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Speaker 1: Happy, Happy holidays, Brown Ambition Fam, it's Mandra here. As

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Speaker 1: you guys know, tiff and I are taking a little

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Speaker 1: break before the new year, but we've still got you

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Speaker 1: covered with some of our favorite Brown Ambition moments from

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Speaker 1: twenty twenty one. All throughout this month, we're looking back

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Speaker 1: at memorable conversations and breaking down the most important lessons

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Speaker 1: we've learned this year. We can't thank you enough for

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Speaker 1: sticking by us in what has become one of our

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Speaker 1: biggest years for the show ever. So many amazing memories

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Speaker 1: from this year and I cannot wait to revisit some

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Speaker 1: of them with all of you. Guys. Are beloved BA Fam.

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Speaker 1: Wishing you and yours a beautiful holiday season, and thank

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Speaker 1: you again for all the support. Hey, BA Fam, it's Mandy.

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Speaker 1: I'm here with a pretty special and unusual show for

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Speaker 1: you guys this week. It almost wasn't any show at all.

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Speaker 1: For those of y'all who listened to our and joined

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Speaker 1: our Instagram live the Tiffany and I did last week,

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Speaker 1: Thank you so much. We're sorry we weren't able to

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Speaker 1: post the video for y'all. Apparently something happened with Instagram

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Speaker 1: and Tiffany couldn't save it, Mayakopa. But on the live

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Speaker 1: we said that we have a bit of a surprise,

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Speaker 1: and it's because of that surprise that we're not able

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Speaker 1: to record a new show last week, so you might

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Speaker 1: have noticed there was no episode. We're very sorry, but

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Speaker 1: it's for a really, really good reason, a reason that

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Speaker 1: I can't quite announce just yet, so we'll wait until

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Speaker 1: next week when Tiffany's back. That being said, we are here.

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Speaker 1: We are here, y'all. Okay, don't worry. We're fine. Since

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Speaker 1: we couldn't record our regular show, though, I wanted to

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Speaker 1: go ahead and share with you guys an amazing conversation

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Speaker 1: that I had last week when we were off with

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Speaker 1: the CEO and co founder of an organization based in Brooklyn,

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Speaker 1: New York called Hire Heights for America. This is a

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Speaker 1: nonprofit that actually focuses on getting black women elected to

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Speaker 1: higher office. So I'm talking about mayor races, gubernatorial races,

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Speaker 1: and beyond Kamala Harris. Yup, that is someone that Higher

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Speaker 1: Heights has championed and endorsed and helped support and they

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Speaker 1: are not stopping now. I had Glinda Carr join the show,

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Speaker 1: and I'm thrilled to share that conversation with you guys.

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Speaker 1: Why because yes, I had chills just like the rest

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Speaker 1: of you last week when we watched Kamala get sworn

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Speaker 1: in as the first female black vice president in our

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Speaker 1: nation's history. I can never get tired of saying that.

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Speaker 1: But that being said, when I started to do my

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Speaker 1: googles about black women in politics, Kamala was a rarity,

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Speaker 1: and I don't think even I appreciated how rare her

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Speaker 1: presence was in our nation's capital until I really got

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Speaker 1: down and dirty with the numbers. So let me share

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Speaker 1: some with you. Okay, there are zero zero black women

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Speaker 1: serving in our US Senate right now. Okay, Now, there

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Speaker 1: were a record number of black women in the House

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Speaker 1: of Representatives in twenty twenty one, twenty five though y'all

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Speaker 1: only twenty five. Like that's a record that is pathetic, Okay,

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Speaker 1: Like I cannot Twenty five out of four hundred and

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Speaker 1: thirty five elected officials in the House are black women,

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Speaker 1: And that's twenty five women Black women in Congress at

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Speaker 1: a time when I mean, haven't you guys heard the

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Speaker 1: pundits and the politicians thanking black women how we saved

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Speaker 1: the election for Joe and Kamala. You know how we

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Speaker 1: saved twenty twenty, how we turned out in states like

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Speaker 1: Georgia and gave them the edge that they needed. Thank

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Speaker 1: you Black women, Thank you Stacy Abrams. Thank you to

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Speaker 1: our fore mothers like Shirley Chisholm, Fanny lou Hamer, and

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Speaker 1: so many women who came before them and after. But

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Speaker 1: what are we really seeing reflected on Capitol Hill. We

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Speaker 1: are not seeing ourselves, and I think that's a problem.

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Speaker 1: I'm not saying that we have to get out there

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Speaker 1: and run for governor like Stacy Abrams or run for

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Speaker 1: mayor like Kisha Land's Bottoms. But what I hope is

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Speaker 1: that my conversation with Glinda encourages all of us to

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Speaker 1: not just stop with casting our vote in the twenty

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Speaker 1: twenty election, but to stay engaged at the local level.

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Speaker 1: And maybe you're not someone who wants to run for

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Speaker 1: an office, whether it's the town council or the school

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Speaker 1: board or whatever. Maybe you're not someone who has aspirations

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Speaker 1: of getting into politics. But before you give up on yourself,

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Speaker 1: or before you think that it's not for you, listen

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Speaker 1: to my conversation with Glinda and feel empowered. Our voices matter.

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Speaker 1: Our voices can bring about the change that we need

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Speaker 1: to see in this country, and twenty twenty was just

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Speaker 1: the beginning. I am so excited for you guys to

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Speaker 1: hear my conversation with Glinda. Please hit me up on Instagram.

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Speaker 1: We're at Brown Ambition Podcast on the Gram. You can

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Speaker 1: also send us an email at Brown and Bish Podcast

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Speaker 1: at gmail dot com. Send us your thoughts, your questions.

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Speaker 1: We can't wait to be back with you guys next

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Speaker 1: week with a brand new show. In the meantime, enjoy

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Speaker 1: this conversation with Glinda and you can check her out

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Speaker 1: at Higher Heights for America dot org. All right, Glinda, well,

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Speaker 1: thank you very much for coming to Brown Ambition. It's

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Speaker 1: really an honor to have you here, especially during a

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Speaker 1: year when it seems like Brown Ambition really became a

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Speaker 1: little bit less about money and career and a lot

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Speaker 1: more about what is it like out there for black

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Speaker 1: women in this world today? And how can we get

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Speaker 1: more political? I don't know, political power. How can we

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Speaker 1: feel more empowered other than you know, the news headlines

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Speaker 1: will have you believe that, you know, black women really

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Speaker 1: came out for this election in previous elections and saved,

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Speaker 1: you know, the progressive candidates and got them elected. But

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Speaker 1: you often, personally, for me, you don't always feel like

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Speaker 1: you're seeing the representation on Capitol Hill or even the

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Speaker 1: state capitals that that matches that, you know, appreciation for

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Speaker 1: black women in our power politically. So I'm so excited

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Speaker 1: to have you on the show because what I want

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Speaker 1: to talk to you about is, you know, first and foremost,

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Speaker 1: what is Higher Heights? Why did you guys found this organization?

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Speaker 1: And where do you see the future for black women

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Speaker 1: in politics? Is it an exciting time? Is it a

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Speaker 1: time where you know, we're sort of you know, accepting

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Speaker 1: that there's still a long way to go. How are

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Speaker 1: you feeling these days? And especially for our listeners, we'd

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Speaker 1: love to hear from you tips on how people can

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Speaker 1: get involved in their local politics, date politics, and beyond,

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Speaker 1: you know, in a way that helps them contribute more

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Speaker 1: than just a vote.

