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Roy Wood Jr.
You're listening to Comedy Central.
Trevor Noah
February 1, 1965. It's the black History Month Daily Show. Welcome to the Daily Show. I'm Trevor Noah. My guest tonight, up and coming, comedian Bill Cosby. This guy's jokes are gonna knock you out. But we begin in Selma, Alabama. If you aren't familiar with Selma, it's a small southern city located 10 miles east of. No Negroes, please. And five miles north of say, boy. And it's also where today, recent Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Got into some legal trouble.
Correspondent
Dateline, Selma civil rights leader the Reverend.
Trevor Noah
Martin Luther King, Jr. Was arrested today while attempting to lead a mass march of 300 Negroes on the Dallas County Courthouse to protest voter registration procedures. The Negroes were taken into custody on charges of parading without a permit. For more, we go to our junior civil rights correspondent, Roy Woods, Sr. Now, Roy, what did you see out there?
Bill Cosby
I saw a bunch of bull, Trevor. Proud Negro men and women being arrested for no reason.
Trevor Noah
Well, now, Roy, the police said there was a reason they were parading without a permit.
Bill Cosby
Oh, oh, I'm sorry. Did the Klan fill out their paperwork before marching in my neighborhood? When have you ever seen white people arrested for par without a permit?
Trevor Noah
Well, Roy, that's just the world we live in. Black people aren't ever gonna get the same treatment as white people, and that's never gonna change.
Bill Cosby
Actually, Trevor, I don't agree. You have to look at the bright side of things. Yeah, maybe the cops arrested Dr. King and a bunch of our brothers and sisters, but they did it this time without violence. That's Progress. I mean, 40 years ago, a white man wouldn't even give a black man a glass of water. Now, not only can we have water, we can get it whether we want it or not.
Correspondent
Well, I mean, you.
Trevor Noah
I guess you could call that.
Bill Cosby
Oh, I do call that progress. We've gone from lynchings to beatings now to peaceful arrest. In fact, I heard Dr. King is coming back right here next month to Selma to march across that bridge. And at the rate of progress we making, I bet you it's gonna be a fun day marching arm and arm with the police. And one day they'll make a movie about it and it'll be called Selma. The Day When Nothing Happened at.
Trevor Noah
Obama's main purpose in South Africa was to pay tribute to Nelson Mandela.
Roy Wood Jr.
Madiba's light shone so brightly even from that narrow Robben island cell, that in the late 70s, he could inspire a young college student on the other side of the World. Mandela said, young people are capable when aroused of bringing down the towers of oppression and raising the banners of freedom. Now's a good time to be aroused.
Trevor Noah
Yeah.
Bill Cosby
Wow.
Trevor Noah
This is. This is probably the only thing that Trump and Obama agree on.
Roy Wood Jr.
Yeah.
Trevor Noah
Trump's like, you're so right, Barack. There's never a bad time to be aroused. He's like, uh, that's not what I meant. He's like, too late, Don Junior's out already, baby. We were catching up with President Obama, who's in South Africa to celebrate Nelson Mandela's 100th birthday. And let's just acknowledge how dope you have to be for people to keep throwing you birthdays after you're dead. Just think about how amazing you have to be. Like, most of you can't even get your roommate to come to your party, and you're alive. Yeah. It's like, dude, what do you mean you can't come over?
Bill Cosby
We live in the same room.
Trevor Noah
So who was Nelson Mandela to get Obama to take a break from kite surfing and go all the way to Africa to give his first big speech since he left the White House? Well, really, there are two Nelson Mandelas. The first is played by every black actor in Hollywood.
Roy Wood Jr.
My name is Nelson Mandela. I'm the first accused.
Bill Cosby
I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people.
Roy Wood Jr.
Those in power deny your freedom.
Bill Cosby
The only path to freedom is power.
Roy Wood Jr.
I will walk to the quarry, but I will no longer run.
Trevor Noah
Amala, Amala, it is not your place.
Bill Cosby
To tell me what is possible.
Roy Wood Jr.
This is the time to build our nation.
