of 2021, it created space for significant criticism of israel. it wasn't just them. now there are more than a dozen members who came to the floor and we're lambasting israel for the bombing of gaza back in may of 2021. that's one aipac said, okay, we need to get fully into the game ourselves, not just this democratic majority for israel. they spent more than $30 million that cycle urging critics of the party during primaries. they are looking at possibly spending 100 million dollars in this next cycle. >> what do you see as the ultimate objective of the squad? >> they are trying to basically bring a kind of democratic socialism or social democracy as the dominant ideology within the democratic party, taking a kind of bernie sanders, basically the agenda bernie sanders ran on and making that the thing the democratic party stands for. >> thank you, appreciate it. that wraps up for me, i'm yasmin vossoughian, you can

catch me tomorrow and -- following my friend and colleague, i will be back next saturday as well at two pm eastern. and symone starts right now. greetings, everyone. you are watching symone. we are keeping an eye on capitol hill. senators are working through the weekend to try to come up with a framework for immigration and border security measures. senate democrats are hoping this will help republicans get on board, given very egan urgently needed aid to ukraine and israel. but even if the senators strike a, deal house republicans and progressive democrats are in no mood to compromise. i like this. what is ahead and what is at stake. plus, polls show a majority of americans think abortion should be illegal. but in post roe america, voters are trying to protect women's rights -- and by changing their state constitutions. we are talking to the speaker of the house in pennsylvania about their efforts to preserve abortion access. there is also a lot of buzz about the color purple premiere

here in the states. we will get into whether the streets will spend their christmas with sea lisa fee a and check every, and also who network executives were hoping would be included in the films cast. i am symone sanders-townsend and i have something to say. ♪ ♪ ♪ the united states senate has delayed its holiday recess to try to reach a deal on southern border policy. senate negotiators are meeting today and republicans want an overhaul on immigration before considering critical aid to ukraine and israel, included in the same spending bill. any deal on border security has major implications for the safety of all asylum seekers and the stability of our immigration infrastructure. republican senator lindsey graham of south carolina is not optimistic this package will pass by the end of the year.

here's what he told my colleague this morning. >> well, i think this will go into next year. i've been talking to the people at the table. the white house got engaged five days ago. they sent over a supplemental with border security provisions that did nothing to change policy. the bottom line here is we feel like we are being jammed. we are not anywhere close to a deal. >> senate minity leader mitch mcconnell has since told republican senators that there would be nothing to vote on this week, noting significant issues and complications with drafting the text. as nbc new re this week, democratic senators in close contact with the department of homeland security are considering joining republicans to give the executive branch sweeping powers to both detain and expel people crossing the southern border. this would weaken the ability of alight asylum seekers to remain in the country without fear of deportation while their claims are evaluated. as is united states lot, to be

very clear. this mandatory incarceration of asylum seekers, this is on the table as well. though the two sides are still very far apart. let me repeat this for you. the united states senate is weighing in the mandatory incarceration, mandatory imprisonment of asylum seekers. including families. the second that they reach safety. no, folks, it will not stabilize our immigration system. in fact, it would only make it more in secure and more inhumane. the department of six homeland security officials telling nbc news mandatory incarceration would overwhelm an already strained border facility across the southern borr. when dhs officials saying the policy would break the border. another calling it completely counterproductive. officials said under the policy, immigration facilities would quickly become so full the agencies would be unable to keep apprehending people as they crossed from the southern border.

