3/23/26 7PM: Health, History & Hard Truths

This is the truth unfiltered with Denise Thomas and Dr. Ken Harris.

We live in a country that is based on capitalism.

True.

I travel all around the world, Dr. Ken, and when I tell you, based on my experiences,

this is like the number one country that cares like everything is about money.

Everything I've told people in the past.

You have to be careful of what you complain about and what you use as a tool

because other people will take it and use it in the wrong way.

Live at the Avenue.

Here's Denise Thomas and Dr. Ken Harris.

And it's our two.

We're just me and you.

Who do you think you are?

Oh baby.

You seem to give me layoffs, Dr. Ken.

I try.

I try.

Just me and you.

I try.

I try.

Tony.

Tony.

So before the break and for those that are just tuning in, thank you so much.

You were listening again to Truth and Filter with Dr. Ken Harris and your girl,

DT, the Effective Communication Coach.

We were talking about who was known as a civil rights activist, labor activist,

who did a lot of work for the United Farmers Workers.

Recently, there have been three women that have publicly came out alleging sexual abuse

by Caesar Chavez.

And what we're witnessing right now, as far as I'm concerned, is it's not history being erased.

It's history being examined more fully.

And the question that we have to ask ourselves when we read these types of headlines,

because Caesar Chavez is not the first notable leader that the legacy was potentially compromised

by sexual abuse allegations.

So the question that I have to ask myself, and I'm wanting to hear your thoughts, Dr. Ken,

as well as our valued listeners, are we willing to hold both Truth and Impact at the same time?

Because when we first started talking about this, I was like, I'm getting tired of these headlines.

Because on one hand, you're going to have people that feel that this is a necessary accountability.

Then you're going to have others that feel it's erasing cultural icons.

And I can say that this was a big argument when sexual abuse allegations came out about Dr. Bill Cosby, Michael Jackson,

and even recently, Sean Diddy Combs.

And so for a lot of people in the black community, it was, is this necessary?

Yes.

Or it's just another attempt to erase an icon.

Now, both reactions are real.

And it's exactly why we have to talk about this and fill to the truth.

But my question to you, Dr. Ken, is because it's not just about Caesar Chavez.

Again, there's a number of notable leaders, both alive and unalive, that I've had to deal with these accusations.

Is it about who we choose to honor?

Why we choose to honor them and what standards we hold moving forward?

Because leadership for my lens is not just about what you built, what you led, what you conquered.

But it's also about what you stand for completely.

J. Edgar Hoover released audio recordings of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

And what sounded as though married extramarital fairs.

And I'm bringing that up because I just find it interesting that leadership is often celebrated based on the impact of the person's actions.

But is it time that we start talking about not just what you advocate for in the public, but how you move, how you, your ethics, your integrity, how you treat women.

Women and children because most of the leaders that are highly regarded are men in this country, in this world.

So I just want to just lead with that and get your viewpoint on that, Dr. Ken.

Well, it raises a couple of questions.

Can bad people do good things and if bad people do good things, does it diminish the good?

I think we spend too much time taking a broad brush.

When in fact, I think each individual case is has to stand on its own merit, has to stand on its own evidence.

And we need to afford everybody.

If we're going to go criminal, we've got to hold it to that standard.

If we're going to go reputation, I don't know.

People can accuse you of anything.

And we have to have a society where if someone accuses Denise Thomas and Dr. Ken of doing X, they need to have proof.

There shouldn't be social media.

Oh, my God, did you hear about it?

And it just gets pushed and people accept that it's true and it may not be.

There needs to be some level of evidence.

It looks like the New York Times did their homework and they got corroboration of the incidence from numerous people.

Not just the three, but even other survivors.

So with that, I'm okay.

The Martin Luther King thing, Motive doesn't matter, but it was...

I'm trying to think of how I can say that.

Well, that doesn't matter.

It was fairly well known that Martin Luther King liked extra women other than his wife.

It was known.

The question afterwards is one, it wasn't criminal.

Well, not question, statement.

It wasn't criminal.

And does what he did with women who you don't know.

And you still have...

Well, you have the recorded proof from the FBI, co-entail.