Trevor Noah
Ignorance brings chaos, not knowledge. Now, I know. I know a lot of people complain that she takes roles she shouldn't, but I think she nailed it there. She killed it. She was pretty good. Scarlett can act. Yo. So, uh, there's movie Mandela, and there's real Mandela. And because today marks a hundred years since his birth, I just wanted to spend a few minutes talking about the man because he spoke about me on my birthday. Now, that's. That's not true at all. Now, the first thing you need to know about Nelson Mandela is that his name was not Nelson.
Roy Wood Jr.
When I went to school, the lady teacher, Ms. Mdingane, asked, what is your name? I told him my African name, Kholislas. He says, no, I don't want that one. You must have a Christian name. So I say, no, I don't have one. She says, from today, you are going to be Nelson. That's how I ended the name Nelson, not given by my parents.
Trevor Noah
Wow. Can you imagine How Mandela's parents must have felt their kid left the house as Rollichasha and comes back as Nelson. Like, his dad must have been so mad. He'd be like. They called you what? I'm calling your teacher right now. Hello, this is Gara Mandela. No, your name is Jeremy now.
Bill Cosby
Ah, they got me, too. Ah.
Trevor Noah
Now. Now, the reason Nelson Mandela had to is basically because back in the early 20th century, white people ran South Africa, so you couldn't have a name that they couldn't pronounce. Right. Even though they were only 20% of the population, they controlled the government, the land, the economy, everything. Yeah, it's kind of like how today, all those no gluten people have control of all of our menus. Yes. Except in South Africa, the intolerance was real. So it was this oppression. It was this oppression that pushed Nelson Mandela to join a revolutionary movement called the African National Congress. Right. He joined politics when he was just 26 years old, partly to fight racial inequality and also because he had just been kicked off his parents Obamacare. Now, at first. At first, the ANC fought for racial equality peacefully, but the racist government only got more oppressive. In fact, in 1948, South Africa's government set up apartheid, which made legal racism the foundation of the entire country. Black people couldn't vote. They had to live in certain areas, and they were banned from playing sports with white people. And I'm. I'm not gonna lie. That last part I completely understand. All right? I mean, if your system is based on white supremacy, you can't have black people dunking all over your shit. It just doesn't go with the narrative, be like, white people are superior. Ah, wait.
Roy Wood Jr.
I wasn't ready.
Trevor Noah
I wasn't ready. In fact, the government became so oppressive that Mandela and the ANC decided to resort to violence. They bombed power stations, post offices, and, I mean, they did it when people weren't in there, but still, they blew shit up. And there were many people, not just in South Africa, but around the world, who wanted him to respond to the brutality of the government with civility. To which Mandela replied, bullshit.
Roy Wood Jr.
There are many people who feel that it is useless and futile for us to continue talking peace and nonviolence against a government whose reply is only savage attacks on an unarmed and defenseless people.
Trevor Noah
Now, I know for a lot of people, seeing a young radical Mandela, that's a bit of a shock. Yeah, it's like finding out one of the Care Bears mauled a hiker to death. I mean, I'd expect that out of tenderheart. But you. Funshine. But you see, Nelson Mandela believed that violence was necessary to fight a violent government, and he paid a price for it. In 1962, when Mandela was 44 years old, the apartheid government arrested him and sentenced him to life in prison. And what he said in the docs is legendary. He said, I've cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society. It is an ideal which I hope to live and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die. I mean, I'm prepared to die, but. But I don't want to die. I'm saying I'm prepared. Don't. Don't make me die. I'm just saying, like, prepared to die, not die necessarily. Can we. Let's edit that part out. Just leave that. So Mandela went on to spend almost 30 years in prison. Yeah. And the longer he stayed in prison, the more Mandela became a legend around the world. By the 1980s, you had concerts around the globe to free Nelson Mandela. And you gotta admit, you gotta admit, it's probably good that that teacher changed his name, because it would've been a lot harder for white people around the world to protest his freedom when they couldn't pronounce his name if they were like, free relic mishaps. Free, Free. You know, let's just go save the whales, guys. Let's just go save the whales. Now, Nelson Mandela's story up to that point was impressive, but it's what he did after he came out of prison that transformed him from a leader to a legend. All right? Because when he became South Africa's first black president, he reconciled the country and he insisted that white people be a part of it. Right. And you realize this is a black country, and he's the first black president. He could have easily just said, I'll give you white people a 10 minute head start. You guys put me in prison for 30 years. I don't even know what a Walkman is. I just hope I get to meet Elvis.
