[00:00:01] [SPEAKER_08]: FCB Faith is your rhythm and praise station. I listen, my mom listens, pretty much the whole family
[00:00:55] [SPEAKER_09]: I listen to FCB Faith on iHeartRadio, autofee at FCBFaith.com or tell your smart speaker to play FCB Faith on iHeartRadio
[00:01:24] [SPEAKER_00]: Welcome to the Outlaws Xtra, this is Darvio the Kington Marl, don't forget to like this on Facebook at facebook.com slash the Outlaws Radio
[00:01:31] [SPEAKER_00]: Follow us on Twitter and Instagram or X and Instagram at the Outlaws Radio. Once again, this is an Outlaws Xtra
[00:01:40] [SPEAKER_00]: We have a special interview with Cleveland Council President Blaine Griffin talking about his initiative to get more Black men
[00:01:52] [SPEAKER_00]: We are participating in the political process, not only this year but moving forward as well
[00:02:01] [SPEAKER_00]: Obviously, this is the last episode, you heard me say at the top and it's been a lot going on around here
[00:02:08] [SPEAKER_00]: And we're trying to catch up, we had about a month and a half of course because of my father's passing and now we're working on catching back up here
[00:02:18] [SPEAKER_00]: We have a lot of content and a few here that we're going to get out to you
[00:02:23] [SPEAKER_00]: So we wanted to make sure that we brought this to you obviously because it's a time sensitive, particularly because they have an event
[00:02:31] [SPEAKER_00]: One of their events is Subtomor 20th
[00:02:35] [SPEAKER_00]: And then another one as well that he'll be talking about any interview so we wanted to make sure that we brought that to you
[00:02:42] [SPEAKER_00]: And it's a time that we're passionate but stay tuned, we will have a regular episode coming up soon
[00:02:49] [SPEAKER_00]: Where we will get the crew together and do what we do
[00:02:55] [SPEAKER_00]: And also that's where I'll be making my my formal, you know, tribute to my dad. I'll be doing that with my team
[00:03:05] [SPEAKER_00]: Alright, so for those of you who are familiar with the Outwell's extras, you know how this goes
[00:03:10] [SPEAKER_00]: We're going to take a break now and when we come back we'll air the interview in its entirety
[00:03:15] [SPEAKER_00]: So stay tuned, you're listening to the Outwell's Extra
[00:03:22] [SPEAKER_08]: F-C-B-F is your rhythm and praise station
[00:03:25] [SPEAKER_08]: I listen, my mom listens pretty much the whole family
[00:03:44] [SPEAKER_06]: I don't know, I know you'll come through
[00:03:48] [SPEAKER_06]: I don't know, she can't through
[00:03:52] [SPEAKER_03]: I'm just gathering no, you say it very you
[00:03:55] [SPEAKER_03]: You gotta go, all the way to you
[00:03:59] And then I'll be dancing
[00:04:01] I'll be singing
[00:04:08] Four people come there
[00:04:12] [SPEAKER_03]: I'll be walking around that's not what's so beautiful
[00:04:17] [SPEAKER_09]: Listen to F-C-B-F on Eye Heart Radio
[00:04:24] [SPEAKER_09]: F-C-B-F-F-F-F-F-F-F-F-F-F-F-F-F-F-F-I-H-R-D-O
[00:04:30] [SPEAKER_04]: F-C-A-T-O
[00:04:32] [SPEAKER_06]: F-S-S-A-O
[00:04:36] [SPEAKER_00]: Welcome back, make sure that you subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, wherever you get your podcast
[00:04:42] [SPEAKER_00]: And if you listen to the show on Apple, make sure you leave us a 5-star review
[00:04:46] [SPEAKER_00]: And a comment is very important for the algorithm and for those of you who are already done so
[00:04:50] [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you also very much
[00:04:51] [SPEAKER_00]: And now let's get to our interview with Cleveland Council President, Blang Griffin
[00:04:57] [SPEAKER_01]: Alright, we have a very special guest
[00:05:00] [SPEAKER_01]: With us today is a Cleveland City Council President, Blang Griffin
[00:05:04] [SPEAKER_01]: Welcome back, are you doing us there?
