeff when when reality TV and black people are
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  Speaker 1: just beating each other up, and cousin and throw a
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  Speaker 1: look a glass at each other. That was a dark
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  Speaker 1: period to me as a writer for black entertainment, and
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  Speaker 1: it wasn't out there. So how did you ride that moment?
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  Speaker 1: Because right now this is like, you know, ever since,
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  Speaker 1: especially since a Black Panther, the whole black creative has exploded,
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  Speaker 1: you know, Netflix in the streaming world. So I think
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  Speaker 1: you have to be at the point where you go, Man,
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  Speaker 1: this ride is about to get even greater. And Nicole
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  Speaker 1: you said right there with him, you know, with your
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  Speaker 1: visionary as well as your husband's being a visionary. So
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  Speaker 1: talk about that period, Jeff, did you know what I'm
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  Speaker 1: talking about? Man? When it was like really this is
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  Speaker 1: what this this this the black perspective in the media. Yeah,
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  Speaker 1: it was worse than you Well, you know how bad
• 9:21
  Speaker 1: it was that you've been on the ride. But you know,
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  Speaker 1: I remember doing an interview and I won't say the
• 9:26
  Speaker 1: publication because the publication supports us now, right, So let's
• 9:31
  Speaker 1: let's bygones be bygones, if you say right. I remember
• 9:35
  Speaker 1: I remember doing the interview in this woman came to
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  Speaker 1: Acapulco and she said, in a very sarcastic tune, Jeff,
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  Speaker 1: why are you guys doing this? Why are you doing this? Right?
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  Speaker 1: In a very sarcastic tone. And this is a major,
• 9:50
  Speaker 1: major industry trade publication. And I said, excuse me. She said, well,
• 9:55
  Speaker 1: why why a black footh But why does the world
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  Speaker 1: need a black filth festal? And she just set herself
• 9:59
  Speaker 1: up and I and I just said because Hollywood and
• 10:03
  Speaker 1: when and I just came. I never had that thought before,
• 10:06
  Speaker 1: but those two words came together. Because Hollywood, That's why
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  Speaker 1: we're doing it. And Rushawn, as you well know that
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  Speaker 1: there've been this has been an industry where they've been
• 10:17
  Speaker 1: tremendous inequities for people of color, and black people probably
• 10:20
  Speaker 1: have it better than everybody else with color, right when
• 10:23
  Speaker 1: you talk about Latino and Asian and Indian and and so,
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  Speaker 1: this is what they work. This is what Hollywood has been.
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: Hollywood's a hundred plus years old. And for the whole ride,
• 10:32
  Speaker 1: until Oscar so white, nobody had a conscious about black coach.
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  Speaker 1: No one was really in supporting So listen, I don't
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  Speaker 1: think that I look at it a little differently. We
• 10:43
  Speaker 1: had a vision for what Hollywood needed to look like.
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  Speaker 1: In Hollywood just caught up to us. I didn't respond
• 10:49
  Speaker 1: because when we started, Hollywood wasn't thinking about black and brown.
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  Speaker 1: It was doing exactly what you said. A couple of
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  Speaker 1: black movies we got we we got to two thousand.
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  Speaker 1: Everything became about reality show and black people in content.