Roy Wood Jr.
What?
Trevor Noah
Five minute head start.
Roy Wood Jr.
So.
Trevor Noah
So you see, this is just part of why people like Barack Obama look up to Nelson Mandela. This was a man who grew up in a country steeped in racism, spent decades in prison fighting it, and then dedicated his life to a world of racial progress. And most impressively, when he was asked why he's not bitter, he had this to say.
Bill Cosby
You end up coming out of prison.
Trevor Noah
And there is no bitterness. How is there no bitterness?
Roy Wood Jr.
Well, I hated oppression. And when I think about the past, the Type of things they did. I feel angry. You have a limited time to stay on Earth. You must try and use that period for the purpose of transforming your country.
Trevor Noah
That's why he's a legend. Happy 100th birthday, Madiba. You must remember because of so many of the struggle leaders in South Africa were either imprisoned or exiled. The movement in South Africa was held together in large part by women in the country. And so it's weird for me. Cause I understand you travel the world, you understand that everywhere feminism is different and the idea of women is different. But I grew up in a world, it was very matriarchal and where women were the most dangerous freedom fighters that existed. No, this is true. You read up on. You read up on Winnie Mandela. Like Nelson Mandela was an icon. But the police in the country were afraid of. Of Winnie Mandela. You know, they were. And we had a phrase in South Africa that was. We still use it today, which was wa tinta ba fazi wa tintimbogo, which means, you strike a woman, you strike a rock. And that's what I grew up learning. That's. It was kudos, man. It was. It was fire. And a lot of the time, my mom would strike me with a rock and.
Bill Cosby
Ah, welcome to CP Time, the only show that's for the culture. Today we will be discussing the history of civil rights marches. They were how black people fought the system, made change. It's also how your granddaddy got his steps in. Now, there are the famous marches that we all know about. The March on Washington, Birmingham, and the march in Selma, which I was getting ready to attend until I found out that march was on a bridge. I don't do bridges. Well, I told Dr. King, if God wanted the black man to cross rivers, we would have been born with those little floaty things on our arm like white people. But there are many other marches in black history worth noting, such as the 1995 Million Man March in Washington, DC. Now, some people say the crowd size didn't actually reach a million men. But if that's true, it's only because it was the 90s and all those parachute pants took up too much space. But at least hundreds of thousands of men attended this march. They gathered to call attention to black issues like structural racism, unemployment, and most importantly, an end to the Jheri curl, or as I call it, the black mullet. That hairstyle has held more black men back than bad credit. The Jheri curl is the only hairstyle that made black men look like Jewish mothers. Sadly, I did not attend the Million Man March? I tried to, but I misheard the location. You see, they said it was at the National Mall, but what I thought they said was the Nashville Mall. And let's just say all those white people in Tennessee were as confused as I was when I was protesting in front of an Orange Julius. Now, you can't speak about marches without speaking about the big, bad, sexy, afro repping Black Panthers. Look at them. Anyone wearing leather in the summertime means business. In 1967, the Black Panthers protested against California gun control by marching to the Capitol with their grievances and some AK47s. That's right, white people. I know you like to think that being out in public with the big gun was your idea, but that was some black shit first. And while bringing guns to a debate about gun control is not very logical, it is very effective. In fact, it gives you the upper hand in most situations. My Uncle Bebo once walked into a Chipotle and forgot he had a loaded pistol in his hand. He got free guacamole for life. Well done, Uncle Bebo. But before you criticize armed protests, remember, it was a different time and you had to be there, which I was not. I wanted to join the Black Panthers, but the day before the protest, my barber cut my afro too low and I ended up with a buzzfeed. I couldn't join the Black Panthers looking that square. I looked like a Wesley Snipes who does pay his taxes. And finally, I would be remiss if I did not mention the powerful black women who fought to unshackle the chains of oppression. One of those icons is Ida B. Wells, who famously took over a 1913 March for Women's suffrage. The white women said that she had to march in the back, but Ida refused, telling those white ladies, either I go with you or not at all. Which is basically a turn of the century way of saying, I'm about to take my earrings off, heifer. Now, I didn't attend this march either because I was not yet born. But my grandmother, Regina Wood Jr. Was able to go, but she didn't go. She said she was going with her best friend, Susan, but the two got lost on the way, and somehow they ended up in the Caribbean where they'd been living as roommates ever since. Well, that's all the time we have for today. I'm Roy Wood Jr. This has been CP Talk. And remember before, the culture must have been more than friends. I guess they ain't got but one bed in their house.
