Transcript: Mayor Adams Hosts “Hear From the Mayor” Radio Show

January 14, 2024

Gary Byrd: Well, good morning. Sunday from 107.5 WBLS. Don't sleep the weather, we've got storm dynamics that are happening next week and some extra cold weather to look out for. We move easy like Sunday morning, and this morning in a special way at halftime.

He's the 110th mayor in the history of New York City and he made a decision that you don't have to hear about what he's doing from the outside, so once a month he joins us right here at 107.5 WBLS, every second Sunday, for you to hear directly from him on his program Hear From the Mayor. And it's a chance for the mayor also to hear from you.

It's a pleasure and an honor to welcome our brother, the 110th mayor of New York City known as the hip hop mayor, the most Honorable Eric Adams. Eric, good morning and welcome.

Mayor Eric Adams: Thank you. Thank you, Brother. Always good being on with you. And you know, yesterday I was on with DJ S1, and it's amazing how this station is really crossing all barriers to allow people to communicate not only on politics; music, conversation, discussion— this is what we need.

So, to all of you out there, welcome back to another episode of Hear From the Mayor. I'm your Mayor, Eric Adams, and if this is your first time tuning in, the purpose of this show is to do just that: is to hear from each other, and I want to hear from you.

So, listeners should give me a call and hear directly from your mayor on what we are doing to build a better New York City. You can sign up to hear more from me visiting nyc.gov/hearfromeric. You can sign up also on our website, textwitheric. You can talk with me on WhatsApp and listen to my Get Stuff Done podcast. But for today, you can feel free to dial in to (212) 545‑1075. (212) 545‑1075.

And you know, before we get to our show today, I want to, you know, just give people a weather advisory that we are having right now in the city, it just doesn't seem like it's get enough after all of that rain. We have a weather advisory in effect this afternoon due to potential snow squalls expected.

These squalls could lead to rapid reduction in visibility, gusty winds and brief moderate or heavy snow. So, it's able to create a real hazard if you hit in the area. That's a new word for me too, folks, squalls. You know, this is like this heavy gust of snow that hits an area.

So, the peak of this is expected to be between 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. Despite the fact that these are short durations, these squalls can be intense and lead to poor visibility on the road. So, there's a chance for about a half inch of snow in some areas with 40 to 45 miles per hour wind gusts occurring for a short duration.

And so any New Yorker who's in an area that the National Weather Service snow squall warning is issued should try to stay off the road. If you have to drive, drive with caution; and again, just be real careful as always.

And as always, we encourage everyone to sign up to NotifyNYC at nyc.gov/notify to get stay informed of the latest weather information. So, as I stated, really, really excited today. I have, you know, his last book states, the last of the lions, the amazing, amazing Brother Dr. Clarence Jones.

You know, as we celebrate the life and time of Dr. King, we must realize the assassin's bullet may have taken his physical being from us, but his spiritual being is with us, and those who soldiered with him are still here to share just the inner conversation of what it's like to have lived among this period of time when Dr. King was shaping and changing America.

And Dr. Clarence Jones is one of them. He served as a legal counsel, strategic advisor and draft speechwriter to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., from 1960 into King's assassination in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4th, 1968. Vanity Fair called him the man who kept King's secrets. That's a powerful title. I guess, 

Gary, you're going to be the man that keeps Eric's secrets, you know? [Laughter.]

Byrd: Exactly, exactly.

Mayor Adams: And so during that time, Dr. King depending on Dr. Jones for legal and strategic counsel and assistance in drafting landmark speeches and public testimony. He is credited with writing the first seven paragraphs of the iconic I Have a Dream speech. And Dr. Jones currently serves as the chairman of the Spill the Honey Foundation, an organization dedicated to Black and Jewish relationships.

And so I just want to just open the mic. He has a new book out, you know, which is amazing, "Last of the Lions, An African American Journey and Memoir” by Dr. Clarence B. Jones. Doctor, thank you for being here today. And you know, back then men always dressed dapper, and you as dapper as could be this morning.

Dr. Clarence B. Jones: Thank you. Thank you so much. This is very moving for me, first of all. I mean, I'm [honored] to be here, to be here a day before, tomorrow will be the 95th birthday of my beloved brother Martin Luther King, Jr. I...it's very, it's very moving.

You know, by the way, you know, the title for my last book comes from an African proverb which says if surviving lions don't tell their stories, the hunters will get all the credit.

Byrd: Mmm. Hello.

Dr. Jones: You understand what I'm sayin'?

Byrd: Yeah. Yeah.

Dr. Jones: So, I thought to myself, I'm fortunate enough to be a surviving lion, and I'm not going to let the hunters tell our stories.

Byrd: Mm‑hmm.

Dr. Jones: You understand?

Byrd: Yep.

