1 00:00:01,400 --> 00:00:04,720 Speaker 1: This episode is sponsored by FX's Fleischman Is in Trouble, 2 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:09,399 Speaker 1: starring Jesse Eisenberg, Claire Danes, Lizzie Kaplan, and Adam Brodie. 3 00:00:09,680 --> 00:00:12,639 Speaker 1: The strama tells a story of recently divorced Toby Fleischmann, 4 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:15,320 Speaker 1: who dies into the world of at bass dating with 5 00:00:15,360 --> 00:00:17,360 Speaker 1: the kind of success he never had in his youth. 6 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:21,280 Speaker 1: Then his ex wife disappears, leaving him with their two 7 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:24,880 Speaker 1: children and no hint of her return effectus. Fleischman Is 8 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:42,920 Speaker 1: in Trouble, streaming November seventeenth only on Hulu. Good morning, peeps, 9 00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:45,360 Speaker 1: and welcome to wik f Daily with Meet Your Girl. 10 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:50,040 Speaker 1: Danielle Moody recording from the Brooklyn Bunker, Folks. I've been 11 00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:55,400 Speaker 1: going through the news today and what I find really 12 00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:58,360 Speaker 1: interesting or a couple of things that have happened on 13 00:00:58,480 --> 00:01:02,640 Speaker 1: the Republican side. I think I mentioned this earlier in 14 00:01:02,680 --> 00:01:07,200 Speaker 1: the week, but we know that the RNC decided to 15 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:15,000 Speaker 1: issue their censure to both of the House Republican members 16 00:01:15,040 --> 00:01:19,920 Speaker 1: who are sitting on the January six Commission. Censure is 17 00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:26,160 Speaker 1: usually used for people who have had criminal misconduct, who 18 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:30,840 Speaker 1: have had an ethical conduct, let's say, such as OH, 19 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:34,160 Speaker 1: I don't know being enthralled in a sex trafficking scandal, 20 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:42,440 Speaker 1: like a Matt Gates threatening to, you know, kill one 21 00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:45,959 Speaker 1: of your colleagues, like Marjorie Taylor Green has done or 22 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:50,160 Speaker 1: use anti Semitism, which she continues to do as her 23 00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:57,600 Speaker 1: favorite weapond entree. But instead the RNC decided to censure 24 00:01:57,640 --> 00:02:05,280 Speaker 1: both Adam Kinzinger and lizh Chaining. Now, these two are 25 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:09,560 Speaker 1: basically the only two Republicans who have any goddamn sense. 26 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:13,000 Speaker 1: They're the only two that actually believe in facts and 27 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:17,320 Speaker 1: law and recognize that by embracing the big lie and 28 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:22,320 Speaker 1: by essentially saying that our elections are not fair or free, 29 00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:28,320 Speaker 1: that regardless of what party wins, that we are altering 30 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:38,840 Speaker 1: our democracy moving forward. That these types of fights that 31 00:02:38,880 --> 00:02:42,000 Speaker 1: we are seeing, that we saw waged from the former 32 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:47,959 Speaker 1: twice impeached disgrace President Donald Trump, we've seen the same articulation, 33 00:02:48,080 --> 00:02:52,359 Speaker 1: the same talking points used in lower level races where 34 00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:55,480 Speaker 1: Republicans just don't like the results, and so they are 35 00:02:55,520 --> 00:02:58,920 Speaker 1: saying that there was fraud and essentially what they are 36 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:01,080 Speaker 1: setting up and what they are interested in. And as 37 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:06,440 Speaker 1: Tucker Carlson, you know, loves to applaud the Hungarians and 38 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:11,560 Speaker 1: the hungry democracy government is that they want representation on 39 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 1: its face, only they don't actually want legitimate government that 40 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:19,639 Speaker 1: is governed for and by the people. That they want 41 00:03:19,639 --> 00:03:21,760 Speaker 1: to be able to choose their voters, and they want 42 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:24,720 Speaker 1: to be able to have their entire party in lockstep 43 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:31,600 Speaker 1: around a lie, around white supremacy, around homophobia and transphobia. 44 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:34,920 Speaker 1: They want to be in the embodiment of the worst. 45 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:38,960 Speaker 1: And you know, you had the likes of a Mitch McConnell, 46 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:42,119 Speaker 1: and of course that, oh, I have such deep feelings 47 00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:48,080 Speaker 1: Susan Collins come out and publicly right show their disdain 48 00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:52,480 Speaker 1: for the decisions that the RNC made, particularly right not 49 00:03:52,560 --> 00:03:57,040 Speaker 1: only censuring those two House Republican members that sit on 50 00:03:57,400 --> 00:04:02,360 Speaker 1: the Commission, but to also right refer to the January 51 00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:07,120 Speaker 1: sixth insurrection and violent overthrow of the government as legitimate 52 00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:14,360 Speaker 1: political discourse. You had so much breakdown there that Donald 53 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:17,640 Speaker 1: Trump of course found his way to weigh in to 54 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:21,200 Speaker 1: the controversy that he created by saying that no one 55 00:04:21,279 --> 00:04:25,080 Speaker 1: listens to Mitch McConnell. Mitch McConnell is nobody's leader. And 56 00:04:25,279 --> 00:04:31,000 Speaker 1: Donald Trump continues to endorse very far right radical cult 57 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:34,280 Speaker 1: members right that are part of the cult of personality 58 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:39,400 Speaker 1: of Donald Trump and Trumpism. And he's endorsing people that 59 00:04:39,520 --> 00:04:42,599 Speaker 1: have either discounted elections that they have lost in the 60 00:04:42,640 --> 00:04:47,719 Speaker 1: past by huge fucking margins, or he's endorsing people to 61 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:50,880 Speaker 1: run against Republican incumbents that he does not like, that 62 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:54,760 Speaker 1: he does not think, as he has said, is a 63 00:04:54,839 --> 00:04:58,240 Speaker 1: part of the future of the Republican Party because to him, 64 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:02,400 Speaker 1: the future for Donald Trump looks like authoritarianism, it looks 65 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:06,520 Speaker 1: like fascism. It looks like a twice impeached, privileged white 66 00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:11,880 Speaker 1: man that has had multiple investigations