Ben Higgins (2:09)

You know she don't lie about that, right?

Lauren LaRosa (2:10)

Lauren came in hot. Hey, y', all, what's up? It's Lauren LaRosa. And this is the latest with Lauren LaRosa. This is your daily dig on all things pop culture, entertainment news, and all of the conversations that shake the room. Baby. Back on the grinding. Checking in behind the Scenes of the grind. And to be honest, I feel like this whole episode is going to feel like a check in because I am fresh off of the Finland at sea cruise. Presented by femin forward Ms. Heather Lowry, a Delaware girl. She put on a cruise, y'. All. Like, that is so fly to me. Like, I kept telling her, like, girl, you don't understand how amazing this is. It was her first year doing the cruise. There were over 12 to 1,500 black women sailing the sea and just honestly filling up our cups. And I go to a lot of different things that are like empowerment and women and black women and, you know, and you feel good when you leave those spaces. But this was so different. I think, number one, because we spent days together and we didn't have a choice. Like, we were literally in the middle of the sea at one point when we were going from Miami to the Bahamas and you couldn't get off the boat. Phone service was there. WiFi was kind of iffy every now and then. So you had to interact. You had to just enjoy. And originally I planned to just fly in me and I was gonna bring my homegirl that shoots Shout out to Brianna Tanzi, just be photography. I was gonna bring her with me to shoot my content versus my normal content person. Because I'm like, I want another black woman to experience this with me. But then two of my friends reached out and was like, hey, what's up with the cruise? I wanna come. And I'm so happy that it was like a friend circle there. And I wasn't just there, just with Bri. I mean, me and Bri would've had a great time too, but it felt like a girls trip. And I'm work, work, work, work, work. Out of sight is out of mind. You gotta keep showing up or anybody gonna want you to show up at all. Like, the way that I think and talk to myself, I realized this weekend is not only very unfair to myself, but it's very like work career goal oriented. And there's nothing wrong with that. But I think what we have to realize and what I realized coming out of this cruise this weekend is you're a nowhere by accident. Everything that is happening for you and in your life is happening so that you can learn and grow. And the rooms that you, God entered that room for you and pulled up that chair and made it warm for you way before you got there. So out of sight is not out of mind. Out of sight can be resting, can be healing, can be, you know, having conversations that just make you Feel good, eating good food, partying, you know, remembering the times, like, all of that stuff matters. And I think for myself sometimes I can try to work it away. So, like, when I'm feeling anything or, you know, like, now that I'm able to do and help a lot more people family wise, I'm like, I never want to lose this. So every moment I'm like, oh, you're only as good as your last story. And it's like, yeah, but you're only as good as your last story. But you're only as good as the substance and the depth and the approach and execution. And I mean, it's like, if you shoot in a shot, you can shoot a bunch of different shots, but what goes in a rim is what matters. And when you hit that crazy. You know what I mean? Buzzer beater, three pointer, like, it's. There's a lot of practice work and accuracy that goes into that. And in order for me to be accurate and, you know, be able to show up and, you know, just do all of the things like, I need to just be able to be like, no, it's okay. We gonna enjoy this weekend.

Ben Higgins (5:42)

We.

Lauren LaRosa (5:42)