Dr. Jones: Now, one of the baddest lions walking in the jungle was Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. Fearless. Afraid. Hmm, sounds like a contradiction, right? Fearless! But afraid. Hmm? Okay?

His fearlessness came from his unshakable belief— using his words— in his Lord Jesus Christ. Clarence, meaning me, and the young [C.T. Vivian], you got to stop all this nonsense, you know? And particularly you, Clarence, you've got to, you know, you're so hard on Robert Kennedy and the FBI, they can't protect me!

And sometimes you're going to make me angry, you know? If you...you know, don't take out all your anger on the Attorney General, you know? I've told you any number of times attorney general of the United States can't protect me, you understand? Because I'm under the protection of my Lord Jesus Christ.

Now in layman's terms, I know this is a Sunday and I'm not trying to preach to anybody because I'm just [inaudible], I'm telling you in layman's terms that everybody can understand, okay?

Now, you know, in our culture, in Black culture, you know, there's something to do with, supposed to be so bad, this...you know, the swagger. Let me tell you something. People who can hear my voice, I've lived long enough, I just had my 93rd birthday last Monday, right?

Mayor Adams: Wow, love it, love it.

Byrd: Wow.

Dr. Jones: No, no, no, no, no, no, no. I'm just, I've been, I've been around, I've been in the United States military, I was in the Korean war. I mean, I've seen it. Those of you who know about the Attica, I was at the center of the Attica prison riots. So I know, I mean, I've been in the United States military and so forth.

Believe me when I tell you in my life experience, that man, Martin Luther King, Jr., may have looked humbly, he may have looked just ordinary, but he without a doubt was the baddest...I know it's Sunday, so I'll have to use words, symbolic language, that the people in the street will understand. He's the baddest MF walking the streets! You understand what I'm saying?

Mayor Adams: Yes. Tell me something, Dr. Jones, you know, because we know that he also founded housing as an important crisis, and you know, here in this administration, you know, when we look at our record here in the spirit of Dr. King, we've created the second highest number of new affordable homes in one year in the history of…

We created the highest number of homes for formerly homeless New Yorkers in history. Connected the most New Yorkers through our housing voucher programs using these vouchers. And we invested in our public housing, something that was important to Dr. King. You know, if you were to look at his legacy, how do we continue this housing legacy of Dr. King?

Dr. Jones: Mr. Mayor, I apologize to you. I am sorry that you had to say what you had to say, because some people might look at that as self-serving. You know, like you're trying to blow your own horn and so forth.

But objectively, even out in California and around the country, I have followed. I followed you, and I say with great admiration, I mean, first of all, I mean, I know you need a little...any mayor has to have some psychiatric advice as to why you would want to be mayor of New York City… [Laughter.]

But having done that, all right, I want to commend you that in this area, you've been... I mean, facts. I'm talking about real facts, I ain't talking about imaginary facts like Donald Trump talks about, you know? I'm talking about real facts.

You've done an extraordinary job. Really extraordinary. And you, and you don't know this, I mean, I'm just saying it, is I am not one to hold my tongue. You understand what I'm saying? I mean, I'm not trying to blow smoke up your behind, you know what I'm saying? I'm just trying to tell the facts. You have a lot to be proud of.

Mayor Adams: You know, that's so important what you said, Dr. Jones, because a lot of people now romanticize the life of Dr. King, but you being on the front line, there were those who didn't see his vision, and he was under a lot of criticism during that time.

Dr. Jones: Oh, absolutely. Oh, there were those who called him, in current language, a jive-ass turkey selling wolf tickets. Those people in my generation, selling wolf tickets, just blowing a lot of wind. Okay?

In current language, now I know there's some bad dudes walking out there in the street with a swagger. I understand that. I used to think... Dr. King used to say to me, Clarence, you come down here from New York with your custom made suits and custom [fitting], you think...he said, you know, you're in Alabama now, Brother!

I said no, he says, no...I said, Martin, I have great respect. The fact of the matter, he's...he had the kind of courage and here again, I'm not trying to, I'm not running for office, I don't need for you to do anything to me, you know what I'm sayin', other than continue to be you. But he would be very proud of you.

Mayor Adams: That's the best, that's a powerful commentary.

Dr. Jones: [Inaudible]. Why would I say be very proud of you? Because you walk in the area of housing where angels seem to tread. Why do I say? You come up to the best of the information I have studied and been advised, you know?

You didn't walk away from it. You went into the lion's den and grabbed it and said, if I have...in fact I have to think that maybe you did it that if I didn't do it it was going to grab me. You know, you understand? If I didn't address the housing issue, if I didn't come up with creative ways, it could take me down. Okay?

And so I commend you first for having the courage of the craziness. [Laughter.]