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Speaker 2: Yeah.

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Speaker 3: So, you know, black women have been the architects of

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Speaker 3: our democracy since the nineteenth Amendment, in frankly earlier, but

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Speaker 3: the nineteenth Amendment. We're in the one hundredth and one

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Speaker 3: anniversary of that amendment and that movement, and so black

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Speaker 3: women certainly you know, sat among the suffrageres of that movement,

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Speaker 3: knowing that they weren't going to reap the benefits of

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Speaker 3: the work of.

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Speaker 2: That decision making table. And that's been the work.

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Speaker 3: Of black women across many of the milestones across our

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Speaker 3: movement building history. You know, black women were clearly the

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Speaker 3: architects and quiet organizers during the Civil Rights movement. You

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Speaker 3: had a Fanny Lou Hamer who frankly was an everyday

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Speaker 3: woman sharecropper, who sat in the back of a church

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Speaker 3: and got fired up and went from you know, being

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Speaker 3: motivated to registering to vote to registering over eighty thousand

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Speaker 3: residents in Mississippi, and went on and sat at the

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Speaker 3: Democratic National Convention carrying the voices of African Americans demanding

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Speaker 3: seats at that convention, which led to just more political power.

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Speaker 3: And so we fast forward to twenty twenty and once

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Speaker 3: again a courus of thank you black women for saving

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Speaker 3: the country.

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Speaker 2: I'll be frank saving the country for our neighbors.

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Speaker 3: Black women recognize that, you know, the access to the

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Speaker 3: voting block and exercising the right to vote helps to

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Speaker 3: build the power. What we demanded in twenty twenty though,

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Speaker 3: was that we want a return on our voting investment,

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Speaker 3: and that's in the form of policies that directly impact

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Speaker 3: Black women, our families, and our communities. And we certainly

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Speaker 3: are continuing to claim seats at decision making tables. Our

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Speaker 3: political power at the voting booth actually doesn't match equally

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Speaker 3: match our representation at elected decision making tables.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, what does it mean to you? I

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Speaker 1: think I think with the Capital riot, you know, how

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Speaker 1: is how long has it been now? It feels like months,

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Speaker 1: but it was only a week and a half ago

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Speaker 1: that there is an insurrection against the US capital, which

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Speaker 1: is still shocking to say. And I part of me

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Speaker 1: is a little bit sad because I mean, well, first

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Speaker 1: of all, sad for so many reasons, but also it

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Speaker 1: feels like it's sort of taking away from this moment

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Speaker 1: of history of having the first black email vice president,

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Speaker 1: woman of South Asian descent, all of that, Kamala Harris.

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Speaker 1: And I wonder how you feel and how higher Heights

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Speaker 1: is looking at her candidacy, her nomination, her win as

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Speaker 1: vice president. What excites you about that? And do you

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Speaker 1: feel like Kamala is bringing to the table that sense

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Speaker 1: of listen, I am here I'm a black woman, and

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Speaker 1: I am going to be unapologetic about that and put

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Speaker 1: forth policies that truly help black women in their communities.

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Speaker 3: Absolutely, So we have been proud to stand with Vice

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Speaker 3: President Elect or as soon to be, Madam VP Kamala

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Speaker 3: Harris since her run for US Senate in twenty sixteen.

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Speaker 3: So we've only had two black women ever elected to

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Speaker 3: the US Senate, right, and so there's a lot of

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Speaker 3: work to continue to ensure that we have representation at all.

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Speaker 2: Decision making cables.

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Speaker 3: But we certainly were excited that she joined the US

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Speaker 3: Senate at a point where she brought not only her

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Speaker 3: you know, years of qualifications as an elected official that

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Speaker 3: ran one and governed on the city level, ran one

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Speaker 3: and governed on the statewide executive level, and then carried

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Speaker 3: her voice to the US Senate, and we proudly said

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Speaker 3: with her when she ran for President of the United States,

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Speaker 3: and her multiple identities as a woman, as a woman

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Speaker 3: of color, as a daughter of two immigrants, and a

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Speaker 3: black woman, as well as her identities around attending a

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Speaker 3: historically black college, being a member of a Greek you know,

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Speaker 3: a black Greek letter organization. You know, we're excited about

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Speaker 3: her standing and presiding over the US Senate at a

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Speaker 3: time where you know, her vice presidency will make her

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Speaker 3: one of the most you know, consequential, you know leaders

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Speaker 3: in a generation with a fifty to fifty split Congress.

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Speaker 3: And so although we are you know, very concerned that

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Speaker 3: there is no representation in the body of the US Senate,

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Speaker 3: we have literally a US senator standing and presiding over

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Speaker 3: the Senate, and so certainly many of the legislative pieces

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Speaker 3: of legislation that she has introduced and authored and championed,

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Speaker 3: you know, you know, it's something about a full circle

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Speaker 3: moment that there may be times where she's the deciding

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Speaker 3: vote to be able to move that legislation from her

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Speaker 3: you know, standing with Senator Corey Booker very clear about

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Speaker 3: a discussion around racial disparities around COVID nineteen, the discussion

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Speaker 3: around anti trying to roll back old law, around anti lynching,

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Speaker 3: to her talking about black women in fibroids, and the

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Speaker 3: innovations around black women and infomortality and pre natal care.

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Speaker 3: Those identities allow her to in the spirit of Maya

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Speaker 3: Angelou's poem Grandmothers, there's a Stanza line that says, I

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Speaker 3: come as one, but I stand as ten thousand, and

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Speaker 3: that is certainly you know what we're excited about seeing,

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Speaker 3: you know, our new vice president do to bring all

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Speaker 3: of the lived experiences she has as well as her

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Speaker 3: for qualifications at.

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Speaker 2: A time that we are at the height.

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Speaker 3: Of racial tensions during my generation, and a discussion around

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Speaker 3: how do we move beyond COVID recover, survive, recover, and

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Speaker 3: thrive beyond COVID nineteen, particularly when the very communities that

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Speaker 3: her she comes from have been disproportionately impacted back that.

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Speaker 3: So we are definitely excited about this opportunity, but recognizing

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Speaker 3: that our work has not finished and we need to

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Speaker 3: accelerate the work around black women's elected leadership beyond twenty twenty.

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Speaker 2: Now.

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Speaker 1: Higher Heights has been around for nearly a decade, now,

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Speaker 1: is that right?

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Speaker 2: I know we were just planning that. We're like, is

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Speaker 2: it a decade?

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Speaker 1: Wow? Well, congratulations, listen. We love entrepreneurs here and especially

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Speaker 1: in the space that you guys in, so thank you

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Speaker 1: so much for that it. Congrats. Take a moment to

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Speaker 1: accept the shine and all the work that you've accomplished.

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Speaker 1: Do you feel more of a sense of urgency now

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Speaker 1: than you did when you founded Higher Heights. I mean

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Speaker 1: this is like you said, this is a I mean

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Speaker 1: all that there's so many things going on, it's too much.

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Speaker 1: There's the race, I mean, you say tension, but it

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Speaker 1: is it feels like a civil war is bubbling under

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Speaker 1: the surface. I mean, and there's an economic crisis, and

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Speaker 1: of course Black Americans it feels like financially and health

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Speaker 1: wise have been disproportionately impacted by this pandemic. What does

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Speaker 1: that feel like to you? Do you feel like there's

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Speaker 1: more of a sense of urgency around getting more power,

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Speaker 1: getting more influence in politics and why what sort of

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Speaker 1: are the platforms or the issues that are most important

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Speaker 1: to Higher Heights?