Not just, we gonna work. Don't get me wrong, I know the girls had a good time. I hosted the HBCU block party while there and a few other events and we had a great time. But I got what I needed too. And it was really unintentional. Like, I. It was just. It was just the atmosphere and the presence, like, it made you realize, like, damn, we so. We so dope. And I think every time I get to see you guys, my little riders. Cause I had a lot of people coming up to me and talking about the podcast and, oh, we wanna see more of this on the podcast. More of that on the podcast. So whenever I get to see you guys in real life, I'm like, okay, like, this is. This is what it. This is what it all is like for. It's like trying to figure out what the impact is is sometimes hard for me because I think some of this stuff can be monotonous at times. But then I had to remember, like, no, it only is if you make it. Because these people are receiving so much more than just a news update. They're receiving the journey, the grind, the inspiration, the passion you have for the way that you go about it. And it's teaching other people how to do things and just who you are. And then other people that come from where you come from and look how you look will get that same, okay, Let me take a second to see if this girl got it or to see if this guy got it. Because when Lauren did it, like, y', all, I am. I'm ready to go and get on my flight. But I am just. I'm just so grateful for, like, God putting me in spaces that I need when I don't even know I need it. Like, I can't just that I literally can't even describe what this weekend did for me. So I wanted to take a second to shout out that team. And over, you know, the weekend I had, I helped craft the story rundown for the show on Monday. Even though I decided to take the day off, I was going to come into work from the boat and I was like, no, I want to spend this last day really, like, feeling my friends that came with me and just figuring out how I feel after this weekend and why I feel that way. But we crafted the run of show me and the other producers. And so I saw everything that was happening with Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo and, you know, sinners and the BAFTA awards and just the conversations that were sparked by that moment. For those of you guys who are not familiar, we're gonna get into it in the latest right now. Hey, y'. All. What's up? It's Lauren LaRosa. And you know, I give you your daily dig on all things pop culture, entertainment news, and all of the conversations that shake the room, baby. And for me to give you all the factual content when I get into the details, I gotta make some phone calls. I'm calling lawyers, attorneys, managers, publicists. Shoot, I'll even call your mama if she's the person that's gonna give me the exclusive I need. But did you know that 2026 will mark the 150th anniversary of the first ever phone call. It took place on March 10, 1876. And from the call that sparked it all to the first long distance phone lines, the first line across America, the first line across the Atlantic, the first round the world call, the first commercial cell Service, the first 911 system. AT&T has been connecting people for 150 years in so many different ways. I'm just happy that somebody's going to answer the phone because how else would I bring y' all the news all up in the people business? But they answer. Thank you. AT&T. Connecting changes everything. AT&T.

Ben Higgins (9:07)

What do you do when the headlines don't explain what's happening inside of you? I'm Ben Higgins, and if you can Hear Me is where culture meets the soul, a place for real conversation. Each episode, I sit down with people from all walks of life, celebrities, thinkers, and everyday folks. And we go deeper than the polished story. We talk about what drives us, what shapes us, and what gives us us hope. We get honest about the big stuff. Identity when you don't recognize yourself anymore. Loss that changes you. Purpose when success isn't enough. Peace when your mind won't slow down. Faith when it's complicated. Some guests have answers. Most are still figuring it out. If you've ever felt like there has to be more to the story, this show is for you. Listen to if you can hear me on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to the A Building. I'm Hans Charles.

Lauren LaRosa (10:07)

I'm in Lumumba.

Ben Higgins (10:08)

It's 1969. Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr have both been assassinated, and black America was at a breaking point.

Lauren LaRosa (10:15)

Rioting and protest broke out on an

Ben Higgins (10:17)

unprecedented scale in Atlanta, Georgia. At Martin's alma mater, Morehouse College, the students had their own protest. It featured two prominent figures in black history, Martin Luther King Sr. And a young student, Samuel L. Jackson.

Lauren LaRosa (10:34)

To be in what we really thought

Ben Higgins (10:36)

was a revolution, I mean, people were dying. 1968, the murder of Dr. King, which traumatized everyone. The FBI had a role in the

Lauren LaRosa (10:46)

murder of a Black Panther leader in Chicago.

Ben Higgins (10:50)

This story is about protest.

Lauren LaRosa (10:51)

It echoes in today's world far more

Ben Higgins (10:54)

than it should, and it will blow your mind. Listen to the A building on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Lauren LaRosa (11:04)

Segregation in the day, integration at night. When segregation was the law, one mysterious black club owner had his own rules. We didn't worry about what was going on outside. It was like stepping in another world. Inside Charlie's Place, black and white people danced together. But not everyone was happy about it. You saw the kkk. Yeah, they were dressed up in their uniform. The KKK set out to raid Charlie, take him away from here. Charlie was an example of power. They had to crush him. From Atlas Obscura, Rococo Punch, and visit Myrtle beach comes Charlie Place, a story that was nearly lost to time until now. Listen to Charlie's place on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. So during the BAFTA Awards, there was a man in the audience who was the subject of a film that was also, you know, being honored at the awards. This man's name was John Davidson. And John Davidson is a man who Suffers with a version Tourette's. I'm not even gonna attempt to say the name because I can't, but I will insert how you say it here. And he, during the broadcast, shouted out the N word while Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage presenting Best Visual Effects award to Fire and Ash. Let's take a listen to the N word being shouted. Delroy and I are delighted to be