saying border patrol would essentially have to take a knee and watch them walk by. what's more, limiting asylum, folks, will not stop people from fleeing violence and poverty, or the devastating effects of the climate crisis. title 42.what we saw unde remember, that was the emergency health authority that allowed both former president trump and the president biden to expedite the removal of people crossing the border during the pandemic. last, year with title 42 in full swing, border crossings reached an all-time high of more than 2 million people. lives are at stake here, folks. there is a very real chance that the person sitting in the oval office 13 months from now could be a man who speaks about immigrants this way. >> they are poisoning the blood of our country, that's what they've done. they poisoned mental mental institutions and prisons all over the world, not just in south america, not just in three or four countries we think about. but all over the world, they

are coming into our country from africa, from asia, all over the world. >> poisoning the blood of our country? you recognize that phrase? adolf hitler referred to blood poisoning in his manifesto mein kampf wh cticizing immigrants andixg races. this is e language of white supremacists. the biden harris campaign respondedth a statement. tonight, donald trump channeled his role models as he paired to adolf hitler, praised kim jong-un, and quoted vladimir putin while running for president on a promise to rule as a dictator and threaten american democracy. right-wing immigration policies are not just putting in peril the safety of asylum seekers and people coming to this country for better life, folks. this extremism, the fearmongering, it goes against our national humanity. it goes against the core principles of our country. i'm all for crossing the aisle here, but this crosses the line.

my political panel joins me now. simon rosenberg is a democratic strategist and author of the chronicles substack. and -- former republican and nbc news tank contributor. poisoning the blood of our country, simon? what? >> listen, it's why the backdrop to this negotiation is just so incredible. the president has not only said things like this, but his policy proposals call for the rounding up of all undocumented immigrants in this country, putting them in concentration camps, right? unprecedented efforts to attack the immigrants in the united states. and, so in the middle of these negotiations, the backdrop to it is this is where the republican party is headed. this is not isolated from this part of the conversation. we are seeing a level of immigration extremism that is unprecedented in modern american history.

and it's why joe biden is in a bind. he needs to get this deal done in order to free up israel ukraine funding which is critical for national security and critical for the security of the world. republicans are holding hostage this legislation to pass things that they know they can never get through under normal regular order in the house and senate. >> it strikes me what the senate allegedly -- we don't actually. no things come about in negotiations. i've been in the middle of a number of negotiations. there is stuff said in the negotiating room that is never going to leave the room. it's never going to come to fruition, but the fact that some of these things are leaking out to the public, the mandatory incarceration for people seeking asylum is concerning to democrats now, actually. we've got reporting from our nbc news colleagues that the congressional hispanic caucus chair, congresswoman -- she put out a statement that basically just said this, i will paraphrase, the white house and the administration have not been in constant

communication with a chc on these negotiations in their involvement. as a matter of fact, we've been the ones asking for meetings for weeks with the white house administration officials involved in the talks as well as the president, and the white house has been very responsive to our request. the line is eight and one, but these kinds of things are why people that watch as close as we do, voters out there say this is the lesser of two evils we're talking about. everyone is so terrible, trump and biden are the same, no they are. not >> at a time of year when we are supposed to be fostering goodwill, we are seeing republicans play us versus them games. to simon's point, this is the backdrop of what is going on here what they're hoping to do is make democrats look bad. at them in a position of showing that they are not tough on national security. when in fact what they want to do is break families up at the border. what did we say last christmas? we saw them play political games with families, shipping migrants on buses to the vice presidents residence. i don't know what it is about christmas time and republicans

feeling like they can play with people's lives, especially brown and black americans, because that's what we heard from donald trump, and showing now that donald trump is the front runner. this consolidation that they want of an anti trump republican, it's not going to happen. i was hopeful, but it's not going to happen. the more that this continues, it just shows republicans really want trump back in office. reallythat's why this is so imp, to make sure that we are drawing this distinction between fearmongering and the realities of today. that's why joe biden i think has a real tough line to tow, as you mentioned. but this is really scary. >> simon, let's talk about some of the potential political ramifications if democrats in the white house strike a deal with senate republicans. it includes some of the things we've heard about in these negotiations. i will start this by saying, seeking asylum in this country is a right. >> yeah, look, i think the