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  Speaker 1: And as a black writer, you know how many black
• 11:04
  Speaker 1: writers are working the day and and got deals at studios,
• 11:08
  Speaker 1: and first looked that if they were fifteen years older,
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  Speaker 1: they would have been doing nothing like this whole generation
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  Speaker 1: of writers that are doing great, you know, and I
• 11:16
  Speaker 1: love it, but it had they been fifteen years older,
• 11:19
  Speaker 1: they would have experienced what you're talking about. Right, but
• 11:22
  Speaker 1: there's nothing to write, and so we feel blessed to
• 11:27
  Speaker 1: have had the vision and the person veriance. And yes,
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  Speaker 1: Nicole is the the third eye. That's a perfect analogy
• 11:34
  Speaker 1: because I felt like you're in my head when you
• 11:36
  Speaker 1: said that, Because as a founder, you get so obsessed
• 11:40
  Speaker 1: with the details and the hustle and the grind. You
• 11:43
  Speaker 1: often can't see things because your mind is not clear sometimes,
• 11:46
  Speaker 1: so you do need that that person who you trust
• 11:49
  Speaker 1: to be that third and that's been her role and
• 11:51
  Speaker 1: you know, and we've been doing this together since since
• 11:53
  Speaker 1: she joined me at the second one. The third, whatever
• 11:56
  Speaker 1: year was, But you know it's been it's been a
• 11:59
  Speaker 1: long lit me stop him. He don't know, he don't remember,
• 12:04
  Speaker 1: you remember. See what I'm saying that from me getting
• 12:06
  Speaker 1: in trouble days time, the wedding days, I don't birth day.
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  Speaker 1: Why you say over two decades? That the decades, brother, brother,
• 12:24
  Speaker 1: She's been with me for more than two decades. That see,
• 12:32
  Speaker 1: I love But you know, you know the code when
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: you talk about president, you're talking about general manager, you
• 12:36
  Speaker 1: talk about you know, because this this ride is always
• 12:39
  Speaker 1: filled with people doubting, people are questioning the need. You know,
• 12:43
  Speaker 1: because you got the can Film Festival, whether literally, white
• 12:46
  Speaker 1: folks over there looking good looking, great cameras clicking and everything,
• 12:50
  Speaker 1: and you invite black people to your things, they go,
• 12:51
  Speaker 1: why what's happening? Who they are? And so turning that
• 12:56
  Speaker 1: lands in your direction? How were you able to turn
• 12:59
  Speaker 1: that land and keep it steady on the platform that
• 13:03
  Speaker 1: that you and Jeff have built to this brand today
• 13:05
  Speaker 1: that's well respected. By the way. Let me just let
• 13:07
  Speaker 1: everybody know because that's important because somehow people go, wow,
• 13:12
  Speaker 1: I want to be a part of that, because I
• 13:14
  Speaker 1: know people ask me, they tell me, and so Nicole
• 13:17
  Speaker 1: you're the president of general manager, to talk about your role,
• 13:20
  Speaker 1: talk about things that annoy you, that have annoyed you
• 13:24
  Speaker 1: that you you know that you won't let nobody disrespect
• 13:27
  Speaker 1: the brand, and you have to check people periodically, let
• 13:30
  Speaker 1: them know that this content is a is a has
• 13:34
  Speaker 1: a purpose and will continue to grow. You know, the
• 13:38
  Speaker 1: proof is in the pudding. Honestly, it has been. It
• 13:41
  Speaker 1: has been a slow bill and many stories are You
• 13:45
  Speaker 1: look at them and they seem like they're overnight successes.
• 13:48
  Speaker 1: A b FF has not done that. It may seem
• 13:52
  Speaker 1: that way to some, but it has been twenty five
• 13:54
  Speaker 1: years of grinding and I would say probably you said
• 13:58
  Speaker 1: something really interesting maybe in the last I don't know, Jeff,
• 14:02
  Speaker 1: you could help me out a little bit here, but
• 14:03
  Speaker 1: maybe the last five years have we really gotten the
• 14:06
  Speaker 1: mainstream notoriety that we've deserved um long ago. I mean
• 14:11
  Speaker 1: when I say the proof is in the pudding, there
• 14:13
  Speaker 1: are there are stars that have come through the festival
• 14:16
  Speaker 1: that we're not stars when we started, when they started, uh.