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Speaker 2: Now? Yeah, absolutely so.

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Speaker 3: You know, Kimberly Peeler Allen, the other co founder, and

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Speaker 3: I to black women who happened to work in politics,

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Speaker 3: but everyday black women sat in a Brooklyn cafe literally

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Speaker 3: ten years this February, and we actually Kimberly came to

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Speaker 3: coffee because I was trying to figure out my next

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Speaker 3: career move and within that, you know, my I had

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Speaker 3: grown some frustration around particularly progressive politics, which is what

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Speaker 3: we worked in at the time, and being in rooms

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Speaker 3: that were dominantly white, dominantly you know, male, and you know,

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Speaker 3: being looked at as like a unicorn, like like black

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Speaker 3: black politically engaged women, you know, women who you know

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Speaker 3: write checks and volunteer in our vocal that were this

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Speaker 3: like black unicorn and so out of event because you know,

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Speaker 3: you sometimes we all will have a vent conversation with

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Speaker 3: a girlfriend we literally we should start our own organization,

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Speaker 3: and we sat and kind of just chatted about what

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Speaker 3: it looked like. We wrote the words Higher Heights down

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Speaker 3: that day and spent a year and a half researching

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Speaker 3: like what would this look like? And we we wanted

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Speaker 3: to see an organization we could see ourselves in, and.

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Speaker 2: So you accelerate the work you know we have. You know,

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Speaker 2: we're in a moment.

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Speaker 3: One of our foundation principles is we want to create

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Speaker 3: the environment for blackmen to vote, run, women lead, And

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Speaker 3: I certainly think that is some of the successes of

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Speaker 3: Higher Heights. That we're in a moment where you know,

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Speaker 3: everyone is talking about black women's political power and leadership

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Speaker 3: and celebrating our leadership, but we also recognize there's a

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Speaker 3: lot of work to be done by the numbers, right,

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Speaker 3: and so in the one hundred and seventeenth Congress, we

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Speaker 3: have twenty four black women serving, and so over the

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Speaker 3: last couple of elections, sorry, twenty four black women and

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Speaker 3: two non voting delegates. So in total, twenty five twenty

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Speaker 3: six black women serving in the House of Representatives. And

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Speaker 3: that's been a steady gain over the last ten years.

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Speaker 3: We've seen a record number of black women run and

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Speaker 3: win each year, but we've never elected a black woman

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Speaker 3: to governor or, as I would say, we've never had

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Speaker 3: a black woman's serve because for me, Stacy Abrams did

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Speaker 3: win that twenty eighteen election cycle.

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Speaker 1: Bomhart twinges every time, Yes, Stacy Abrams, we cannot have

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Speaker 1: this conversation without mentioning her.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, yep.

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Speaker 3: And you know, out of the two than one hundred

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Speaker 3: and sixty two women who serve in state legislatures across

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Speaker 3: the country, only three hundred and seventeen of them as

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Speaker 3: the end of the year are black women. And we've

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Speaker 3: seen a steady gain of black women running and winning

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Speaker 3: as mayors of top one hundred cities, but we currently

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Speaker 3: have six and so when you look at those and

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Speaker 3: I've already said, there's zero black women in the US

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Speaker 3: inate and so there's still work to be done. And

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Speaker 3: it's not that black women aren't running. Yes, we need

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Speaker 3: more black women to run. Frankly, from the local office,

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Speaker 3: may it be school board, to city council to some

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Speaker 3: of your state legislatures or county black women are running.

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Speaker 3: Be clear, there's still barriers access to navigating the political

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Speaker 3: process and party early party and institutional support, raising money,

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Speaker 3: and you know, still a discussion around what does electability

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Speaker 3: look like like You don't hear anyone using the word

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Speaker 3: electability to white men, right.

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Speaker 2: It is reserved for women and particularly women of color.

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Speaker 3: And so we know that a Kamala Harris or a

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Speaker 3: New York State Attorney General Tis James, they're.

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Speaker 2: Actually the road maps.

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Speaker 3: Not because you go, oh, I want to be a

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Speaker 3: g now or I want to be the vice president.

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Speaker 3: Is the fact that they ran for local office. Letitia James,

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Speaker 3: you know, was a New York City council member and

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Speaker 3: her career projectory was to run for a higher office.

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Speaker 3: Oftentimes it could be you are going to make you

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Speaker 3: are going to have your maximum impact, like I said,

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Speaker 3: on your town council. And so our work is to

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Speaker 3: you know, help identify, help to inspire, train and support

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Speaker 3: black women. Our Political Action Committee currently supports women running

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Speaker 3: for federal office, statewide executive office, and mayors of top

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Speaker 3: hundred cities. But our network of black women across this

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Speaker 3: country are elected or thinking about running for office at

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Speaker 3: all levels. And frankly, many of our members are just

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Speaker 3: like my best friend. They just want to be more

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Speaker 3: civically engaged in growing too stretch in their political leadership,

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Speaker 3: and that may be advocating on behalf of issues they

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Speaker 3: care about. To their elected leaders, continue to help recruit, sorry,

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Speaker 3: continue to help organize our community to the polls, and

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Speaker 3: so we all should consider ourselves political leaders and then

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Speaker 3: finding out what is the highest use of your time,

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Speaker 3: talents and treasures to help move this democracy in this

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Speaker 3: country to higher heights.

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Speaker 1: I think what I know, sadly about local politics is

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Speaker 1: like parks and Recreation. That was a really good show

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Speaker 1: with Amy and Bore. But honestly, ever since I told

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Speaker 1: you a little bit when we were talking about the

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Speaker 1: show my background. I bought a house a few a

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Speaker 1: few years ago, and we live in a town and

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Speaker 1: we've gotten to know our town councilmen and elected officials,

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Speaker 1: and they are so accessible and they've they're right here,

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Speaker 1: and it's kind of fun. My husband and I have

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Speaker 1: gotten like we like to just email them and tell

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Speaker 1: them about things that are going on. But let's talk

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Speaker 1: about town council because that, to me is something that's

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Speaker 1: really accessible for a lot of people looking for an entryway,

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Speaker 1: a pathway into political leadership in their communities. But what

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Speaker 1: kind of power is there in the town council to

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Speaker 1: drive change that can really impact black communities? And what's

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Speaker 1: at stake if we don't start having more diverse leadership

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Speaker 1: at that level. If you can talk a little bit

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Speaker 1: about that.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean our diverse decision making tables make better decisions.

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Speaker 3: And so so we are seeking to ensure that black

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Speaker 3: women's voices are heard at all levels. And as you know, frankly,

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Speaker 3: local elected office has a more direct and immediate impact.

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Speaker 2: On your day to day lives.

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Speaker 3: I use an example like my I have a earlier

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Speaker 3: in my career, I had a lot of friends that say,

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Speaker 3: you know, I don't do politics, and I certainly believe

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Speaker 3: we have a bunch of our networks that still.

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Speaker 2: Say I don't do politics.

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Speaker 3: And I give an example that you know, almost everything

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Speaker 3: is tied to a public policy or a poor public dollar.

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Speaker 3: And I usually use an example that in most places

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Speaker 3: in the United States, we all have street lights, and

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Speaker 3: so certainly when that street light goes out, there's a

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Speaker 3: discussion around who do you, you know, how do we

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Speaker 3: advocate to make sure we have street lights making sure

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Speaker 3: that street light is on? And that is also tied

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Speaker 3: to most likely a public policy or a public dollar.

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Speaker 3: And those public dollars in public policies are tied.

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Speaker 2: To an elected official that you voted for or not

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Speaker 2: voted for.

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Speaker 3: And so the work of you know, strengthening our you know,

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Speaker 3: our government is beyond the voting booth. Right, democracy doesn't

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Speaker 3: begin and in on election day, it actually begins. And

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Speaker 3: so we need to all be active citizens in not

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Speaker 3: only holding our elect officials accountable, but frankly creating the

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Speaker 3: environment for our champions to push innovation in public policy

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Speaker 3: and public budget processes.

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Speaker 1: So what does that look like, you know, for someone

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Speaker 1: who's listening at home and see something in their town

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Speaker 1: that they don't like or wants to take action, do

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Speaker 1: you just I mean literally, how do you get involved

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Speaker 1: in the town council? Like? Do you just go to

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Speaker 1: what is it town hall and say hi, I would

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Speaker 1: like to get on the ballot or you know, I

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Speaker 1: just break it down because this is just the level

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Speaker 1: of detail that it's that access to knowledge of how

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Speaker 1: things happen that you know, I'm certainly lacking, and I

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Speaker 1: think a lot of other folks will be too.

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Speaker 2: Yeah.

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Speaker 3: So if you're, you know, someone who not thinking about

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Speaker 3: running for office, but just want to be more actively engaged,

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Speaker 3: it is attending town halls, in town council meetings or

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Speaker 3: what a city council.

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Speaker 2: Meet whatever level. It is lobbying your elected officials.

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Speaker 3: And so that is you know, I'm still I spent

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Speaker 3: six years working for the New York State Legislature as

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Speaker 3: the chief of staff, and you know, you know, the

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Speaker 3: member I used to work for, we would say the

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Speaker 3: squeaky wheel gets the oil right, and oftentimes people in

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Speaker 3: our you know, people believe that the squeaky oil is

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Speaker 3: wealthy people in people that are connected, Yes, they do

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Speaker 3: have access, but frankly, votes matter to elected the leaders.

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Speaker 3: So when you are now looking about an issue and

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Speaker 3: you're getting hundreds or thousands of letters or emails or

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Speaker 3: tweets on an issue, it makes your elected officials pay

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Speaker 3: attention and you're opening up a dialogue you ought to

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Speaker 3: be well. One, we ought to know who our elected

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Speaker 3: officials are so that we can you know, pay attention

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Speaker 3: not only during voting time, but during during governing times.

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Speaker 3: And frankly, if you are passionate about an issue, it

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Speaker 3: is connecting with the elective officials. Again, when I used

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Speaker 3: to work for the state legislature, there are several pieces

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Speaker 3: of legislation that the senator I worked for introduced because

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Speaker 3: he had a conversation with a constituent who either had

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Speaker 3: something that they were inspired by or something they were

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Speaker 3: upset about. And so as a regular everyday you know,

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Speaker 3: citizen not running for office or governing, you can impact

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Speaker 3: and you know.

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Speaker 2: Help author and move policy.

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Speaker 3: And then finally, if you think about running for office,

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Speaker 3: you know there are a ton of training programs. Higher

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Speaker 3: Heights just hosted our first boot camp of the year

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Speaker 3: and a half day training. But our partners like Emerge

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Speaker 3: in Emily's List, the Black Campaign School, from the Collective Pack,

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Speaker 3: they all have, you know nowadays, all have online programming.

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Speaker 3: And what's great about that we've always done online training

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Speaker 3: is that one of the one of the obstacles that

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Speaker 3: the research from the Center for American Women in Politics

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Speaker 3: have pointed out is that women aren't encouraged to run

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Speaker 3: for office, but women of color and particularly black women

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Speaker 3: oftentimes are discouraged from running for office. So sometimes doing

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Speaker 3: physical trainings or or starting to talk about your thinking

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Speaker 3: about running for office, that you don't want those those

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Speaker 3: people who will be the naysayers before you even have

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Speaker 3: thought this through.

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Speaker 2: And so frankly being able to you know, spend a little.

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Speaker 3: Quiet time in a corner in your home with your

438
00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:35,879
Speaker 3: you know, watching a webinar to really determine if running

439
00:24:35,920 --> 00:24:39,399
Speaker 3: for office is again the best use of your you know, time,

440
00:24:39,880 --> 00:24:43,080
Speaker 3: talents and treasures. And so I would always encourage people,

441
00:24:43,160 --> 00:24:44,960
Speaker 3: if you think about running for office, to take any

442
00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:47,800
Speaker 3: of the amazing trainings, most of them are free. And

443
00:24:47,880 --> 00:24:49,760
Speaker 3: I would also encourage as you know, we are in

444
00:24:49,760 --> 00:24:51,960
Speaker 3: a environmenthere everybody say, oh I want to run for office.

445
00:24:52,680 --> 00:24:54,560
Speaker 3: Not every one of us need to run for office.

446
00:24:54,560 --> 00:24:57,320
Speaker 3: And so it's determining what is you know what what

447
00:24:57,440 --> 00:24:58,840
Speaker 3: how do you want to make an impact in your

448
00:24:58,880 --> 00:25:02,240
Speaker 3: community and that maybe, like I said, strengthening your leadership

449
00:25:02,359 --> 00:25:06,200
Speaker 3: roles outside of government, you know, considering running for office,

450
00:25:06,560 --> 00:25:10,080
Speaker 3: or frankly being the person that recruits in recruits and

451
00:25:11,040 --> 00:25:13,000
Speaker 3: encourages those to run for office.

452
00:25:13,240 --> 00:25:16,320
Speaker 1: Absolutely. I think one of the I mean, obviously it's

453
00:25:16,359 --> 00:25:19,240
Speaker 1: in the name of our podcast been ambition. It's it's

454
00:25:19,320 --> 00:25:23,280
Speaker 1: crazy to me but so common. True ambition sometimes starts

455
00:25:23,280 --> 00:25:25,399
Speaker 1: in quiet places where you're safe and you don't want

456
00:25:25,440 --> 00:25:27,720
Speaker 1: to say it out loud because you're afraid. You know,

457
00:25:27,760 --> 00:25:29,400
Speaker 1: it takes courage, I think to stand up and say

458
00:25:29,400 --> 00:25:33,080
Speaker 1: that I want something. You know, I am ambitious enough

459
00:25:33,119 --> 00:25:36,080
Speaker 1: to reach for a higher height. And you're right, there

460
00:25:36,119 --> 00:25:38,840
Speaker 1: are people who will be those naysayers and or because

461
00:25:38,840 --> 00:25:41,120
Speaker 1: I've never seen it before, they want to protect you,

462
00:25:41,520 --> 00:25:43,080
Speaker 1: don't want you to get hurt, and you know, made

463
00:25:43,119 --> 00:25:45,840
Speaker 1: dissuade you from that. So the work of the work

464
00:25:45,840 --> 00:25:49,240
Speaker 1: of your organization is is wonderful in that way because

465
00:25:49,720 --> 00:25:52,320
Speaker 1: you guys it's and kind of describe how Higher Heights

466
00:25:52,359 --> 00:25:54,200
Speaker 1: works is. I know that you guys have a political

467
00:25:54,240 --> 00:25:56,879
Speaker 1: action Sorry, what's a PACK? What does it stand for?

468
00:25:57,000 --> 00:25:58,760
Speaker 2: Political Action? Political Action Committee?

469
00:25:58,800 --> 00:25:59,119
Speaker 3: Thank you?

470
00:25:59,600 --> 00:26:02,879
Speaker 1: I watch it. That's amasy. So yeah, you guys, you

471
00:26:03,400 --> 00:26:05,520
Speaker 1: raise funds so that you can back candidates. What do

472
00:26:05,520 --> 00:26:08,199
Speaker 1: you guys look like We'll look at in candidates that

473
00:26:08,200 --> 00:26:10,760
Speaker 1: you're looking to back and do you have to go

474
00:26:10,880 --> 00:26:14,960
Speaker 1: looking pretty far and wide to find women of color

475
00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:18,199
Speaker 1: out there to push into higher office.

476
00:26:19,840 --> 00:26:21,760
Speaker 2: So yet, we have a political Action committee.

477
00:26:21,800 --> 00:26:25,800
Speaker 3: Our committee is made up of board members and some

478
00:26:25,920 --> 00:26:32,240
Speaker 3: community community members, and so we solely, unapologetically support women

479
00:26:32,280 --> 00:26:35,960
Speaker 3: that identify as black women who are running at the

480
00:26:36,320 --> 00:26:39,560
Speaker 3: federal level, statewide executives, in top mayors of top one

481
00:26:39,640 --> 00:26:43,080
Speaker 3: hundred cities. And we, as you mentioned, yes, we do

482
00:26:43,160 --> 00:26:47,119
Speaker 3: financially support candidates. We also encourage our members and our

483
00:26:47,160 --> 00:26:51,080
Speaker 3: networks to support and fundraise for our candidates. And we

484
00:26:51,119 --> 00:26:55,199
Speaker 3: then activate our community, our growing community, to volunteer. And

485
00:26:55,240 --> 00:26:57,520
Speaker 3: so in COVID nineteen, there are a couple of things

486
00:26:57,560 --> 00:26:59,440
Speaker 3: that I think that have come out that have allowed

487
00:26:59,520 --> 00:27:04,200
Speaker 3: us to, like many organizations and programs, to expand. Is

488
00:27:04,240 --> 00:27:06,720
Speaker 3: the notion of being able to be anywhere across the

489
00:27:06,720 --> 00:27:10,399
Speaker 3: country and being inspired by someone running for office, and

490
00:27:10,480 --> 00:27:14,080
Speaker 3: being able to volunteer by making phone calls or texting

491
00:27:14,119 --> 00:27:18,080
Speaker 3: neighbors and texting voters in that district, and frankly hosting

492
00:27:18,160 --> 00:27:21,440
Speaker 3: virtual fundraisers that you could literally sit in your house,

493
00:27:21,480 --> 00:27:23,919
Speaker 3: in your across the country. And so we helped to

494
00:27:24,080 --> 00:27:27,880
Speaker 3: you know, connect our members to volunteer opportunities.

495
00:27:27,880 --> 00:27:29,600
Speaker 2: We host volunteer opportunities.

496
00:27:29,760 --> 00:27:32,480
Speaker 3: The cycle we you know called across you know our

497
00:27:32,680 --> 00:27:35,719
Speaker 3: you know, sixteen black women that were on the general ballot,

498
00:27:35,800 --> 00:27:38,479
Speaker 3: you know, shy of a you know, a thousand calls

499
00:27:38,480 --> 00:27:41,600
Speaker 3: and texts, and for them it is that is how

500
00:27:41,640 --> 00:27:45,080
Speaker 3: you win elections, right, You build, you build an infrastructure

501
00:27:45,080 --> 00:27:47,760
Speaker 3: that helps you talk to and get your message out

502
00:27:48,240 --> 00:27:48,880
Speaker 3: to voters.

503
00:27:49,440 --> 00:27:51,600
Speaker 2: But you know, each year.

504
00:27:51,640 --> 00:27:55,919
Speaker 3: You know, we've, yes, we do reach out and go hey, Jane,

505
00:27:56,040 --> 00:27:58,800
Speaker 3: you should consider running for office. But certainly, you know,

506
00:27:58,840 --> 00:28:01,720
Speaker 3: there's a growing interest and we were in daily dialogue

507
00:28:01,760 --> 00:28:04,199
Speaker 3: with women running for office and frankly running for office

508
00:28:04,400 --> 00:28:07,720
Speaker 3: that our Political Action Committee may not support, but all

509
00:28:07,760 --> 00:28:11,200
Speaker 3: of our resource tools and our training support women running

510
00:28:11,200 --> 00:28:14,879
Speaker 3: for office. I recently got it, like a tweet or

511
00:28:14,920 --> 00:28:17,800
Speaker 3: a DM from someone that said you helped me win

512
00:28:17,840 --> 00:28:22,240
Speaker 3: my election to town council. And you know, my original

513
00:28:22,240 --> 00:28:24,119
Speaker 3: action is like, well, we didn't support you, and she's like,

514
00:28:24,119 --> 00:28:24,720
Speaker 3: you sure did?

515
00:28:25,080 --> 00:28:26,320
Speaker 2: You created a space for me.

516
00:28:26,440 --> 00:28:28,399
Speaker 3: I was quite you know, I was on, I was

517
00:28:28,520 --> 00:28:31,200
Speaker 3: you know, engaged, and she felt that you know, for us,

518
00:28:31,240 --> 00:28:33,560
Speaker 3: we're the political home that she had found a home

519
00:28:34,040 --> 00:28:39,560
Speaker 3: that broadly supported her her candidacy, and you know, you know,

520
00:28:40,080 --> 00:28:43,560
Speaker 3: had access to the tools that not only were tactical tools,

521
00:28:43,600 --> 00:28:45,600
Speaker 3: but also just the ability, like you said, the naysay

522
00:28:45,760 --> 00:28:48,960
Speaker 3: being the place like you can do this that support mechanism,

523
00:28:49,160 --> 00:28:51,040
Speaker 3: and you know that's one of the things that you know,

524
00:28:51,160 --> 00:28:54,320
Speaker 3: Kimberly and I are very proud at Kamala Harris once

525
00:28:54,360 --> 00:28:57,160
Speaker 3: said to us in twenty eighteen, and she's you know,

526
00:28:57,240 --> 00:29:00,600
Speaker 3: been a great you know, governing partner and partner in

527
00:29:00,640 --> 00:29:03,600
Speaker 3: this work. Is that did you know? And again it's

528
00:29:03,640 --> 00:29:05,680
Speaker 3: been ten years. We felt like it was the longest

529
00:29:05,680 --> 00:29:08,720
Speaker 3: ten years. There were years where you know, people didn't

530
00:29:08,840 --> 00:29:11,560
Speaker 3: think they got the vision of the organization. Those same

531
00:29:11,600 --> 00:29:16,200
Speaker 3: people are like, you know all in now is Kamala said,

532
00:29:16,200 --> 00:29:18,240
Speaker 3: did you know you were going to build an organization

533
00:29:18,320 --> 00:29:20,480
Speaker 3: for a time as this? She was like, it may

534
00:29:20,520 --> 00:29:23,000
Speaker 3: have not hit the benchmarks that you thought they were

535
00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:25,320
Speaker 3: going to meet when you thought they were supposed to

536
00:29:25,360 --> 00:29:28,200
Speaker 3: be met, but you actually had a container to be

537
00:29:28,280 --> 00:29:33,840
Speaker 3: able to harness this power since two frankly, since twenty sixteen.

