>> that is a universal black women -- >> we were all born knowing which needs to be done. we will do it. >> oh, my god! >> yes. >> no. >> yes. >> hey, girl! are you doing? >> make up. >> i'm excited to get you to maintain. it's one of the most beautiful venues. all of these women, they're going to be in harlem, harlem. -- she is a wonderful, sweet person. i'm excited to be in her present. >> who is better than you? nor one of the reasons i love you. >> i'm really excited for nicole. anne she didn't get into this for her fame or to be the face of some movement. she got into this to tell a story. toronto burke, the actual creator of the metoo movement. this is a woman who has suffered so much personal pain, tragedy and turned it into a movement. >> we have maria taylor, our new colleague. r, our new colleague. >> i am thrilled to have captain tomika lindsey at the table. we are making history. >> it's interesting that she will be there along with representative ayanna pressley. the crown act is her crowning glory. i think she's going to be somebody that's going to be an incredible person to talk with. ladies, i'm so excited to have robin td. >> is that my camera? >> that's your camera, coach. >> she's hilarious. she's fun. she's also a history maker. there are not that many black women in late night. >> i'm so excited to have michele back they with her new show. >> would you try to pull? why are you trying to mess with me? >> she is beautiful. she has natural hair. i love her hair. every time i see her hair -- to mika traumatically a. executive director of -- the interesting about hers that she worked for the law it before. >> we are fitting at a table with people with so many different industries and walks of life. i want people to understand that that is how we can operate in the world. you could operate and create these connections, not because you want to get ahead in your industry, but because you want to have that sisterhood and that sister had support. >> look at this! look at this! >> this is amazing! >> this is a table fit for a queen. >> it is. it absolutely is. can we talk about this very extravagant menu? >> seriously. i think we should bring in the ladies. hi! >> hi, ladies! oh my goodness! >> i'm curious, because this is your hood. tell us about this wonderful, beautiful place. >> we live in harlem. i'm always going to represent wilkin. >> here we go. >> i'm just saying, harlem obviously is so iconic. it's so iconic to the black experience. and black women. you're talking about billy holiday and all these great black women jazz artists who used to play right here. we wanted to make this not just a sisterhood experience, but also a cultural experience. this is with culture is. the culture is black women. we have created the cultural bases for wet american believers culture. jazz. the blues. all the things that we want because of our experience, who we are. we brought that to the table. we wanted to bring that to the stable. >> i love that. i feel the spirit of black woman in this room, but i do have to start this dinner out by paying homage to the wonderful, amazing nikole hannah jones. the way that you crystallized our experience in this country, our history. you are unapologetic. we love the flare. we love your flair. it's all rooted in history. i think it's really provided context for people who didn't know the story in 16 19. our entire genetic identity was taken from us. anne let me tell you your story, and where you come from. >> i was not expecting that. it's so beautiful to be at the table with all of these amazing black women who are clearly representing all of the different ways that we shape our society and culture, and all the way that we fight. but to me, when i think about lead us, our primary role is we are keepers of the black culture. that we've also been the ones who have fought for this country's highest ideals the most. we have fought for gender equality, racial equality. if anyone ever followed our path. like you think about the stereotypes of black women. we are seen as a problem in this country, but of course that would argue that we are the solution. >> you're sitting right next to the great ayanna pressley. we've had these conversations and i think all of us of adam. we've had them about the fight. to fight for our culture and the things we know we need. we are kind of the canary in the coal mine for when america is going wrong. >> i think that the unique space and dichotomy that we hold its black women is that we are both hyper visible in a way that our hair, our bodies, our humanity is criminalized, simply for how we show up in the world. while also hyper invisible, which is why you can have things like a black maternal morbidity crisis. when i try to do is to really deliver a love letter to the most important black women in my life. that's my mother. she never read me children's bedtime stories about princesses being safe. she read me the speeches of barbara jordan and -- she told me early on. being black is beautiful. it's something you should be proud of. but you are being born into a struggle. >> i find it fascinating that you embodied a spirit of surely shows them. and you occupy her office. >> i occupy her office. i get to claim that role. okay. >> i think we need to have one more vegan. >> i'm thrilled to have surround a burqa at the table. what we carry with us in this women's trauma. it speaks to our history as well that you spoke about your trauma and other people came along and got credit for it. >> i still do. >> and still to. >> and she slips her water. >> exactly. that is universal black women language. >> the people who define this movement by how the media framed it, you will never find us there. before, me too became the hashtag and all the rest of that, it was going all the way back to rosa park. there was work that was being done by black women and other marginalized women that predates it and nobody was thinking about them at all. and i have said since the day that i was elevated into the national scene and international scene, this is for us. but people did not want to hear that. >> i look at this table. these amazing women sitting across this table. i know everybody has earned the right to be here. beautifully placed at this table, and