• 14:20
  Speaker 1: And so I think because of that, because those people
• 14:23
  Speaker 1: have remained connected to us throughout these years, no matter
• 14:28
  Speaker 1: what level they've been on, I think that that has
• 14:31
  Speaker 1: brought some attention to what we've been doing for a
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: really long time. UM. And as the president and general manager,
• 14:38
  Speaker 1: I mean Jeff was right. I didn't I bring a
• 14:40
  Speaker 1: different perspective. And when you've been doing it for as
• 14:43
  Speaker 1: long as Jeff has been doing and I've been alongside
• 14:45
  Speaker 1: of him, UM, sometimes you don't see the reason why
• 14:49
  Speaker 1: you should continue to do this. And there's always a moment.
• 14:53
  Speaker 1: There's always a moment, whether it's something someone said or
• 14:56
  Speaker 1: something someone did, or whether it's talent, or whether it's
• 14:59
  Speaker 1: a a partner of ours, or whether it's just um,
• 15:02
  Speaker 1: you know, an an audience member or an attendee that
• 15:06
  Speaker 1: has come to the vessel. There's always a reason why
• 15:08
  Speaker 1: we say, you know what this is, this is important.
• 15:10
  Speaker 1: But we've done here, We've done something here, UM, and
• 15:13
  Speaker 1: this is important and we have to keep doing it.
• 15:16
  Speaker 1: And that's what keeps us going. That's what keeps me
• 15:19
  Speaker 1: in this presidential seat, that's what keeps me as as
• 15:22
  Speaker 1: the general manager. Uh. And and certainly that's what keeps
• 15:26
  Speaker 1: Jeff going as the founder and the CEO of this organization.
• 15:30
  Speaker 1: And there have been times, tell you, there have been
• 15:34
  Speaker 1: times when we've said we're done. Um, but those moments
• 15:40
  Speaker 1: that come and happen really are those that keep us going.
• 15:45
  Speaker 1: And and even when we get you know, even moments
• 15:47
  Speaker 1: like these, when we talk to people and you give
• 15:49
  Speaker 1: us an opportunity to share what we've been doing and
• 15:52
  Speaker 1: why we've been doing it, it's so important to to
• 15:56
  Speaker 1: keep going. And we recognize that and it and it
• 15:58
  Speaker 1: has not been easy for me five years. And you
• 16:00
  Speaker 1: asked me, what are some of the pet peeves that
• 16:02
  Speaker 1: people do? Um, I'd say what you just said. You know,
• 16:05
  Speaker 1: when when there's a mainstream person that says, well, what
• 16:08
  Speaker 1: is this again, and what have you done? And I
• 16:10
  Speaker 1: feel like I have to repeat myself or I have
• 16:14
  Speaker 1: to prove what we've done and talk about all the
• 16:16
  Speaker 1: people that have come through the festival. The Anthony Anderson is,
• 16:19
  Speaker 1: the holly Berries, Mario Harvey's to Kevin Harris and so
• 16:25
  Speaker 1: many people that goes on and on and on. This
• 16:27
  Speaker 1: is what we are on, this is what we've done,
• 16:29
  Speaker 1: this is what we've done, and this is why we
• 16:30
  Speaker 1: do it. We'll be right back with more money making
• 16:33
  Speaker 1: conversations with the founder and President of the American Black
• 16:36
  Speaker 1: Film Festival, Jeff and Nicole Friday. It's finally here the
• 16:41
  Speaker 1: season of celebration. And no matter how you celebrate with
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  Speaker 1: and the AD Council. This is ru Sean McDonald. Welcome
• 18:37
  Speaker 1: back to money making Conversation. As I continue my conversation
• 18:39
  Speaker 1: with both the President and the general manager of the
• 18:42
  Speaker 1: American Black Film Festival, Jeff and Nicole Friday. Well, you know,
• 18:45
  Speaker 1: I always see that you guys are to me like
• 18:48
  Speaker 1: the comic con you know, uh, just black media, black film,
• 18:55
  Speaker 1: black television. But you can't be great unless you have content.