Ben Higgins (12:45)

presenting the first BAFTA of the night

Lauren LaRosa (12:47)

for a vital part of movie making. So after this, you know, BBC got a lot of backlash because y' all are airing it and you guys don't even take the time delay to, like, edit it out before it's put out on your platform. BAFTA got a lot of backlash because they came out and apologized. But their apology also included a look, let's just have a conversation about the disability and what the disability does. But they had no conversation about what two black men standing in a room full of people or anybody watching, any black person watching has to endure when you hear that and hear it shouted in a room full of people and having to watch Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo basically, like, just eat it. Like, they took a pause. They continued. But you could tell the restraint that they had to show in that moment. And if I'm just having an honest conversation, I remember when Kanye west was doing things like the White Lives Matter T shirts and us different things in song and against different communities. And, you know, the swastika T shirt. And the conversation around Kanye west at the time was not only about what he is doing, right? And Kanye west doesn't have Tourette's, but we all know Kanye West. You can't control him. But I mentioned him and I mentioned those moments because I remember the conversation around or for the Jewish communities was about the hate that would happen after that moment, right? So there were then reports about random Jewish hate movements happening and the uprising of them and signage being shown different places following Kanye West's moment. And everything was pointed back to the moments where he chose wrongfully, too. I don't agree with anything Kanye west did or said against any community, but everything pointed back to those moments where these things were put on a platform, regardless if you agree with them or not, regardless if he was mentally in his right mind or not. These things were platformed through music, through fashion, through media covering it. And the conversation was about, how can we protect this group of people because this will spark hate. I read the BAFTA apology that they put up where they apologized to Michael B. Jordan, Delver Lindo, everyone that was, you know, that had to endure this, they talked a bit about, you know, his type of Tourette's and how, you know, basically what he is saying is not reflective of how he actually feels. And I mean, look, you can argue that all day and that's what's happening right now. But no one has said, like, no bafta, no one from any official committee has said, well, what about the hate that this will spark moving forward? Like, there has been none of that. And the fact that there is a huge platform that could have been responsible enough to remove it. They removed other things. Like, what about that? That didn't happen. So I'm on this boat and I'm looking around at all these black women, generations of black women, little girls, you know, women my age, college students, recent college graduates, and we're. And not black women. Women of col. We all there and we vibing and we having such a good time. And then I'm looking at the news and I'm like, dang, I hate the fact that black and empathy and bullshit always have to live in the same sentence. Why do we always have to be empathetic? Like, even in BAFTA's apology, and I'm gonna pull it up at the end of the statement, they say, we take full responsibility for putting our guests in a very difficult situation and we apologize to all. We will learn from this and keep inclusion at the core of all that we do, maintaining our belie and film and storytelling as a critical conduit for compassion and empathy. Now, they also, when they talk about Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo, they say early in the ceremony, a loud tick in the form of a profoundly offensive turn was heard by many people in the room. Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage at the time. And we apologize unreservedly to them and to all those impacted. We would like to thank Michael B. Jordan and Delroy for their incredible dignity and perspective, dignity and professionalism. Oh, my. Like, and I get it. I mean, they're trying to make it right, right? Right. They're trying to make it right, right? They're apologizing and they're doing all the things. The press release is here. But it pissed me off that they, in this, mentioned their incredible dignity and professionalism. Because who would be expected to remain professional and have dignity in a moment like that? And it's crazy because I was thinking too, like, all right, if in that moment Delroy Lindo or Michael B. Jordan have responded in any way, I mean, they didn't Even it's like they knew. And I know. Like we on the podcast here at the Latest with Lauren LaRosa, we've talked about as like black women. Like all of my Black women listeners, I always talk to you guys directly, even without knowing it, because there are little things that we do, like the clocket and all the things and mm. Like. Like girl. Like I could just say girl. And you know what's about to come next, right? We have this, like, these things, the body language, the words that we use that you just know. When I looked at Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo in that video and I saw their bodies and I saw how they tightened up in that moment, I'm like, they know. They can't even blink the wrong way right now, literally, because then the story becomes about their reaction and not about what was done. So it takes them from being a victim of a moment they should have