Does that erase the significant impact he had on American and international society throughout his life?

I say no because the people that are judging him, Jay Agahoevar,

was wildly flawed.

I think we should be known by our work.

Say what?

I thought you were going to say fluid.

Yeah, wildly flawed.

I'm not going to leave it up there.

I'm going to...

He was lost.

He was lost forever.

He was blowing.

He had a male lover.

It's 2026.

It was what it was and it is what it is.

Right.

And so, at some point, do we make...

I don't think your flaws should dictate...

Should erase your good.

The good that Cesar Chavez did should not be erased by the animal...

I can't say all those words on the air because, you know...

But at some point, I have no problem with him removing his name and removing his statue

and taking down the street name and all that because what he did, he did.

Now, had he been like that with women?

And grown women said that?

I would have been, okay, let's get more evidence.

Let's get more of this.

Let's do that before we just completely 100% cancel him.

12-year-old?

I might...

I might...

Yeah.

That...

That's not even a lie.

Like, that's something that ought to never even enter your mind.

That is...

That is, he's in predator-type territory.

I think the problem...

And I was initially going to respond that I disagree with your viewpoint of...

The allegations shouldn't erase the work and the impact of notable leaders like Cesar Chavez.

I'm not going to say I disagree.

I will say this because, again, I don't know what it's like to be a survivor of sexual abuse as a minor.

And so, it would be very disrespectful for me to speak on something that I haven't experienced.

I will say that raising to children as a single parent...

I had very explicit conversations with both my children, my son and my daughter about abuse and what to do.

God forbid if it were to happen.

Because I think also in a number of communities...

It's traditionally...

And I'm not saying because I'm far removed from being a parent, modern-day parent.

But I know growing up in the 80s and 90s...

I'm a 76er, so my formative and socialization years...

Primarily took place between the 80s and the 90s decades.

And there were a lot of secrets.

And there was a lot of... You don't talk about that.

Right. Right.

And so, for a number of people that say, why are these women...

Or why are these people coming out decades later after the alleged abuse took place...

Please know that many people that come from that time...

And I'm talking like pre...

I'd say pre-2000, correct me if I'm wrong...

We're conditioned to be quiet, even if you were sexually abused.

Like literally...

We don't talk about that.

Well, how come...

How come uncle so-and-so...

That ain't really your uncle.

Or how come...

And you know, it's like...

We have to stop this mindset of...

You don't talk about that.

Especially when it's certain individuals at certain levels.

Now, now watch this.

Had it been somebody outside the family that did that to your kid...

You would be marching up to the police station and calling everybody...

But the...

I don't know what's worse.

Are you protecting the family member?

Or your kid?

That's a strange.

One of our valued listeners...

I'll be citing unlimited talk and text line...

Which is 855-616-1620...

Said that the abuse is all about power and control.

Too many women were afraid to speak up regarding Caesar Chavez.

Same thing is happening with Trump.

So that...

So does that mean that after he dies, he'll finally be held accountable?

Now, do you want me to give you my politically correct response?

Or do you want to give me the D.T.?

Truth and filter response.

You can give it to us after the break.

But I want the D.T. response.

I don't want the politically correct.

Of course you do.

Alright, I'll give you the D.T. response we come back from break.

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We've got Dr. Kahn.

We've got Evan.

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Welcome back to the Truth on Filtered.

You're listening to Truth on Filtered, your host.

Denise Thomas, Dr. Kahn Harris.

But I was the second voice.

Denise Thomas doesn't have a deep voice like this.

855-616-1620 is a citing unlimited WTMJ talk and text line.

262-902 said Denise is 100% correct.

We are not supposed to speak about abuse back in the day.

And most of the time, we weren't believed anyway.

Man, that's the truth.

And as for Dr. Kahn, I also agree that what he did with other women doesn't necessarily affect what he was trying to do for the good of the people, especially if it was consenting adults.

For Chavez, if it's true about kids, that will affect the impact.

I think it should change the impact.

For me, you don't get to be a notable, highly regarded leader in sexually abused or any abuse for that matter.

Others, especially those that are close to you that admire you, work for you, that's not leadership.