Correspondent
This is the very first day of Black History Month. So I thought I'd hit the streets to ask black and white people how they were celebrating. As we enter yet another Black History Month, we thought it was important to connect with people and to find out what their idea of black history was. And nothing says black history like Hollywood Boulevard actually is the closest that the crew will come to Martin Luther King Boulevard.
Bill Cosby
So.
Correspondent
How are you? I'm. It's Black History Month.
Bill Cosby
Absolutely.
Correspondent
What excites you the most about it? I think it's an opportunity we can celebrate ourselves, our contributions as a people.
Bill Cosby
Like it makes me feel good. I love Black History Month.
Correspondent
What do you love about it?
Bill Cosby
Our kids are getting more educated.
Correspondent
Not in Florida, though.
Trevor Noah
Well, I don't know about Florida.
Correspondent
Nobody does. What do you know about Black History Month?
Trevor Noah
I'm tourist, so I don't know much, but I respect everyone I like. White, black, brown, everyone I know.
Correspondent
But they already have their turn. It's our turn now. What does Black History Month mean to you?
Bill Cosby
Celebration.
Correspondent
A celebration. Are there any black people you'd like to celebrate? Martin Lawrence, out of all the black people I mean, I love Black History Month.
Bill Cosby
Yes.
Correspondent
You excited?
Trevor Noah
It'll be my first.
Correspondent
It's your first Black History Month?
Bill Cosby
Yeah.
Correspondent
How long have you been black?
Trevor Noah
My whole life, but we don't do it in South Africa.
Correspondent
Oh, you don't do it in South Africa. What's the blackest thing you've ever done?
Bill Cosby
I think when we have guests over.
Trevor Noah
And I don't want to share our.
Bill Cosby
Food so we just all go hungry until they leave.
Correspondent
What's the blackest thing you've ever done?
Roy Wood Jr.
Eat chitlins.
Bill Cosby
Oh, man.
Correspondent
I put cereal in the Glad bag so I can keep it for the roaches.
Bill Cosby
Because if the roach ate it first, I'm damn sure ain't gonna eat it. That's so black.
Correspondent
I'm embarrassed.
Trevor Noah
Every time I go to a new city, I like to go to the grocery store. I'll stop. I'll get some watermelon and some chicken, and I'll see if they'll say something to me at the register.
Correspondent
Has anybody ever don't go to Mississippi. Have you ever been denied a loan?
Bill Cosby
No, I haven't.
Correspondent
That's. That's probably the whitest thing you've ever done. What is the whitest thing you've ever done?
Trevor Noah
With surfing.
Correspondent
You didn't. Shut up. And how did that work out?
Trevor Noah
Not very good.
Correspondent
What is the whitest thing you've ever done?
Bill Cosby
Improv.
Trevor Noah
Paid my taxes. Mayonnaise.
Correspondent
Can you Name any of the members of the Wu Tang Clan. No, I can't. You know any other words to the black national anthem?
Trevor Noah
That's messed up.
Correspondent
But I don't.
Bill Cosby
No.
Correspondent
You know any other words to the black national anthem?
Bill Cosby
I know to stand up even if.
Roy Wood Jr.
You don't know the words.
Trevor Noah
I don't know the words.
Correspondent
You're gonna be respectful and you name any member of the Wu Tang Clan.