not had to endure to anything else that people would have wanted to put on them, depending on how they reacted. And I was so happy that they handled it the way that they did, only because I'm like, the world needs to respond for them. But I was so. It broke my heart that they had to do that. And Delroy Lindo gave a statement to Vanity Fair and he talked about, you know, how after the awards show, he just wishes someone from the bafta, like, you know, organization had come and talked to them about what had just happened. And that I know of that has not still happened yet. I did reach out to bafta and I plan to reach out to Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo's teams to see if there's any update there. Cause I can't imagine they haven't reached out at this point. If they haven't, someone over there is just very culturally incompetent and just not a good human being. Delru Lindo said to Vanity Fair about the moment, we were just doing what we knew we had to do. And we always are just doing what we gotta do, like we always are. And that's never. Honestly, I don't have hope that that will ever change, you know, And I can't speak for anyone else or any other racist. I've always just only been a black woman, but it's always, well, you gotta do what you gotta do. It's always that. And it's frustrating because I look around and I think about, you know, everything I experienced on this cruise. I mean, Keyshia Cole and her beautiful ability to sing and all the support she had in the room. Monica and Just her storytelling and how she's a part of our lives telling these stories. Literally my whole life. I'm 34 years old. SWV went completely acapella, y', all, on that stage mid C because their sound wasn't what they needed it to be. And delivered motivational speeches. The conversation I had with Crystal Renee on Keep It Positive, Sweetie, not only did I feel like everybody in the room got to like, know me a bit because, you know, like Breakfast Club, like I'm, I'm sitting with like four other people and they might not listen to my podcast, but I feel like I got to see myself differently after that conversation. Like completely differently. It was just like, oh my God. I don't wanna sound so cliche, but there was such an awakening. There were so many awakening moments for me this weekend where I felt like I don't have to just be. And if I do choose to just be, I choose to exist. Not just be, not get along. To get along. And then you see something like this to two very established actors, very successful men leading the charge in storytelling and television and it's like, dang, like, do we ever really get forward? Like, is that a thing? It was just crazy to me, the irony. And I've been thinking about that all yesterday when I was preparing for the podcast today and the show yesterday, like all yesterday, I was thinking the irony of you have all of us black women. And I mean, it was like every. You had Milano, D Rouge, you had, I saw B. Simone, Pretty Vee, Heather Lowry, well, she did the cruise. Ashley Christopher from HBCU Week. Scottie Beam and Sylvia Bell did their podcast as well too. Shout out to my girls. There was just so much going on on the podcast. I mean, on the boat and so many women, successful, astute, like, you know, bomb fire women, right? And all of this has happened and I'm like, at the same time in the world, somebody somewhere who has worked their asses off to have respect is being disrespected because they look like you and me. And that is insane. So, I mean, I hope that there will be more from BAFTA on what else they have done. I mean, you can't make up for something like this. But I do think that there is a right course of correction and I don't think that they've done everything, in my opinion, that they could have done for these to be two very established, world renowned artists, actors who are leading the charge on not just black storytelling, but storytelling in general. Some of the biggest celebrities in the world just sat and got called the worst racial slur you could ever call them to their face, and you broadcasted it, and all they got was, I love your professionalism and your dignity. We are sorry. And from what Del Rondo says, it didn't even. And that wasn't even said directly to them. So we'll keep you guys posted as things update there. Yeah, I want to get in now to just what we didn't get to play from the crew, some of the conversations, the live performances. We got Keyshia Cole on stage tearing it down. Monica, baby. Monica going to take you to Atlanta with her and make you. I'm always down to go kick down the door and smack a chick because Monica says so. And I gave that up a long time ago. But when Monica get on stage and she say that part, it be like, all right, girl, where she at? What you need, cuz? Stop playing with Monica

Ben Higgins (23:57)

Day.

Lauren LaRosa (24:09)

Swv on stage. They sounded amazing. Shout out to swv. This has been another episode of the Latest with Lauren LaRosa. I'm your host, Lauren LaRosa, and I tell you guys every single episode, and I really do mean it. I love seeing y' all in person. I love talking to you guys here. And I tell you whether we in person and we outside, Jumbo double Dutch, or we right here on the podcast, that y' all could be anywhere with anybody talking about all of the things and the fact that you guys choose to be here with me every episode, I appreciate it so much. It has literally changed my life. Life, period. So I'll see you guys in my next episode. I'm about to go catch this flight and drink some tea because that cruise ate my voice up. Talk to y' all later. This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.