• 19:00
  Speaker 1: And that's where the last five years is delivering to
• 19:03
  Speaker 1: your brand, quality content, not the same person, new content,
• 19:07
  Speaker 1: new branding, new stars, new directors, new producers, you know,
• 19:11
  Speaker 1: independence that are that are rising and breaking through those
• 19:14
  Speaker 1: those models. That's what gets me excited about the fifth years,
• 19:18
  Speaker 1: the twenty six years or twenty seven year because you
• 19:20
  Speaker 1: know what, it's not gonna stop because streaming is not
• 19:22
  Speaker 1: going to allow it to stop. Streaming has changed the
• 19:25
  Speaker 1: game because that content they need has to come from somewhere.
• 19:30
  Speaker 1: And the reason I love what what Netflix has done,
• 19:33
  Speaker 1: and a lot of people don't realize is that because
• 19:35
  Speaker 1: I'm just telling how people who are listening and watching
• 19:38
  Speaker 1: my show, they premier movies on a hundred and ninety markets,
• 19:42
  Speaker 1: countries worldwide, contries worldwide. Usually when you have black content,
• 19:47
  Speaker 1: it just premiers domestically. It doesn't even see international waters.
• 19:51
  Speaker 1: And so what has happened is they've they've opened up
• 19:54
  Speaker 1: the doors and exposed our quality level of entertainment worldwide now.
• 19:59
  Speaker 1: And so when I look at the A BFF, your
• 20:02
  Speaker 1: brand is now worldwide and you're starting to reap the
• 20:06
  Speaker 1: benefits of that brand association. So tell me, Jeff, what
• 20:10
  Speaker 1: does this feel like for you? Because I'm excited. Man
• 20:13
  Speaker 1: is in Miami. You know, COVID steals there. But we're
• 20:16
  Speaker 1: coming out of it. You know, I've done just I've
• 20:19
  Speaker 1: just finished doing three live events in Alabama, Georgia, and
• 20:22
  Speaker 1: North Carolina and people showed up. They wore masks, but
• 20:25
  Speaker 1: they feel comfortable. So I'm excited. Man, talk to us
• 20:28
  Speaker 1: about the year. Yeah, so this year, of course, it
• 20:32
  Speaker 1: is a big year for us. But this year we
• 20:33
  Speaker 1: decided because of COVID that we would not be in
• 20:36
  Speaker 1: the Miami Live. We'll be back in Miami in June
• 20:41
  Speaker 1: two for our anniversary, but we got we But what
• 20:45
  Speaker 1: we've done is we've built a virtual platform. So the
• 20:48
  Speaker 1: festival goes up November three. On our platform, we have
• 20:53
  Speaker 1: our own version of Netflix and to a degree it's
• 20:55
  Speaker 1: called a fifth Play. We have our own streaming online
• 20:58
  Speaker 1: streaming platform. So we're excited about a hundred We have
• 21:03
  Speaker 1: a hundred and two movies and about twenty five talk events.
• 21:08
  Speaker 1: We're opening with the world premiere of King Richard from
• 21:10
  Speaker 1: Warner Brothers starring Will Smith. So we had this amazing,
• 21:14
  Speaker 1: amazing lineup of robust content across and film chan films
• 21:20
  Speaker 1: from thirty five countries around the world. So we are
• 21:23
  Speaker 1: we're we're creating what we call a global a worldwide
• 21:26
  Speaker 1: digital experience is going up November three. The best news
• 21:30
  Speaker 1: is the festival is completely free, so anyone anywhere around
• 21:35
  Speaker 1: the world can enjoy the movies, they see the talk events,
• 21:37
  Speaker 1: and be a part of a v f F F this year,
• 21:40
  Speaker 1: and we're gonna return strong in you know, God willing
• 21:44
  Speaker 1: will be back and we'll be somewhat more recovered from COVID.
• 21:47
  Speaker 1: Hopefully we'll be back in Miami of June of next year.
• 21:51
  Speaker 1: I'm waiting on your brother. Like I said, I know,
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: I just finished the HBCU tour event. You know, I
• 21:57
  Speaker 1: was on the campus Alabama State. Then I went to
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: the campus, went to Salem State, and then I wrapped
• 22:02
  Speaker 1: it up. It was a HBCU college day. And I
• 22:05
  Speaker 1: won't tell you, but I definitely want you guys involved
• 22:07
  Speaker 1: because I'm fall back out in the spring, you know,
• 22:10
  Speaker 1: you know, and and a lot of people pushed back
• 22:13
  Speaker 1: on me with Sean, you're gonna do this, And I
• 22:16
  Speaker 1: had to do it, man. I had to. First of all,
• 22:18
  Speaker 1: I needed to get these young kids back seeing the
• 22:22
  Speaker 1: options of education and that had been denying them in
• 22:26
  Speaker 1: That was the first and then thirdly from my I
• 22:28
  Speaker 1: had to I had to show everybody that black people
• 22:31
  Speaker 1: want to move forward. They're not afraid of this. We
• 22:34
  Speaker 1: can do it safely. You know, had masks, you know,
• 22:37
  Speaker 1: hand sanitizer with social distance. Uh, you know people was
• 22:41
  Speaker 1: in Alabama State campus. Uh. The event was free to
• 22:45
  Speaker 1: attend um, you know. And then I was in Uh
• 22:48
  Speaker 1: was the Salem four thousand people showed up on the campus.
• 22:51
  Speaker 1: Was in the parking lot right next to the stadium,
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: but football stadium. And then we was writing in the
• 22:56
  Speaker 1: heart of Clark, Atlanta on nearly three thousand people showed up.
• 22:59
  Speaker 1: Here was the President's parking lot. And so the beauty
• 23:03
  Speaker 1: of what we're trying to do is is moved forward.
• 23:05
  Speaker 1: And when I look at what your festival has done, man,
• 23:08
  Speaker 1: virtual alive. Man, it's just it's just a game changer.
• 23:11
  Speaker 1: And I guess, Nicole, when I talked to Jail, because
• 23:13
  Speaker 1: you know, I look at him because I've seen him,
• 23:15
  Speaker 1: I've seen him from a far and you and and
• 23:17
  Speaker 1: and and the fact that you've been there two decades
• 23:19
  Speaker 1: and you and I this first time we're talking. I'm
• 23:21
  Speaker 1: always kind of annoying him a little bit, you know,
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: because I didn't know he had the right hand man
• 23:24
  Speaker 1: that was out there, you know, pushing them up and
• 23:27
  Speaker 1: making them strong like that. You know, well, man, you
• 23:30
  Speaker 1: know saying I apologize pushing him up like this. But
• 23:34
  Speaker 1: but you you're like me. You know, I'm a background guy.
• 23:36
  Speaker 1: I'm a producer. You know, I'm a director. I'm an
• 23:39
  Speaker 1: executive producer, and that's my role. But in the end,
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: what do you what do you see being in virtual
• 23:45
  Speaker 1: and then moving? Because I know you're all forward thinkers,
• 23:48
  Speaker 1: you're already playing in Miami, you already knowing the two
• 23:51
  Speaker 1: is going to exist. You know, the sponsors are to
• 23:54
  Speaker 1: come at you from a different perspective. I know, back
• 23:56
  Speaker 1: in the day, I was thinking of y'all to all
• 23:57
  Speaker 1: that stuff down in Miami and all that stuff, you know,
• 24:00
  Speaker 1: saying what does it look like this year and what
• 24:03
  Speaker 1: does it look like in the twenty six year? When Nicole,
• 24:06
  Speaker 1: make sure you tell about the comedy in London too,
• 24:08
  Speaker 1: I don't think what y'all knows about that we're in
• 24:09
  Speaker 1: London too. That's why I got we haven't been talking
• 24:13
  Speaker 1: about what the code you take it, but talking Yeah, well,
• 24:17
  Speaker 1: you know you you mentioned you mentioned how we're global.
• 24:20
  Speaker 1: Now we really are over and we're going over for
• 24:23
  Speaker 1: two reasons. One, we launched a b F London Festival
• 24:28
  Speaker 1: UH in London UH in nineteen and so that was
• 24:31
  Speaker 1: our first with our partners Sony Pictures Entertainment. That was
• 24:35
  Speaker 1: our first festival. So we did travel over UM which great.
• 24:38
  Speaker 1: We are global. And then last year, as I mentioned,
• 24:41
  Speaker 1: because we were not able to be in Miami because
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: of the pandemic, we built a platform which Jeff just mentioned,
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: a b F play and we still housed our festivals.
• 24:50
  Speaker 1: So with that we reached ninety different countries. So there's
• 24:54
  Speaker 1: a lot of people globally who know about a b
• 24:56
  Speaker 1: F now go down to Nigeria because w come on that.
• 25:01
  Speaker 1: We we had we we definitely had some Nigerians or
• 25:04
  Speaker 1: the platform last year. So it's exciting and I'll go
• 25:08
  Speaker 1: back to the growth opportunity, you know, it's exciting to
• 25:10
  Speaker 1: be able to have that reach. And so what we
• 25:14
  Speaker 1: intended on doing this year though we are not in Miami,
• 25:17
  Speaker 1: we were always going to be a hybrid festival. We're
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: gonna have a physical presence in Miami. We're also going
• 25:21
  Speaker 1: to have our global presence or virtual presence on the platform.
• 25:25
  Speaker 1: But because Covid uh, you know, continued. We decided to
• 25:29
  Speaker 1: just go virtual again this year and like Jeff said,
• 25:33
  Speaker 1: really really really excited about that. This year we also
• 25:36
  Speaker 1: launched UM a comedy festival. In June, we launched a
• 25:41
  Speaker 1: v F Comedy Festival because, as you probably know, at
• 25:44
  Speaker 1: the festival, we have a comedy on called Comedy Wings,
• 25:47
  Speaker 1: and thought, you know, this is this is a great
• 25:49
  Speaker 1: time and an opportunity for us to have a festival
• 25:52
  Speaker 1: that's focused on of comedians and comedy writers. Um, there's
• 25:55
  Speaker 1: so much content out there, There's so many talented people
• 25:58
  Speaker 1: out there. Who are you are capable of who are
• 26:01
  Speaker 1: capable of comedy and and funny writing? And um, and
• 26:06
  Speaker 1: and that festival that's that's that's what actually sort of
• 26:08
  Speaker 1: it's like the what's the same if I told you
• 26:10
  Speaker 1: that we that you attended just for just for last
• 26:14
  Speaker 1: Montreal and then asked me coming in festival? I know
• 26:17
  Speaker 1: both for those is just for laughs in Montreal. You
• 26:22
  Speaker 1: know the thing about it, I'm just gonna tell you
• 26:23
  Speaker 1: both for this is a compliment, you know. And let
• 26:25
  Speaker 1: me just tell you when I when I when I
• 26:26
  Speaker 1: talk about how the Nigerian and knowledge Wood, that's what
• 26:29
  Speaker 1: they call the knowledge wood down there. You know that's
• 26:33
  Speaker 1: they waiting on y'all. They just waiting on y'all because
• 26:36
  Speaker 1: y'all all the voice, y'all all the truth. And I'm
• 26:38
  Speaker 1: just gonna tell you when I when I see it.
• 26:41
  Speaker 1: When you have when you have a legacy, when you
• 26:43
  Speaker 1: have a background, you walk in the open the doors
• 26:45
  Speaker 1: and you say, sometimes you gotta set down route someplace
• 26:49
  Speaker 1: else for you to be respecting to go, wow, we
• 26:53
  Speaker 1: part of this. You guys are doing it. I want
• 26:56
  Speaker 1: you all to continue to do it. But what I
• 26:57
  Speaker 1: want you to do for me, do me a favor.
• 26:59
  Speaker 1: Keep me in the loop. Let's keep me, Jeff, keep
• 27:02
  Speaker 1: me in the loop. Somebody ter rashan when you're doing
• 27:05
  Speaker 1: these things, because I could promote it, you gotta send
• 27:08
  Speaker 1: me a banner, send me a flyer, because that's how
• 27:11
  Speaker 1: you need to be recognized. Your your your flowers need
• 27:14
  Speaker 1: to be promoted, your brand needs to be That's what
• 27:17
  Speaker 1: I do, man. I do it with I do with
• 27:19
  Speaker 1: no there's no there's no check here. I do money
• 27:22
  Speaker 1: making conversations because I love the fact that you guys
• 27:25
  Speaker 1: are stars. You guys are the ones that are enabling
• 27:27
  Speaker 1: people like me, people like that Steve Harvey's like Steven A. Smith,
• 27:31
  Speaker 1: Anthony Anderson's I see what when I see look at
• 27:34
  Speaker 1: the image awards that the rise in the image reward
• 27:38
  Speaker 1: to me is tied to the same rise of the
• 27:41
  Speaker 1: A b FL. I just see it. I just see it,
• 27:44
  Speaker 1: and I just know that the gifts that y'all have.
• 27:46
  Speaker 1: Just let me know, if you, if you, if you
• 27:49
  Speaker 1: let me know. I mean, I'm a friend, dude, I
• 27:53
  Speaker 1: am your friend. And WoT man, I got to make
• 27:56
  Speaker 1: sure the man you know right here man she checked
• 28:00
  Speaker 1: be hard, he dud. Decade's not do decade now. But
• 28:05
  Speaker 1: before I go, I just want to talk about HBCUs
• 28:07
  Speaker 1: a little bit because HBC US because they've got a
• 28:09
  Speaker 1: lot of recognition of and a lot of people made
• 28:14
  Speaker 1: a lot of corporate donations and and and and people
• 28:17
  Speaker 1: are starting to recognize the academic achievements and success of
• 28:20
  Speaker 1: the graduates recognized right here. You're black CEO h c
• 28:24
  Speaker 1: The CEOs in the country are black. Come from h
• 28:27
  Speaker 1: b C U S HBCUs. That is you and at eighteen,
• 28:31
  Speaker 1: So telling the importance of that how I shaped your
• 28:34
  Speaker 1: life starting with you, Jeff and Nicole, you can wrap
• 28:36
  Speaker 1: it up and uh I want to thank you for
• 28:38
  Speaker 1: your time and allow me to speak to you, and
• 28:40
  Speaker 1: again send me those banners and just every quarter just
• 28:43
  Speaker 1: let me know because I'm here to support your brand
• 28:46
  Speaker 1: pretty will and just quickly you know. I think that
• 28:49
  Speaker 1: historically HBCUs have have been synonymous with most things black,
• 28:55
  Speaker 1: which is less thing. And but we all know the
• 29:00
  Speaker 1: those of us who attended HBCUs. If there's anything, there's
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: nothing less about the black experience for a black person.
• 29:07
  Speaker 1: In fact, nothing more empowering to walk around the campus,
• 29:11
  Speaker 1: whether at Alabama or un d C or or Maryland
• 29:14
  Speaker 1: anywhere then to see people like you that are educated,
• 29:18
  Speaker 1: that are diverse. So HBCUs kind of shape how we
• 29:22
  Speaker 1: view the world. And I haven't not met a person
• 29:25
  Speaker 1: who didn't feel the same way to some degree. So
• 29:28
  Speaker 1: I'm just personally happy to see that. And I don't
• 29:30
  Speaker 1: care how we got here. I kind of know how
• 29:32
  Speaker 1: we got here, but it doesn't that. I'm just happy
• 29:35
  Speaker 1: to see that the world is starting to embrace the
• 29:38
  Speaker 1: importance the corporate world in the culture right because with
• 29:42
  Speaker 1: with embrace comes financial resources that allows us to build
• 29:45
  Speaker 1: and me better. I'm just happy that the world's kind
• 29:47
  Speaker 1: of catching up to what everybody, all the black alumni
• 29:50
  Speaker 1: knew already that these a magical places for young black
• 29:53
  Speaker 1: people to figure out and find out who they are. Yeah,
• 30:00
  Speaker 1: I would just concur with Jeff. I mean, if I
• 30:02
  Speaker 1: had to do it all over again, I absolutely would
• 30:04
  Speaker 1: attending Howard University. Were both Howard graduates. And I'll just
• 30:07
  Speaker 1: end on this note. Really ate you. You know half
• 30:13
  Speaker 1: the people might say something different now Hampton University than
• 30:16
  Speaker 1: that the I was saying that little argument there. But
• 30:19
  Speaker 1: I'm talking to the fantastic is the Tiversitary. It's a
• 30:23
  Speaker 1: virtual event. Festival is free. November three, is premiering Will
• 30:27
  Speaker 1: Smith movie Keen Richards. You can check that out. A
• 30:29
  Speaker 1: hundred in two movies, twenty five talkies, thirty five countries
• 30:33
  Speaker 1: are participating. It's an event that it started way back
• 30:36
  Speaker 1: when eighteen and seven Acapulco. I know because I was
• 30:41
  Speaker 1: on the outside looking the end watching Robert Town's I
• 30:44
  Speaker 1: saw it in Jet Magazine. That's how I knew by
• 30:46
  Speaker 1: That's that's how on it was. I read about the
• 30:48
  Speaker 1: Jet magazine. See, Jeff, you know what I'm telling the truth.
• 30:53
  Speaker 1: You know I'm telling the truth. But I love I
• 30:56
  Speaker 1: love you Nicole, thank you for coming into my world.
• 30:58
  Speaker 1: You're fantastic and I'm glad to know that you guys
• 31:01
  Speaker 1: realize who I am as far as what I what
• 31:04
  Speaker 1: I want to bring to the table for your brand,
• 31:06
  Speaker 1: and it is your brand, and it's a wonderful brand.
• 31:08
  Speaker 1: And it's it's you know, sometimes you sit around Jeff
• 31:12
  Speaker 1: and Nicole and you think about something you don't really
• 31:14
  Speaker 1: realize ten years or fifteen years. It's perfect. It's we
• 31:19
  Speaker 1: needed you to have that vision back in eighty seven,
• 31:21
  Speaker 1: otherwise we wouldn't have this today. Brother, Think about that.
• 31:25
  Speaker 1: Think about that. Thank you all for coming on Money
• 31:27
  Speaker 1: Making Conversation. I appreciate both of you. Thank you, appreciate
• 31:31
  Speaker 1: thank you. If you want to hear or see any
• 31:32
  Speaker 1: of my interviews of money Making Conversations, please go to
• 31:35
  Speaker 1: money Making Conversation dot com. I'm with Sean McDonald. I
• 31:38
  Speaker 1: am your hopest. In this season of giving, Cools has
• 31:41
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• 31:43
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• 31:51
  Speaker 1: from Human Nation and Shame, Moisture and in the spirit
• 31:55
  Speaker 1: of giving. Cole's Cares is donating eight million dollars to
• 31:58
  Speaker 1: local nonprofits nationwide. Give with all your heart this season
• 32:02
  Speaker 1: with great gifts from Coals or Coals dot Com. I'm
• 32:05
  Speaker 1: Tanya Sam, host of The Money Moves Podcast powered by Greenwood.
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  Speaker 1: This daily podcast will help give you the keys to
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