1 00:00:11,840 --> 00:00:14,560 Speaker 1: Good morning, peeps, and welcome to okay F Daily with 2 00:00:14,720 --> 00:00:18,320 Speaker 1: Meet your Girl Danielle Moody, recording from the Brooklyn Bunker. 3 00:00:19,040 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 1: You know, folks, if you are paying attention to the news, 4 00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:23,720 Speaker 1: then you are very aware of the fact that we 5 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:28,320 Speaker 1: are on the brink of war, that COVID numbers are 6 00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:32,440 Speaker 1: doing well in the areas that were first hardest hit, 7 00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:36,879 Speaker 1: but that everyone is sitting around scratching their head wondering 8 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:41,360 Speaker 1: what the fuck the Biden administration is actually doing. And 9 00:00:41,800 --> 00:00:46,400 Speaker 1: we've had votes by the Republican Party that prove once 10 00:00:46,440 --> 00:00:49,199 Speaker 1: again that they are the party of insurrectionists, that they 11 00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:51,599 Speaker 1: are the party of white supremacy, and that they are 12 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:56,960 Speaker 1: a cult right. They have censured the people two people 13 00:00:57,680 --> 00:01:02,400 Speaker 1: that actually make any fucking sense, and they are continuing 14 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:06,280 Speaker 1: to double down on Trumpism, continuing to double down on racism. 15 00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:11,319 Speaker 1: Joe Rogan is you know, the latest celebrity that they 16 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:15,679 Speaker 1: are embracing, which tells us everything that we need to know. 17 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:19,000 Speaker 1: And I have said this so many times that if 18 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:23,360 Speaker 1: you find yourself talking to somebody who is, well, I'm 19 00:01:23,400 --> 00:01:27,319 Speaker 1: a Republican, but I don't stand for these things, you 20 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:32,199 Speaker 1: can no longer continue to call yourself a Republican and say, 21 00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:36,399 Speaker 1: but here's the laundry list of all of the things 22 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:40,000 Speaker 1: that you no longer associate with, Because then if in 23 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:45,760 Speaker 1: a sensical world, well what the Republican Party now represents, 24 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:49,120 Speaker 1: you no longer are a party too right, And so 25 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:53,400 Speaker 1: you would think that there would be more people publicly 26 00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:57,840 Speaker 1: disavowing the Republican Party, publicly leaving right, that people would 27 00:01:57,880 --> 00:02:00,800 Speaker 1: be leaving in large numbers, except they're not. And so 28 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:04,080 Speaker 1: what does that tell us about the state of affairs 29 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:07,440 Speaker 1: in America and the state of white supremacy? You know, 30 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:10,080 Speaker 1: I am I'm working right now on a piece, and 31 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:15,360 Speaker 1: I was harkened back to the twenty sixteen election and 32 00:02:15,760 --> 00:02:19,960 Speaker 1: thinking to myself and saying out loud on Canadian broadcast 33 00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:26,120 Speaker 1: television that this was going to be white supremacy's last stand. 34 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:29,240 Speaker 1: Now when I said that, it wasn't as if, oh, 35 00:02:29,280 --> 00:02:30,960 Speaker 1: it was going to be four years and then it 36 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:33,360 Speaker 1: was going to be back to quote unquote normal, Because 37 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:36,200 Speaker 1: what we know right now is that there is really 38 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:41,200 Speaker 1: no sense of normal. What we had allowed, right, what 39 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:46,160 Speaker 1: we had told ourselves was normal behavior, was anything but right. 