[00:05:06] [SPEAKER_01]: Hey, don't I'm doing good man, how y'all doing the day to outlaws?
[00:05:10] [SPEAKER_01]: Yes sir, yes sir, appreciate you spending some time with us man
[00:05:13] [SPEAKER_01]: So first of all, of course you have a very important event, a couple of very important events
[00:05:20] [SPEAKER_01]: That you're a part of man, tell to people a little bit about
[00:05:24] [SPEAKER_02]: Well we've been really for the last month for two
[00:05:27] [SPEAKER_02]: We've been engaging African American males and for turn the organization
[00:05:32] [SPEAKER_02]: So really try to make sure that we first of all registered black males
[00:05:38] [SPEAKER_02]: We've voted registration, we've targeted to focus on educating them
[00:05:44] [SPEAKER_02]: The relief focus on education and voter education and what the platforms and issues are
[00:05:49] [SPEAKER_02]: And then mobilization we won't black men and get out to go listen there
[00:05:52] [SPEAKER_02]: People have counted out all higher than counted out black men
[00:05:55] [SPEAKER_02]: And we felt it was important that this most affected group of people
[00:06:00] [SPEAKER_02]: That in this election that oftentimes counted out
[00:06:04] [SPEAKER_02]: We need to have a voice so we've been leading at Malsai and I church every couple of Saturdays
[00:06:09] [SPEAKER_02]: To organize we had a press conference that stepped off with 350 men from everything from the Omega South
[00:06:16] [SPEAKER_02]: And I've authority that I belong to, to cap out for side, to alphas, the iolars and the sitmas
[00:06:21] [SPEAKER_02]: As well as people like 100 black men, NAACP, Urban League, all the Mason organizations
[00:06:28] [SPEAKER_02]: And all of the other fraternal organizations and churches and deacons
[00:06:33] [SPEAKER_02]: We were really engaging them with the gold raising some money just upcoming Friday
[00:06:37] [SPEAKER_02]: September the 20th, if I Southgate lanes, 2110, 00, Northfield Avenue
[00:06:42] [SPEAKER_02]: And then the culminating event is going to be black men getting a game
[00:06:48] [SPEAKER_02]: 1000 boots on the ground and we've been on Saturday, September the 28th beginning at 11 o'clock
[00:06:56] [SPEAKER_02]: We're going in and we just, we talked to black men at the doors, we may call us to them
[00:07:00] [SPEAKER_02]: And let me say this, the sisters are welcome, every ethnicity is welcome
[00:07:04] [SPEAKER_02]: But the goal is to engage black men to make sure that we get out the vote at the city and clean
[00:07:08] [SPEAKER_02]: And I think it's a very important initiative and effort
[00:07:11] [SPEAKER_02]: We got all of the legends of political activity from all the former men and the president
[00:07:18] [SPEAKER_02]: You know elected officials, secretary, fudge, everybody's engaged in this
[00:07:22] [SPEAKER_02]: And we can't tell people who to vote for because most of these groups are non-partisan
[00:07:28] [SPEAKER_02]: But we can't tell them what we need them to vote for, which is what's in the best
[00:07:33] [SPEAKER_02]: Sages of our community. Now me, only come up and I'm with coach Governor Walsh
[00:07:39] [SPEAKER_02]: However that's a brain choice, that's not a fraternity choice and that's not the group choice
[00:07:44] [SPEAKER_02]: All we want to do is educate people and have a president
[00:07:47] [SPEAKER_02]: Hopefully we can carry on this moment on so black men can have a president of the city and agree with
[00:07:52] [SPEAKER_01]: So you know black men oftentimes, especially black men under 50 in particular
[00:08:00] [SPEAKER_01]: Feel disconnected and not a part of the process
[00:08:08] [SPEAKER_01]: And a lot of black men I've heard from like I said, particularly under the age of 50
[00:08:13] [SPEAKER_01]: Our questioning, you know what's in it for them, they don't feel like there are efforts and initiatives
[00:08:21] [SPEAKER_01]: To specifically talk to them
[00:08:23] [SPEAKER_01]: So talk a little bit about why it was important for you to have this initiative that is specifically
[00:08:29] [SPEAKER_01]: Talking to black men
[00:08:32] [SPEAKER_02]: So let me say this to you, you know I've heard that and I've seen the polling on that
[00:08:36] [SPEAKER_02]: And we know that both sides of the Republican and Democrats and the panelists are fine for black men
[00:08:42] [SPEAKER_02]: To support them and I've never working on Frank Jackson's campaign
[00:08:46] [SPEAKER_02]: Former mayor of the city of Greenwood and you're right that grew over 50 males black and white feel that they don't belong
[00:08:54] [SPEAKER_02]: They don't fit in anywhere and one of the things that one of the candidates does is they do well and speaking to people's grievance