into his criminal business 67 00:05:12,920 --> 00:05:16,520 Speaker 1: over the decades since Donald Trump became part of all 68 00:05:16,560 --> 00:05:19,840 Speaker 1: of our lexicon back in the eighties. And you know, 69 00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:23,640 Speaker 1: the reason, right that he's been investigated so many times 70 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:27,240 Speaker 1: is because the man is basically operating like a mob boss. 71 00:05:27,839 --> 00:05:31,160 Speaker 1: And what's really interesting right now is that the New 72 00:05:31,240 --> 00:05:36,000 Speaker 1: York Times is reporting that the one six Commission has 73 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:39,760 Speaker 1: once again hit a roadblock. What is that roadblock? Oh, 74 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:44,440 Speaker 1: the fact that they are blatant gaps in communication from 75 00:05:44,480 --> 00:05:49,200 Speaker 1: the White House on January six, meaning right, not that 76 00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:52,960 Speaker 1: there was no communication because they know from other records 77 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:55,760 Speaker 1: of phone records that they have that Donald Trump was 78 00:05:55,839 --> 00:05:59,760 Speaker 1: in very much in communication. But what do criminals do. 79 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:04,120 Speaker 1: They cover their tracks and so, so long as you 80 00:06:04,160 --> 00:06:08,680 Speaker 1: are making phone calls or using devices that are not monitored, 81 00:06:09,080 --> 00:06:13,960 Speaker 1: right to ensure that everything that the president and his 82 00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:16,520 Speaker 1: cabinet and his team is doing it is on the 83 00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:22,919 Speaker 1: up and up, you use other devices. So right now, 84 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:27,440 Speaker 1: what was going through the White House switchboard? If you've 85 00:06:27,480 --> 00:06:31,200 Speaker 1: ever called let's say one of your members of Congress, 86 00:06:33,240 --> 00:06:37,279 Speaker 1: excuse me, you know that what happens is this, you 87 00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:40,880 Speaker 1: dial this generalized number you asked to be directed, it 88 00:06:40,920 --> 00:06:45,200 Speaker 1: directs you through right and only certain people obviously have 89 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:49,640 Speaker 1: direct access to the White House and two different parts 90 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:52,480 Speaker 1: of the White House. But what Donald Trump has done 91 00:06:52,520 --> 00:06:55,359 Speaker 1: and what he's done with his entire career, why the 92 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:58,880 Speaker 1: man doesn't text, why he doesn't send email, why he 93 00:06:58,920 --> 00:07:03,159 Speaker 1: doesn't write anything, Because he's a criminal, and only criminals 94 00:07:03,279 --> 00:07:07,760 Speaker 1: operate in that way. There is no legitimate reason why 95 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:11,960 Speaker 1: any man that is in business or in politics doesn't 96 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:14,680 Speaker 1: put pen to paper or doesn't put his fingers on 97 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:18,440 Speaker 1: a keyboard, except when you don't want to have any 98 00:07:18,760 --> 00:07:21,239 Speaker 1: of what you have said or what has been said 99 00:07:21,240 --> 00:07:24,760 Speaker 1: to you potentially used against you. In the court of law. 100 00:07:25,040 --> 00:07:29,320 Speaker 1: The only people that operate in that fashion are fucking criminals, 101 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:32,800 Speaker 1: plain and simple. Just like Donald Trump had said that 102 00:07:33,120 --> 00:07:36,119 Speaker 1: no one pleads the fifth right unless they have something 103 00:07:36,160 --> 00:07:40,360 Speaker 1: to hide. Meanwhile, the last two middle management, middle level 104 00:07:40,440 --> 00:07:43,520 Speaker 1: people that have been involved in the one six insurrection 105 00:07:43,720 --> 00:07:46,480 Speaker 1: that we've talked about with Glenn Kirshner have played the 106 00:07:46,560 --> 00:07:52,120 Speaker 1: fifth over a hundred times right in their interviews. So 107 00:07:52,360 --> 00:07:54,800 Speaker 1: here we now have the New York Times reporting that 108 00:07:54,840 --> 00:08:00,000 Speaker 1: there is quote unquote gaps in information in phone records. 109 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:04,240 Speaker 1: So now they find themselves subpoena ing the cell phone 110 00:08:04,280 --> 00:08:07,280 Speaker 1: records of those people that they know were in the 111 00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:12,120 Speaker 1: White House, and through other exchanges and interviews that they 112 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:15,760 Speaker 1: have done, have known what Donald Trump was doing and 113 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:20,320 Speaker 1: where exactly he was. So now we are continuing once 114 00:08:20,360 --> 00:08:24,720 Speaker 1: again to go through the rigamarou that Trump knows will 115 00:08:24,760 --> 00:08:27,880 Speaker 1: slow down the process and gum up the works to 116 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:31,080 Speaker 1: get to what we already know to be true. Donald 117 00:08:31,120 --> 00:08:34,679 Speaker 1: Trump is solely responsible for the actions that took place 118 00:08:34,720 --> 00:08:39,040 Speaker 1: on January six. Donald Trump whipped a crowd into a frenzy, 119 00:08:39,320 --> 00:08:42,040 Speaker 1: directed them to the Capitol Building and told them to 120 00:08:42,080 --> 00:08:44,720 Speaker 1: go and take their country back and then when things 121 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:47,280 Speaker 1: began to get out of control, when there was violent 122 00:08:47,440 --> 00:08:50,240 Speaker 1: when people were killed, when barricades were being broken open, 123 00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:54,119 Speaker 1: when his own fucking Republican members were calling from underneath 124 00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:58,440 Speaker 1: deaths right and barricaded doors, asking him to call off 125 00:08:58,480 --> 00:09:00,640 Speaker 1: the dogs, he was too busy. He's sitting on a 126 00:09:00,720 --> 00:09:03,679 Speaker 1: couch somewhere in the White House popin bond Bonds with 127 00:09:03,840 --> 00:09:07,000 Speaker 1: excitement and glee as he watched the mayhem that was 128 00:09:07,120 --> 00:09:11,439 Speaker 1: unfolding in his name. That's what we know. And so 129 00:09:11,480 --> 00:09:13,960 Speaker 1: the question that I continue to ask, with all of 130 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:17,160 Speaker 1: this information that is now out there for public consumption, 131 00:09:17,520 --> 00:09:20,600 Speaker 1: is where the fuck is Merritt Garland's Department of Justice? 132 00:09:21,280 --> 00:09:25,440 Speaker 1: Because remember that this commission can only gather information and 133 00:09:25,679 --> 00:09:29,400 Speaker 1: offer up recommendations, but it is the Department of Justice 134 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:33,800 Speaker 1: that actually has the parameters to be able to issue 135 00:09:34,320 --> 00:09:40,360 Speaker 1: fucking indictments and subpoenas that bear criminal fucking charges. So 136 00:09:40,800 --> 00:09:45,800 Speaker 1: how many I just want to know how many exposays 137 00:09:46,400 --> 00:09:49,800 Speaker 1: are we looking at at this point, three hundred and 138 00:09:49,880 --> 00:09:54,640 Speaker 1: sixty five plus a month days removed from the insurrection. 