But just deal with it head on. All right? And I didn't know when I was, you know, on the subject of this program that this we're going to deal with this, but I keep myself, you know, fairly current on what's going on. And I know with this thing with Abbott and Texas and [inaudible] you've got all that stuff to deal with.

But your ongoing day‑to‑day stuff you got to deal with aside from dealing with this crazy nut that sends us people from, you've got to deal with people sleeping on the streets, housing. Okay? And I was, as I was coming up here, coming up the East River Drive, I'm looking up and I'm thinking to myself, oh, my God, this is a Sunday and I'm looking at all these elegant apartment buildings. I'm looking at all this elegant stock of real estate on the East Side. Okay?

That's the, you know, as I said, I went to Julliard School of Music, that's the right side of my ear saying to me. And out of the left side of my ear I'm thinking, but there are people sleeping on the streets.

Mayor Adams: Well, and that's why I was saying…

Dr. Jones: This mayor— I'm talking to you— I know, I don't know, I mean, you don't have to tell me, I'm not dumb, you know. There's no way you can get up every morning, whatever you get up every morning and think about for the first four hours of your day, you have got to think about the question of housing. You've got to think of it, because it's unavoidable.

Mayor Adams: Yes. And you're right, and you know, I like to say it's the precursor to sleep.

Dr. Jones: For your listeners, for your listeners, see, I can't vote, I'm not voting here, so you know, I mean, a mayor can be good for me because I want you to stay the mayor. But I want to commend you, man, because I do not hold my words of criticism. If you were blowing smoke, Brother, I would tell you.

But you're not blowing smoke. You're trying to do the best that you can under very trying circumstances. The only difference I have with you is that I think you're being too non‑violent in dealing with Governor Abbott. That's the only thing I have to deal with you.

Mayor Adams: [Laughter.]

Byrd: Oh, ho, ho...

Mayor Adams: As a non‑violent, oh man. You know, tell me something, Dr. Jones, because you said something that really resonated with me. This is, you know, I have read so many books on not only Dr. King but that era. And my inspiration when I come up, when I wake up and I face as you state, the migrant crisis and so many other issues, I look towards the fact that I'm not picking cotton from sun up to sun down. No one is burning crosses on my front lawn. No one is putting water hoses on me.

You brothers and sisters back then, in spite of all that you were up against both physically and emotionally, you pushed forward. And that's my inspiration. So, no matter what I'm going through, I know what you have gone through.

And where were you when you got word that our leader, Dr. King, was shot in Memphis? Were you in Memphis; or, were you at another location?

Dr. Jones: I was packing, getting ready. It was early April 4th. Earlier in the day, I had had conversations with Dr. King's people letting me, want to know what time I'm going to arrive in Memphis, Tennessee. So, I'm packing to go to the airport. I'm going to go early so I can be there local time Memphis, I'd be...they'd take me right from the airport to about seven o'clock to the Mason Temple.

So, I'm packing, rushing, going, the phone rings and it's Harry Belafonte on the phone. I say, Harry, I said, I'm talking...I said, I can't talk to you now, Harry, I'm in the middle of packing, rushing. He says, well, turn on the television, Martin's been shot. I said, what? I'm in the process of going to the airport. He says, turn on the television, Martin's been shot. He hangs up the phone.

So, I turn on the television, and I'm packing and all the networks, word has just come in, Martin Luther King, Jr., has been shot. Say he's been shot. So, I immediately get on the phone, and I start dialing as fast as I can. You know, people trying to reach somebody in Memphis, because who's going to meet me at the airport and so forth. I can't get through.

So, I'm trying to get, I'm trying to [inaudible] phone rings again. And because I've been on the phone, I haven't been paying attention on the television. I had my back to the television. I've been on the phone. Harry says, have you looked at the television? No. He says, Martin's dead.

I said, what? And then I talked with him over the phone. He said, I said, well, what do you think you should do? And he says, well, you know, I was on the phone recently and Governor Rockefeller has offered to provide us a plane if we want to go down there. And Harry and I talked about that, and I said, well, maybe we better think about what we want to do.

Now, after I hung up the phone, I said to myself, they finally got him. They finally got him.

So, I'm sitting, I just want to say, I'm sitting in the room with James Comey the then director of the FBI, because he asked me the same question: where were you and how did you feel. I said, Mr. Director, they finally got him. And he was asking me about my feelings. I said, well, I don't know how I'm going to...how long I’m going to live.

And then he disclosed to me that 20...what is this, 2024 now, right? He said, in 2025, either 2025 or, I think it's 2025, the Warren Commission report on the Kennedy assassination and the King assassination files are going to be released. So at which point I said to James Comey, then I know I'm going to stay alive. I've got to stay alive to see that, okay?

Mayor Adams: That is, that is powerful. And you know, I know we normally get callers, but I want to suspend the callers. I want to spend as much time as possible speaking to the last of the lions, Dr. Jones. These are real pearls, and we are really blessed to have your narrative. We're going to go to a break, but we want to come back and just hear from you and just continue this conversation.

Dr. Jones: I appreciate it.

Mayor Adams: Dr. Clarence B. Jones, the last of the lions.

Dr. Jones: Thank you, my Brother. Thank you.

[Commercial intermission.]

Byrd: We're back with Brother Eric Adams, hear it from the mayor, from 107.5 WBLS, and his special guest, The Last of the Lions, Dr. Clarence B. Jones.

Mayor Adams: Thank you, Gary. And you know, this is just really a pleasure that we're here and just speaking with the author of the book, The Last of the Lions, An African American and Memoir.

You know, right now you have recommitted yourself to really looking at the relationship between the Black and Jewish experience; and as we were off the air, you were sharing some of those important aspects of it. And you have an organization called Spill the Honey. Can you talk to us a little bit about that?

Dr. Jones: And let me just say Spill the Honey is a nonprofit foundation that I've been honored to be asked to serve as chairman of the board of, and it reflects the commitment founded by a very distinguished woman, Dr. Sherry Rogers, a PhD in psychology. Anyway, she reflects...my working with her just reflects the factual histories.

Let me make a slight departure here. I'll try to speak as quickly as possible [because of] the time. You know, I used to say to Dr. King, Dr. King, I said, Martin, you can go up and jump up and down all you want. We're only 12 percent of the population. Ain't no way that 12 percent of the population, you got 88 percent of the population are white, do something you don't want to do.

So, we have to find a way of how do we reach this 88 percent of the population. So, I'd be with them at different points, different times, and I'd go out and I'd see white people. And I'm, you know, I'm an outward person, aggressive person. So, I see a white person and I ask them directly, why are you with us? And 90 to 95 percent, I would say clearly 90 percent of the responses would go something like this.

Absolutely true. I'm an eyewitness, my ears heard it, I read about it. Attorney Jones, Mr. Jones, you go back and you tell your Dr. King, and you should know, the reason I'm here and the reasons so many of these other people are here, in my case and in their case, we're doing this, I'm doing this because this is what my grandpa and my grandma would want me to do.

So, I'm a little perplexed. You see, Attorney Jones, my grandpa and grandma died in the Holocaust, and this is what they would want me to do. So, I would come back and told Martin, I said, you know, I learned a lot. I said, you know, all white people from a distance, they look alike, they're white. But there's a segment of those white people, they're white, but they are different. And I told him that story.

Now, in the interest of time, everybody, justifiably so, should be proud of the I Have a Dream speech. But you know who spoke immediately before Dr. King? It was Rabbi Joachim Prinz, then President of the American Jewish Congress, a sponsor of the March on Washington.

I urge everybody to go online and see the full text of this speech. But among the things he said— and I'm speaking quickly in the interest of time— he says, when I was a rabbi under, in Germany, under Adolf Hitler, I remember many things. But the thing that…

I remember the hate, I remember this, I remember that. But the thing that I most remember is the silence of the good people. God have mercy. When he said that, that was a come to Jesus moment for me.

Mayor Adams: And you know, and Dr. King alluded to that in one of his speeches, you know, and you know, you see that silence often, so many people sit in their comforts. They realize that their lives are not directly impacted. And not until it's on their block, not until it's in their school, not until it's in their house of worship that they realize it's real.

And that's what we're experiencing right now with the migrant and asylum seekers. You know, as I told New Yorkers, the visualization of this crisis is going to hit our front doors; and although we managed 168,000 that arrived here…

Dr. Jones: To the good people, excuse me, Mr. Mayor. The silence of the good people who do not come forward and support your efforts and what you're trying to do, because they know what's happening is immorally wrong. It's morally an outrage, and you are trying to do the best that you can do with the limited resources.

Now, I'm a non‑violent person. Okay? So, Governor Abbott, if you hear what I'm...you ought to be glad I'm not in Texas, brother. [Laughter.]

Mayor Adams: The last of the lions, Dr. Clarence B. Jones. We were really blessed. We're going to get him on our podcast so we can have a real longer version. But WBLS, I want to thank you for really bringing this history not only in the emotional sense as we celebrate the life and time of Dr. King tomorrow, but bringing this person who walked side by side with him.

And I urge people to read this great book, The Last of the Lions, Dr. Clarence B. Jones. Thank you, Brother. Appreciate you.

Dr. Jones: Thank you. Thank you so much.

Byrd: Well, our thanks to the mayor, of course, Brother Eric Adams. His broadcast Hear from the Mayor comes to WBLS each and every second Sunday at 10:30, halftime inside of IGBE, Imhotep Gary Byrd's Express Yourself. And of course, our thanks to the Last of the Lions, one of the founders of 107.5 WBLS, Dr. Clarence B. Jones.

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