challenge the president faces right now is that the republican -- there used to be these places in washington where the two parties, where there was peace. everything that was a must pass bill, you didn't politicize because people have this sense the government still needed to stay open, or you didn't reach the debt ceiling or in a life and death matter like ukraine and israel, you didn't attach any kind of domestic thing to it because it needed the pass. where we're now is we just saw iran johnson today came out and said there needs to be a caucus-wide meeting on january 8th, pushing us back almost a month from now to delay it even further. and the consequences of not getting a deal for the united states, i think the most important political consequences, what happens if we don't get a deal? american -- and the trust in america around the world will plummet, people will die in ukraine. people will die in israel. a world that is on fire right now will go even further on fire. what the republicans are doing right now is in my view the most reckless thing congress has done since world war ii. this is unprecedented playing

of politics with deeply consequential things around the world. they are embarrassing the united states. not weakening joe biden. they are weakening all of us. it is time for everyone now to come to the table and stop with these outrageous demands the republicans are making that they can never get through in regular order. yes, there will be domestic consequences for the president. i think it's on point. but i'm much more worried about what happens if we don't get a deal. >> actually, do you share those same concerns? i mean, president zelenskyy of ukraine was in town last week. he was on the hill, he met with senators, members of congress, mike johnson, he went to the white house with president biden. he held a press conference were key -- at one point he slammed his fist on the podium noting how important it was that ukraine get the resources it needs. he met with the defense contractors, he's like maybe i need to go straight to the people -- congress is playing games. and you share that concern, but

then do you also think the broader american electorate understands it? oftentimes the international issues don't always trickle down to the everyday voters until it's far too late. >> for a while we saw a lot of ukrainian flags being flown. i live in washington, d.c.. maybe it's a different microcosm of the world, i don't know. there was a lot more support at the early stages of this. at the same time, watching 60 minutes last week, something stuck with me. they had someone on their or who is a ukrainian, basically a refugee at this point he was a fighter, and he said thank you. i'm getting emotional thinking that, it thank you. and here we have president zelenskyy coming here to say we urgently need help and republicans want to play a game with border security when we have our allies at their darkest moments turning to america because they still believe in us in a beacon of hope and light. and even when we're facing these political storms, that's our allies and friends and countries in their darkest moments look to us to help them.

again, at this time where we are supposed to be fostering some sort of goodwill, i do not understand why this is being held up for political reasons. to me, helping our friends ultimately helps america. >> you know, i just can't help but draw distinctions between -- not even distinctions. we were talking about our border security, if you will. there is no cutting a deal that just talks about the southern border. what happens to asylum seekers and refugees coming to our southern border will apply to people from all over the world, including folks in ukraine. it is just harrowing, i want to turn back to donald trump's comments. in new hampshire last night, he lovingly quoted vladimir putin, it was crazy. he quoted his critiques of american democracy. he praised hungary's viktor orban. he again used that very antisemitic, racist dog whistle, like a bull horn if you will,

simon. i feel like we should be -- i'm literally fired up about this because history is a broken continuity. we have seen, we know what happens when donald trump speaks. people are listening and then they may not act right away, but they do act. >> we are here now. 11 months out, donald trump's told us what's going to have been if he gets elected president, which is that american democracy is going to end, he's going to adopt an essence a fascist, races set of domestic policies. he's going to align america with the -- most autocrats in the world. donald trump is the most dangerous figure in american history, arguably. this is now immaterial part of the election. what's also disappointing is i think the republicans are acting on putin's behalf, autocrats have all around the world by delaying these packages. th now you have, really, i think, what is really a russian fifth column inside the republican party, where there is an active

part of the republican party working to advance the political interests of vladimir putin over the interests of the united states. how did we get here? the party of reagan is now the party of putin? this is squarely in front of, us we can't look away, there is no way to normalize this anymore. there is no way to play games with this in the media or on our discourse. we are facing the end of america as we know what if donald trump is elected. that's going to be on the ballot in 2024. >> that's going to be on the ballots. i will note those comments in new hampshire, donald trump is in nevada today, apparently there is a line wrapped around the corner in reno of folks waiting to see him. simon rosenberg, actually pratt outs -- thank you for coming. up next, folks, since roe v. wade was overturned, protecting women's rights to make decisions about our own bodies has been playing out at the state level. i will be talking to house speaker joanna mcclinton of pennsylvania for the battle to enshrine republican -- abortion rights is underway

right now. plus george santos is out of congress, other new york republicans are now facing competitive races. in new york's congressional map will be redrawn in 2024. it is getting so interesting, y'all. i will dig into it all. that is coming up. ♪ ♪ ♪

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you have made an impact. so have you. for you guys to be out here doing something like this, in post roe america, it restores a lot of faith in humanity.

abortion is one ballot. in the absence of fede protections forreproductive rights, local leaders across the country are taking things into their own hands. nine states are trying to extend the ballot winning streak on the issue into 2024. they are in the process of gathering signatures to officially pose the question of abortion access to voters. and now it is playing out in pennsylvania as well where abortion is currently legal until 24 weeks of pregnancy. state house emigrants have moved to enshrine that abortion access into the state constitution following a successful ballot measure in neighboring ohio. the proposed amendment reads in

part, every individual has the fundamental right to exercise personal reproductive liberty and make and effectuate decisions regarding the individuals own reproduction. yes. back in pennsylvania this week state representatives held a hearing with women and doctors to discuss the issue. it is the first step towards getting a referendum on the statewide, dallas but the bill would have to pass through the democratically held house through the rip -- the speaker of the pennsylvania state house of representatives, joanna mcclinton, she is the first black woman elected to lead her state's house. so many firsts in 2023. madam speaker, abortion is currently legal in pennsylvania. i think it is important people understand that. until 24 weeks, it does require a 24 hour waiting period, according to pennsylvania state law. it prohibits state funded abortions. i will pause here and note that only three states in america use state funds to fund

abortions in the district of columbia. i will not name the states, i don't give any ideas. what motivated this particular push? was it after you saw what happened in ohio? was it something you all were already discussing? also, if you could explain to folks why this process is different than some of the others we've seen, because we're talking about legislation here. >> yeah, simone. it's very important pennsylvania that as the only woman to ever be speaker of the house, that my colleagues in the pennsylvania house democratic caucus are protecting women. and after we saw what happened with the united states supreme court overturning almost 50 years of precedent, we all got scared and concerned. but what is worse is last year in pennsylvania, the republican-controlled senate and the then republican-controlled house passed an abortion ban as a constitutional amendment. pennsylvania is a little bit different. it takes two passages and two consecutive sessions before a ballot initiative can be voted on. if it passed last year to ban it, they were hoping to do it

again this year. fortunately, pennsylvania voters elected a democratic majority, which has kept that abortion ban away from voters. most importantly, now that we are in charge and i have the gavel, we are trying to do the reverse and the opposite, which is to protect every woman's freedom. >> i also think it is important people to know, people will say, i don't know if my vote matters. it was a very slim majority, slim numbers that made you the speaker of the house. >> let's understand, we have 230 state reps. to have a majority is a 102. we were ahead when we declared victory in two races. one person who was trying to become the state rep lost by about 70 votes. but the other person who was going to be a state rep, she won by only 55 votes. we have a one seat majority. we've had to defend that majority in 2020 35 different times. we've had resignations, people go to higher office and things of that nature. but yes, every single vote counts, especially for those of us at the bottom of the ballot

who are state representatives. >> the republican-controlled state senate in pennsylvania is unlikely to pass this measure if it passes the house. but are there any republican senators you can think of that you could potentially work with across the aisle to find some middle ground -- i can't even believe we are talking about middle ground with women being able to make decisions about their bodies with their doctors and not elected officials in the state house. >> it's completely wild. when i was the minority leader in harrisburg, when i go to the doctor's office, there is one extra, see there's not 203 for the state reps and certainly not 50 for the senators. there are people we are trying to work with across the chamber and the aisle to see, what can be brought up for a vote if it is not enshrining the rights of abortion, what could it be? could it be something else? we just passed another bill that protects both doctors and patients, people from out of state coming into pennsylvania to get their rights being able to be protected. maybe that is the path forward