[00:09:02] [SPEAKER_02]: But what we're trying to do is saying if housing is important, if health care is important
[00:09:07] [SPEAKER_02]: If wealth creation and growing the wealth and the working families and middle class families that you and I often talk about
[00:09:14] [SPEAKER_02]: If dealing with making sure that government cares about people and working to deal with some of the barriers that have been put up through policies
[00:09:22] [SPEAKER_02]: And yes racism, I know people don't like to hear that but if we don't start dealing with some of those policy issues and telling people what to vote for
[00:09:30] [SPEAKER_02]: And why it's voting for this is important then we've all failed. That's why I said it's just as important that this is not just going to registration
[00:09:38] [SPEAKER_02]: But education I happen to be a huge huge critic a project 2025 now other people may like I don't
[00:09:47] [SPEAKER_02]: I think it's something that I at least want to educate people to help them understand with the potential that this could have as well as what some of the other
[00:09:56] [SPEAKER_02]: decisions that this election can lead to like who represents us on the Supreme Court, how we how Congress and Senate is up for grabs
[00:10:05] [SPEAKER_02]: And if we do even get common here or Donald Trump, one of them getting opposite Senate then it's still going to be a stalemate
[00:10:12] [SPEAKER_02]: We're still going to have government shutdowns everything else so it's important that we really educate people on what government is supposed to do
[00:10:22] [SPEAKER_02]: And I think we need to do more schoolhouse work, you know you grew up right there with me and you know I'm telling my age but we need to do more schoolhouse work
[00:10:30] [SPEAKER_02]: How we help people understand what a bill is, capital hill and everything else the differences between legislator, judicial executive branches
[00:10:38] [SPEAKER_02]: Because people don't know they don't teach in this school anymore so we really have to do that education that really go back to the back of the grassroots
[00:10:45] [SPEAKER_01]: So one of the things that I often hear one of the criticisms that I hear from from black men like a particularly black men under 50 about the system is that they feel oftentimes like they're being
[00:10:57] [SPEAKER_01]: Like it's not a two way street conversation that they're being talked act
[00:11:03] [SPEAKER_01]: Talk a little bit about how yeah, you're going to be doing water registration voter engagement and education but you're also going to be listening to their concerns and hearing the things that they care about correct
[00:11:16] [SPEAKER_02]: Absolutely one of the things we started out with and you know one of the things that we started out with is really focusing on the you know listening to black males in a barbershop saying
[00:11:29] [SPEAKER_02]: We got to DJ communities involved and all of these guys are literally engaged and when we went to listening sessions with them it was three things that they talked about one is how can they own a business
[00:11:41] [SPEAKER_02]: Two is generation or well and three years making sure they can own property those are some hot topics and these are things that we are taking a rating to the
[00:11:52] [SPEAKER_02]: You know to the people that are running for office whether it be the federal level or any other level so they can have an understanding of what's important as they are
[00:12:00] [SPEAKER_02]: You're talking to people listen one of the things that council people does because we're the closest to the people is that we focus on connecting the boardroom and the streets we help the boardroom understand
[00:12:12] [SPEAKER_02]: What's going on in the streets so that they can you know make sure they make the investments and support the things that are important to our community
[00:12:20] [SPEAKER_02]: But we also make sure that we help the resources reach our community so we're really in a position that we really try to influence this conversation and help people understand
[00:12:32] [SPEAKER_02]: What's important to our community and I will tell you and talking to most young black men and while learning how to start a business which is why we work with
[00:12:50] [SPEAKER_02]: Which we know the biggest path to generational wealth is home ownership so a lot of those things are where people are talking about and people are talking with they want to vote for
[00:13:01] [SPEAKER_02]: And try to make sure that we help people understand what they need to vote for as opposed to just listening to somebody speaking to their grievances and not having an action plan or steps to know to try to resolve a problem.
[00:13:12] [SPEAKER_02]: I've always heard a long time ago Darfio don't bring me a problem without bringing me a solution and that's what we would do if we're trying to do
[00:13:19] [SPEAKER_01]: Right, so I know we got a couple of minutes here and I'm a little bit ago once again. I'm very appreciative that you were generous with your time to come here and pop in on the show but
[00:13:31] [SPEAKER_01]: One thing too as it regards to this initiative and I understand you know the presidential election is important
[00:13:40] [SPEAKER_01]: But I'm also concerned I'm more concerned if you will to participation on our local elections and state elections. Do you think that this is the this initiative and this effort that you guys are doing now for the presidential is something that can carry over as well
[00:13:56] [SPEAKER_02]: Absolutely, that's the reason I want to put this together. I don't want to put this together just sort of we can get a candidate elected or pre bit a candidate. So I'm getting elected this year
[00:14:05] [SPEAKER_02]: I want to put a coalition of many gathered that are esteemed and the coalition of men that can work on things like gun violence in our community. Work on things like educate people around home ownership. Work on things like mentoring again and those kind of things.
[00:14:19] [SPEAKER_02]: I've always seen that with black men show up. We have a tendency to be able to bring order to a situation so some of this nuisance crime and chaos that we see in the streets
[00:14:29] [SPEAKER_02]: If people see a good concerted group of black men there's no school that we can't go in no neighborhood that we can go in and be quite honest with you. No crime saying that we couldn't go in and resolve the issue because people will see black men out of force.
[00:14:45] [SPEAKER_02]: We got to stop being afraid to recognize our place in Cleveland and in our region. And that's what we're trying to do. And and, and, and,
[00:15:10] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm getting back in the session. You had a press conference while back talking about some of your priorities for this session city council talk a little bit about what those priorities are.
[00:15:20] [SPEAKER_02]: Well, as I said before, news has crime and making sure that we get to the level of officers so that we can't do appropriate traffic control and a corporate response.
[00:15:30] [SPEAKER_02]: We need to make sure that we budget forward because quite frankly a lot of the operating money at one time money is gone.
[00:15:39] [SPEAKER_02]: We've made a concerted effort with ARPA not to use it for personnel but to use approximately 75 to 80% of it in order to try to deal with housing and infrastructure needs like back to basics trying to consolidate brown fields so that we can clean them up and make sure that we can put factories and and bring trade and sector jobs back home ownership.
[00:16:00] [SPEAKER_02]: And, and we're not doing much of that.
[00:16:00] [SPEAKER_02]: We're not doing much of that.
[00:16:00] [SPEAKER_02]: We've been in a relationship with being critical even though we're looking at expanding and putting the funding together to try to go into areas with a market won't go.
[00:16:08] [SPEAKER_02]: We also want to make sure that we not just focus on big high rise apartment builders but that we actually try to build homes where people will move it.
[00:16:15] [SPEAKER_02]: And then we know we have a critical level for the school.
[00:16:18] [SPEAKER_02]: We know that we, you know, have the big issue about the brown stadium so these are things that council are tackling.
[00:16:26] [SPEAKER_02]: But I tell people the thing about council that's always unique we get to deal with the lacklone, the big issues like stadium issues and big ticket issues like 10 districts and innovative and creative financing.
[00:16:38] [SPEAKER_02]: But then we also get to deal with the quality of life and micro issues the things that people see everyday that affects the quality of life and affects the way that you live so we're looking at all of those issues.
[00:16:51] [SPEAKER_02]: We're very, very dedicated. I think that the press conference will everybody talked about the different priorities of different committees.
[00:16:59] [SPEAKER_02]: We have some utility rate studies that we have to go over.
[00:17:02] [SPEAKER_02]: We know that a very huge study with garden, very great on airport was just releasing.
[00:17:07] [SPEAKER_02]: I want to tell everybody.