You don't get to do that.

And the power is one of our valued listeners had shared on the citing unlimited talk and text line.

855-616-1620 is about power and control.

And sometimes leaders don't want to lead based on impact.

They want to lead based on having power and being able to control.

And they hide behind the title.

And I'm not saying this to be sarcastic, but they abuse their power.

That is true.

Which that's not leadership.

That's like dictatorship.

Because you know the influence that you have.

And so while progress is happening for the general public, that does not give you the right to abuse children, minors, women, behind the scenes.

Leadership is consistently led with integrity and a code of ethics.

And so your impact, that's not enough for me.

You don't get to say, well look what I did for all these people.

But yeah, I had sex with a 12-year-old.

That's not how leadership works.

Well, remember you got Roman Polanski, who left America to not be, you know, the film director.

Left America so that he wouldn't be prosecuted for having sex with minors.

And there wasn't a big blow up about that.

They reported it, and it kind of...

I think people in general need to understand, especially those that identify as younger millennials or genders.

Because today, those generations are seeing allegations like the allegations made against Caesar Chavez.

They're seeing it taken more seriously.

They're seeing actions, reactions, I should say, faster reactions like the removal of statues and holidays.

And the current perspective and view of accountability and values is definitely taken more seriously than it was.

Because again, as I said before, if you grew up pre-2000, we can all relate to secrets.

How come...

How come so-and-so kid doesn't talk to...

Yeah, because they don't claim that...

I mean, it was so many secrets.

I could literally do a whole show.

So again, truth number one.

Caesar Chavez made significant contributions to labor rights and advocacy.

That's truth number one.

Truth number two is that these allegations, if they are true, represent an even more serious harm that cannot work.

That's how I feel about it. If they are true, that is my truth unfiltered perspective.

And will it destroy his legacy?

Destroy is a very strong word.

But is it accurate?

Because that's the heart of it. That's where people... that's where it gets divided.

Because is it about destroying the legacy of Caesar Chavez?

Or is it more so about protecting these women that are coming out?

From being scrutinized, from being threatened?

And saying an example for others.

What's this? I say no to both.

You know what I think it's about?

It's about justice.

Period. And if you pursue justice, then you get to the bottom of it and you get the interviews and you look at what it was that happened and you verify it.

And you allow either an independent lab or an independent... I don't know how you would do it.

An independent investigatory body, something to come in, do the interview, do the forensic interviews, you would do with a victim of a sexual assault and publish a report.

Then it's definitive and if it's found, which I'm 99% sure it'll be found credible, cancel everything.

Period. End of story. And they get justice. They get believed.

If we just gave everybody the same justice or pursuit of justice, this just sickens me.

I think the bottom line is society is redefining leadership and accountability.

Because again, I come from the time where your achievements overshadow your behavior.

I come from a time where power protected people from scrutiny.

And that is changing.

And so I'm just at a point now where I can't publicly celebrate someone

if part of their history or their private history involves harming others.

And in this case, allegations of sexual abuse.

So if they are found to be true, which again, see, that's nothing I struggle with because he can't defend himself.

He's no longer here.

So many things that's why it's like, we have to start again.

Stop this.

That's a powerful person.

Because that's what ultimately happened.

The only reason why Diddy Sean comes is in jail.

It's not because of the allegations of abuse.

It's because he accused a former business partner of being racist.

And so they were like, oh, we're going to play that game.

I got a video. I'm keeping it in my back pocket.

Here's seeing it in here, TMZ.

Here you go.

Yep.

Yeah.

Absolutely.

And that has to stop.

Yes, it does.

When we come back, this show is going by so fast.

And thank to all of our thank you to all of our listeners.

When we come back, there's a new headline.

And Dr. Ken, I know someone like you who was very health conscious

and stays in shape and navigates any of these underlying health issues,

especially impact black men in America.

We come back.

We're going to talk about closing the cardiovascular care gap.

And there is innovations taking place in healthcare

towards the health progress of black America.

Let's first dig into what these cardiovascular issues are.

And what the solutions that are now coming into the pipeline

as we no longer have affordable healthcare.

But anyway, I digress.

To the truth on filter with Dr. Ken Harris and your girl,

DT Denise Thomas, the effective communication coach on 620 TMJ.

We'll be back.

You're listening to the truth on filtered.

Sighting in limited WTMJ tucking text line is a 556161620.

There's an article from the Grille.

Closing the cardiovascular care gap, how science and innovation,

power, healthcare progress in black America.

Being a black male, there are certain health maladies.

I'll call them that we have to watch out for.

And one of them is hypertension, high blood pressure.

The other one is diabetes.

I have to watch mine because I'm technically pre-diabetic.

So I have to watch my sugar intake and what I eat.

And I can't, I'm not like Denise.

I can't go out and vibrate because Brad turns to sugar.

I can't eat certain things a lot.

I have to watch how I eat.

But there's a great study that Denise is going to talk about.

There's a phenomenal doctor.

If you haven't followed Alana Morris Simon, she is absolutely phenomenal.

I'm interested in hearing what you think about it, Denise,

because you know black males are impacted by health more than any other group of people on the face of the earth.

Yes, absolutely.

And cardiovascular disease is the number one.

And I'm going to use this word because that's, that's just the unfiltered truth.

It's the number one killer.

And 60% of black men in this country suffer or have been diagnosed with some degree or level of cardio.

Vascular disease.

Again, heart disease is the leading cause of death in this country.

Now, where it gets interesting, again, is the gap in outcomes in black communities.

And what we know, let's just back up and start with this because we know what contributes to heart disease.

Diet, that's number one.

Exercise, smoking.

And this is not a fact, but I'm going to go ahead and put this up there with diet and that stress management.

Black men manage so much stress because when you leave your house,

you are no longer the man of your house.

You're no longer the leader.

You are now generally speaking seen as a threat or a terrorist or a criminal.

And then when you come back home after a long day of work, then you got to be dead, husband, and navigate through the personal problems.

And I know many of us are thinking, well, Denise, I'm not a black man, but I have stress too.

I promise you, I promise you as a child of a black man, a woman who has raised a black man, and a woman who has dated, been married, hung around, worked with.

That's a whole other type of stress.

It's a whole other type of stress.

So when you are navigating all of those realities.

Access to quality healthcare matters.

Don't give me wrong.

A lot of it is personal choice.

Correct.

Like you can eat 10 chicken wings.

Is that a conservative number for Ken or is it like 20?

What's the average order of wings in one sitting?

816.

16.

So you can't fall on this stress if you're not controlling something that you have.

We do not have access to quality healthcare.

We definitely don't have the community affordable, healthy food options.

And we definitely as a community, generally speaking, have safe environments for exercise.

But we do have a personal responsibility without certain access to make better choices.

And so I'm going to ask you this.

Dr. Ken, you know what I'm saying?

If someone knows better, they do better.

So if we know better and we don't do better, and this is kind of a rhetorical question, who's responsible?

I am.

The person that doesn't do better is responsible.

So if we actually, as a society, improved here in America, if we improved access to quality healthcare,

do you think that behaviors would actually change?

People would, would, would differently.

Well, being on truth unfiltered, I have to say no.

I have to say no.

I think culture, we get good now, y'all.

I think my next question, Dr. Ken.

Okay.

Is if you had to choose a side to be on.

And this question, I'm going to ask our listeners as well.

Is this more perponsibility or system responsibility in terms of what's impacted your health more?

Is it, has it been your choices?

Or your environment?

What, what's one barrier that makes it harder for you to prioritize your health?

Well, I don't know if it's either or because they're not, they're not separated where I can, you know, right?

I have, I'm in my culture, but I'm also in my environment when I'm, you know what I mean?

So I personally think it's both.

I think we, as a culture, have to change what we eat and what we like to eat.

And it's killing us.

And if the system isn't going to do it, then we have to, we have to use those things that we can control to make our lives more meaningful and longer.

That means you exercise, well, I guess I can say you, I exercise, I eat right, I avoid certain things.

I literally plan when I'm going to fall off the wagon and eat sweets.

No, I need protein before I eat sweets so they can absorb some of the, like I have to follow what my dietician said because the system and the studies and all those aren't geared to take into account the, the metabolism that black people have that people love to use.

We're only a half a percent of, you know, difference.

Bottom line is we're different.

And our bodies absorb foods differently and we absorb a lot of other things culturally.

And in order to stay alive, we have to make changes.

And if the system isn't going to change and if it's not going to help us, we have to help ourselves.

Let me just say this, I'm going to share this and thank you for sharing that, Dr. Ken.

I have to share this before I respond to give some of our non black listeners some, some context here, okay?

Because I've heard, I've heard a variety of stereotypes as well as some that are, that are actual.

So let me just start with the history.

So during slavery in America, the enslaved people were often given the least desirable cuts of the meat.

For example, pigs and testants, which are commonly referred to as chitlins or chitterlings.

We didn't have all these ingredients.

So what they would do is take the pigs feet, the ham hocks, the chitterlings or chitlins and ears.

I'm sorry.

And the ears, don't forget the ears.

See, this was all the least desirable, the leftovers, the bottom of the barrel that was given slaves to eat.

So slaves basically turned, let me, let me use a more powerful one.

Black slaves transform scraps into nourishment and flavor.

That's why when you eat food, cooked by black folks, that's why it tastes so good.

Because my ancestor had to take again the pigs feet, the pigs ears, the ham hocks, the chitlins and use, what's the word, not molasses.

Was it molasses, Dr. Ken?

I think it was molasses.

Okay.

As seasoning and then pear that with the food that we had access to in terms of vegetables like mustard greens, turn up greens, collard greens, cornbread.

It was innovation under oppression.

So after slavery ended, these became food traditions.

So they stayed within the black family.

They became central to Sunday dinners and community gatherings and it represented cultural pride.

So so food became a way to say we survived and we created something beautiful out of scraps.

Now fast forward.

The same fried chicken collard greens, mac and cheese, candy, yams, cornbread, and black eyed peas.

It's not healthy.

And we do have access to healthier foods in terms of choices.

So a lot of times the trajectory of, excuse me, the vernacular, not trajectory, but the vernacular that's used as soul food is a comfort food.

It is a reflection of historical inequity, but it is also a major contributing factor in the health impacts because it has high sodium, high fat.

Yep.

And so when I go home for the holidays, Dr. Ken, a lot of my family are here, here come healthy to these.

Everybody put up the chip.

You're right.

I don't want to eat that food.

But the problem is what they eat during the holiday.

And I know we got to take a break.

What they eat during the holiday?

They eat other bad stuff throughout the year.

That's what I'm saying.

Every Sunday, my grandmother with fried chicken.

I'm talking about the fried chicken you put in the brown paper bag with the flour and shake it.

And then put it in that big old skill with all that, that lard lard.

There you go.

I love all the deer white listeners.

They're probably like, now what?

What's happening?

Yeah.

This is a black history lesson in March.

You talk about something that was just inherently cholesterol generating.

Fat.

Anyway.

I don't want my black listeners.

No, I want to eat some good old fried chicken.

I will eat some collard greens, yams, all that good stuff.

I'm just not eating that every day.

There you go.

Starting a limited WTMJ talking text line is a 556161 620.

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Welcome back to the truce unfiltered.

Just like new.

To relax my mind so I can be free.

It's a bizarre sound that keeps me round doing my day.

856161620 is the setting limited WTMJ talking text line.

Denise Thomas, I'm Dr. Kim Harris.

When it looked up, what is lard made from?

So my grandmother, God rest her soul, ate lard every day.

She lived to be 97 years old.

Now, when you talk about a person having a constitution, a strong constitution, she had one.

Not just the fact that she lived to 97, but the fact that she cooked with lard every day.

Lard is, now Denise, I want you to, as I read, feel free to expound on what I'm saying.

Scream if necessary.

100% rendered pig fat produced by melting down fatty tissue, typically from the pig's kidneys,

back or belly and separating it from the meat.

The white, solid, fat composed of saturated and unsaturated fats is used for frying, roasting and creating flaky pastries.

Pig fat.

Pig fat.

I literally just vomited in my mouth, like literally, like it's just like.

