Michael Ealy, Vic Mensa, and More Appear at BET’s Black Men’s Summit
The 2024 Presidential Election is just over a week away, and millions of Americans have already cast their votes for the next president of the United States.
In anticipation of what many consider one of the most significant elections in U.S. history, several influential Black men from various industries gathered for an in-depth conversation on critical issues impacting their communities.
The event, airing Tuesday night (Oct 29,) was hosted by legendary comedian and actor D.L. Hughley and features appearances from notable figures, including rapper Vic Mensa, who challenged false narratives surrounding the Democratic candidate; actor Michael Ealy, who discussed hesitancy around electing a female president and radio host Kenny Burns, who explored what Black men are seeking in a president.
Philanthropist and legal cannabis entrepreneur Vic Mensa urged listeners to fact-check and do their research.
“When I first heard the figures that she incarcerated thousands of black men for marijuana, I was very skeptical. Now, when you look into the actual numbers, it was 45 men in total that were sentenced for marijuana charges. And that's not specified by race,“ the “Liquor Locker” rapper explained.
Ealy delivered a powerful message that touched on many critics’ fear that a woman isn’t fit to run a nation. “When you look at what Kamala Harris, who's been a public servant basically her whole life, she is the most qualified candidate to run for president,” the actor shared.
“So if you look at her as just a cop, which has been debunked, and it's been the mythology, like Vic was saying, it was 45 guys, and that's it.
The Hollywood vet and host Hughley highlighted that the widely circulated claim about Vice President Harris imprisoning 'thousands and thousands' of Black men has already been debunked.
Elsewhere, Burns spoke about some of the things that were important to Black men, including ownership, business opportunities and childcare. “The big thing on people's mind is how are we going to take care of our families and how are we going to encourage our kids to start families? So economics is very important,” he shared.
For the full conversation and more, tune into "BET Black Men’s Summit," Tuesday, (Oct 29) at 10 p.m., streaming on BET+, BET.com, and across the BET social media platforms.