40 00:02:46,280 --> 00:02:51,359 Speaker 1: The disparities in health and wealth in this country between 41 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:59,880 Speaker 1: races between genders has always been excruciatingly problematic. Right when 42 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:05,400 Speaker 1: we talk about marginalized groups and where they fall right 43 00:03:05,440 --> 00:03:08,200 Speaker 1: on the political totem pole, we know that they are 44 00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:11,200 Speaker 1: always folks that are at the bottom. We also know 45 00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:14,440 Speaker 1: that there has been no policy, no measure, and frankly, 46 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:18,960 Speaker 1: no fucking Republican president but has ever offered the American 47 00:03:19,080 --> 00:03:23,240 Speaker 1: people how we are dealing with some of the most complex, 48 00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:27,960 Speaker 1: right and layered issues and problems that we have. Their 49 00:03:28,520 --> 00:03:31,440 Speaker 1: decision is that you just ignore it, right, or you 50 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:35,000 Speaker 1: erase it, or you gaslight people into believing that it 51 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:39,720 Speaker 1: doesn't exist. And so when you have then the alternate 52 00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:49,520 Speaker 1: party of Democrats who essentially are not exercising their I 53 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:51,280 Speaker 1: don't even know what the fuck you would call it 54 00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:56,320 Speaker 1: at this point, not exercising their power, not exercising their voice, 55 00:03:56,760 --> 00:04:01,320 Speaker 1: you know, pretending that everything is ho hummed okay I 56 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:04,360 Speaker 1: and that you know, we're living in a time of 57 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:09,760 Speaker 1: just like political adversaries, and there there isn't the state 58 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:12,600 Speaker 1: of our country and our democracy hanging in the balance 59 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:16,160 Speaker 1: with just a handful of months to do something right 60 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:19,839 Speaker 1: about those people who the Republicans say, you know, are 61 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:23,320 Speaker 1: just participating in regular political discourse. I don't know what 62 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:27,360 Speaker 1: political discourse involves shitting in the halls of the Capitol building, 63 00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:30,760 Speaker 1: But you know, what do I know? I'm a traditionalist. Apparently. 64 00:04:32,279 --> 00:04:36,760 Speaker 1: The reality here, though, folks, is that people are tapped out. Right. 65 00:04:37,040 --> 00:04:38,880 Speaker 1: I've talked to you, and you all have talked to 66 00:04:38,920 --> 00:04:43,400 Speaker 1: me about your level of exhaustion and your frustration and 67 00:04:43,520 --> 00:04:48,039 Speaker 1: just you know, being burnt out, being burnt out by 68 00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:51,120 Speaker 1: the discourse, being burnt out by the demeanor, and just 69 00:04:51,279 --> 00:04:54,440 Speaker 1: one bad headline after the other. But the thing that 70 00:04:54,480 --> 00:04:59,440 Speaker 1: I consistently come back to is our future, which is 71 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:03,520 Speaker 1: young people, people and wondering what they are thinking. Right. 72 00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:10,719 Speaker 1: I can remember going into politics, right, going to college, 73 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:15,400 Speaker 1: and that was on the heels of the Clinton administration. Right, 74 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:19,080 Speaker 1: that was on the heels I remember being in high 75 00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:23,120 Speaker 1: school and sitting around with friends, other friends that were 76 00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:27,600 Speaker 1: in you know, government and politics into it and watching 77 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:31,800 Speaker 1: President Clinton tell the American people that he didn't have 78 00:05:31,880 --> 00:05:37,880 Speaker 1: sexual relationship with that woman. Right. It was politics was 79 00:05:38,720 --> 00:05:43,360 Speaker 1: you know, not just tabloid page six fodder. But it 80 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:46,360 Speaker 1: was exciting. It was exciting to believe that you could 81 00:05:46,440 --> 00:05:51,760 Speaker 1: participate in how this country shifts and expands, Right, and 82 00:05:51,839 --> 00:05:55,200 Speaker 1: that there was an excitement that was there. I wonder 83 00:05:55,880 --> 00:06:02,000 Speaker 1: right about young