It has to be the most disgusting thing I have ever heard in my life.

Pig fat.

One of the most disgusting things ever.

So that's what lard is.

Pig fat.

Do they still produce lard?

No.

Is lard still?

Well, I don't know.

Let me, let's find out.

What companies still make lard?

And isn't that what Crisco oil was?

This was a sophisticated version of lard?

It was a, well, let me ask that too.

Is Crisco lard?

And then my final question is...

No, it's not.

Crisco is a brand of vegetable-based shortening made from hydrogenated vegetables, soybean, palm and cut and seed.

But you could still buy it at Walmart, lard and Crisco.

I can say this to you with my right hand up.

I don't use salt.

Now, if I go out to eat and salt is in it, I can't control that.

But as far as my house, I don't eat a lot of salty foods.

I don't put salt on my food.

I'm an air fryer girl all day long.

That's how you make your popcorn too?

No, I eat skate pop.

Okay.

I don't, I'm seriously, I don't fry any food that I eat.

Even when I go out to eat, I don't order fried catfish.

I order grilled catfish.

And the reason is, because I know it sounds a little bit snooty.

Bottom line is that I want to live just as long as your grandmother and my grandmother.

My grandmother lived to be 105 years old.

She was too much shy of her 106th birthday when she went on to glory.

And I want to be able to live.

I don't know what I'm not, you know, I don't know the last day, but I do know this.

I'm going to go out healthy.

I'm going to go out fighting.

I told you.

I just told that I have, I'm in the physical shape of a 36 year old.

Okay.

But you only 37.

So what's that about?

Bless you.

Bless you.

See how I don't do you like you do me?

Oh, Lord.

I don't eat lard either or crisco.

We don't, and that's one thing my family gets mad at me.

Because I'm like, you know, we don't have to eat this food anymore.

Right.

This is history.

You make more than enough money not to eat this nonsense.

Yeah.

And here's the thing.

Again, eating holidays every once in a while.

But every day, even every Sunday, that's 52,000.

Pigs.

Yeah, I can't even, ugh.

Wow.

I'm going back to the original point.

Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in this country.

60% 60% of black Americans die.

So that means out of every 10 black Americans, six of us are dying due to cardiovascular disease.

Yeah.

And I just refuse.

I want to say something, but I'm not.

I might share it.

We're on air next week.

I'm going to pray on whether I want to share that publicly, but I will just say this.

I may not be able to control whether or not the affordable care is demolished.

But I can't control the choices that I make in terms of my diet.

And I'll leave it at that.

There you go.

And that's the only thing you can do.

The only person you're responsible for is you.

Is your health?

Yep.

It's your wealth.

Yep.

You can literally have $20 billion in your bank account.

But if you're unhealthy, it means nothing.

If you can't get out the bed to go spend it, it doesn't matter.

If you can't enjoy it on a trip, sit with Denise in first class, it doesn't matter.

Sit next to the 36 year old.

When you feel like you are 106.

You're making me smile, Dr. Ken, because you know, I'm less than two months away.

You know that right?

The milestone.

I'm less than two months away.

It ain't going to be, man.

Because if you're going to make everybody feel bad and be like,

yep, I feel, I don't know.

How many years younger?

Yeah, that's, that's, yeah, that's not going to go over well.

So I hope you got it.

Here's your.

Yep.

Yep.

You go.

And if you're watching us as we're streaming live on X formerly known as Twitter and YouTube,

the, the crows feet.

They're here.

See Dr. Ken, look at them.

The crows feet are here.

That's wisdom.

That's wisdom.

That's wisdom.

That's wisdom.

But I will not succumb due to bad choices that I hope.

That's right.

All right.

Denise Thomas, Dr. Ken Harris.

Thank you, Evan.

Appreciate you for this evening.

Want to say thank you to all of you who hit us on the talking text line.

855-616-1620, the citing unlimited WTMJ talking text line.

Are we coming back here next week?

We'll be back next week.

Have a great week.

Stay warm.

Oh, this is for people here.

Stay warm.

Denise, I ain't really feeling that 95 degrees.

So I ain't.

All right.

Take care and I'll see you next week.