[00:17:09] [SPEAKER_02]: I'm always interested in show me the money show me how much is going to cost me and show me how much is going to help us get as we turn on investment.
[00:17:16] [SPEAKER_02]: So we got some big issues to make next year going to be in the next time we're so yes, we want to keep them all mental.
[00:17:23] [SPEAKER_02]: But let me say this is not about playing Griffin. This is not about any individual elected official. This is about black man as a collective being respected and having a presence in our community.
[00:17:34] [SPEAKER_02]: And what I take pride in joy and is organizing this group.
[00:17:37] [SPEAKER_02]: To make sure that we have 1,000 boots on the ground on September 28th at 11 o'clock at Lucas the parking cell, but George going out talking to people.
[00:17:45] [SPEAKER_02]: Not telling them who to vote for and I talking at people, but making sure they know that somebody cares and gives it down about what they got to.
[00:17:52] [SPEAKER_01]: All right one more time.
[00:17:55] [SPEAKER_01]: Plug the event that's coming up and even on the 20th.
[00:17:59] [SPEAKER_02]: So we had a fundraiser this upcoming Friday, September the 20th at South Gaines, 214.
[00:18:08] [SPEAKER_02]: 214 10 0 0 Northfield road to South Gaines.
[00:18:12] [SPEAKER_02]: The former mayor, honorable Michael Wright has been keynote speaker.
[00:18:16] [SPEAKER_02]: We also going to have special guests from former mayor Frank Jackson, former council president George Forbes, Secretary Marshall Suns.
[00:18:24] [SPEAKER_02]: But then we also go ahead and new school new generation.
[00:18:27] [SPEAKER_02]: And then some of us that's caught in between like myself, Garvey, a video, they all got things as well.
[00:18:32] [SPEAKER_02]: But we want to have that event because, you know, we're going to take resources to put this out and speak to pay for T-shirts literature.
[00:18:40] [SPEAKER_02]: And we're really hoping that people see this as an unpartisan after the really touch black men and our community at the biggest support.
[00:18:47] [SPEAKER_02]: But the big event that we're really excited about is September 28th at Saturday, September the 28th kick it off at 11 o'clock covering all of the southeast and central part of Cleveland.
[00:19:01] [SPEAKER_02]: And we want to try to touch at least 5,000 doors for black men.
[00:19:07] [SPEAKER_02]: Now we want to get 1,000 black men on the ground to be going to these neighborhoods wearing their parents and onions.
[00:19:13] [SPEAKER_02]: Wend their colors, wearin' the cute doll colors like I'm gonna wear my real purple and old gold and the red and white and the blue and white and the brown and yellow and all of the other things.
[00:19:25] [SPEAKER_02]: And let me say this, the sisters we want them involved too.
[00:19:28] [SPEAKER_02]: We want the black and gold with the helpers and all of them guys involved. Yeah, I know there's the capers, the signals.
[00:19:35] [SPEAKER_02]: All of these guys, we want to involve, we want the maces involved, 100 black men, earnably.
[00:19:39] [SPEAKER_02]: We want people to fill out the QR code and then we want people to go to vote.
[00:19:45] [SPEAKER_02]: We want the maces involved.
[00:19:49] [SPEAKER_02]: BFPF.ORG, that's BFPF.ORG and also I'll make sure that you get the QR code because we want to make sure your listeners have the QR code.
[00:19:59] [SPEAKER_02]: But we want to, we want to 1000 people to fill out that part because we want to show our community that we really care that we won't be taking some great.
[00:20:07] [SPEAKER_01]: All right, all right. Thank you so much.
[00:20:09] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm blind for coming on the show and you know your friend of the show, you always got to open door over here.
[00:20:14] [SPEAKER_02]: I appreciate it. Thank you, Darv. I appreciate your brother.
[00:20:17] [SPEAKER_00]: All right. One more time, I want to send a special shout out to Blankriff for coming on the show.
[00:20:22] [SPEAKER_00]: We really appreciate it. We are out of here. We'll see you next time. Peace.
[00:20:42] [SPEAKER_07]: This has been a presentation of the FCB podcast network where real talk lives.
[00:20:50] [SPEAKER_07]: Visit us online at FCBpocasts.com