still, somebody could come and hear and questioned our place at this table. with that, i'd like to bring in maria taylor to the conversation young sister, we know that you earn your place despite with others may say. you are in a male dominated field that is difficult for women to get into. the expectation might be that as another woman you understand what i went through. we see that it takes black women, sometimes, to appreciate you. i'm just curious, because you've been in the line of fire. we did not know you. we knew your story. you were hours the stare immediately. how did you manage being in that line of fire and handle it with such grace and success? >> i'm sitting here and taking it all in. i want to take notes. the thing that keeps coming to my mind is i just wish there was a world in which everything that a black woman did, someone was not coming to dim that light and blow it out. i wish there was someone there fanning her flames. obviously, we have our culture. we have people, friends, grandmas, moms that do that. but the things we have to battle, trying to hold your little candle against the winds of the ocean. i felt that way sometimes coming up in sports. like you said, it's very white male dominated. a lot of times they simply do not want you there. i have been on both sides of it, where i've worked really hard to get to the nba finals. i've had a white woman raise her hand and said he only got the job because your black. i've had my company stand behind that thought. and then tell me that i am not being professional, because i am refusing to work with her. at some point i realized, and i turned 35 in may. i was willing to give up my entire job. i said i really have to walk in my integrity right now. i believed that i was put on this earth to speak a lot about sports, and eventually more things. be a content creator that amplifies black voices. that's it. so, if anyone tries to get away or push me off of that path, god will have another one for me. i think it's black women. everything we do a supercell flicks. everyone sitting here has something that has been pushing them that has nothing to do with what they actually do. catherine, it wasn't just about you being a captain in the navy. you meant something more. we all know that that rights on our shoulders. i would be curious to hear what you were driven by, because talk about white male domination! >> come on, let's talk about it. >> quickly, we'd like to welcome chef mel bell. >> ladies. how are you? oh my god. look at all the beauty, the brains sitting at one table. i want to honor you ladies by giving you some of my favorite things. i'm not going to tell you when everything was going to be, but we do have my mandarin chicken salad. i also have what i served to the duke and duchess. yes, they did come to harlem. yes, we did serve them. you know i had to throw some grits up in their, right? last but not least, some suites for the suites. bon appetit, ladies. it is my honor and pleasure to cook and serve you. enjoy. doug >> thank you, i melba. i thank you. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> captain, we would love to hear your thoughts on maria's question. >> i remember being a student at the naval academy, and i was in charge of the -- assessment. appear of mine saying if you were black and female you had it made, and i didn't see that at all, considering there were foreign my class of 1000, almost 1200, and one in the class behind me, and seven in the class behind that one. so, how could they think that we hadn't made? when i was asked to come back, i was curious to see if anything had changed. there were some things that changed, but there were a lot of things that had not. i didn't realize the importance of my role as chief diversity officer there. until two black shipment, students came to my office and said, we don't have a voice. it really hurt me to hear that. i realized that it was my responsibility as senior officer and soon to be the senior black female in the navy, that i had to be their voice. >> we just want to thank you for your service. >> thank you. >> absolutely. >> timika, we are looking at you. male dominated industry? i mean, my god? the nba. it's completely a male dominated industry. what have your challenges been, being a black woman in that space? >> it has been, first of all, an incredible privilege, because as you talk about being in this male dominated industry, the players that have had the privilege of working with on behalf of are the most amazing men, other than my husband and children. we think about the future of basketball. we know a lot of it will be around social equity. they've had one of the loudest voices. they made the biggest difference, whether it was in voting, taking a stand, whatever that happens to be. i am just amazed to be a part of that, recognizing of course that it is male dominated. it is a unique business to be in. >> we are bringing in all these spaces, and it's an incredible the way that we are breaking in? right? there's nothing whiter and mailer than the comedy world. it's a lonely, longley world to be a black woman there. >> yeah, that's the end! >> thank you all for commenting. >> put it down! i'm trying to talk about being a comedic black women! somebody take the grass of chicken. >> it's catfish. >> all right, catfish grass. i'm in a white male dominated industry. for many years, i was a journeyman writer and comedian that no one knew and wrote for a lot of men. a lot of black men, but a lot of white men, a lot of people you never know -- i was having trouble getting my voice out there. so, for me, i -- did the nightly show. i was hired to be his head writer. he said no, you need to be on camera. we need to hear your voice. i can't speak to the things are going to speak for. >> robin, who are at headquarters? >> that's right, larry. >> which headquarters? >> black headquarters. it's so critical to be recognized by our own. when someone comes up to me and says i love your sketch. i say thank you, because i made it for you. i made it for you! that's not some sort of weird compliment. it's just, i literally made a black lady sketch. there is no confusion for who this is for and who it's by. all of us have been grinding. ryan. >> i'm curious about your