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Higher Learning with Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay

Melania the "Trophy Wife," Nicki’s MAGA Turn, and Black Prestige Media With Ashley Allison

Higher Learning with Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay

The Ringer

Society & Culture

4.711.5K Ratings

🗓️ 30 January 2026

⏱️ 137 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Van and Rachel discuss the documentary ‘Melania’ before reacting to Nicki Minaj’s appearance at a Trump event and the congressional fight over DHS. Plus, Ashley Allison, owner of The Root, joins to discuss the importance of Black media. (0:00) Black Panther Party (14:53) The ‘Melania’ movie (27:47) Nicki Minaj and Trump (52:26) Congress's fight over DHS (1:18:27) Ashley Allison joins the show (2:10:16) Ray J’s health Hosts: Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay Guest: Ashley Allison Producers: Donnie Beacham Jr. and Jade Whaley Social Producer: Bernard Moore Video Supervision: Chris Thomas Vote here for the NAACP Image Awards: vote.naacpimageawards.net Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Yo, yo, yo, thought warriors.

0:10.0

What is up?

0:11.0

How you learning is on and Zyvan Lakefield Jr.

0:13.1

And it's me, Rachel and Lindsay.

0:15.3

Um, I think I like the Bay.

0:19.8

Why?

0:54.2

I like the Bay a lot Why? You know what I'm talking about the Bay? San Francisco? Well, the Bay Area? The Bay Area, the whole area. San Francisco, Oakland, Vallejo. Have you even been up there? A lot. I used to go up there a lot. But I haven't been talking about the bay. Let me tell you what happened with the bay. Okay. I'm starting off with the bay here. First of all, like, comment, subscribe, share. Higher learning is on the upswing, but it'll swing up more when you guys share it to more people. Share it around. Also vote in AACP. We're going to start putting out the links and stuff like that. Vote for the NAACP Award. Vote, vote, vote, vote, vote. Do it please. We appreciate you guys. We love you guys. The Bay. Okay. And you're not even going to Super Bowl. I'm not. So you don't love it that much. Well, I got to stay here because the AFCO Awards. Oh, yes. And so shout out to Gil Robertson from the AFCO Awards. We were supposed to be producing a award. You saw me in the last minute I was already going. You said fuck them. I did not. I wrote Gil. I told him I was going to be out of town.

1:28.8

Gil hit me. Gil was like, who she thinks she is.

1:32.8

We wanted her to be a presenter at the Black Award show. Who she thinks she is?

1:38.0

They told me the last minute. I really would have loved to. Such an honor to be asked,

1:43.1

which is what I told Gil.

1:44.5

Yeah.

1:45.5

Gill is like one of the most important, important men in Hollywood.

1:49.2

Whatever Gil wants, we'll do it.

1:51.9

The Bay.

1:52.9

The Bay.

1:53.9

So there's one person who ruined the Bay for me.

1:58.2

Okay.

1:58.7

So it's ruined now.

1:59.9

No.

2:03.2

It's not ruined, it's the point.

2:07.5

There's a guy named Graham Drake, okay?

...

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