538
00:29:34,480 --> 00:29:37,960
Speaker 1: Right, I mean it feels like part of you wants

539
00:29:37,960 --> 00:29:40,640
Speaker 1: to I'll speak for myself. Part of me is a

540
00:29:40,720 --> 00:29:43,880
Speaker 1: little jaded in the sense that oh you thought, okay,

541
00:29:43,920 --> 00:29:46,320
Speaker 1: so now black women are all that and everyone wants

542
00:29:46,360 --> 00:29:49,040
Speaker 1: to lean into us and pour into us. And you know,

543
00:29:49,320 --> 00:29:52,000
Speaker 1: I was laughing with Tiffany because we haven't gotten more

544
00:29:52,240 --> 00:29:54,600
Speaker 1: podcast networks reaching out to us to partner with us

545
00:29:54,680 --> 00:29:57,800
Speaker 1: until this summer. And I'm like, oh, yeah, because you

546
00:29:57,840 --> 00:30:00,000
Speaker 1: looked at your lineup and you realize there was something

547
00:30:00,160 --> 00:30:02,680
Speaker 1: missing and we're we've been here for five years doing

548
00:30:02,720 --> 00:30:06,000
Speaker 1: it and independently, and it's it's like you said, you know,

549
00:30:06,000 --> 00:30:08,440
Speaker 1: you you put the work in and you're ready for

550
00:30:08,480 --> 00:30:10,960
Speaker 1: the moment. And I guess part of me had to

551
00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:13,480
Speaker 1: quickly put aside that little bit of cynicism, like where

552
00:30:13,480 --> 00:30:15,520
Speaker 1: were you five years ago? Okay, you're here now, all right,

553
00:30:15,560 --> 00:30:17,400
Speaker 1: I'll take advantage of the guilt. That's fine.

554
00:30:17,400 --> 00:30:19,440
Speaker 3: Oh no, so you're you're part of my you know,

555
00:30:19,600 --> 00:30:23,040
Speaker 3: I go through my my, my moments of pettiness and

556
00:30:23,440 --> 00:30:27,600
Speaker 3: oh now you're here, Oh you want to meet Oh

557
00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:29,200
Speaker 3: you're taking my phone.

558
00:30:29,040 --> 00:30:31,800
Speaker 1: Call and that I'll say it. Yeah, so we're looking

559
00:30:31,800 --> 00:30:33,320
Speaker 1: to diversify it. I'm like, just and you know, if

560
00:30:33,360 --> 00:30:35,160
Speaker 1: you own it, it's you know, I own it. You

561
00:30:35,200 --> 00:30:37,000
Speaker 1: know what I mean, like, just let it be known.

562
00:30:37,080 --> 00:30:39,600
Speaker 1: Don't don't pretend like we've you know, all of a

563
00:30:39,640 --> 00:30:41,400
Speaker 1: sudden you notice that we're here, and that kind of thing.

564
00:30:41,480 --> 00:30:43,560
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, I had said I was playing off of.

565
00:30:43,680 --> 00:30:46,280
Speaker 3: I was like, black women are like the show or

566
00:30:46,520 --> 00:30:49,720
Speaker 3: just the new Black right. So black women are the

567
00:30:49,760 --> 00:30:53,440
Speaker 3: new Black right, and so certainly we're leaning into the

568
00:30:53,480 --> 00:30:58,920
Speaker 3: moment one for our allies who have recognized that black women,

569
00:30:59,360 --> 00:31:01,960
Speaker 3: you know, black women govern and lead. I just think

570
00:31:01,960 --> 00:31:05,000
Speaker 3: in a way that's inclusive. You know, we have a

571
00:31:05,040 --> 00:31:08,160
Speaker 3: great supporter, a white woman who when we were talking

572
00:31:08,160 --> 00:31:10,600
Speaker 3: about branding ourselves as a political home for black women,

573
00:31:11,160 --> 00:31:14,600
Speaker 3: and she was like, I still see myself in that, right,

574
00:31:14,640 --> 00:31:17,280
Speaker 3: And I was like, well, and that we didn't actually

575
00:31:17,600 --> 00:31:20,960
Speaker 3: set out to go, let's make sure that everybody can.

576
00:31:20,880 --> 00:31:22,200
Speaker 2: See themselves in the organization.

577
00:31:22,560 --> 00:31:26,400
Speaker 3: And but because people feel that there's a space for them,

578
00:31:26,440 --> 00:31:30,320
Speaker 3: I was like, that is just how black women navigate, right,

579
00:31:30,360 --> 00:31:34,000
Speaker 3: It's how our grandmothers navigated. I mean there were certainly

580
00:31:34,480 --> 00:31:38,400
Speaker 3: always a seat at my grandmother and mother's dinner table,

581
00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:42,360
Speaker 3: right that if we brought somebody home, there was always

582
00:31:42,520 --> 00:31:44,000
Speaker 3: enough food and enough space.

583
00:31:44,160 --> 00:31:45,840
Speaker 2: And I think that's how black women lead.

584
00:31:45,800 --> 00:31:48,120
Speaker 3: Right, is that we don't have a defined you know,

585
00:31:48,160 --> 00:31:51,680
Speaker 3: there's only a set amount of chairs, and and that

586
00:31:51,680 --> 00:31:54,480
Speaker 3: that we you know that it's closed. That that is

587
00:31:54,520 --> 00:31:56,720
Speaker 3: actually I think because we were locked out of those

588
00:31:56,760 --> 00:31:59,960
Speaker 3: tables and those chairs, we are ensuring that we're unified

589
00:32:00,240 --> 00:32:00,960
Speaker 3: and that there's space.

590
00:32:01,040 --> 00:32:02,960
Speaker 2: And I'll even give you an example.

591
00:32:02,680 --> 00:32:06,640
Speaker 3: Of how I now read Shirley Chisholms quote about if

592
00:32:06,680 --> 00:32:08,920
Speaker 3: there's not a seat at the table, bring your folding chair.

593
00:32:09,400 --> 00:32:11,600
Speaker 3: And so there's some debate about well I shouldn't have

594
00:32:11,600 --> 00:32:14,720
Speaker 3: to scoop myself up to the table because of folding chair.

595
00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:16,600
Speaker 3: I was like, well, how if we envision What she

596
00:32:16,720 --> 00:32:18,840
Speaker 3: was saying is that if you envision that the table

597
00:32:18,920 --> 00:32:22,440
Speaker 3: is big enough, there's enough seat, you can bring enough

598
00:32:22,480 --> 00:32:25,120
Speaker 3: seats at that table. If we continue to believe that

599
00:32:25,160 --> 00:32:27,720
Speaker 3: the seat the table is already set and that we

600
00:32:27,800 --> 00:32:29,480
Speaker 3: have to fight and push people like be clear that

601
00:32:29,640 --> 00:32:31,800
Speaker 3: some people were pushing out of chairs like I am

602
00:32:32,200 --> 00:32:35,520
Speaker 3: I'm not apologic, Like sorry, this is still political science.

603
00:32:35,600 --> 00:32:38,720
Speaker 3: And in politics is that you know, we are definitely

604
00:32:38,800 --> 00:32:42,160
Speaker 3: tapping on several people's chairs, going it's time for you

605
00:32:42,240 --> 00:32:42,560
Speaker 3: to go.

606
00:32:43,120 --> 00:32:45,040
Speaker 2: But if we're really gonna like.

607
00:32:45,040 --> 00:32:48,640
Speaker 3: Move past this like this, this toxic moment. We have

608
00:32:48,680 --> 00:32:50,840
Speaker 3: to be able to say that black women are building

609
00:32:50,840 --> 00:32:54,840
Speaker 3: different tables in the in how those tables are set.

610
00:32:54,680 --> 00:32:57,160
Speaker 1: Up, right, It's not even about bringing your own chair.

611
00:32:57,200 --> 00:32:58,960
Speaker 1: It can be just okay, well you'll have your table.

612
00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:01,160
Speaker 1: We're just gonna make our own ta and put it

613
00:33:01,200 --> 00:33:04,200
Speaker 1: in the same room nearby adjacent. Yeah. I love that.

614
00:33:04,320 --> 00:33:07,080
Speaker 1: And can you you know, and just to kind of

615
00:33:07,480 --> 00:33:12,160
Speaker 1: round out this conversation, I feel and I felt like

616
00:33:12,280 --> 00:33:15,440
Speaker 1: many people I imagine, so adrenalized by this year and

617
00:33:15,560 --> 00:33:20,160
Speaker 1: so devoted to keeping the momentum going. And I'm wondering,

618
00:33:20,160 --> 00:33:23,240
Speaker 1: from your perspective, what does that look like? Because I

619
00:33:23,680 --> 00:33:26,000
Speaker 1: would hate for the progress that we've seen. You know,

620
00:33:26,040 --> 00:33:28,280
Speaker 1: people in my family in Atlanta got registered for the

621
00:33:28,280 --> 00:33:30,480
Speaker 1: first first time, you know, voted in their first Senate

622
00:33:30,520 --> 00:33:33,880
Speaker 1: runoff campaign. Ever, you know, this past January, it's we're

623
00:33:33,880 --> 00:33:38,400
Speaker 1: still in January, nevermind this year. And and I I,

624
00:33:38,440 --> 00:33:41,160
Speaker 1: you know, I wonder, how do we how do we

625
00:33:41,200 --> 00:33:44,520
Speaker 1: maintain and this attention, how do we keep people fired up?

626
00:33:44,640 --> 00:33:47,160
Speaker 1: You know, we had to really I get it when

627
00:33:47,200 --> 00:33:49,959
Speaker 1: it's it felt like life or death this election cycle.

628
00:33:50,200 --> 00:33:52,320
Speaker 1: You know, we really had to get out there, But yeah,

629
00:33:52,360 --> 00:33:54,680
Speaker 1: how do you how do you harness that momentum? And

630
00:33:54,720 --> 00:33:57,280
Speaker 1: what can people be doing now? Even though the general

631
00:33:57,320 --> 00:34:00,360
Speaker 1: election's over and we're we're in a bit of I

632
00:34:00,360 --> 00:34:02,720
Speaker 1: don't know, I hate to say a place where we

633
00:34:02,760 --> 00:34:04,360
Speaker 1: can be safe because we just had a ride on

634
00:34:04,400 --> 00:34:08,200
Speaker 1: the Capitol, but we're past a big hurdle in terms

635
00:34:08,239 --> 00:34:10,840
Speaker 1: of the general election. How do we keep that momentum going.

636
00:34:11,360 --> 00:34:15,239
Speaker 2: I certainly believe that there's a lot of work to

637
00:34:15,239 --> 00:34:15,600
Speaker 2: be done.

638
00:34:15,719 --> 00:34:17,600
Speaker 3: One you know, at the end of the year, we

639
00:34:17,680 --> 00:34:20,480
Speaker 3: sat and talked about what does next steps look like

640
00:34:20,560 --> 00:34:23,800
Speaker 3: for say, higher heights, and so we are definitely taking

641
00:34:23,800 --> 00:34:26,120
Speaker 3: the lessons learned from the first ten years, and it's

642
00:34:26,160 --> 00:34:29,280
Speaker 3: about you know, Kimberly and I started this whole hashtag

643
00:34:29,320 --> 00:34:31,200
Speaker 3: black Women Lead the Road to twenty twenty. Like in

644
00:34:31,239 --> 00:34:34,759
Speaker 3: twenty sixteen that we knew that twenty twenty was a

645
00:34:34,760 --> 00:34:38,120
Speaker 3: pivotal year for black women's political leadership, it is now beyond.

646
00:34:38,360 --> 00:34:41,480
Speaker 3: It's now about the strategy beyond twenty twenty, and certainly

647
00:34:41,520 --> 00:34:44,560
Speaker 3: we are deep diving and accelerating our work around electing

648
00:34:44,560 --> 00:34:47,919
Speaker 3: black women to the US Senate, electing black women governeurs,

649
00:34:48,280 --> 00:34:51,520
Speaker 3: with an s not one, and certainly, you know, ensuring

650
00:34:51,640 --> 00:34:53,360
Speaker 3: that you know, our candidates are.

651
00:34:53,400 --> 00:34:56,760
Speaker 2: Supported early by the broader masses.

652
00:34:56,960 --> 00:34:59,920
Speaker 3: You know, oftentimes people jump on very late in go

653
00:35:00,160 --> 00:35:02,719
Speaker 3: like I've been with Kamala from day one, I've been

654
00:35:02,760 --> 00:35:04,720
Speaker 3: with Stacy A Firms from day one. And that actually

655
00:35:04,800 --> 00:35:07,520
Speaker 3: isn't if I get to write the history. That is

656
00:35:07,520 --> 00:35:10,200
Speaker 3: certainly not the case in the history books. And so

657
00:35:11,200 --> 00:35:14,759
Speaker 3: how do we then identify the next you know, the

658
00:35:14,800 --> 00:35:18,840
Speaker 3: next generation of leaders and that frankly, you know, starts

659
00:35:18,840 --> 00:35:23,640
Speaker 3: with a multi generational approach. And then you know, we

660
00:35:23,680 --> 00:35:26,560
Speaker 3: don't elect black women for black women's sake. We believe

661
00:35:26,600 --> 00:35:30,799
Speaker 3: that our leadership is a leadership that will build a

662
00:35:30,840 --> 00:35:34,600
Speaker 3: policy platform that creates what I believe black women what

663
00:35:34,640 --> 00:35:38,520
Speaker 3: our research has pointed to are polling and our informal

664
00:35:38,560 --> 00:35:43,160
Speaker 3: salon conversations. Black women want economically thriving, educated, healthy and

665
00:35:43,200 --> 00:35:45,719
Speaker 3: safe communities. So if you're looking at what do we

666
00:35:45,760 --> 00:35:48,680
Speaker 3: do beyond beyond the voting booth, it is ensuring that

667
00:35:48,680 --> 00:35:51,640
Speaker 3: we're creating that environment, as I mentioned earlier, for our

668
00:35:51,760 --> 00:35:55,920
Speaker 3: champions to push real innovation into our public policy making

669
00:35:56,400 --> 00:36:00,760
Speaker 3: and to frankly, hold elected officials accountable can't just continue

670
00:36:00,800 --> 00:36:06,760
Speaker 3: to elect elect amazing leaders who don't have the political support.

671
00:36:06,880 --> 00:36:10,040
Speaker 3: Like the political support right, It's all about political demand

672
00:36:10,600 --> 00:36:13,800
Speaker 3: and political will, and that's the work of the people

673
00:36:14,320 --> 00:36:17,800
Speaker 3: is to build the political will by flexing our political

674
00:36:17,840 --> 00:36:21,640
Speaker 3: demand so that we can push policies that center our communities,

675
00:36:22,040 --> 00:36:23,799
Speaker 3: our families, our communities, and our nation.

676
00:36:24,400 --> 00:36:27,400
Speaker 1: Well, Glinda Carr, thank you so so much for joining

677
00:36:27,440 --> 00:36:30,279
Speaker 1: Brown Ambition. This is a conversation I've been looking forward

678
00:36:30,320 --> 00:36:33,040
Speaker 1: to for weeks and I'm so honored that you took

679
00:36:33,080 --> 00:36:34,400
Speaker 1: some time to spend with us.

680
00:36:34,640 --> 00:36:36,000
Speaker 2: No problem, Thanks for having me.

681
00:36:36,400 --> 00:36:38,360
Speaker 1: Where can folks find out more about higher heights and

682
00:36:38,400 --> 00:36:39,000
Speaker 1: get involved?

683
00:36:39,600 --> 00:36:43,239
Speaker 3: Yep. So we need black women and our allies to

684
00:36:43,360 --> 00:36:47,200
Speaker 3: grow this movement building moment. And so as we celebrate,

685
00:36:47,320 --> 00:36:50,600
Speaker 3: you know, continue to celebrate the swearing in of Kamala Harris.

686
00:36:50,640 --> 00:36:55,160
Speaker 3: I mean we even though the inauguration completely different than

687
00:36:55,200 --> 00:36:56,840
Speaker 3: what we thought it was going to be to be

688
00:36:57,560 --> 00:37:01,400
Speaker 3: from both a health perspective and it's afety perspective, we

689
00:37:01,440 --> 00:37:04,759
Speaker 3: are centering joy. So we are we have been celebrating

690
00:37:04,840 --> 00:37:09,200
Speaker 3: and have hosted a variety of virtual events celebrating this moment.

691
00:37:09,520 --> 00:37:11,480
Speaker 3: But we're still going to build so go to Higher

692
00:37:11,520 --> 00:37:14,920
Speaker 3: Heightsfoamerica dot org. It takes a click to become an

693
00:37:14,960 --> 00:37:17,839
Speaker 3: activist member that will plug you into all of the

694
00:37:17,880 --> 00:37:24,000
Speaker 3: programming and frankly information and data, and then you know,

695
00:37:24,080 --> 00:37:26,480
Speaker 3: we'll work you up the leadership ladder to a variety

696
00:37:26,520 --> 00:37:28,319
Speaker 3: of things. So you might be sitting here going, I'm

697
00:37:28,320 --> 00:37:29,799
Speaker 3: just going to be a member, and the next thing

698
00:37:29,840 --> 00:37:32,440
Speaker 3: you know, in a year, you're running for office with

699
00:37:32,520 --> 00:37:33,160
Speaker 3: Higher Heights.

700
00:37:33,560 --> 00:37:35,120
Speaker 1: Next thing you know, you show up at a virtual

701
00:37:35,160 --> 00:37:39,920
Speaker 1: brunch and you're putting yourself on a balllet. Got it? Well, Glinda,

702
00:37:39,960 --> 00:37:41,799
Speaker 1: thank you, thank you, thank you, can't thank you enough,

703
00:37:41,840 --> 00:37:44,720
Speaker 1: and for all the work you've done. Congratulations on nearly

704
00:37:44,760 --> 00:37:48,160
Speaker 1: a decade of Higher Heights. It's wonderful, great, and we

705
00:37:48,239 --> 00:37:48,760
Speaker 1: look forward.

706
00:37:48,640 --> 00:37:53,080
Speaker 3: To being in contact and in conversation about what we

707
00:37:53,160 --> 00:38:05,760
Speaker 3: have planned for the next ten years.

708
00:38:11,200 --> 00:38:13,839
Speaker 1: When do you get the whole Wizard of Oz thing along?

709
00:38:14,080 --> 00:38:16,520
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, and I work it so Wizard of Oz.

710
00:38:16,600 --> 00:38:20,240
Speaker 3: My brother, middle brother is a Wizard of Oz fanatic.

711
00:38:20,239 --> 00:38:23,080
Speaker 3: He's probably seen it over a hundred times, and so

712
00:38:23,320 --> 00:38:27,360
Speaker 3: oftentimes I accident and I also have all types of

713
00:38:27,360 --> 00:38:29,640
Speaker 3: things I bring into my speeches around I used to

714
00:38:29,640 --> 00:38:31,480
Speaker 3: wear red shoes all the time. So this whole thing

715
00:38:31,480 --> 00:38:36,439
Speaker 3: around red shoes and it's a big deal, Like there's

716
00:38:36,480 --> 00:38:38,799
Speaker 3: a g Glinda the good Witch.

717
00:38:38,880 --> 00:38:40,360
Speaker 2: So so two things.

718
00:38:40,480 --> 00:38:43,839
Speaker 3: My name is g l y n d as said

719
00:38:44,000 --> 00:38:45,520
Speaker 3: the same way.

720
00:38:45,560 --> 00:38:47,960
Speaker 2: But Glinda the good Witch is g l I n

721
00:38:48,040 --> 00:38:48,680
Speaker 2: d A.

722
00:38:49,200 --> 00:38:52,799
Speaker 3: And if you're with if you're an Oz fan, I mean,

723
00:38:53,280 --> 00:38:54,400
Speaker 3: it's no Wicked.

724
00:38:54,560 --> 00:38:56,560
Speaker 2: If you're a Wicked fan, it's Glinda.

725
00:38:57,800 --> 00:39:00,160
Speaker 3: But we usually bring Uh the Wizard of Oz to

726
00:39:00,200 --> 00:39:02,480
Speaker 3: some of our conversations because Glinda the good Witch once

727
00:39:02,480 --> 00:39:05,879
Speaker 3: said to Dorothy when asked why she couldn't make it home,

728
00:39:06,000 --> 00:39:07,640
Speaker 3: She's like, you know, dear.

729
00:39:07,560 --> 00:39:09,719
Speaker 2: You've always had the power. You just needed to know

730
00:39:10,120 --> 00:39:10,759
Speaker 2: that you had it.

731
00:39:11,680 --> 00:39:14,960
Speaker 3: And that's certainly, you know, the work of Higher Heights is,

732
00:39:15,440 --> 00:39:19,240
Speaker 3: you know, providing a space for black women to step

733
00:39:19,280 --> 00:39:23,120
Speaker 3: into their leadership, expand their leadership, and frankly recognize the

734
00:39:23,160 --> 00:39:25,000
Speaker 3: power that we have in our democracy.

735
00:39:25,840 --> 00:39:27,160
Speaker 1: I love that. I'm going to keep that as a

736
00:39:27,160 --> 00:39:29,360
Speaker 1: little bonus for the end of the episode. The story

737
00:39:29,400 --> 00:39:30,040
Speaker 1: behind Glinda