people who are coming going into college 84 00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:06,480 Speaker 1: right at an age in our political discourse where it 85 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:11,039 Speaker 1: is so horrific, where there is no conversation, there is 86 00:06:11,120 --> 00:06:14,839 Speaker 1: no debate like how do you teach this right now? 87 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:19,840 Speaker 1: And what are young people, those eighteen and nineteen year 88 00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:23,599 Speaker 1: olds who you know should be filled with possibility. What 89 00:06:23,680 --> 00:06:28,400 Speaker 1: do they think about the world that they are inheriting 90 00:06:28,520 --> 00:06:33,200 Speaker 1: and growing into as adults. And so I'm excited for 91 00:06:33,279 --> 00:06:35,800 Speaker 1: you all to take a listen to my conversation with 92 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:40,080 Speaker 1: returning guest, our friend, doctor Christina Greer, who is associate 93 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:44,000 Speaker 1: professor of political science at Fordham University here in New York, 94 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:46,760 Speaker 1: and we will talk about the lay of the land 95 00:06:46,760 --> 00:06:49,280 Speaker 1: and where we think that democrats go. But as a 96 00:06:49,320 --> 00:06:52,680 Speaker 1: professor who has made it, even though she is a 97 00:06:52,720 --> 00:06:57,560 Speaker 1: tenured professor and an esteemed professor who doesn't have to 98 00:06:58,000 --> 00:07:00,760 Speaker 1: no longer has to take up these you know, freshman 99 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:05,720 Speaker 1: politics one on one, classes realizes the importance of doing 100 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:10,080 Speaker 1: just that, that ensuring that the people, right the professors 101 00:07:10,080 --> 00:07:15,000 Speaker 1: who are laying the foundation for the future leaders understanding 102 00:07:15,040 --> 00:07:18,400 Speaker 1: of politics are doing so in a very real and 103 00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:22,000 Speaker 1: textured way. And so I'm excited for you to take 104 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:25,920 Speaker 1: a listen to my conversation coming up next with doctor 105 00:07:26,040 --> 00:07:32,920 Speaker 1: Christina Greer. Folks, I am so excited to welcome back 106 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:38,320 Speaker 1: to woke f Daily our friend associate professor at Fordham University, 107 00:07:38,440 --> 00:07:42,400 Speaker 1: doctor Christina Greer. She is also a political editor at 108 00:07:42,440 --> 00:07:50,800 Speaker 1: The Grio. Doctor Greer, Christina, girl, I don't know about you, 109 00:07:50,880 --> 00:07:54,679 Speaker 1: but a month into this new year of twenty twenty two, 110 00:07:55,960 --> 00:08:00,520 Speaker 1: I am feeling really underwhelmed with where Democrats seem to 111 00:08:00,520 --> 00:08:05,840 Speaker 1: be headed. I am underwhelmed with this administration and their 112 00:08:05,920 --> 00:08:11,200 Speaker 1: stalled agenda. I am underwhelmed with Senator Kersen Cinema and 113 00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:14,080 Speaker 1: Joe Mansion. I'm tired of saying their names. I'm tired 114 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:17,040 Speaker 1: of the gaggles following them around the Capitol like they 115 00:08:17,120 --> 00:08:20,480 Speaker 1: are so the second coming of the Beatles or Beyonce. 116 00:08:20,720 --> 00:08:24,920 Speaker 1: I don't know which, but I am over it. And 117 00:08:25,120 --> 00:08:29,080 Speaker 1: just in general, as I keep talking to folks and 118 00:08:29,120 --> 00:08:33,520 Speaker 1: we are what eight months or so away from midterm elections, 119 00:08:33,800 --> 00:08:38,160 Speaker 1: people just feel over it, Like over the entirety of it. 120 00:08:38,200 --> 00:08:40,440 Speaker 1: There is no energy when you look at NBC poll 121 00:08:40,559 --> 00:08:46,200 Speaker 1: numbers for enthusiasm about midterm elections, Democrats are lagging right where, 122 00:08:46,200 --> 00:08:49,480 Speaker 1: of course the GOP is now surging because you don't 123 00:08:49,520 --> 00:08:51,360 Speaker 1: need to have an agenda, you don't need to have 124 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:54,040 Speaker 1: any of these things. You don't need to tell the truth, 125 00:08:54,080 --> 00:08:55,840 Speaker 1: you don't need to believe in science. You can just 126 00:08:55,880 --> 00:09:00,360 Speaker 1: spread lies and surge. How are you feeling about this 127 00:09:00,440 --> 00:09:04,199 Speaker 1: moment in our politics right now as we head into 128 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:09,439 Speaker 1: the most consequential and probably the last midterm election that 129 00:09:09,559 --> 00:09:13,880 Speaker 1: is free and fair and open. How are you feeling? Yeah? 130 00:09:13,920 --> 00:09:18,440 Speaker 1: Maybe live in boring times again. I beg I try 131 00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:21,960 Speaker 1: not to get too personal with it, only because this 132 00:09:22,040 --> 00:09:25,160 Speaker 1: is my chosen profession, so if I think about it 133 00:09:25,200 --> 00:09:27,960 Speaker 1: on an emotional level too much, I will just stay 134 00:09:27,960 --> 00:09:31,520 Speaker 1: in bed, under the covers and go anywhere. I also 135 00:09:32,040 --> 00:09:35,040 Speaker 1: can't have a brave and exciting face when I go 136 00:09:35,080 --> 00:09:37,680 Speaker 1: into the classroom multiple times a week and try and 137 00:09:37,720 --> 00:09:40,280 Speaker 1: inspire a whole new generation of kids to actually want 138 00:09:40,320 --> 00:09:42,880 Speaker 1: to be a part of politics, either running for office 139 00:09:42,920 --> 00:09:46,280 Speaker 1: themselves or voting or just being interested in reading the paper. 140 00:09:46,920 --> 00:09:48,800 Speaker 1: So there are a few things that I'm trying to 141 00:09:48,800 --> 00:09:51,880 Speaker 1: contextualize for them and kind of remind myself at the 142 00:09:51,880 --> 00:09:57,640 Speaker 1: same time. The party in power oftentimes loses the midterm elections. 143 00:09:57,679 --> 00:10:00,559 Speaker 1: That's just it happens to Republicans, it happens to Democrats. 144 00:10:01,080 --> 00:10:03,600 Speaker 1: What is worrisome, yes, is that there seems to be 145 00:10:03,600 --> 00:10:07,080 Speaker 1: a malaise and a frustration and a real disdain from 146 00:10:07,160 --> 00:10:11,719 Speaker 1: Democrats because of what they feel as you know, sort 147 00:10:11,760 --> 00:10:16,320 Speaker 1: of unproductive administration under Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. What 148 00:10:16,520 --> 00:10:19,600 Speaker 1: frustrates me most about this administration is they're actually doing 149 00:10:19,679 --> 00:10:22,680 Speaker 1: a lot of good stuff. They just don't per usual, 150 00:10:22,800 --> 00:10:26,200 Speaker 1: Democrats don't know how to articulate they're wins. So Republicans 151 00:10:26,200 --> 00:10:28,760 Speaker 1: are running with this message of they're doing nothing, and 152 00:10:28,760 --> 00:10:30,880 Speaker 1: it's like, well, first of all, they are doing quite 153 00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:33,200 Speaker 1: a bit under the constraints, but the reason why they 154 00:10:33,200 --> 00:10:35,520 Speaker 1: don't have big wins is because of the Republicans. The 155 00:10:35,559 --> 00:10:39,000 Speaker 1: Republicans are just saying, even when Joe Biden compromises with 156 00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:41,480 Speaker 1: us and gives us what we want, we still say no. 157 00:10:42,240 --> 00:10:44,000 Speaker 1: Or we'll say yes and take it, but then we'll 158 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:46,640 Speaker 1: tell our people we said no, right, And so they 159 00:10:47,880 --> 00:10:51,240 Speaker 1: control the narrative in a lot of ways, and Democrats 160 00:10:51,280 --> 00:10:54,560 Speaker 1: are constantly playing defense to what Republicans, and they lead 161 00:10:54,600 --> 00:11:00,240 Speaker 1: these two bedraggled senators who are just lavishing their team 162 00:11:00,240 --> 00:11:02,920 Speaker 1: minutes of fame. And so you know I said this before, 163 00:11:02,960 --> 00:11:05,760 Speaker 1: and we live your citizens of the state of New York, 164 00:11:06,040 --> 00:11:08,600 Speaker 1: Chuck Shumer, I need you to get it together, right, 165 00:11:08,880 --> 00:11:11,280 Speaker 1: I need you to sort of get your LBJ on 166 00:11:11,559 --> 00:11:14,720 Speaker 1: and like we never we should know who Cinema and 167 00:11:14,760 --> 00:11:17,280 Speaker 1: Mansion are to be quite honest, right, Chuck Shumer, you 168 00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:19,640 Speaker 1: should have gotten them together a long time ago. You 169 00:11:19,679 --> 00:11:23,200 Speaker 1: should have given them what they needed. It's called law rolling, right, 170 00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:26,679 Speaker 1: But what they want is attention, and what they want 171 00:11:26,920 --> 00:11:32,240 Speaker 1: is to sort of hijack the narrative because it's this 172 00:11:32,360 --> 00:11:36,920 Speaker 1: false narrative of bipartisanship and this false equivalency of like, well, 173 00:11:36,960 --> 00:11:39,360 Speaker 1: both parties are being obstinate, like no, no, no no, no 174 00:11:39,640 --> 00:11:41,960 Speaker 1: one party. The Republican Party is trying to take away. 175 00:11:41,960 --> 00:11:43,520 Speaker 1: As you said, this might be our last free and 176 00:11:43,559 --> 00:11:45,480 Speaker 1: fair election, because it's always an asterisk with free and 177 00:11:45,520 --> 00:11:49,200 Speaker 1: fair elections. