The People's Donkey

Summary

Donkey of the Day Podcast Summary

Episode: The People’s Donkey
Date: June 19, 2026
Host: Charlamagne Tha God
Guest/Co-host: DJ Envy
Theme: Celebrating Juneteenth and Giving Voice to Listeners' "Donkeys"

---

Episode Overview

This special Juneteenth edition of "Donkey of the Day" transforms the segment into the “People’s Donkey”—giving listeners the platform to call in and nominate their own “Donkey of the Day." Charlamagne Tha God and DJ Envy reflect on the meaning of Juneteenth, the evolution of the holiday, challenges in its recognition, and the ongoing struggle for Black equality and celebration in America. The episode flows with candid discussion, humor, and dedicated energy to uplift Black voices and experiences, while fielding a dynamic range of listener stories.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Spirit of Juneteenth and the Breakfast Club's Roots

• Charlamagne opens by recalling the early, scrappy days of the show, drawing a parallel between their journey and the ongoing Black experience in America (02:06 – 02:41).
• He emphasizes Juneteenth as not just a day off, but a necessity for education, awareness, and celebration within the Black community:

  “I don't feel like it's the kind of holiday to be off on if you Black and work in radio or entertainment. …I feel like we should be on the radio, you know, raising awareness for it and celebrating it." – Charlamagne (02:41)

2. Listener Call-ins: Raising Their Voices

A. Dion from Dallas

• Dion uses his nomination to call out non-Black folks who still, in 2026, fail to respect Black contributions and progress (03:07 – 04:04):

  "I want to get a biggest he haw to everybody on every other race that's not black, that just don't respect us. …We've been fighting for rights since the 50s and 60s, you know what I'm saying?" – Dion (03:11)

• Dion commends the hosts for working on Juneteenth, embodying the spirit of perseverance.

B. Joe from Pennsylvania

• Joe, a construction worker, nominates his company's leadership for making ground-level employees work while corporate staff gets the day off. He offers commentary on uneven holiday observance (04:34 – 06:38).
• Discussion about Juneteenth’s late mainstream recognition due to social media’s role:

  “I didn't hear about this when I was a kid. I thought July 4th was it.” – Joe (06:01)

• Charlamagne notes, “We don't even know how to celebrate it…” encouraging folks to treat it with the festivity and community spirit of other major holidays.

C. Phillip from Ferro, PA

• Phillip brings up the “roster” dating trend and pivots into cultural discussions about “Black fatigue” versus fatigue about anti-Black attitudes (07:48 – 08:47):

  “I'm tired of hearing about black fatigue because how we go through all this for like 400 some years, now, all of a sudden y'all got fatigued.” – Phillip (08:14) “I don't have black fatigue. I got fatigue. I'm so sick of these… but black people, I love my black people…” – Charlamagne (08:32)

D. Ken from YouTube channel “Cap Ken”

• Ken uses his time to highlight his Black-owned camper van business and vents about being overlooked for DJ Envy’s car show. Envy responds constructively, promising to address the issue (09:05 – 10:45).

  "We building camper vans. We just starting this business and we're hoping to get the thing going…” – Ken (10:22)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Meaning of Showing Up:

  “That’s what Juneteenth is absolutely all about…not just a celebration of freedom. It is a day of remembrance and education.” – Charlamagne (03:41)

• On Holiday Recognition:

  “Juneteenth ain't there yet, man.” – Charlamagne (05:44)

• Encouragement to Celebrate:

  "Go throw one back and put something in the air for Juneteenth, man, like we do for any other holidays." – Charlamagne (07:14)

• On Fatigue:

  "We the only ones allowed to have that?" – Phillip (08:28) "That's right. Cause we the only ones that understand the difference. For real." – Charlamagne (08:50)

• Solidarity Across Communities:

  “Juneteenth…does center black history. But people of all backgrounds…can observe Juneteenth because we observe Cinco de Mayo and St Patrick's Day…you should celebrate by learning about the history of black people…today is a great day to reflect on broader themes of freedom and equality.” – Charlamagne (11:16)

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Start of “People’s Donkey” Segment & Show Vibe: 02:06 – 02:41
• Dion’s call: Respect for Black contributions, working on Juneteenth: 03:07 – 04:23
• Joe’s call: Working-class Juneteenth, social media's role: 04:34 – 07:42
• Phillip’s call: “Roster” analogy, Black fatigue: 07:48 – 08:54
• Ken’s call: Black camper van business, DJ Envy’s car show: 09:05 – 11:13
• Charlamagne’s final thoughts: Juneteenth’s inclusivity and reflection: 11:16 – 12:15
• Opening phone lines to discuss Juneteenth plans: 12:15 – 12:39

---

Tone and Takeaways

The episode maintains the raw, conversational tone signature to “Donkey of the Day” and the Breakfast Club, blending humor, community pride, and frank social critique. The central message is one of solidarity—recognizing both the persistence required to advance Black progress and the necessity of educating all people about the ongoing significance of Juneteenth. The "People's Donkey" format ensures the show remains a reflection of listener experiences, driving home the importance of voice, inclusion, and community action.

---

For Listeners:
This Juneteenth, whether you’re working, gathering with loved ones, or educating yourself, the message is clear: honor the past, celebrate the present, and keep pushing for progress—together.

Transcript

[Podcast Announcer]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human maintenance fee Overdraft fee Minimum balance fee Maximum balance fee Banking fees are just a part of modern life. Or are they? They're not. At Ally Bank. At Ally bank, there are no tricks, no hidden fine print or jumping through hoops for a better rate. They just want to help you save automatically while you spend with spending accounts and savings tools with great rates. No tricks, no no hidden fees. Banking built for life today. Learn [e-mail], ally Bank.

[Startpage Advertiser]

Member FDIC your 2am questions are nobody's business. Not the symptoms you're scared to tell your doctor, not the money worries, not the things you'd rather keep private. Right now, companies are using what you look up online to track, target and make a fortune off your secrets. Startpage keeps your curiosity private. It's the private search engine that helps you find what you need without the spying and without the noise. Nobody in your business. No saved search history. Try [e-mail] that's startpage.com Unlock the savings

[Boost Mobile Advertiser]

at Boost Mobile and save up to $600 a year I've been scouting these big carriers for a minute now and I've seen them pull the same play a thousand times. They promise you the world, then hit you with a price hike right when the game gets tight. But boost mobile, their $25 a month unlimited wireless plan is the most consistent player on the floor. No contracts, no no price hikes. Unlock the Savings [e-mail] Unlock based on average annual single line payment of AT&T Verizon and T Mobile customers compared to 12 months of the Boost Mobile unlimited wireless plan as of January 2026. For full offer details, visit boostmobile.com Picture

[Reese Witherspoon]

this me, Reese Witherspoon in London ordering fish and chips so often they might start wrapping me in paper. I'm traveling with my Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card, so I earn rewards wherever I book travel five times points with hotels four. Four times with airlines, three times on restaurants and other travel and one point on other purchases. Imagine getting rewarded for eating a toad in the hole. Wait, what is a toad in a hole?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Visit Wells Fargo.com autographjourney Terms apply.

[Donkey of the Day Announcer]

It's your time to nominate a donkey of your own.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Remember now, that is how they choose. Call in now. 800-585-1051. Yes Donkey Today for Friday, June 19th 18th Juneteenth is the People's donkey. Today really does feel like the early days of Breakfast Club. Man, if you're just joining us, it's just myself here and Envy and Red are bored up. And it feels like the early days of Breakfast Club because back in 2010, it was just me and Envy and Angela Yee and our boy Dopping Mezzy and our producer Q.

[DJ Envy]

That was it.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And we was the little niggas that could.

[DJ Envy]

That's right.

[Boost Mobile Advertiser]

That's right.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

All right. And we made it happen. And, you know, Juneteenth is a federal holiday, but I don't feel like it's the kind of holiday to be off on if you black and work in radio or entertainment. Okay, not yet. Anyway. Biden just made it a federal holiday in 2021. Like, we not Fourth of July or Memorial Day or Veterans Day or MLK Day yet. So I feel like we should be on the radio, you know, raising awareness for it and celebrating it and, you know, talking to the people about it. So that's why we're here today. But it is the people's donkey. Good morning. Who's this?

[Caller Dion]

Yo, this is Dion.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Dion, what's happening, my brother? Who you want to get a biggest he haw to?

[Caller Dion]

I want to get a biggest he haw to everybody on every other race that's not black, that just don't respect us. You know what I'm saying? We in 2026, we got the Internet, all types of information you can get. You can do independent fact checking, but these people just don't understand the contributions we made to this country. Oh, so you know, Juneteenth, they're like, bro, like, what's going on here? Like, why are we going backwards? It's 2026. We've been fighting for rights since the 50s and 60s, you know what I'm saying?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Well, you know, that's why even though today is a federal holiday and this is our day off, you know, me. And if he still wanted come in here, because that's what Juneteenth is absolutely all about. Juneteenth is, you know, not just a celebration of freedom. It is a day of remembrance and education and, you know, it's a day for people to learn about, you know, black history and black culture, even though they should be doing it every goddamn day. But, you know, and you're right, man.

[Caller Dion]

I'm working right now myself, you know what I'm saying? So you're doing what you're supposed to do, man. We appreciate everything y' all doing.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I appreciate you.

[Caller Dion]

Where you working? I'm in Dallas right now. I work for a finance company, but I'm from Baltimore, and I just want to Say shout out to Jess, man. I seen her when she was there in Plano and she doing her thing up there, man.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Well, she not doing her thing up here today because she decided not to come in today.

[Caller Dion]

If I was her, I probably wouldn't have came in either.

[Caller Phillip]

So I get it.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Jess said she free. Thank you for calling my brother.

[Caller Dion]

For sure.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yes, sir.

[Caller Phillip]

All right.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Good morning. Who's this?

[Caller Joe]

This is Joe from Lancaster Penns.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Joe who? You want to get the biggest? He haw to Joe. Joe, you don't curse, man.

[Caller Joe]

Everybody in the. Oh, my bad.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah, we got a skeleton crew today. It's just me and being red, so we don't got everybody doing all editing. Okay, okay, but who's your job? Where you work at?

[Caller Joe]

I don't even care. Henkels and McCoy, I work for them.

[Caller Ken]

They.

[Caller Joe]

The corporate office has off today, but I do construction. The corporate office has all. But everybody on the ground still has to work.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Is it a black owned company?

[Caller Joe]

No, no, this is a. It's a pretty huge company. It's not black owned.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So you mean to tell me that the white people took advantage of the federal holiday, but they made y' all work?

[Caller Phillip]

Yep.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

D day. Do they work? Do they know that Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery?

[Caller Joe]

No, I don't think they do. Out of probably 50 something employees, there's about three of us. And they chose between Martin Luther King Day, Dr. Martin Luther King Day, and Juneteenth, one of the days.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

But you know why? They probably chose Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

[Caller Joe]

If you only have one.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

If you can only have one, you would choose MLK Day. Because mlk, he just got better branding and marketing. That's why. That's another reason I wanted to come to work.

[DJ Envy]

He's had a longer.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

He had a longer run. No, for real. Like Martin Luther King, Dave. Fourth of July, Memorial Day, Veterans Day. Juneteenth ain't there yet, man.

[Caller Joe]

That's true. And I think social media allowed us to get that information out about Juneteenth. You know, we're just starting to really, really hear and learn about it like that. Because of social media.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That's right.

[Caller Joe]

I didn't hear about this when I was a kid. I thought July 4th was it.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

We don't even know how to celebrate it.

[Caller Joe]

I never knew about it.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Like yesterday we. My daughter went to prom yesterday. So, you know, like a bunch of people was at the house and stuff and we was just sitting around like, damn, what should we do for Juneteenth tomorrow? But It's a. It's no different than Fourth of July. You know, you get together. It's in the summertime, you have little gatherings. You have cookouts, you know. Yeah. There's parades and festivals going on. Salute to the International African American Museum in Charleston, South Carolina. They got Juneteenth on the yard today from noon to 5pm These smoke's going to be out there. So it's like. It's events going on all over the place.

[Caller Joe]

Yeah, I was looking that up. There's a lot of things to do. I just don't. I think. Well, in my area, there aren't a lot of stuff here. Ain't a lot of black folks out here. So, like. Yeah, I think it kind of. I think it's trivial on, like, how to celebrate if people are still, like, on offenses, at least from my. My point of view, it seems like some of us be on the fences whether we could celebrate this the same as Fourth of July or not.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

We should.

[Caller Joe]

I'm not sure what the hesitation is. I mean, absolutely.

[Caller Dion]

We should.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah.

[Caller Joe]

I think people are doing it just. I'm not in a predominantly black city, so it's, you know, it comes off weird to people. Like, it's at least job wise, I would say maybe.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Well, when you get off today, man, go throw. Go throw one back and put something in the air for Juneteenth, man, like we do for any other holidays.

[Caller Phillip]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yes, sir.

[Caller Phillip]

Absolutely.

[Caller Joe]

Oh, can I give a quick shout out? Of course, Victoria, love you. And. And hats off to all the other brothers and sisters that's out here working through this. You know, I actually have one of my brothers on my crew working. I mean, I want to give a shout out to all them. Waleed, Ty, Kid, everybody. My parents. I got good parents. I can actually say that.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yes, sir.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah.

[Caller Joe]

Shout out to y', all, man. I appreciate y', all, man, for being on here.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Thank you. King Brother. Good morning. Who's this?

[Caller Phillip]

This is Phillip from Ferro, pa. Philip,

[Charlamagne Tha God]

who you want to get the biggest y' all to.

[Caller Phillip]

Okay. The biggest ER goes to these chicks that be saying they got a roster because, you know, a key that opens up every lock is a master key, but a lock that opens up for every key is useless. So you don't have a roster. You're a Jesus. Can I give one more?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yes, go ahead, sir.

[Caller Phillip]

Okay. I'm tired of hearing about black fatigue because how we go through all this for like 400 some years, now, all of a sudden y' all got fatigued.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Black fatigue Tell me. Oh, you mean people that are tired of black people?

[Caller Phillip]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. We the only ones allowed to have that?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah, I. I'm. I don't have black fatigue. I got fatigue. I'm so sick of these. I'm so tired of these, man.

[Caller Phillip]

You want me both?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah, yeah, but black people. I love my black people, but these. Oh, Lord, I'm so tired of them. God damn it.

[Caller Phillip]

Yeah, we the only ones allowed to speak on that.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That's right. Cause we the only ones that understand the difference. For real. You know what I'm saying?

[Caller Joe]

Right?

[Caller Phillip]

It's your time. Imagine what we got going on.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You see what I'm saying?

[Caller Phillip]

Y' all don't know time.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah, that's right. Yeah, that's right. Happy Juneteenth, my brother. Good morning. Who's this?

[Caller Ken]

This is Ken from cap. Ken Kim.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

From what?

[Caller Ken]

Cap can is the name of our YouTube page. So we. That's my wife and my name put together.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Okay. What's up, Camp Ken? Happy Juneteenth, man.

[Caller Ken]

Hey, Happy Juneteenth, man. I appreciate you guys showing up for work, man. Most people don't do that and I'm working too, so. Hey, man, I appreciate it.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Who you want to get the biggest he haw to, man?

[Caller Ken]

I want to give a he heart to DJ Envy and his car show.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Oh, what do you do? What did this Dominican do?

[Boost Mobile Advertiser]

Oh, boy.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Now keep in mind, this Dominican is here on Juneteenth. Okay, sir.

[Caller Ken]

Hey, let me tell you, man, we. We sent the email to DJ Envy for his car show to submit our car, which is actually not a car. What we do, we build camper vans. So it was African aspire at camper vans. And we sent, you know, videos and pictures and did not get a response. We was like, what's going on, man?

[DJ Envy]

Not yet. Yeah. Cause your van is so big. This is for the Virginia one or the essence. The one in New Orleans.

[Caller Ken]

The one in Virginia.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah. So your vans and your RVs are so big, we gotta make sure that we could actually space it. We wanna make sure that if we put your car in there, you're gonna get the proper space and the proper, you know, detailing and things that you would need, you know, for it. Cause you got a big ass rv. So we gonna get back to you this week, brother.

[Reese Witherspoon]

Don't.

[DJ Envy]

Don't worry.

[Caller Ken]

Oh, please do, man. Because like I said, we building a camper vans. We just starting this business and we're hoping to get the thing going and something like your.

[Caller Phillip]

Your.

[Caller Ken]

Your car shows will help Give us a nice boost for the black community, man.

[DJ Envy]

All right, well. And it's an indoor and outdoor show. The show is July 25th in Hampton, Virginia. And maybe we could fit you, you know, we could put you guys outdoor because we're doing a block party outside. But, you know, I'll talk to Mercedes and we'll get you in, brother. Don't worry about it.

[Caller Ken]

Oh, I appreciate that, man. I appreciate you guys. And I love you guys. Listen to you every morning, my wife and I. And if you can, I would love if y' all can give our YouTube channel a shout out.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Go ahead, do your thing, my brother.

[Caller Ken]

All right, this is Cap. Can we build campervans for the black community? We want to get everybody interested in living a different alternative lifestyle. So if you can check out YouTube at Cap, Ken, that's K A P, K E N. You'll see what we're building.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yes, sir.

[Donkey of the Day Announcer]

All right, brother.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Appreciate you, man.

[DJ Envy]

Now that was the people's donkey.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That was the people's donkey. We do that every Friday, 1-800-585-1051. You can call up and give somebody the credit they deserve for being stupid. And, you know, salute to nve. He is Dominican, but he does so much for the black community, man. You know what I'm saying? And Juneteenth is not just for black Americans. It is a holiday that. It is a holiday that commemorates the emancipation of enslaved, you know, African Americans. And it does center black history. But people of all backgrounds, like Dominicans and B, they can observe Juneteenth because we observe Cinco de Mayo and St Patrick's Day and all that other stuff. Like, so. So, you know, other races can, you know, observe Juneteenth as well. And you should celebrate by learning about the history of black people. You should attend black community events. And today is a great day to reflect on broader themes of freedom and equality. As one of the brothers said earlier, they are definitely rolling us back. So today is a great day to reflect on broader themes of freedom and equality.

[DJ Envy]

So let's clear the laws. Let's open up the phone lines to find out what people are doing today.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah, let's see how people celebrating, um, let's see if you are out here learning about the history of Juneteenth. Are you spending time with family and friends? Are you supporting the black owned business or a local. Local black event? You know, are you reflecting on the meaning of freedom and the ongoing work toward equal opportunity? Let's discuss.

[DJ Envy]

That's right. 800-585-1051 let's open up the phone lines. Let's talk to you. What are you doing today? It's the Breakfast Club. Good morning.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Donkey of the Day is sponsored by renowned personal injury attorney Michael the Bull Lametsoft. Don't be a donkey when you need a fighter on your side. If you're ever injured, go to Michael the Bull dot com. That's Michael the Bull Dot com and when you mess with the Bull points,

[Startpage Advertiser]

they track, they target that hotel, those shoes, your searches, your clicks. Every time you come back, prices can change. When websites know you want something, look again and all of a sudden it costs more and they saw you coming. Startpage, the private search engine, helps keep what you look up online from becoming a price tag. Nothing saved, Nothing to use against you. What you search for is your business. Try StartPage, the private search [e-mail] that's

[Reese Witherspoon]

startpage.com youm're listening to a podcast, so you're doing something else too. Like maybe scrolling home listings on Redfin, saving places you like without thinking you'll get them. Because that's what house hunting has become. But Redfin isn't built for endless browsing. It's built to help you find and own a home. Redfin agents close twice as many deals as other agents, which means when you find a place you love, you've got a real shot at getting it. Redfin helps turn saved listings into real addresses. Get [e-mail] own the dream a burst pipe?

[Donkey of the Day Announcer]

A dead water heater? The AC calling it quits? Who do you call? HomeServe is an easy way to handle unexpected home repairs with plans covering stuff basic homeowners insurance usually won't. Instead of scrambling for a contractor, you make one call to get the repair process started. Join the millions of customers who trust home serve Right now. Go to homeserve.com podcast for 50 less your first year. That's homeserve.com podcast savings compared to renewal price void in Florida hey there, it's

[Ryan Seacrest]

Ryan Seacrest for Safeway for you. Save days are here now through June 25th. Find hot deals throughout the store and earn four times a point. Look for in store tags to earn on eligible items from Triscuit, Quaker, Reese's and Dot's Pretzels. Then clip the offer in the app for automatic event long savings. Stack up those rewards to save even more. Enjoy savings on top of savings. When you shop in store or online for easy pickup or delivery, restrictions apply. See the website for full terms and conditions.

[Podcast Announcer]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.