Bill Cosby
No.
Correspondent
Have you ever been lazy?
Trevor Noah
Heck, no. I'm very punctual.
Correspondent
That's pretty whack.
Bill Cosby
I know.
Correspondent
Do you know any of the members of the Wu Tang Clan?
Bill Cosby
Nah, I don't know. That's messed up.
Correspondent
You about to take my card from me right now. Give it here.
Bill Cosby
Give it here.
Trevor Noah
Give it here.
Correspondent
You know any of the words to the black national anthem?
Trevor Noah
No.
Correspondent
You know any of the members of the Wu Tang clan?
Trevor Noah
I do. Woo. Ghostface Killer, Raekwon. You got gza, rza.
Correspondent
That's it. What is the blackest thing you've ever done?
Trevor Noah
I went to Roscoe's Chicken and Waffle.
Correspondent
Yeah. What is the blackest thing you've ever done?
Trevor Noah
Oh, damn.
Correspondent
That's pretty black right there. Do you follow anybody on black Twitter?
Trevor Noah
I don't have a black Twitter.
Correspondent
Smoke weed?
Trevor Noah
I was in a hip hop group in high school.
Correspondent
No, you weren't.
Trevor Noah
I was.
Correspondent
What was your name in the group?
Trevor Noah
Big N Tasty.
Correspondent
Big N Tasty. Give me something.
Trevor Noah
Look at me, look at me, look at me. Bread chasing like a bakery. Like, I don't know.
Correspondent
I like that. What is the blackest thing you've ever done?
Trevor Noah
That's a racist question, of course.
Correspondent
What is the blackest thing you've ever done? Talking to you.
Trevor Noah
This week marked a milestone in civil rights history. The 50th anniversary of Franklin's first appearance in the comic strip Peanuts. Now, now it seems like a joke, but the reason this was a landmark is that before Franklin appeared, newspaper comic strips were segregated.
Bill Cosby
Right?
Trevor Noah
Black comic strips were always separate, separate from white comic strips. Uh, in fact, if you even tried to put the pages of the newspaper together, the police would just break down your door. You'd be like, whoa. And they'd be like, well, well, well, we got a troublemaker over here. So the character of Franklin was a pretty big deal. And what's really fascinating is his origin story.
Roy Wood Jr.
April 1968. Martin Luther King had been shot and killed. American cities burned in rage. In California, a 42 year old teacher and mother of three felt helpless.
Bill Cosby
And I remember sitting in suburbia saying.
Trevor Noah
Is there Anything I can do.
Roy Wood Jr.
Harriet Glickman wanted to reach someone with influence. She wrote to Charles Schulz. His Peanuts comic strip was read by nearly 100 million people each week. Charlie Brown, Lucy Linus, they were all white. Glickman told Schultz he should integrate.
Trevor Noah
Okay, that was pretty dope of that lady, but. Yeah, but. But at the same time, also kind of a weird reaction to a tragedy. I mean, Martin Luther King is dead, there's chaos in the streets, and her first reaction is, maybe Charlie Brown can help. For more on the civil rights trailblazer, we turn now to our very own Roy Wood, Jr. Everybod boy, no matter who you are, you gotta love Franklin, right?
Bill Cosby
Oh, man. Love him? Are you kidding, man? Franklin was a straight up G. Integrated the shit out of Peanuts.
Trevor Noah
Yeah, and it must have been a pretty big moment for you as a kid when he first appeared in the strip.
Bill Cosby
First appeared? That was in 1968. How old do you think I am?
Trevor Noah
50? 40? 60?
Bill Cosby
I'm 39. Trevor, 39. Here's the thing. Newspaper Franklin was great. Newspaper Franklin was great. You can't argue that. But when they put him on tv, it was a different story. All of a sudden, they made him a stereotype.
Correspondent
You do the Hokey Pokey and you turn yourself around.
Bill Cosby
That's what it's all about.
Trevor Noah
It's all about our tossing cups. And protect me.