139 00:09:54,840 --> 00:09:58,000 Speaker 1: How many exposays have been done, how many interviews have 140 00:09:58,120 --> 00:10:02,640 Speaker 1: been done? How many files are there from the low 141 00:10:02,720 --> 00:10:05,880 Speaker 1: level people that storm the capital to the fucking donors 142 00:10:05,920 --> 00:10:09,880 Speaker 1: that gave them money to begin with. We have so 143 00:10:09,960 --> 00:10:14,320 Speaker 1: much information that is readily available in the public and 144 00:10:14,360 --> 00:10:17,920 Speaker 1: the question that I continue to wonder is are we 145 00:10:18,080 --> 00:10:20,520 Speaker 1: going to do anything with this? Are we going to 146 00:10:20,600 --> 00:10:24,560 Speaker 1: do what we always do with fucking white collar criminals, right, 147 00:10:24,720 --> 00:10:27,920 Speaker 1: which is just let them go free. Because if you 148 00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:30,560 Speaker 1: are white, if you are wealthy, if you are a headero, 149 00:10:30,960 --> 00:10:33,640 Speaker 1: if you are siss, you can do whatever the fuck 150 00:10:33,720 --> 00:10:37,080 Speaker 1: you want and there are no repercussions. You can be 151 00:10:37,160 --> 00:10:42,400 Speaker 1: a criminal, fucking disgusting landlord like Donald Trump has been 152 00:10:42,440 --> 00:10:46,160 Speaker 1: for his entire time right as somebody's real estate mogul 153 00:10:46,200 --> 00:10:49,400 Speaker 1: in New York and become fucking president of the United States. 154 00:10:50,679 --> 00:10:56,000 Speaker 1: You know, folks like I personally, I have stopped really 155 00:10:56,200 --> 00:10:59,880 Speaker 1: delving into the day to day of where things la 156 00:11:00,040 --> 00:11:03,760 Speaker 1: and with the one six Commission, because frankly, you know 157 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:07,720 Speaker 1: that commission is only going to be up and in 158 00:11:07,800 --> 00:11:13,559 Speaker 1: operations until November. Because when Republicans are able to take 159 00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:17,440 Speaker 1: back the House successfully without breaking a sweat, when they're 160 00:11:17,480 --> 00:11:20,600 Speaker 1: able to take back power in the Senate, they are 161 00:11:20,679 --> 00:11:24,360 Speaker 1: going to halt all of those up all of those investigations. 162 00:11:24,400 --> 00:11:29,560 Speaker 1: They're going to open up bullshit, bogus investigations into right, 163 00:11:29,840 --> 00:11:36,480 Speaker 1: the Eric Eric Saltswalwells, the Alexandro Costio Cortezes, you know, 164 00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:40,880 Speaker 1: the Nancy Pelosi's. They're going to try and impeach Biden 165 00:11:41,160 --> 00:11:45,480 Speaker 1: as a as retaliation against the impeachment of Donald Trump. 166 00:11:45,679 --> 00:11:49,360 Speaker 1: They are going to turn our government once again into 167 00:11:49,400 --> 00:11:53,320 Speaker 1: a fucking circuits that is being paid for by us. 168 00:11:54,360 --> 00:11:56,920 Speaker 1: That's what they're going to do. So you would think 169 00:11:57,280 --> 00:12:01,200 Speaker 1: that with this finite timeline that Democrats are working under 170 00:12:01,240 --> 00:12:04,360 Speaker 1: and that this administration is working under, you would see 171 00:12:04,480 --> 00:12:08,480 Speaker 1: some sense of urgency. You would see some alarms ringing, 172 00:12:09,040 --> 00:12:12,560 Speaker 1: even when Mitch McConnell once again says the quiet part 173 00:12:12,640 --> 00:12:16,840 Speaker 1: out loud and says, I denounce what the Republican National 174 00:12:17,120 --> 00:12:21,320 Speaker 1: Committee has done in terms of censuring these two members 175 00:12:21,559 --> 00:12:26,040 Speaker 1: and making it once again about twenty twenty and January six, 176 00:12:26,360 --> 00:12:28,720 Speaker 1: because we are in a position to take back power. 177 00:12:29,440 --> 00:12:32,480 Speaker 1: Knowing that to be true, and that this Republican Party 178 00:12:32,559 --> 00:12:36,400 Speaker 1: is trying to wash their hands of the twenty twenty 179 00:12:36,440 --> 00:12:40,600 Speaker 1: election and trying to wash their hands of a insurrection, 180 00:12:41,200 --> 00:12:45,360 Speaker 1: why wouldn't Democrats then be doubling and tripling down so 181 00:12:45,400 --> 00:12:50,480 Speaker 1: that come November the American people do not forget who 182 00:12:50,640 --> 00:12:53,920 Speaker 1: was responsible for that day and all of the actions 183 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:59,080 Speaker 1: taken therefrom. I mean, this is not rocket science, folks. 184 00:12:59,080 --> 00:13:01,920 Speaker 1: You don't need a gree a degree in communications or 185 00:13:01,920 --> 00:13:04,520 Speaker 1: in media or in publicity in order to get this 186 00:13:04,600 --> 00:13:07,600 Speaker 1: fucking done. And it's the same questions that you know, 187 00:13:07,720 --> 00:13:11,200 Speaker 1: friend of the show Kurt Bardell would say, It's just like, 188 00:13:11,280 --> 00:13:15,880 Speaker 1: why not use right the good things that were coming 189 00:13:15,920 --> 00:13:19,880 Speaker 1: out of the Lincoln Project before it was you whipped 190 00:13:19,920 --> 00:13:22,600 Speaker 1: up into a frenzy of its own scandal. Why not 191 00:13:22,880 --> 00:13:27,359 Speaker 1: use the tactics right that they took from the Republican 192 00:13:27,400 --> 00:13:30,440 Speaker 1: playbook and use it to your advantage. Where are the 193 00:13:30,480 --> 00:13:34,360 Speaker 1: fucking barrage of TV ads right now and radio ads 194 00:13:34,640 --> 00:13:38,959 Speaker 1: lambasting the RNC reminding the American people exactly who was 195 00:13:39,040 --> 00:13:42,440 Speaker 1: responsible for the insurrection, exactly who is responsible for the 196 00:13:42,440 --> 00:13:44,760 Speaker 1: fact that we are never getting rid of COVID nineteen. 197 00:13:45,120 --> 00:13:49,040 Speaker 1: That instead of these blue state governors deciding to break 198 00:13:49,080 --> 00:13:53,160 Speaker 1: to the will of capitalism right and lift up mask 199 00:13:53,240 --> 00:13:57,400 Speaker 1: mandates against science, as I said yesterday, that why you 200 00:13:57,480 --> 00:14:01,600 Speaker 1: would not be painting the Republican halt as the death cult. 201 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:06,120 Speaker 1: They told the American people who decided to vote against 202 00:14:06,160 --> 00:14:10,040 Speaker 1: their own healthcare in the early aughts under the Obama administration, 203 00:14:10,200 --> 00:14:11,920 Speaker 1: because they told them that they were going to have 204 00:14:12,040 --> 00:14:17,079 Speaker 1: death panels. Well, Republicans actually do have death panels right now, 205 00:14:17,240 --> 00:14:19,840 Speaker 1: because that's what happens when you decide not to have 206 00:14:20,160 --> 00:14:24,680 Speaker 1: public health mandates that would keep children safe in schools 207 00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:28,040 Speaker 1: in these red states. And so, you know, I sit 208 00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:31,840 Speaker 1: around folks as I go through the news on a 209 00:14:31,920 --> 00:14:36,040 Speaker 1: regular basis, and I just am at a loss because 210 00:14:36,080 --> 00:14:40,400 Speaker 1: it's really hard in this Dane age to carry with 211 00:14:40,480 --> 00:14:45,120 Speaker 1: you some type of hope that everyone who actually has 212 00:14:45,240 --> 00:14:48,680 Speaker 1: the power and the platform to shift the course and 213 00:14:48,760 --> 00:14:52,480 Speaker 1: the direction that our democracy is careening towards that then 214 00:14:52,560 --> 00:14:57,880 Speaker 1: decides not to. You know, I will say this somebody 215 00:14:58,360 --> 00:15:03,560 Speaker 1: a follower of mine on Instagram am yesterday, not yesterday, 216 00:15:03,640 --> 00:15:05,760 Speaker 1: but earlier in the week when I did woke Wednesday 217 00:15:05,760 --> 00:15:10,080 Speaker 1: and I posted the full video on my Instagram page, 218 00:15:11,080 --> 00:15:14,640 Speaker 1: a follower commented and said, you know, this week, have 219 00:15:14,720 --> 00:15:19,200 Speaker 1: you seen Michelle Obama's post this week? And if you 220 00:15:19,240 --> 00:15:22,840 Speaker 1: get any information regularly emailed to you from the Obama Foundation, 221 00:15:23,120 --> 00:15:26,720 Speaker 1: or from the former president, you would know that it 222 00:15:26,760 --> 00:15:32,400 Speaker 1: has been fifteen years since the Obama's since President Obama 223 00:15:32,480 --> 00:15:36,280 Speaker 1: announced his run for office, that would you know, change 224 00:15:36,360 --> 00:15:40,600 Speaker 1: the course of the Democratic Party for a finite amount 225 00:15:40,640 --> 00:15:43,720 Speaker 1: of time, because once again, there was no pipeline built, 226 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:48,000 Speaker 1: there was no work that was done to reinforce and 227 00:15:48,120 --> 00:15:52,920 Speaker 1: expand the Obama coalition. That everything that was done by 228 00:15:53,160 --> 00:15:58,400 Speaker 1: the brilliant Obama apparatus just fell apart after Obama left office. 229 00:15:59,400 --> 00:16:02,560 Speaker 1: One of the since why we find ourselves When we 230 00:16:02,880 --> 00:16:06,160 Speaker 1: saw Hillary Clinton running, We're like, where is the excitement? 231 00:16:06,160 --> 00:16:09,960 Speaker 1: Where are these people? Well, you put no money, no resources, 232 00:16:10,440 --> 00:16:13,280 Speaker 1: built up, no pipeline, and had no one waiting in 233 00:16:13,280 --> 00:16:16,680 Speaker 1: the wings. So Obama came and went and then Donald 234 00:16:16,720 --> 00:16:19,640 Speaker 1: Trump comes in right after, and his main goal was 235 00:16:19,680 --> 00:16:25,040 Speaker 1: what to erase his presence to begin with. So a 236 00:16:25,080 --> 00:16:29,240 Speaker 1: follower of mine said, what's the point of Michelle Obama 237 00:16:29,480 --> 00:16:33,160 Speaker 1: pointing back to two thousand and eight? Like hearkening back 238 00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:37,840 Speaker 1: to this long begotten time, as you know, because she 239 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:43,680 Speaker 1: found the memory in and of itself painful. And what 240 00:16:43,800 --> 00:16:45,680 Speaker 1: I said is this, I said a couple of things. 241 00:16:45,720 --> 00:16:48,920 Speaker 1: She goes, you know, was it just performance for performance? Sake, 242 00:16:49,520 --> 00:16:52,480 Speaker 1: And I said, everything about politics is a performance and 243 00:16:52,520 --> 00:16:57,800 Speaker 1: everyone needs to just understand that it is. You don't 244 00:16:57,880 --> 00:17:00,960 Speaker 1: vote for people with the best policy, because if you did, 245 00:17:01,240 --> 00:17:04,600 Speaker 1: then Democrats would remain in power, right, and we wouldn't 246 00:17:04,640 --> 00:17:06,960 Speaker 1: even have a Republican Party because they don't offer shit 247 00:17:07,040 --> 00:17:10,639 Speaker 1: except for the word no and obstructionism. You vote for 248 00:17:10,680 --> 00:17:13,080 Speaker 1: people that you fucking like, that you want to sit 249 00:17:13,119 --> 00:17:15,000 Speaker 1: down and have a beer with, that you want to 250 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:18,199 Speaker 1: share a meal with, a share brunch with. Right, It 251 00:17:18,320 --> 00:17:21,359 Speaker 1: is all about personality, and so a part, big part 252 00:17:21,400 --> 00:17:25,720 Speaker 1: of politics, unfortunately, is about performance. And Donald Trump knew that, 253 00:17:26,080 --> 00:17:28,639 Speaker 1: but he was tap dancing and doing a jig for 254 00:17:28,920 --> 00:17:33,280 Speaker 1: the deplorables. As Hillary Clinton had said, the Obama's wanted 255 00:17:33,320 --> 00:17:36,160 Speaker 1: to elevate the country and bring us into this place 256 00:17:36,200 --> 00:17:39,000 Speaker 1: where we could see just how good of a people 257 00:17:39,040 --> 00:17:42,400 Speaker 1: we were again a very finite amount of time, kind 258 00:17:42,440 --> 00:17:47,800 Speaker 1: of like reconstruction. Nonetheless, I said that it is important 259 00:17:47,920 --> 00:17:50,520 Speaker 1: to have these reminders because we are in such a 260 00:17:50,640 --> 00:17:54,320 Speaker 1: dark place where we feel like the Obama years at 261 00:17:54,400 --> 00:17:58,119 Speaker 1: least I do feels like they were forty fifty years 262 00:17:58,119 --> 00:18:01,920 Speaker 1: ago at this point. So has happened, right, So much 263 00:18:01,960 --> 00:18:04,760 Speaker 1: has gone wrong. But it is important for us to 264 00:18:04,800 --> 00:18:08,399 Speaker 1: remember that the same country and the same people that 265 00:18:08,520 --> 00:18:12,800 Speaker 1: were able to get that done right are still here, 266 00:18:13,240 --> 00:18:15,520 Speaker 1: and the question is what the fuck happened to them? 267 00:18:15,840 --> 00:18:20,040 Speaker 1: We knew that whitelash was always going to follow the 268 00:18:20,119 --> 00:18:24,440 Speaker 1: Obama administration, But if you had asked me right following 269 00:18:24,480 --> 00:18:26,680 Speaker 1: the end of the Obama years, if I thought that 270 00:18:26,720 --> 00:18:28,919 Speaker 1: the white lash was going to regress us all the 271 00:18:28,960 --> 00:18:31,120 Speaker 1: way back to Jim Crow, I would have said, Nah, 272 00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:33,439 Speaker 1: I don't think it's going to be that bad. I 273 00:18:33,440 --> 00:18:35,040 Speaker 1: think it's going to be bad, but I don't think 274 00:18:35,080 --> 00:18:37,800 Speaker 1: it's going to be like you can't vote, We're using 275 00:18:37,880 --> 00:18:40,720 Speaker 1: the N word. Joe Rogan as our hero. The twenty 276 00:18:40,760 --> 00:18:43,840 Speaker 1: twenty election was stolen, Like, I didn't think that we 277 00:18:43,840 --> 00:18:47,680 Speaker 1: were gonna go full fucking crazy. But once again, when 278 00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:52,280 Speaker 1: you uncheck right, when white rage and white fragility, which 279 00:18:52,320 --> 00:18:56,680 Speaker 1: is a deadly combination, goes unchecked right and all you 280 00:18:56,720 --> 00:18:58,960 Speaker 1: want to do is set up fucking town halls and 281 00:18:59,080 --> 00:19:03,639 Speaker 1: interviews understand the aggrieved racist, then of course we would 282 00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:07,600 Speaker 1: have ended up in this place. Right. So I think 283 00:19:07,640 --> 00:19:12,520 Speaker 1: that it's always important to have a reminder of better times, 284 00:19:12,760 --> 00:19:16,159 Speaker 1: but recognize that they wanted to hang Obama right, that 285 00:19:16,240 --> 00:19:18,440 Speaker 1: they called that man everything but a child of God, 286 00:19:18,880 --> 00:19:24,000 Speaker 1: that they made him show his long form birth certificate 287 00:19:24,320 --> 00:19:27,879 Speaker 1: because white Americans could not wrap their fucking minds around 288 00:19:27,880 --> 00:19:32,680 Speaker 1: the fact that a black man right had the rightful 289 00:19:32,720 --> 00:19:36,320 Speaker 1: place as president of the United States, because in their minds, 290 00:19:36,680 --> 00:19:40,479 Speaker 1: that power structure was off limits. But we didn't have 291 00:19:40,680 --> 00:19:45,600 Speaker 1: those real conversations because Obama wanted to tell us that, 292 00:19:45,880 --> 00:19:48,720 Speaker 1: you know, we could be the change, that yes we can, 293 00:19:48,920 --> 00:19:53,040 Speaker 1: that we can embody this American dream, that all of 294 00:19:53,119 --> 00:19:55,919 Speaker 1: us can come to the table and be these better people. 295 00:19:55,920 --> 00:20:00,879 Speaker 1: And when we saw these incredible crowds, you know, of 296 00:20:01,080 --> 00:20:09,360 Speaker 1: such a multicultural, right, multiracial demographic, we were blinded by 297 00:20:09,400 --> 00:20:15,840 Speaker 1: the truth right. And so because we never had those real, heartfelt, 298 00:20:16,119 --> 00:20:19,479 Speaker 1: hard conversations, and because they weren't modeled for us, and 299 00:20:19,560 --> 00:20:22,520 Speaker 1: because we like to pretend that we were better than 300 00:20:22,560 --> 00:20:27,439 Speaker 1: we are, we arrive here shocked and outdone. Coming up 301 00:20:27,520 --> 00:20:31,919 Speaker 1: next is my conversation with activists and author Bacari Sellers 302 00:20:31,960 --> 00:20:39,800 Speaker 1: about his new book, Folks. I am very excited to 303 00:20:40,280 --> 00:20:48,800 Speaker 1: welcome back to Woke. F author, New York Times bestselling author, intellectual, academic, 304 00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:53,359 Speaker 1: Bacari Sellers, who is the author of the new children's 305 00:20:53,359 --> 00:20:56,800 Speaker 1: picture book Who Are Your People? And you may remember 306 00:20:57,000 --> 00:21:00,960 Speaker 1: that Bacari was on My God Have Been last year 307 00:21:01,680 --> 00:21:05,840 Speaker 1: to talk about his book, My Vanishing Country Book. Cary, 308 00:21:05,960 --> 00:21:09,080 Speaker 1: welcome back. I'm glad to be been too long. We 309 00:21:09,080 --> 00:21:13,199 Speaker 1: got to do this in between, I know, in between 310 00:21:13,280 --> 00:21:15,880 Speaker 1: all of the all of the things you write, UM 311 00:21:15,920 --> 00:21:19,960 Speaker 1: and tending to your beautiful family. Um. But Cary, what 312 00:21:20,320 --> 00:21:24,520 Speaker 1: prompted this this book? What prompted this beautiful children's book, 313 00:21:24,520 --> 00:21:27,639 Speaker 1: which I have to say is um is illustrated also 314 00:21:28,240 --> 00:21:31,600 Speaker 1: by Reggie Brown. Um, what prompted this for you? Yeah? 315 00:21:31,720 --> 00:21:33,960 Speaker 1: Let me let me just kind of where you chimed 316 00:21:33,960 --> 00:21:36,320 Speaker 1: in a little bit. You know, Reggie Brown was just 317 00:21:36,480 --> 00:21:40,600 Speaker 1: brilliant and he gave a lot of life to this book. 318 00:21:40,640 --> 00:21:43,080 Speaker 1: So shout out to Reggie. UM. You know, for me, 319 00:21:43,280 --> 00:21:47,280 Speaker 1: it was having twin toddlers who are three years old. UM, 320 00:21:47,280 --> 00:21:52,160 Speaker 1: it was trying to find different resources to educate them 321 00:21:52,720 --> 00:21:54,600 Speaker 1: and to get them to leave their mom and daddy 322 00:21:54,640 --> 00:21:58,359 Speaker 1: alone for a period of time. And you know, we 323 00:21:58,520 --> 00:22:01,919 Speaker 1: did not have many things where they could see themselves 324 00:22:01,920 --> 00:22:04,720 Speaker 1: in the images and the pictures and the animations, etc. 325 00:22:05,720 --> 00:22:08,719 Speaker 1: And that frustrated me, like it frustrates parents all around 326 00:22:09,119 --> 00:22:12,000 Speaker 1: the globe, and so I decided with my platform. And 327 00:22:12,040 --> 00:22:15,680 Speaker 1: it was tough. I mean, people probably will not understand 328 00:22:15,800 --> 00:22:18,720 Speaker 1: or believe that, you know, writing a children's book or 329 00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:21,959 Speaker 1: breaking into the industry of children's books, it's tougher than 330 00:22:21,960 --> 00:22:26,960 Speaker 1: a notebooks. Really, yeah, I joke, but it has a 331 00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:29,359 Speaker 1: great deal of honesty that I had to write a 332 00:22:29,359 --> 00:22:31,919 Speaker 1: New York Times bestseller just to get the opportunity to 333 00:22:31,960 --> 00:22:36,000 Speaker 1: write a children's book. And I just want to stay 334 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:37,919 Speaker 1: and live in this space for a while because I 335 00:22:37,960 --> 00:22:42,359 Speaker 1: think giving having this level of representation at this time, 336 00:22:42,480 --> 00:22:46,919 Speaker 1: during this moment, a lot like in contact, it means 337 00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:51,199 Speaker 1: a great deal to the reader. You know, it's so 338 00:22:51,240 --> 00:22:54,800 Speaker 1: funny because I literally just watched just watch that Disney 339 00:22:54,840 --> 00:22:58,639 Speaker 1: movie for the for the very first time over the 340 00:22:58,680 --> 00:23:02,119 Speaker 1: weekend because I need it an escape from our impending 341 00:23:02,320 --> 00:23:07,600 Speaker 1: a democracy doom. Um. You know what's really what I 342 00:23:07,680 --> 00:23:10,800 Speaker 1: what I love about this is, you know, is a 343 00:23:10,840 --> 00:23:13,439 Speaker 1: title in in and of itself, Who are your people? 344 00:23:13,680 --> 00:23:18,400 Speaker 1: And you know, the innocence that comes from children asking 345 00:23:18,440 --> 00:23:21,159 Speaker 1: one another where are you from? You know, why do 346 00:23:21,200 --> 00:23:23,600 Speaker 1: you look the way that you do? And I think 347 00:23:23,600 --> 00:23:29,480 Speaker 1: that instead of my adult self, which the response to 348 00:23:29,520 --> 00:23:32,080 Speaker 1: another adult that was asking me that question would be 349 00:23:32,200 --> 00:23:36,000 Speaker 1: kind of would be quite brash. Actually, Um, you set 350 00:23:36,080 --> 00:23:40,719 Speaker 1: up a way to have this conversation that is about 351 00:23:40,720 --> 00:23:44,879 Speaker 1: curiosity as well as ancestry and the village that we 352 00:23:44,920 --> 00:23:47,480 Speaker 1: all come from. Can you speak more to that? Yeah, 353 00:23:47,520 --> 00:23:49,879 Speaker 1: I mean it's a colloquialism down south that kind of, 354 00:23:49,920 --> 00:23:53,080 Speaker 1: to your earlier point, is rooted in some level of judgment. 355 00:23:55,240 --> 00:23:56,720 Speaker 1: You know, when you when you meet somebody for the 356 00:23:56,760 --> 00:23:58,480 Speaker 1: first time down here, they're like, who are your people? 357 00:23:58,680 --> 00:24:01,440 Speaker 1: And that they want to know whether your daddy went 358 00:24:01,520 --> 00:24:04,040 Speaker 1: to church or like stole from folks. They just trying 359 00:24:04,040 --> 00:24:07,320 Speaker 1: to figure out, you know, what family structure you come from, 360 00:24:07,359 --> 00:24:10,680 Speaker 1: what stock you come from. And so that especially where 361 00:24:10,680 --> 00:24:12,520 Speaker 1: I'm from, I mean, who are your people? People refer 362 00:24:12,600 --> 00:24:15,560 Speaker 1: to me as little cleave, little cell and my daddy. 363 00:24:16,400 --> 00:24:19,040 Speaker 1: That's just how they know my granddaddy. I mean, that's 364 00:24:19,080 --> 00:24:22,040 Speaker 1: just how it was growing up. And so I wanted 365 00:24:22,040 --> 00:24:24,840 Speaker 1: to set that table with that familiar colloquialism, but also 366 00:24:26,200 --> 00:24:30,160 Speaker 1: give some meat and flesh out who our people were 367 00:24:30,800 --> 00:24:33,679 Speaker 1: and for the reader, for the young person who's reading 368 00:24:33,680 --> 00:24:36,440 Speaker 1: this of any race, color, or creed, but particularly black kids. 369 00:24:36,920 --> 00:24:39,159 Speaker 1: Wanted them to be able to have some pride in 370 00:24:39,320 --> 00:24:44,960 Speaker 1: the images and have some pride in the in the 371 00:24:45,040 --> 00:24:47,639 Speaker 1: in the culture that's represented throughout the pages, and so 372 00:24:47,680 --> 00:24:49,960 Speaker 1: who are your people? Yeah? We set that tone. We 373 00:24:49,960 --> 00:24:53,640 Speaker 1: we we we set that tone for understanding that we 374 00:24:53,800 --> 00:24:57,160 Speaker 1: come from a people who had to overcome so much 375 00:24:57,200 --> 00:25:01,320 Speaker 1: and we're still standing. Book. It's funny because when you 376 00:25:01,359 --> 00:25:07,159 Speaker 1: mentioned the movie in Kanto earlier, I was sitting and 377 00:25:07,240 --> 00:25:09,200 Speaker 1: I was watching, and I was saying to myself, my god, 378 00:25:09,280 --> 00:25:12,080 Speaker 1: kids these days are so lucky. They're so lucky to 379 00:25:12,200 --> 00:25:18,320 Speaker 1: get like beautiful representation that is so rich and so colorful. 380 00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:22,239 Speaker 1: That story showed so many different shades of brown and 381 00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:25,200 Speaker 1: black and hair texture and all of these things in 382 00:25:25,240 --> 00:25:28,520 Speaker 1: the similar way that your book does. And you know, 383 00:25:28,960 --> 00:25:32,399 Speaker 1: when I was a elementary school teacher teaching first and 384 00:25:32,480 --> 00:25:34,760 Speaker 1: second grade, one of the things that I strive to 385 00:25:34,840 --> 00:25:38,439 Speaker 1: do was to go from library to library, bookstore to 386 00:25:38,440 --> 00:25:42,000 Speaker 1: bookstore to try and get books that would prompt conversation 387 00:25:42,040 --> 00:25:45,919 Speaker 1: and critical thinking. But we're also representative of the population 388 00:25:46,000 --> 00:25:49,840 Speaker 1: that I was teaching, which was black and brown children. 389 00:25:50,440 --> 00:25:54,399 Speaker 1: And you know, right now, we are at a time 390 00:25:54,640 --> 00:25:58,800 Speaker 1: when all of these advancements have been made, and now 391 00:25:58,880 --> 00:26:02,439 Speaker 1: there is a campaign of erasure and whitewashing that is 392 00:26:02,800 --> 00:26:05,840 Speaker 1: now following all of the advancements that have been made 393 00:26:05,880 --> 00:26:08,119 Speaker 1: since I was in the classroom as a teacher or 394 00:26:08,320 --> 00:26:11,320 Speaker 1: in the classroom as a student. What do you make 395 00:26:11,400 --> 00:26:16,440 Speaker 1: of where we are? And how do you balance that 396 00:26:16,640 --> 00:26:19,480 Speaker 1: with what you are trying to create? You're trying to 397 00:26:19,520 --> 00:26:22,400 Speaker 1: create these images at a time when they're being blocked. 398 00:26:24,040 --> 00:26:26,639 Speaker 1: What do I make of where we are? I think 399 00:26:26,720 --> 00:26:31,480 Speaker 1: that my intellectual critique sitting across from you, although I 400 00:26:31,520 --> 00:26:35,920 Speaker 1: wish we were in person, would be that I am 401 00:26:36,200 --> 00:26:44,760 Speaker 1: astounded by the lack of curiosity, the anti intellectualism, and 402 00:26:45,960 --> 00:26:51,320 Speaker 1: the asinine attempts to remove culture through books that people 403 00:26:51,400 --> 00:26:55,560 Speaker 1: are boldly taking. I mean the steps of removing books. 404 00:26:55,720 --> 00:26:58,280 Speaker 1: Michelle Obama's book from Texas, for example. I mean they're 405 00:26:58,280 --> 00:27:00,760 Speaker 1: trying to take it out at Michelle Obama saw hurt nobody. 406 00:27:00,880 --> 00:27:02,840 Speaker 1: She tried to She tried to plan a garden for 407 00:27:02,920 --> 00:27:06,800 Speaker 1: y'all and show her arms. Yeah, Michelle tried to get 408 00:27:06,840 --> 00:27:08,840 Speaker 1: her family plan a garden and show her arms, and 409 00:27:08,880 --> 00:27:11,880 Speaker 1: y'all try to take her book out of libraries. I mean, 410 00:27:12,359 --> 00:27:15,640 Speaker 1: it's just it's brash, you know. I think that this 411 00:27:15,840 --> 00:27:18,359 Speaker 1: may be something that people always wanted to do, but 412 00:27:18,440 --> 00:27:21,359 Speaker 1: I'm simply, like fundamentally astounded by the fact they're taking 413 00:27:21,400 --> 00:27:27,639 Speaker 1: these steps. I think it contributes to kind of this 414 00:27:27,840 --> 00:27:32,600 Speaker 1: moment that we're in, white hot moment surrounding these issues 415 00:27:32,640 --> 00:27:37,480 Speaker 1: of race, the ignorance, and the infantile nature of the conversation. 416 00:27:38,240 --> 00:27:39,959 Speaker 1: And it's going to take more books like who are 417 00:27:39,960 --> 00:27:42,879 Speaker 1: Your People? And books that you are going to write 418 00:27:43,240 --> 00:27:49,000 Speaker 1: than yeah, you know, to feel that boyd and catch 419 00:27:49,280 --> 00:27:51,960 Speaker 1: individuals at a young age where we can teach them 420 00:27:51,960 --> 00:27:55,600 Speaker 1: to dream again and have this curiosity and maybe come 421 00:27:55,640 --> 00:27:58,440 Speaker 1: forth with this sensatiable desire to learn as much as possible. 422 00:27:59,800 --> 00:28:04,840 Speaker 1: You know, your family's history is so extraordinarily rich, right, 423 00:28:05,000 --> 00:28:10,600 Speaker 1: and deep and deep rooted and entwined with white supremacy 424 00:28:10,720 --> 00:28:14,920 Speaker 1: in this country. And you know, I wonder, as now, 425 00:28:15,359 --> 00:28:22,600 Speaker 1: the father of twin toddlers who are growing up at 426 00:28:22,640 --> 00:28:28,200 Speaker 1: a time when it feels so regressive and yet hopeful, 427 00:28:29,720 --> 00:28:33,239 Speaker 1: how do you manage what you are seeing, what you 428 00:28:33,320 --> 00:28:37,520 Speaker 1: have seen learn and understood through your own family history, 429 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:44,440 Speaker 1: and then that mirroring America's history and violent racist nature, 430 00:28:45,600 --> 00:28:50,200 Speaker 1: and trying to develop the hopefulness and the spirit of 431 00:28:50,280 --> 00:28:54,680 Speaker 1: twin toddlers, twin black toddlers. Well, I mean that the 432 00:28:54,720 --> 00:28:58,520 Speaker 1: innocence of their the innocence of their eyes, and the 433 00:28:58,560 --> 00:29:01,800 Speaker 1: softness of their smile, their genuine curiosity is what keeps 434 00:29:01,800 --> 00:29:04,800 Speaker 1: you going, combined with the fact that you know the 435 00:29:04,840 --> 00:29:07,640 Speaker 1: price that was paid for the progress that we have today. 436 00:29:09,160 --> 00:29:13,000 Speaker 1: You know, I think, and you know, a part of 437 00:29:13,040 --> 00:29:15,240 Speaker 1: me says that people want to strip us of our 438 00:29:15,320 --> 00:29:17,800 Speaker 1: history and the teaching of our history, not for their 439 00:29:17,840 --> 00:29:20,320 Speaker 1: benefit or the way they feel or the guilt they feel, 440 00:29:21,200 --> 00:29:23,520 Speaker 1: but so that we won't be empowered to keep going, 441 00:29:24,040 --> 00:29:26,720 Speaker 1: so that we won't see the struggles and the sacrifices 442 00:29:26,760 --> 00:29:29,840 Speaker 1: that were made and just keep pushing. When you take 443 00:29:29,840 --> 00:29:32,280 Speaker 1: away one's history, you pretty much take away their spirit. 444 00:29:32,840 --> 00:29:35,000 Speaker 1: And I refuse to let anybody do that to me. 445 00:29:35,080 --> 00:29:38,640 Speaker 1: And I think that, you know, the challenge for us 446 00:29:38,680 --> 00:29:42,600 Speaker 1: and particularly me, raising these children is to fill our 447 00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:45,560 Speaker 1: house with love. You know, my kids will tell you 448 00:29:45,600 --> 00:29:49,040 Speaker 1: how the Debtie loves them this much, and they love 449 00:29:49,160 --> 00:29:50,760 Speaker 1: they you know, some of the first things they learn 450 00:29:50,800 --> 00:29:52,480 Speaker 1: how to say in this house is I love you, 451 00:29:53,520 --> 00:29:55,800 Speaker 1: because we know that when they go outside these doors, 452 00:29:55,840 --> 00:29:58,120 Speaker 1: that this world will not love them the same because 453 00:29:58,160 --> 00:30:00,920 Speaker 1: of the color of their skin, or who they may love, 454 00:30:01,120 --> 00:30:03,600 Speaker 1: or who they may pray to, or those type of ideals. 