KCAA: The Empire Talks Back with Wallace Allen (Sun, 9 Aug, 2026)

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All right. Here we go. This is Empire Talks Back. I'm Wallace Allen. I'm here to guide you through 55 minutes of relevant conversation. We're going to take a short break and we'll get to it right after we get back. Mike take us off on this short break and look at right now. Today we're going to be celebrating Miss Ruth Stevens. So we're going to take a short break and we'll come back and we're going to start celebrating Ms. Ruth Anderson, Ruth Stevens, Ruth Allen. That's my mama. 100 years of information, experience, and love. Distributed straight from her heart. Despite the intentions of the world, we're going to take the intentions of the girl. Take this short break. We'll be right back.

Publish your legal notice in West Side Story newspaper. For the best service and the best rates, call 909-384-8131. Publishing legal notices in the city and county of San Bernardino since 1990. West Side Story provides friendly expert service. Call 909-384-8131 to benefit from budget-friendly rates, whether a fictitious business name, a name change, a divorce summons, or any other legal or public notice. Call West Side Story newspaper 909-384-8131. In California, about one in every 10 babies is born too early. But for black women, the risk of giving birth early, called preterm birth, are nearly twice as high. Early births mean more health risk for both the baby and the mother. That's why the Black Infant Health Program, BIAH, is such a vital resource in our community. BIAH recognizes that racism, economic stress, and where you live, can all affect the mother's health and the baby's chance of survival. The program offers a free culturally supportive program for black and African-American women. If you're a black woman who is pregnant or has had a baby in the last six months, BIAH is for you, regardless of your income. Program participants can earn essentials like diapers, clothes, baby supplies, and safe sleep supplies. BIAH is more than just classes. It is a community where you can build friendships, gain confidence, and feel seen and heard by someone that cares about you. If you or someone you know is pregnant or has a newborn, reach out. These programs are free, supportive, and grounded in love, respect, and culture. Together we can build healthy beginnings for black families. For more information, visit dpsbcounty.gov slash BIAH or call 844352-3985.

Publish your legal notice in West Side Story newspaper. For the best service and the best rates, call 909-384-8131. Publishing legal notices in the city and county of San Bernardino since 1990. West Side Story provides friendly expert service. Call 909-384-8131 to benefit from budget-friendly rates, whether a fictitious business name. A name change. A divorce summons or any other legal or public notice. Call West Side Story newspaper 909-384-8131. 909-384-8131. That's 909-384-8131. Tech Works Performance Salutes our first responders from the EMTs, fire, and police departments that serve... All right, this is Empire Talks back. I'm Wallace Allen. Here on the case for truth, justice, with right information to help you improve the situation. Folks, we're going to start off with the basic message, that being, vote early. Don't let November catch you with your ballot in your hand. October, vote in October. Vote early. Really, I say early, but it's never too early to vote. Once they get you that ballot, put that puppy in the mail or take it by the registrar of voters office or an appropriate polling place. Idea being, we know that there's going to be an assault of some sort. on the election. And I'd like for you to simply be able to be a witness and not a victim. So vote early so that you can sit back and watch what's going on and be prepared to come and volunteer and defend America's integrity. That's what we need to do. That's what it's all about. We've got people, I've got specifically a person. who has been here almost a hundred years, about seven days short of a hundred years of witnessing what America would like to do, but testifying loudly as to what she is going to do and has done exhibiting freedom. Despite the world's categorizing of her as, You know, a little colored girl born in the country. Who may make it? Probably won't. Mainly because of the policies of this country. But she didn't bite that apple. She bought the apple of freedom. She bought the apple of I can. She bought the apple and bit the apple of I will. And she did. And I'm blessed that she did because I'm one of those things that she said she was going to do. Have a son. This is my mother, Ruth Stevens. 99 years old at this point and will turn 100 years young on August 14th this coming Friday. Mom, how are you this morning?

Excellent, excellent. That's what I've always seen you do, smile. Freedom gives you that ability to laugh, to love, to be who you are, who you are, and nothing more but who you are. God gave you that, you blessed. To thy known self be true. Because who you are, you are. And self, that's A-Z-L-S-S-L. That's that Ruth Lannell Martin is the name that Ruby, my grandmother, delivered to you upon delivering you. And you've, you've had several names, but you've always been the same, same strong person. And, you know, well to start off, I'm on the radio, Mom, and a lot of people that know me know that I am a... I'm a hustler. I'm a guy who has decided with the instruction and demonstration of you and my father to kind of be in charge of my own life as much as possible. I was going to say that and interrupt you your father, charge of what your father did to you from birth. That's true.