Bill Cosby
In your shoes, we're the team invincible and we're not gonna lose. What? Why couldn't Franklin just do the Hokey Pokey? Traffic. You telling me black kids can't put their left foot in and take they left foot out? It looked like Franklin was auditioning for House Party, too.
Roy Wood Jr.
Yeah, but Roy.
Trevor Noah
But, Roy, it's still cool to have him in there. Even if he had one dance break.
Bill Cosby
It was every time with this kid. Anytime you walk down the street in Peanutsville, you might run into Franklin and his homeboy Pop Locking. And even when he's hanging out with his friends, everyone else gets a normal handshake. Well, no, not Franklin. He got a slap skin. See what I mean? All the other Peanuts are just kids, but Franklin's running around Peanutville like a damn baby shaft. He's a tiny, bad mother. Shut your mouth. I'm talking about Franklin. Look, I just don't want him to be the other kid all the time. Even at Thanksgiving. Yeah, they invited him, but look where they put him. He's by himself. Even the dog gets to sit with the kids. Why is the dog even at the damn table? It's cool, though. Franklin. Franklin. Look, man, Franklin, they did you a favor. You don't want none of that bland ass white people turkey. Anyway.
Trevor Noah
Today was a day when we got some really sad news that Aretha Franklin passed away. That was. Yeah, that was. I mean, it was rough for a lot of people, and not just because of the music, because of who she was. I remember I used to, like. I used to sing the songs with my mom. So I grew up, you know, most of the time it was just me and my mom. And so I used to sing all the songs, not really knowing what they meant, per se. So as a little kid, I was, like, confident, like, you make me feel like a natural woman. And then, like, I got. I got older, and I was just like, whoa, wait, what was I doing? What was I. I was like, mom, why didn't you stop me? She's like, cause you look like a natural woman. You were doing so well. But what I loved is like. Like Aretha Franklin. You know, you see everybody talking about this is. It's one of those examples where you see an artist who uses their platform to go beyond just making money and doing what they do. Like, you read these beautiful stories about how Aretha Franklin had it in her contract that she wouldn't perform for segregated audiences, Right? So, you know, if audiences were segregated by race, she was like, no, I'm not gonna perform. You know, she was one of the first people who supported Angela Davis, you know, from the Black Panthers. She fought for Martin Luther King. Like, this is at a time when it wasn't cool to do that. It was risky to you and your livelihood. I mean, you saw what happened with Nina Simone, you know, and she was out there and she was doing it, and she was making songs that at the time were crazy. When you think of how women were situated in society, I mean, you know, the MeToo movement has shown that we still have a long way to go, but. But at that time, it was pretty much like, women just keep quiet. And she was out there and resp c t was. I mean, I remember that as well. Like, my mom used to say that to me as like. Like, if I'd ever, like, say something back chat or whatever. And then my mom would be like, R E S P C T. And then she'd, like, play the song and I would be like, yeah, RPSP is P S T. Find out what. And she was. You know, what I loved about Aretha as well is, like, the stories that she was gangster. Like, she full on. She only performed when she had her money in cash before the gig. Always like that her whole life till like now, till she was like, where's the money? Like she was the original bitch. Better have my money, money before the gig. Then I sing like I sometimes think to myself, like, the girl's backstage counting it and she's like doing it word by word. New winner. So inside is home. So yeah, man, she will, she'll be missed. She will be. Everything we see today in so many ways in the music, in like, you know, music, male and female, is because of her. So Aretha Franklin, rest in peace, man. It's a beautiful, beautiful story. Explore more shows from the Daily show podcast universe by searching the Daily Show. Wherever you get your podcast, watch the.
Roy Wood Jr.
Daily show weeknights at 1110 Central on.
Trevor Noah
Comedy Central and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount plus.
Bill Cosby
Paramount Podcasts.
Summary of "TDS Time Machine | Black History Month"
The Daily Show: Ears Edition takes a deep dive into Black History Month, exploring pivotal moments in civil rights history, honoring influential figures, and intertwining humor with poignant commentary. Hosted by Trevor Noah, along with guest appearances from Bill Cosby and Roy Wood Jr., the episode navigates through historical events, personal anecdotes, and cultural reflections to celebrate and scrutinize Black heritage and progress.