455 00:30:03,600 --> 00:30:06,120 Speaker 1: And so we just want to prepare them for a 456 00:30:06,200 --> 00:30:08,800 Speaker 1: rough and tumble world while Daddy is out there trying 457 00:30:08,840 --> 00:30:11,240 Speaker 1: to change it. And if I can do my part 458 00:30:11,280 --> 00:30:14,120 Speaker 1: to you know, leave it better than the way I 459 00:30:14,160 --> 00:30:18,280 Speaker 1: inherited it, and raise my kids to believe that, you know, 460 00:30:18,360 --> 00:30:21,320 Speaker 1: only a life live for others is a life worthwhile 461 00:30:21,640 --> 00:30:25,560 Speaker 1: to quote Einstein. Then I think that maybe some where 462 00:30:25,800 --> 00:30:27,280 Speaker 1: somebody will be able to look at me and say 463 00:30:27,360 --> 00:30:32,320 Speaker 1: job well done. I mean, folks already look at you 464 00:30:32,360 --> 00:30:35,160 Speaker 1: and say and say job well done. And I'm certain 465 00:30:35,200 --> 00:30:38,840 Speaker 1: that your children probably do on a regular basis. What 466 00:30:38,960 --> 00:30:42,640 Speaker 1: do you what advice do you have for other for 467 00:30:42,720 --> 00:30:48,080 Speaker 1: other parents, caregivers and frankly teachers right now who you 468 00:30:48,120 --> 00:30:53,160 Speaker 1: know feel a sense of hopelessness in terms of wanting 469 00:30:53,160 --> 00:30:57,360 Speaker 1: to educate, wanting to care for children in a way 470 00:30:57,520 --> 00:31:01,160 Speaker 1: that provides them with stability in a world that is 471 00:31:01,680 --> 00:31:07,120 Speaker 1: increasingly unstable and uncertain. What do you offer to those 472 00:31:07,200 --> 00:31:10,360 Speaker 1: to those folks you know in different camps of caring 473 00:31:10,400 --> 00:31:13,160 Speaker 1: for young minds right whether it be your own or 474 00:31:13,200 --> 00:31:17,160 Speaker 1: other people um that feel pinned up against the wall 475 00:31:17,240 --> 00:31:20,640 Speaker 1: right now, right where where we're where we're making it, 476 00:31:21,240 --> 00:31:25,720 Speaker 1: you know, impossible to develop critical thinkers, to have thoughtful 477 00:31:25,760 --> 00:31:29,880 Speaker 1: conversations where we are working against the tide of intellectualism 478 00:31:29,880 --> 00:31:33,720 Speaker 1: and entering into a new dark age's I don't know 479 00:31:33,760 --> 00:31:36,560 Speaker 1: a by entering, I think that might be the wrong participle. 480 00:31:36,560 --> 00:31:40,920 Speaker 1: I think we're kind of there. We're there, so you know, 481 00:31:41,000 --> 00:31:43,520 Speaker 1: one is like don't don't don't first of all, take 482 00:31:43,520 --> 00:31:46,680 Speaker 1: care of yourself if you're feeling hopeless about where we are, 483 00:31:47,000 --> 00:31:50,720 Speaker 1: or you feel some type of hollowness about where we are, 484 00:31:51,280 --> 00:31:52,959 Speaker 1: and you know, talk to somebody to get thera. If 485 00:31:53,000 --> 00:31:55,080 Speaker 1: you talk to us, understand that you're not by yourself 486 00:31:55,160 --> 00:31:59,760 Speaker 1: in this fight. I would encourage you that the minds 487 00:31:59,800 --> 00:32:02,320 Speaker 1: that you're moting right now, even with the obstacles that 488 00:32:02,360 --> 00:32:06,720 Speaker 1: you're facing externally, many times you will be and are 489 00:32:06,880 --> 00:32:11,040 Speaker 1: the only persons who believe in them, and you are 490 00:32:11,160 --> 00:32:16,000 Speaker 1: the person who's pouring into them the most. And so 491 00:32:16,680 --> 00:32:23,200 Speaker 1: without you pouring into them everything that you can, you 492 00:32:23,560 --> 00:32:28,440 Speaker 1: this child would go forth into the world empty and 493 00:32:28,480 --> 00:32:31,720 Speaker 1: so I don't I understand the sacrifices that you're making, 494 00:32:31,720 --> 00:32:36,240 Speaker 1: and I understand the relationship that we have with our haters, 495 00:32:36,280 --> 00:32:39,840 Speaker 1: but you know, understand it. It ain't about you, and 496 00:32:39,880 --> 00:32:42,040 Speaker 1: it's not about the haters. It's about the minds and 497 00:32:42,080 --> 00:32:44,360 Speaker 1: the people that you're pouring into. And I think if 498 00:32:44,360 --> 00:32:46,360 Speaker 1: we keep that the center focused, that when we get 499 00:32:46,400 --> 00:32:48,920 Speaker 1: down we will take some time away. It's okay, you know, 500 00:32:49,160 --> 00:32:53,040 Speaker 1: you got to change everybody's life, take some time away, juvenated, 501 00:32:53,080 --> 00:32:55,440 Speaker 1: and then plug back in and do the work necessary. 502 00:32:57,160 --> 00:32:59,880 Speaker 1: What do you say also to those activists and people 503 00:33:00,000 --> 00:33:02,239 Speaker 1: who are just like, why am I still protesting this? 504 00:33:02,440 --> 00:33:05,040 Speaker 1: Why am I still out marching? Why do I still 505 00:33:05,040 --> 00:33:07,800 Speaker 1: have to create these signs? Why is this fight that 506 00:33:07,960 --> 00:33:11,200 Speaker 1: was being fought in the nineteen fifties and the nineteen twenties, 507 00:33:11,600 --> 00:33:14,200 Speaker 1: you know, and before, Why are we still fighting these 508 00:33:14,240 --> 00:33:18,520 Speaker 1: things now? I had an interesting conversation with another writer 509 00:33:18,640 --> 00:33:22,160 Speaker 1: that I enjoy a lot, Michael Harriet, who said, you 510 00:33:22,200 --> 00:33:26,000 Speaker 1: know that the goal is not eradication of white supremacy. 511 00:33:26,040 --> 00:33:28,720 Speaker 1: He's like, if you set that up as your goal, 512 00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:31,400 Speaker 1: you're going to fail, and you're going to be and 513 00:33:31,920 --> 00:33:34,800 Speaker 1: you're going to feel like a failure. What do you 514 00:33:34,920 --> 00:33:39,000 Speaker 1: think that our goal is or should be in the 515 00:33:39,040 --> 00:33:43,080 Speaker 1: continuation of our protests and lifting voices and trying to 516 00:33:43,120 --> 00:33:47,560 Speaker 1: inspire people, whether it be through children's books, adult books, 517 00:33:47,640 --> 00:33:52,320 Speaker 1: you know, conversation and podcasts, like what should our goal 518 00:33:52,400 --> 00:33:54,880 Speaker 1: be so that we feel like we're continuing to move 519 00:33:54,920 --> 00:33:58,239 Speaker 1: forward and not constantly be pushed back. I think your 520 00:33:58,280 --> 00:34:00,120 Speaker 1: goal should be simple, and I think your goal and 521 00:34:00,440 --> 00:34:03,880 Speaker 1: I you know, I'm not trying to minimalize this or 522 00:34:03,960 --> 00:34:06,480 Speaker 1: have some trindy kind of play on words, but I've 523 00:34:06,480 --> 00:34:09,319 Speaker 1: always told folks that I'm tired of black people being 524 00:34:09,360 --> 00:34:12,839 Speaker 1: in a position where we are trying to survive. I 525 00:34:12,880 --> 00:34:15,280 Speaker 1: think that we need to move out of survival mode 526 00:34:15,280 --> 00:34:18,200 Speaker 1: and ensure that we can thrive. I think the prosperity 527 00:34:18,239 --> 00:34:21,319 Speaker 1: and wealth and health should be the goals that we 528 00:34:21,360 --> 00:34:24,799 Speaker 1: look to ascertain. Now that does that mean the eradication 529 00:34:24,800 --> 00:34:27,359 Speaker 1: of white supremacy. No, I think that you know this 530 00:34:27,480 --> 00:34:30,600 Speaker 1: is where we are, but also fundamentally don't believe there's 531 00:34:30,600 --> 00:34:33,799 Speaker 1: anything that's irredeemable about this country. I just think we 532 00:34:33,840 --> 00:34:36,160 Speaker 1: have to reimagine what she looks like. And I think 533 00:34:36,200 --> 00:34:39,640 Speaker 1: when you reimagine this country. You should reimagine yourself in it, healthy, 534 00:34:39,680 --> 00:34:44,239 Speaker 1: wealthy and prosperous and building new generations thereof. So no 535 00:34:44,360 --> 00:34:46,960 Speaker 1: longer do black folk in this country have to survive, 536 00:34:47,160 --> 00:34:49,960 Speaker 1: but we can finally take that burden off and we 537 00:34:50,000 --> 00:34:54,840 Speaker 1: can thrive. And what makes you see, you know, you 538 00:34:54,880 --> 00:34:57,879 Speaker 1: mentioned earlier that breaking into children's books was harder than 539 00:34:57,960 --> 00:35:03,680 Speaker 1: breaking into adult books. What may this particular audience or 540 00:35:04,840 --> 00:35:09,600 Speaker 1: part of the publishing industry so difficult? But also your 541 00:35:09,680 --> 00:35:15,120 Speaker 1: new focal point simply because I just find that we 542 00:35:15,160 --> 00:35:18,560 Speaker 1: are in this moment of urgency and we need to 543 00:35:18,600 --> 00:35:22,520 Speaker 1: make sure that we are encouraging and feeding and nourishing 544 00:35:22,520 --> 00:35:25,400 Speaker 1: a new