to protect a woman going forward in pennsylvania in this legislative session. >> you talked about a recent bill you just passed. in an interview recently, you said your body has sent 175 plus bills to the senate. a report said only 40 bills have become law in the commonwealth of pennsylvania all year. what's going on? pennsylvania state republicans are still shocked >> that last november pennsylvania voted republicans out of being in charge of the state house. they are in shock and they have not read the headlines we are in charge. instead of negotiating and working with us with goodwill, many of our bills are just sitting. some of those bills were really turn things around for people. raising the minimum wage, every state around pennsylvania, including republican-controlled ohio and west virginia, have a higher minimum wage. the bills would be fairly funding our public schools. they are just sitting there waiting on a vote. we hope all those the session is not over and we have 11 months ahead, that we will get them to come to the table, work with us, respect our majority the way we respect their. >> and before i let you go,

obviously pennsylvania is very important for a number of reasons when it comes to 2024. it's a swing state, it's a battleground. how are you feeling about president biden's prospects in the state? >> so far, we are feeling really good. this past election, just a few weeks ago, we swept at the top of the ticket. we won the supreme court race, the open vacancies on superior court and commonwealth court. cies othat's pennsylvania voters saying we don't want extremism, we don't want that conservative idea, we don't want those radical ideas that take away our freedoms and rights. for the first time in history, we went back to back with a democratic governors, from tom wolfe to josh shapiro. we are holding it down for uncle joe and kamala and look forward to stopping with them next year. >> all right, madam speaker, speaker of the pennsylvania house, it is very good to see you. let me take my opportunity to say congratulations. >> it's great to be here. >> good to see you. still ahead, folks, could control of the house representatives come down to new york's highest court? it's possible. i will explain why and talk to the lawyer who argued this case

and other important redistricting cases in court. that's next. next. part of the irresistible scent collection from gain! (christina) with verizon business unlimited,

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issued a decision this week that could transform new york's congressional maps and maybe the united states house of representatives itself. republicans managed to flip four congressional seats in last year's midterms, sending the likes of former congressman george santos, for example, to the house of representatives.

in these seats are -- these seats in new york were a huge factor, frankly, in republicans gaining their razor-thin house majority, that majority, let's remember brought congress to a screeching halt since january of this year. in a 4 to 3 opinion issued tuesday, the court issued in new york's redistricting commission to draw a new map of february of next year. the -- final say over the map, likely redrawing it to favor democrats. republicans have threatened to challenge the new map in court if the legislation gerrymanders it. make no mistakes, folks. a potential democratic majority in the house, the laws that govern your life after 2025 in the next chapter in our country's history could all hinge on the way this particular map is drawn. but what is happening in new york is just one part of a larger story of how our democracy is evolving. in addition to new york state, multiple states have seen in their districts redrawn or ordered redrawn this year. states that could be consequential to the balance of power in the house.

let's not forget the supreme court ruling earlier this year that upheld section two of the voting rights act, prohibiting district maps from discriminating on the basis of race. this is a decision that could transform democracy in the south. i'm talking alabama, georgia, florida, louisiana. with the stakes this high, we had to bring in someone who knows a little something about it. we will be talking to aria branch, a partner at elias law group who's taking the fight for democracy to the highest courts in the land. that's right after this break. you are watching symone on msnbc. msnbc. the subway series is taking your favorite to the next level! like the #20. the elite chicken and bacon ranch. built with rotisserie-style chicken and double cheese. i love what i'm seeing here. that's some well-coached chicken. you done, peyton? the subway series just keeps gettin' better. honey, i think i heard something. ok.

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break, a new york congressional map that's about to be redrawn has major implications on the country as a whole. and the lawyer who argued the redistricting case on behalf of the voters of new york joins me now. aria branches a partner at the elias law group. she is a very hard woman to get a hold of because she's always busy arguing cases like this one, literally. every time i'm looking for aria, i'm like why can't you come. they say she is in court. she is somewhere across the country in court. you were in court in new york, just to be clear, after the ruling you said that the higher court's decision was a step in the right direction for a fairly drawn congressional maps. what is next? >> what is next is that the independent redistricting commission is going to draw the map. they are going to send it to the legislature. the legislature is going to vote on it, and then new york will have a new district in

place for the 2024 elections. >> it seems like the independent redistricting commission, what are they referred to? the irc -- right? another fancy acronym, that it was disrupted by the republican members in 2021. is that going to happen? how did we get to this point and how can folks prevent what happened in 2021 from happening again this year or next year? >> the way that we got here is that the commission process broke down. the commission did not follow the constitutional mandate that it had to send maps to the legislature. we represented a group of voters who wanted to see that constitutional process followed through. we came away with a victory at the highest court in new york, which said that, yes, a court drew the map for 2022, but for 2024, we are going to follow the constitutional process. the commission needs to draw the, maps and into the legislature. this is going to result in fair and transparent districts that

represent new york's communities of interest. we are thrilled about this. >> if i remember correctly, the last time and that -- the commission had hearings but didn't end up drawing the maps, or the courts had hearings -- i just remember particularly in new york that there were opportunities for people to come and voice their perspective about the redistricting process. obviously, it shook out differently. the courts ended up drawing the maps and had to go to the state supreme court, now we are here. what does transpire the redistricting look like? will people have their input in from the commission? >> that's exactly right, simone. the commission the last time held public hearings across the step -- state. what happens is all of that went into the trash trash, essentially, because the court drew the map in a small conservative county in new york. this time, the commission will go back to all the input it received from new yorkers and will draw the maps to reflect communities of interest and all the input and feedback they got from actual new yorkers.

>> the idea is these are the maps that will be in place for the 2024 general election? >> that's right. the court of appeals has said the commission has until february 28th to send them up to the legislature. new york's primary is pretty, late not until june. and there is ample time to get a new map in place for both the primary and the general for 2024. >> new maps mean new districts, potentially new candidates. it means a lot will happen in new york between february and may, essentially. >> that's right. the 2022 map, as you know, is the map that george santos ran on. >> that was crazy. >> we are getting rid of that map. experts are predicting this could result in a 4 to 6 pick up of seats for democrats. >> my democratic friends are saying even speaker hakeem jeffries -- >> i think it is. >> this is not the only redistricting case. i have been following what happened in georgia. i know you were on that case. you argued in georgia. there is the florida keys, there is the alabama case, there's a louisiana case, just

to name a few. which cases do you have your eye on as we head into 2024? >> we are definitely looking at georgia. there is a hearing in georgia that is this coming week, regarding the map republicans have passed following the court decision that we won. we are looking across the country, courts are remedying these republican gerrymanders, these gerrymanders that are diluting black voters voting strength. this is a win for democracy. we are seeing these winds across the country and in states in the south. i think the 2024 elections will reflect that the courts have stepped in and made things fare again. >> i think it is important to note, you don't work for the government, okay? you work for a law firm and that goes out and represents different groups and entities. there was a ruling that happened a couple weeks ago i think really flew under the radar for people that set people like, you like the elias law group, the naacp legal defense fund, they should not be able to challenge, to bring

cases or suits that challenge section two of the voting rights act. only the government to be able to do that. and that set off any alarm bells for you all? >> absolutely, absolutely. i think that decision is contrary to law, contrary to history. the reason why the voting rights act in the civil rights acts were passed, there is a long history of private civil rights groups and law firms like the one i'm a part of bringing these cases. it's absolutely imperative that that remain in place. >> goodness. y'all will find that one as well? >> we are going to find that one to. >> we will have you back to fight that one. our branch, the peoples lawyer, as i like to say. it's very good to see you in the studio. i'm sure we will see you out in the streets, in the legal treats very soon. >> thank you for having me. >> absolutely, thank you. all right, folks, coming up next, it is time to dig into all the things popping off in your group chats. honey, the group is back. we are going to talk about the upcoming premiere of the highly anticipated remake of the color purple, which does include

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i waited a while to say this, it's time for the regroup. the part of the show where we turn to our culture critics and dig into the tv that's circulating in your group chats. we must start by talking about the reimagining of the "the color purple", hitting theaters on christmas day, it's based on the tony award winning musical adaptation of the classic 1985 film. this film stars fantasia barrino, danielle brooks, most of whom scored a golden globe nominations for their performances. the oscar bus is real. here's a peek at the trailer. >> it's time for you to see the world. >> there is gonna be some

changes made. >> this isn't me. >> hush, we need to look like we belong. >> see this mile and color. sweet love of god. >> let's bring in our critics, chris whether spoon, ceo of pop viewers, an msnbc entertainment contributor and lindsey granger, owner of lindsey granger productions. welcome, friends, great to see you both. chris, this is a star studded cast. we are talking about taraji p. henson, hallie bailey, sierra, her, oprah, it's also produced by quincy jones, steven spielberg, and oprah winfrey. but the question is, one, were you one of the people that solder ali and one of the millions of preview screeners that have happened. and to, are you spending christmas in a movie theater? >> i saw the movie, i can't get

over how amazing, how beautiful it is. and to your point, oprah winfrey is executive producing this. she brings that cachet. the budget we're seeing at 100 million dollars it is because oprah winfrey it's part of the project. i'm hearing rumors there was a casting controversy at some point, that beyoncé and rihanna, executives one of them to be in the film. i'll tell you the cast taraji p. henson, daniel danielle brooks, fantasia barrino, they all delivered oscar worthy performances. >> oscar, a warrant where the, gas. it is true that beyoncé was one of the folks that producers through around, oprah was asked to get beyoncé in e vie and oprah had to tell them, beyoncé is busy this year. it wasn't even a negotiation because they're not getting the all say, hello, renaissance world tour. oprah lay down the law. oprah starred in the original movie was nominated for an oscar. she also, she was a driver of

that movie. i saw a couple interview she said she only got paid $35,000 for the original "the color purple". fast forward, huge budget, huge budget and she is a producer, the hollywood reporter said she felt pressure to make sure the movie was a hate. i feel like what oprah has done as what every big name producer out there on a film like this should do. oprah is picking up the phone and her people are picking up the phone and saying, we'll do interviews, pr, and she's pushing the talent but oprah is coming, she's using her cachet, her gravitas, to elevate the amazing performances of this cast. and it's a massive cast, what will you do? >> it's awesome how many places she been. she was also at a d.c. theater and randomly showed up to our premiere. >> yeah, for one of the delta chapters here. >> as we and chris have read. >> my mother will be proud.

>> shout out to your mom. it's important because even going back, there was pressure she asked for beyoncé andreanna. they are both awesome. rihanna's worried about her family. beyoncé there would've been two films out, they would've been competing with each other right now. fantasia barrino and taraji p. henson, they were on jennifer hudson show and they said that they turned down the opportunity at first. they said, no, at first they didn't think they can recreate or live up to what they've done. fantasia did this on broadway -- step in these shoes. we'll be wasn't this, oh brett was in this, i won't do it again. the director called him and said there was beautiful moments where they highlight in this drama a lot of joy. even though you're gonna go through these dark moments we're showing you what happened in the mind of someone who knows it's better for them. >> shout out to the director. shout out to the director. and he's from ghana, i met him earlier last week at the portrait gallery -- >> you're going to the portrait