And do all of that. It's not been to me. It's been good advice because certainly there's been times I wish I had a nine to five. But then I found during that period of 9 to 5 when I was lacking that I found a way to make some money and make some things happen. And make the world a better place. You know, that's the one aspect that I remember from you so much is that Butch, and that's what you call me, butch you got to make the world a better place. And the way you would say it is this, you told me that wherever you go. Make it better when you leave than it was when you got there, and you'll always be welcomed back. And, you know, the kind of lifestyle that I led as a young man certainly made that a beneficial statement and a great attitude for moving around as a young, hip, black hippie, who... was trying to make a way despite the fact that you and my dad had already made a way, simply not the way that I had decided to go. But I saw you. I saw you as a child, I saw you attend the school with me. I saw you be part of the PTA. I saw you be a volunteer to drive me and the other young students from school to the band practice, despite the fact that I got kicked out of band and didn't. One of the big family stories where I got kicked out of band and didn't tell anybody. And then one day I think what, I came home and you said, But you didn't tell me that you were having the band concert this week. We can't wait to go and see you play. Boy, was that a heavy on me. I hadn't been to band rehearsal in months. You guys would drop me off at band, and the other kids would go into band practice, and I'd walk in the door, and then I'd look out the window and see you drive away, and I'd come back and stand outside. Something about me and the bandmaster that just didn't click, you know. You feel that way. But as I saw all of these things occurring, I played ball. You invited my football and basketball. All of my friends, they lived at our house. They were welcome at our house. You fed everybody. You made sure that it was easier for you to know where I was and where my friends were by having them welcomed at my house. And that's some... Open house. All the time. All the time. And I appreciate that. I appreciate even more.

Well, there's a lot of memories involved that connect to you. Mom, you opened your own record shop. A lot of people don't know what a record is at this point. They get downloads and things, that sort. But there was a time, folks, when we had wax records, and if you wanted to hear the music, you had to go to a record shop and buy the record or hope that they played it on the radio. Oh, let me go buy a check of her out. She's sitting on a turn of record. Oh, okay. Oh, we have records on it. Well, at the time you were in the record shop business, you also determined that you wanted to hear your records played on the radio. Yes. So you didn't just sit around and eat wish sandwiches. Tell us what you did to... Be sure that your records that you were selling were being able to be heard on the radio. How did you do that? What did you do? We had a radio show in the town of Jim Jordan, Illinois. A radio station called W-J-O-L.

That's what they called us to our face at that time. Go ahead. Yes, that's what they called us. We have no Negroes here. You cannot come here. I said, well, I don't have to be here. I want to have a radio station. Radio show. And they didn't charge you for radio time? No radio to know. But I charged for radio time. Ah, that's the lady I'm talking about. That's the part. I knew a man in Chicago, a black man. We called Daddy Old Daily. He was a big radio star. Blue Rendezoo. Black nightclubs, the black nightcloth. The black service station bought my time. I was telling so much time I didn't have time anymore. Right. You had a couple of hours and you sold time and played music. Stay the record.

Look out, girl. My man and I ain't together. So now listen to it all the time. There we go. There we go. We're listening to a 99-year-old woman. I have to tell you that because I know she sounds like she's 45. I hate to sing this song. You know, we have to watch her because she does definitely live lively. And I appreciate that. So, Mom, you... did so well selling radio time to the black audience that W-J-O-L had to that point totally ignored. But they saw such success with you that they did what? Goddamn a black, D-L-A-C-K, this jock. They didn't Negro. They could make that much money. Yeah, but at that point he was making it for them. Whereas the example that fired them up was a young lady, a beautiful young lady from Macomb, Mississippi. Peacombs shaped and colored. And they just decided that, well, if she can make that money, we're going to make some money too. So you actually created a job for someone else.

I know they were. I know they were. And that was a tremendous venture for a young woman from Mississippi who had gone to a one-room schoolhouse, right? That's right. That's what we call paving the road. Paving the road. While you say paving the road, I'm going to do something now that you'll be proud of me for. I'm going to take a short break and show you that I sold a little bit of advertising as well. Okay? And we'll be right back to continue our conversation with the mighty Ruth Stevens, my mama, almost 100 years young, a blessing to the world. This is Empire Talks Back. I'm Wallace Allen. We'll be back right after this short break. Born too early, but for black women, the risk of giving birth early, called preterm birth, are nearly twice as high. Early births mean more health risk for both the baby and the mother. That's why the black infant health program, BIAH, is such a vital resource in our community. BIAH recognizes that racism, economic stress, and where you live can all affect the mother's health and the baby's chance of survival. The program offers a free culturally supportive program for black and African American women. If you're a black woman who is pregnant or has had a baby in the last six months, BIAH is for you, regardless of your income. Program participants can earn essentials like diapers, clothes, baby supplies, and safe sleep supplies. BIAH is more than just classes. It is a community where you can build friendships, gain confidence, and feel seen and heard by someone that cares about you. If you or someone you know is pregnant or has a newborn, reach out. These programs are free. supportive, and grounded in love, respect, and culture. Together, we can build healthy beginnings for black families. For more information, visit dpsbcounty.gov slash biH or call 844352-3985. Publish your legal notice in West Side Story newspaper. For the best service and the best rates, call 909-384-8131. Publishing legal notices in the city and county of San Bernardino since 1990. West Side Story provides friendly expert service. Call 909-384-8131 to benefit from budget-friendly rates, whether a fictitious business name. A name change. A divorce summons or any other legal or public notice. Call West Side Story newspaper 909-384-8131. 909-384-8131. That's 909-384-8131.

Okay, we're back. This is Empire Talks back. I'm Wallace Allen on the case for truth and justice. Bless today to speak and share the wisdoms. I'm sharing my mother with you guys today. I understand. I've done this all my life. She has been a magnet for all of my friends throughout all of my life. And I think it's only appropriate that I continue to share her at this point, especially. as she is on the eve of her 100th birthday. 100 years of wisdom being collected and now being shared. We just discussed how she broke into the broadcast business as a young woman in Joliet, Illinois. She was very involved with, I think it was the League of Women Voters who helped her get involved in local politics and showed her the initial needs and access to do something else that was a first in Joliet Illinois. Mom, you were the first black woman to work at City Hall as a secretary. Is that correct? Yes, for the city manager of the city, Joliet Illinois, I was the secretary, Chester B. Lewis. How did that occur?

Well, that's pretty good for young ladies. Partee. I'm sorry. Cecil Part two. Who had finished school? The first black man had finished a university. They got to college. But he finished at a university, the University of the University of Emerson, Illinois. Yes, he was a very important man at the state. I think he was a congressman. Yes, a legislature. Assemblyman, yes. So how do you feel about my training? So how do you feel about the advice that I'm requesting our people follow in terms of voting early?

lines of mountain. One of the things that you and I have a one, two, three, four, five, six about is endurance, biting off and chewing. You always say never bite off more than you can chew. That's right. It's color the ground you stand on. But I've seen you constantly. bite off more than what other people suggested that you could chew, and that you chewed it anyway. I guess that's your determination. And determination. An inspiration. Don't forget. You're inspired by a higher power to do these things. You don't know where they come from. So. So we have this situation. I'm sorry. Cover the ground you stand on. Don't buy that you can chew. Correct. Listen, I buy you a house before you buy a car. Say that again. Say that again because. Buy you a house before you buy a car.

Now, people are going to say, well, you know, I need a car to go to work so I can make the money to go buy the house. You walk before you ride. You walk before you ride. You walk before you run. You crawled first. You crawled and then. There's no rides and all that. We should walk two miles to pray and never think we'd be torn around the car. I know that's right. And anyone listening would have to say that, wow, Mrs. Stevens is a very conservative lady. But I know that in your conservatism, you've been very radical. You took a job. When you moved to California, when we moved to California, you took a job one of the first three or four at the most black women to work with trans world airlines. But you did not work on the planes. You worked as a reservationist. She didn't work period. She had the name of her husband. The decree was the first black man. And he hired me and his wife, of course, was the first woman. But she didn't work. But no, I'm just distinguishing the difference between working on a plane and working as a reservation. Now, you flew all over the world on the planes using your access. No, I had three privileges to fly. Mm-hmm. Go anywhere once ago. That TWA was flying. But there were people at TWA.

But there were people at TWA when you started working there who were pretty sure that you were biting off more than you could chew. Of course. You want that story? She had a class of us. They had to put me in the class. I was the one woman. Five white girls and one black girl. I want you to hang on to that story. We're going to take another short break. And when we come back, we're going to tell our listeners about your TWA experience. This is Empire Talksback. I'm speaking to the most wonderful mother in the world, mine. Ruth Stevens, on her way to becoming a centarian. 99 years old and she's already got 200 years of wisdom because she paid attention. We'll be right back and speak more to Ruth Stevens right after the spring. Thank you.

Publish your legal notice in West Side Story newspaper. For the best service and the best rates, call 909-384-8131. Publishing legal notices in the city and county of San Bernardino since 1990. West Side Story provides friendly expert service. Call 909-384-8131 to benefit from budget-friendly rates, whether a fictitious business name. A name change. A divorce summons or any other legal or public notice. Call West Side Story newspaper 909-384-8131. 909-384-8131. That's 909-384-8131. In California, about one in every 10 babies is born too early. But for black women, the risk of giving birth early, called preterm birth, are nearly twice as high. Early births mean more health risk for both the baby and the mother. That's why the Black Infant Health Program, BII, is such a vital resource in our community. BIAH recognizes that racism, economic stress and where you live... can all affect the mother's health and the baby's chance of survival. The program offers a free culturally supportive program for black and African-American women. If you're a black woman who is pregnant or has had a baby in the last six months, BIAH is for you, regardless of your income. Program participants can earn essentials like diapers, clothes, baby supplies, and safe sleep supplies. BIAH is more than just classes. It is a community where you can build friendships, gain confidence, and feel seen and heard by someone that cares about you. If you or someone you know is pregnant or has a newborn, reach out. These programs are free, supportive, and grounded in love, respect, and culture. Together, we can build healthy beginnings for black families. For more information, visit dpsbcounty.gov slash BIAH or call 844352-3985.

All right. We're back. I'm here. And the great goose, and we call her goose. My elder child named her Granny Goose. My elder child named her Granny Goose. And that name has stuck with her. She is listed in my phone as Granny Goose. All of her grandchildren call her Granny Goose. That's right. The ones who are too sophisticated to call her Granny Goose call her Gigi, which is not her name. But anyway, and so when I slip and call her goose, that's to explain to you what that's all about. It's all part of the love motion that she put in motion as she began this wonderful trip of family. Part of that trip, as we say, was biting off more than other people thought she could chew. And demonstrating that Martin determination that was delivered to her via the genes of her mother and father and the verbal reinforcement of her father, we called him Sput. A lot of great things I can tell you about Sput. I won't spend a lot of time talking about all of them, except I will say he made the best whiskey in Mississippi. which is very relevant because Mississippi was a dry state. Except, yeah, well, he was, he was, he was a craftsman, a master craftsman, and he dealt with the laws of the day. And the part of the laws of the day was that if you were going to make whiskey, you had to deal with the sheriff and be sure that he got his. And grandpa did that. So. He also bid off more than he could chew, and he chewed it despite the fact that he didn't necessarily have great dentures. A very determined man. Love my grandpa as I think about him. But now, you took this job at TWA, and you know you, I know how you are. You weren't in there very proud and very much like the Leo queen that you are, exhibiting your queendom, claiming everything as part of your queendom. And there were people there who you're a supervisor. Let me let you tell the story. Go ahead. Yes, I was a supervisor, one who trained us, was training us, a white girl. And there were five of us.

You were number three. She just ignored you. You started chewing on something that they didn't want you to chew on. They sure did chew on something. So she reassigned you to someone else. She couldn't take me anymore. Mm-hmm.

You thought, oh, I got out of the fire and I'm into the fire. And you know what he said? Tell me. Say, wait a minute. Wait a minute. You are doing too good on this test. There must be something wrong because somehow this big old mouthful of stuff that we gave her to chew, not only did she chew it, she swallowed it and she is... And digested it and gave it back to us in a format that... And doing the, I won't say right thing, I'll say during the right thing, it's putting a W in front of right, you know, to kind of, I don't like to explain my jokes, but that one wasn't a really solid. But doing the white thing, they made you retake the test because they didn't believe that your intellect.

But you did it. You took it three times. Absolutely. And you passed it three times. Three times. Yes. And I was hired. I was hired. How long did you work at TWA? 23 years. And if you felt like flying now, do you still have privileges? Absolutely. So you could get up and fly for free now. So that was a wonderful effort, a great project on your part. Yes. Yes. And that called, he said the word, self, S-E-L-L-L-M. Everybody has one. God breaks everybody in the world with S-C-L-F. And you can choose the self that has been. beaten up, discriminated against, told not to chew anything, and retreat, or you can decide to be the self that you are and move forward. God was given to me by God. And that's such a powerful decision that you made. But what you kept... insisting to me and my sister and all of my friends is that that decision is available to all of us. We do not have to decide to be pushed aside. We have the ability to vote early, to express who we are and follow our dreams if we have the nerve to dream. That all comes from one thing, S-E-L-F, self. Self comes into the world alone. Self, we go out of the world alone. So while self is in the world, do what self, does it to do. You are, oh my God, the things that God gives self. You have always insisted that there was a critical four-letter word. that we need to have in reserve anytime anybody approaches us with anything that is designed to discourage us. And this four-letter word is... That's one of them, and let's add that other word to the back of it. L-O-V-E. Self and self-love. whatever hate someone else distributes or demonstrates your self love that's right I don't have that word on

I will testify to that. Do not do that. I will tell you. I've never heard you use the word hate. No, I've never said the word like I. I don't know I have that stuff. I'm holding in my hand for those who are able to see the camera work. A book. This book is called Ruthie's Jewels. This is an accumulation of short stories and statements by Ruth L. Stevens. This book is available on Amazon. And if you go to Amazon books and simply ask for Ruthie's Jewels, that's Ruthie, R-U-T-H-I-E, apostrophe S. They will deliver the photo of the cover of Ruthie's jewels. It's a beautiful lady, my mama, and it's filled with great little stories that describe her life and give you more of what you've heard today. I encourage you to go to Amazon and do that so that you can participate. in the life story of God's one of God's favorite rays of sunshine. She has been happy. She is living in a senior living facility where every day she says to herself, and to me, why am I still here? And then someone will come up to her And thank her for some advice or thank her for her smile or in general thank her for the aura of her presence because it makes them feel better. She is medicine for the world. Mom, I love you so much and I appreciate you so much and I'm looking very forward to the party. that's coming up this weekend as we continue the birthday of Ruth the Great, my mama. Mama, tell us something before you go. I've got to let you go because I only got a minute or two left.

God bless you now. And I'm all the journey. God bless you. And thank you for the blessing that you've delivered to the world. That's my mother Ruth L. Stevens. We'll talk with her again. It's a total blessing. I want to thank you guys for indulging me. I hope that we've brought some level of understanding that you didn't have because my goal every week is to tell you something that you didn't know. Give you an emotion that you didn't realize that you were capable of, a little happy on top of your sad, or a little acknowledgement of other people's concerns and issues if you haven't been there. And I certainly want to make you smile and laugh a little bit. So reminding you that Ruth's book, Ruthie's Jewels, is available, sharing her life is available, and encouraging you to bite it off. and start chewing and be determined enough to chew it. Don't let it choke you. That's her concern. She says, don't mind off warn you can chew because it can choke you. I'm saying if you keep chewing with determination and love, you'll make it and you'll get it chewed and you'll be celebrated for your contribution. Vote early, folks. This is very critical. My mother has 100. She lost a sister last year who was 104. Her mother died at 104. Her grandfather died at 106. I don't know when the rest of us are going to pass, but I can say this. We want to do it with the quality of life and we want to live our lives in a way that makes it better. for the people who are following us. That's the point. Regardless of the politics, if we don't make it better for our children, we've lost. Regardless of the job opportunities, regardless of the climate, we must leave it better for our children and our children's children. That's our obligation. That's our responsibility. That's our opportunity. I say let's face it and vote early. Get up early. Do something to make the world a better place. You might just do that by brushing your teeth. There you go. I caught your smiling. See you guys next week under two circumstances. One, if the good Lord's willing, two, if the creek don't rise. Thank you for spending your time with me. Hope you have a great day. Hope you have a great week. And on Friday, August 14th, tip one for a brute, because she's been tipping one for you for a hundred years. God bless you. See you next time.

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