Recently, I was typing up some notes that I had written previously. Because this task didn’t require much mental processing power, I figured I would listen to something while I worked. Rather than reaching for my iPod I chose to see what was on YouTube. I fumbled around for a bit, but ultimately ended up listening to some videos by Roland Martin, the TV One news anchor. Some of the videos were panel discussions about politics, economics, the murder rate in Chicago, etc. Among the panel of mostly men was one woman.

The woman seemed intelligent and knowledgeable, adding value to the conversation. Yeah, she was also attractive. From the comments section of one of the videos, I learned that her name was Angela Rye. Quick Google and YouTube searches informed me that she was an American attorney, CEO, and commentator on CNN among other things. Even though one of the first YouTube videos that appears for Angela Rye has a title calling her racist, for the most part, other opinions of her seemed neutral.  Also, to note, only a few weeks prior, Rye brought public attention to TSA pat down searches after she released a video of herself being, as she felt, inappropriately searched by a TSA agent.

Eventually, I saw a short video indicating that Rye would be on the radio show The Breakfast Club the next day. The Breakfast Club, one of the most popular radio shows in the country as of right now, also films all of their interviews and posts them online which I frequently watch. I watched the interview and…it was fine. It was good. One of the key reasons for Rye being on the show was to amplify her voice as a woman of color, especially as a black woman, in response to recent attention to controversial TV host and conservative political commentator Tomi Lahren.

Recently, online discussions have brought up that many of Lahren’s messages are degrading and detrimental to the black community, especially because she has a large audience. Some have voiced concern for an antithesis to Lahren. Angela Rye was one woman mentioned as someone who does, in fact, express opposing viewpoints to Lahren and deserving of a larger platform, according to radio host Charlamagne Tha God. I found it interesting that I stumbled upon Ms. Rye right before her appearance on The Breakfast Club. I’ll try to keep an eye out for her in the future and also try to follow the bigger conversation of promoting the voices of people of color.

Photo: Angela Rye on The Breakfast Club (YouTube)