gallery. >> shout out anyway. different topic. it needs to do with one of the stars of "the color purple", fantasia barrino she made a bombshell allegation on the site formally known as twitter -- out of a rental in the middle of the night, honey. she says the coast accused them of having a party with loud noises outdoors. she went on to say, quote, it's evident to me this was racial profiling and the treatment we received was due to the color of our skin. erin bee replied to the re-post on the side and said it doesn't condone discrimination in any way. they said the team would follow up. we don't know what the airbnb host is saying about the incident. and pc news hasn't been able to confirm. chris, how do you think fantasia handled this, we're on the cusp of oscar? >> do we know about the airbnb. the point that you're making maybe not. i want to applaud her for coming out, speaking our truth. so often i know so many black

and brown folks to get profiled when they're using airbnb. at the end of the day, if this happened to her with her son, this was a great moment for him, he was experiencing and kicked out at midnight, they want her to leave at midnight, that is appalling. airbnb they don't want this oprah smoke, she can go right away. [laughter] okay, now. >> they don't want to. last but not least. jonathan majors, the assault trial of jonathan majors centers on an accusation that he assaulted his ex girlfriend. it went to the jury on thursday, the judge rip approved the release of some evidence including footage you're seeing on your screen. this is jonathan majors ex girlfriend chasing him down the street, and she almost gets hit by a car, there's also audio of majors admonishing her for drinking and telling our to act more like caretta scott king and michelle obama. lindsey, lindsey, it's messy, it's sad, does this evidence, does this evidence change what

people think or feel about this case? >> the jury is still deliberating. it's a sign that this new evidence change some things. he was pretty much done before. in the court of public opinion he lost millions of dollars and opportunities. it's unfortunate that we find out that he's running down the street like he's being chased by a bill collector. and he literally did nothing wrong. i don't know what's going on because domestic violence isn't funny on either side. the way that man is running, what are you guys afraid of, i'm afraid of fear, this girl said she's afraid of jonathan majors according to testimony, why would you be chasing after someone you're so afraid of down the street like this, this was crazy to me. >> we need to wrap. it she looks a little bit crazy in love. let me tell you, me and my husband get in the argument -- >> he can run down the street i don't know. >> no, something isn't right. >> the running was insane. people, please, watch the whole video it's concerning.

chris witherspoon, lisa lindsey granger, we appreciate you all. coming up, we say goodbye to one of the most prolific american artist of the past century whose commitment to racial justice shines bright and is powerful powerful way. don't go away you're watching symone. in symone ow doc, it really works. - i got the cabin for three days. it's gonna be sweet! ow what? i'm 12 hours short. - have a fun weekend. - ♪ unnecessary action hero! unnecessary. ♪ - was that necessary? - no. neither is a blown weekend. with paycom, employees do their own payroll so you can fix problems before they become problems. - hmm!

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honor one of the great artists of our time, the metal sculpture, richard hunt, his incredible career spanned nearly seven decades, much of his work was inspired by witnessing the open casket funeral of emmett till in his native town chicago. including this cultural -- for a moment. it's a monumental tale that's called, hero ascending. it's set to be installed at pills childhood home. he was the first black sculptor to receive a retrospective and new york city's of modern art. it is a huge deal. he's also had more than 160 public sculptures commissioned

across 24 states in washington, d.c.. richard hunt was 88 years old. thank you so muc everyone for watching symone on sunday. i'm symone, for more of the show you can find us on instagram, the site formally known as twitter, and starting in january you can find me on in the morning, 8 to 10 right here on msnbc on the weekend. but now, politicsnation with the great reverend al sharpton. rev, you had the chair on next, there is a lot to talk about because i read a statement on the show that you put out on december 11th saying that the white house has been difficult to get a meeting. and now you have a fresh meeting that you had yesterday. a fresh >> she finally got the meeting. i'm anxious to hear what she needs to say about the meaning and her reaction to the statement by donald trump that

immigrants are