generation of leaderships. Not that I've given up 545 00:35:25,400 --> 00:35:27,080 Speaker 1: on certain well I kind of have given up on 546 00:35:27,120 --> 00:35:30,560 Speaker 1: certain generations, but I do. I mean, I have the 547 00:35:30,640 --> 00:35:33,600 Speaker 1: generations to come are going to be our saviors, are 548 00:35:33,640 --> 00:35:35,759 Speaker 1: going to be the ones who lead us out of 549 00:35:35,760 --> 00:35:38,560 Speaker 1: that darkness, And so why not teach them about who 550 00:35:38,600 --> 00:35:41,399 Speaker 1: they are now and begin to allow them to dream 551 00:35:41,440 --> 00:35:45,680 Speaker 1: at this age? Yeah, I think that it. You know, 552 00:35:46,000 --> 00:35:50,040 Speaker 1: that's what makes me very scared about the times that 553 00:35:50,080 --> 00:35:53,920 Speaker 1: we are living in because I don't know how you 554 00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:57,680 Speaker 1: teach people, how to dream, how you teach critical thought, 555 00:35:57,760 --> 00:36:01,840 Speaker 1: how you teach innovation. If you're afraid to open books, 556 00:36:02,040 --> 00:36:04,920 Speaker 1: or if the books are not there and they're being 557 00:36:04,920 --> 00:36:08,239 Speaker 1: taken off of the shelves, you know, and you're just 558 00:36:08,480 --> 00:36:11,600 Speaker 1: looking at the cover right as many people will on 559 00:36:11,719 --> 00:36:14,400 Speaker 1: your book, and I look at it with a sign 560 00:36:14,400 --> 00:36:17,080 Speaker 1: of delight. Oh my goodness, look at this. You know, 561 00:36:17,239 --> 00:36:20,279 Speaker 1: I feel represented. And I'm an adult, right, I feel 562 00:36:20,640 --> 00:36:24,480 Speaker 1: I feel seen. What I'm looking to buy stories that 563 00:36:24,600 --> 00:36:32,440 Speaker 1: lift up the children in my life. So just leaving 564 00:36:32,480 --> 00:36:36,400 Speaker 1: on this note with you, you know what continues to 565 00:36:36,480 --> 00:36:39,799 Speaker 1: keep you inspired, Bakari in all of the work that 566 00:36:39,840 --> 00:36:42,600 Speaker 1: you do and all of the conversations that you enter 567 00:36:42,680 --> 00:36:46,680 Speaker 1: into in times that are just really trying, because people 568 00:36:46,719 --> 00:36:49,560 Speaker 1: are desperate for inspiration right now, I think that they're 569 00:36:49,600 --> 00:36:52,879 Speaker 1: desperate for hopefulness. So I mean, there are a couple 570 00:36:52,920 --> 00:36:54,279 Speaker 1: of things, and I think a lot of it has 571 00:36:54,320 --> 00:36:58,000 Speaker 1: to do with my anxiety. Right in my book My 572 00:36:58,120 --> 00:37:02,760 Speaker 1: Vanishing Country, I thought about anxiety being a black man's superpower. 573 00:37:04,040 --> 00:37:09,200 Speaker 1: But I do not try to eat an elephant whole. 574 00:37:11,280 --> 00:37:13,960 Speaker 1: I take one bite at a time. I don't try 575 00:37:13,960 --> 00:37:16,879 Speaker 1: to live for the next five years. Today I try 576 00:37:16,960 --> 00:37:20,120 Speaker 1: to live and have a good I figure that if 577 00:37:20,120 --> 00:37:23,640 Speaker 1: I win today, and then I win tomorrow, and then 578 00:37:23,640 --> 00:37:26,160 Speaker 1: I win more days than I lose, then I will 579 00:37:26,200 --> 00:37:29,840 Speaker 1: be a winner in life. And so what allowed me 580 00:37:29,920 --> 00:37:33,799 Speaker 1: to streamline that is focusing on intently being a good 581 00:37:33,880 --> 00:37:36,120 Speaker 1: father and a good husband. I think when you prioritize 582 00:37:36,120 --> 00:37:38,160 Speaker 1: and when you look at life clear eye like that. 583 00:37:40,440 --> 00:37:43,000 Speaker 1: And you know, I'm not saying don't have vices. I 584 00:37:43,040 --> 00:37:45,960 Speaker 1: think everybody needs their vices, and you know you just 585 00:37:46,040 --> 00:37:49,839 Speaker 1: manage them and vices and moderation is my matta. So 586 00:37:49,960 --> 00:37:51,839 Speaker 1: go out, have to be afraid to have a drink 587 00:37:51,840 --> 00:37:56,360 Speaker 1: and talk to your friends, and you know, regroup, relax, 588 00:37:56,520 --> 00:38:02,960 Speaker 1: recoup and get back to it. Bacari, always a pleasure 589 00:38:03,080 --> 00:38:08,120 Speaker 1: having you on, folks. The book is Who Are Your People? 590 00:38:09,680 --> 00:38:15,759 Speaker 1: By Bacari Sellers, author of My Vanishing Country. Thank you 591 00:38:15,880 --> 00:38:18,719 Speaker 1: so much for making the time to join woke f 592 00:38:18,840 --> 00:38:21,520 Speaker 1: and I can't wait to see all the bevy of 593 00:38:21,640 --> 00:38:25,919 Speaker 1: children's books that are being dreamt up in that mind 594 00:38:26,000 --> 00:38:28,320 Speaker 1: of yours. I appreciate you, thank you for having me. 595 00:38:28,320 --> 00:38:30,040 Speaker 1: We're not gonna make it another three hundred and sixty 596 00:38:30,040 --> 00:38:35,359 Speaker 1: five days. Yes, no, we're not We're going to see 597 00:38:35,400 --> 00:38:37,840 Speaker 1: you before your next book comes out. You're going to 598 00:38:37,920 --> 00:38:40,680 Speaker 1: come back to the show and give us inspiration and 599 00:38:40,760 --> 00:38:45,480 Speaker 1: hope and joy and thriving. Yes, we appreciate you, thank you. 600 00:38:49,680 --> 00:38:54,640 Speaker 1: So you know, folks, I will leave you with this 601 00:38:55,080 --> 00:38:59,759 Speaker 1: point today for our woke moment of wellness, which is this. 602 00:39:01,280 --> 00:39:06,160 Speaker 1: I think that the past is so very important, right 603 00:39:06,320 --> 00:39:10,160 Speaker 1: because in many ways it does in fact dictate how 604 00:39:10,239 --> 00:39:14,400 Speaker 1: we understand the present and how we imagine our future 605 00:39:14,440 --> 00:39:18,839 Speaker 1: to be. So I don't want to wipe memories of 606 00:39:18,880 --> 00:39:23,239 Speaker 1: the Obama years because it's so difficult to look at now, right, 607 00:39:23,360 --> 00:39:29,560 Speaker 1: It's difficult the pain in the remembering of that short 608 00:39:29,680 --> 00:39:34,560 Speaker 1: lived ease in time in America. And remember when the 609 00:39:34,560 --> 00:39:37,719 Speaker 1: Obamas came into office, like the bottom was falling out. 610 00:39:38,440 --> 00:39:41,080 Speaker 1: We had the tech bubble bursts, the housing bursts, we 611 00:39:41,120 --> 00:39:45,399 Speaker 1: had healthcare issues up the wazoo, childhood obesity was through 612 00:39:45,440 --> 00:39:48,080 Speaker 1: the roof. I mean, there were a lot of problems, 613 00:39:48,120 --> 00:39:52,120 Speaker 1: but they didn't feel existential, right. It felt like with 614 00:39:52,160 --> 00:39:55,920 Speaker 1: the right leadership and thoughtfulness and strategy, we would be 615 00:39:55,960 --> 00:39:59,520 Speaker 1: able to make it through. So I think that it 616 00:39:59,640 --> 00:40:03,759 Speaker 1: is important to look back at those pictures to remember 617 00:40:04,160 --> 00:40:07,640 Speaker 1: the feelings that we had and figure out how we 618 00:40:07,760 --> 00:40:11,520 Speaker 1: can conjure them back right, how we can use our 619 00:40:11,719 --> 00:40:16,719 Speaker 1: past successes to help us guide our way out of 620 00:40:16,760 --> 00:40:20,440 Speaker 1: this darkness and into a better future. Now, folks, I 621 00:40:20,520 --> 00:40:22,759 Speaker 1: tell you, I don't think it's going to be immediate. 622 00:40:22,920 --> 00:40:25,200 Speaker 1: I think that we're in for a long haul. But 623 00:40:25,239 --> 00:40:28,319 Speaker 1: I don't want us to forget the good because in 624 00:40:28,360 --> 00:40:32,080 Speaker 1: this current moment it just feels too painful. We need it. 625 00:40:32,360 --> 00:40:35,839 Speaker 1: We need to remember who we were so that we 626 00:40:35,880 --> 00:40:44,680 Speaker 1: can envision who we want to actually be. That is 627 00:40:44,680 --> 00:40:47,759 Speaker 1: it for me today, Dear friends on woke a app 628 00:40:47,840 --> 00:40:51,800 Speaker 1: as always, Power to the people and to all the people. Power, 629 00:40:52,000 --> 00:40:54,279 Speaker 1: Get woke and stay woke as fuck.