experience as a woman in hollywood. >> this is going to be an honest conversation. i do want to keep my corporate overlords towards happy. yours a subscription based, minds a whole network television. it's a whole other thing. they get me to cook, clean, drive the bus to work, we do it. i have to say something deeply personal, because not only are we birthday twins, robin and i had lunch. robin and i had lunch. it was a number of years ago. >> about 75 years. >> it felt like we were children. i don't know about you, but it just felt like this mountain. it was a bad day for me. we're gonna refund you. when i want to do is -- and i'm just like, i just had an addition for another one. and it was like, it was that moment that we had that stayed with me. >> when i met you, your husband was just a lowly -- no, he wasn't. he was a wonderful man, but i don't know. you know what, i'm not gonna bring that up. >> bring it up. bring it up. >> i feel like sterling is incredible. first of all, as human being. as an actor. i feel like, it is difficult for black women to get the same amount of shine. is that something you all discuss? >> we do. i say to him -- i told him once, black women stand alone. as much as you love me and have loved me, i have stood alone. he will joke. something will happen because black women stand alone. yes, we do. i said, you have no idea, like, how lonely it is sometimes. >> my mother would say to me, come. you may be the first to do many things. make sure not the last. >> we keep hearing about showing up as a black woman, as yourself, it's just revolutionary. >> i wear this here for a reason. it makes white supremacists so damn mad. waxed. natural. sensitive. new dove ultimate antiperspirant. our unique water based formula and 6x more glycerin. helps restore skin to its best condition. new dove ultimate. at adp, we use data-driven insights to design hr solutions to provide flexible pay options and greater workforce visibility today, so you can have more success tomorrow. ♪ one thing leads to another, yeah, yeah ♪ (man) [whispering] what's going on? 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(soft music) here? >> yeah. >> come on, now. comatose to this? >> we have all been in the struggle. >> how do we get our hair and makeup together? back in the news business, with your beautiful hair, it would not have been allowed even five years ago. i want renegade last year, wearing every kind of braid style. >> we. now >> writes? reince? >> i'm gonna tell you but i did. i'm gonna tell you when i did it. when that -- i'm gonna wear all the different kinds of braids. >> you went rogue. >> i went rogue. >> i had a whole situation. this is how it always works, right? people are like, did you see choices here? >> can i just -- i worked on the show and that person shall remain nameless, but they are very famous. he had it in his contract that if you were a black woman, he was not responsible for your hair. this was a very famous -- >> names. name names. >> take it to us. later take it to us later. >> for all of you, every single one of our businesses, we've had to deal with our hair being fired, fallen out. for someone who didn't know how to do us. we couldn't have a black and hair and makeup team. >> foundation shades? >> right? >> when you're not a celebrity in this way, this is a new thing being thrust into the spotlight. so, when you're a social justice person, they don't care how they make us at all. i have been in places where they handed me powder. >> and probably the wrong powder. >> white powder. i'm not a clown. >> and you need a professional makeup artist. >> i go on tv and i'm like, i'm a damn menace. i've been traumatized. >> as will step. eric the hair is like that. and they're done. >> from four years ago, i'm gonna tell you this. the time cover. i never told the story. they called me three days before. and said, can you come in to do a photo shoot. not they're not telling me the cover. bring a yellow shirt and blue shirt. out of my closet. >> wow. >> no wardrobe, no nothing. i grab a yellow shirt, probably short. i came downtown. >> good lord. >> i'm just thinking, it's going to be a little picture like, whatever. i get to the place, my braids weren't fresh. i'm like, come on. come on. i had three days. i could have taken my braids out. my braids wasn't fresh. my brains are always fresh. i would flush them myself. >> right. >> i get to the place, i get there. i just take the shoot like normal. they make this the cover of the magazine. >> can i tell you this, but i think people misunderstand is that this is not -- >> vanity. >> vanity. it's not a deeper moment. as black women, every single thing about us is politicized and criminalized. right? as we're having this conversation about black hair, and i know everyone keep saying that we're in the midst of a national reckoning. i'm still waiting for that. i honestly think that is more accurate, it's an awakening. the awakening for me is being cut up and black lives, when it's in their pockets. when we recently passed the crowned out, this is banning race based -- race based -- fraud that which i was able to keep my composure. for the many offensive things that were said. one person across the aisle was the bad hair bill. very much makes the case for what we're talking about. people get it wrong when they think that the crown that is just about her. the crown that is about black supremacy. how a show up in the world is distracted in that in itself. 7 million people living with alopecia. as a black woman, i where -- i have black alopecia to tell us. my husband reminded me i don't need her to rock a crown. >> i made my daughter watched that video when you made that decision. i do feel it was so powerful for us. >> my voice have become such as synonymous and completed part of, not only my personal identity and how i shop in the world, but my political brand. that is why i think it is important that i'm transparent about this new normal and living with alopecia. >> i wear this here for a reason. it makes -- it makes white person supremacist so damp met. listen, they don't think someone like this should work up in new york times and be on television. every time i go and speak, black hills are like, i didn't know i could be succ