The episode opens with a historical recount of the Selma civil rights march, highlighting Martin Luther King Jr.'s efforts to protest voter registration procedures in Selma, Alabama. Trevor Noah sets the stage by referencing Selma's significance and the arrest of Dr. King.
Notable Quote:
Trevor Noah [00:09]: "February 1, 1965. It's the Black History Month Daily Show. Welcome to the Daily Show."
Bill Cosby injects humor while discussing the arrests:
Bill Cosby [01:08]: "I saw a bunch of bull, Trevor. Proud Negro men and women being arrested for no reason."
This interaction underscores the systemic challenges faced during the civil rights movement, with Cosby emphasizing the unjust treatment of Black individuals compared to their white counterparts.
The discussion transitions to Nelson Mandela's impact in South Africa, emphasizing his role in dismantling apartheid and fostering racial reconciliation. Roy Wood Jr. reflects on Mandela's enduring legacy:
Notable Quote:
Roy Wood Jr. [02:32]: "Madiba's light shone so brightly even from that narrow Robben Island cell, that in the late '70s, he could inspire a young college student on the other side of the World."
Trevor Noah humorously contrasts political figures while highlighting Mandela's influence:
Trevor Noah [03:09]: "This is probably the only thing that Trump and Obama agree on."
Bill Cosby adds levity by mocking the idea of Mandela's leadership in modern contexts:
Bill Cosby [02:24]: "...they did you a favor. You don't want none of that bland ass white people turkey."
The segment underscores Mandela's strategic approach to leadership and his unwavering commitment to equality, despite personal sacrifices, including nearly three decades of imprisonment.
As Black History Month commences, the hosts engage in a lighthearted yet insightful "blackest thing you've ever done" segment, featuring Bill Cosby, Roy Wood Jr., and Trevor Noah. This playful exchange highlights cultural nuances and stereotypes, blending humor with cultural commentary.
Notable Quote:
Trevor Noah [20:07]: "I don't want to share our food so we just all go hungry until they leave."
This section serves as both entertainment and a subtle critique of cultural expectations and representations within the Black community.
A significant portion of the episode focuses on the introduction of Franklin, the first Black character in the Peanuts comic strip, marking a milestone in representation. The hosts discuss the historical context and impact of this inclusion.
Notable Quote:
Trevor Noah [21:09]: "Black comic strips were always separate, separate from white comic strips."
Roy Wood Jr. narrates the backstory:
Roy Wood Jr. [21:42]: "Harriet Glickman wanted to reach someone with influence. She wrote to Charles Schulz."
Bill Cosby humorously critiques the portrayal of Franklin in media adaptations:
Bill Cosby [23:18]: "You do the Hokey Pokey and you turn yourself around."
This discussion highlights the strides and challenges in achieving racial representation in mainstream media, emphasizing the importance of diverse voices in shaping cultural narratives.
Concluding the episode, Trevor Noah pays homage to the legendary Aretha Franklin, celebrating her contributions to music and civil rights. He reflects on Franklin's unwavering stance against segregation and her support for activists like Angela Davis and the Black Panthers.
Notable Quote:
Trevor Noah [25:03]: "Aretha Franklin... she used her platform to go beyond just making money and doing what they do."
Cosby and Noah share anecdotes that underscore Franklin's strength and influence:
Bill Cosby [22:46]: "Franklin was a straight up G. Integrated the shit out of Peanuts."
Noah connects Franklin's legacy to contemporary movements, acknowledging her role in paving the way for future generations:
Trevor Noah [25:03]: "Everything we see today in so many ways in the music... is because of her."
This tribute encapsulates Franklin's enduring impact on both the music industry and the broader struggle for racial equality.
"TDS Time Machine | Black History Month" masterfully intertwines historical discourse with contemporary humor, offering listeners a comprehensive and engaging exploration of Black history and its lasting influence. Through insightful discussions, personal stories, and comedic exchanges, the episode not only commemorates significant milestones but also prompts reflection on the ongoing journey toward racial equality and cultural representation.
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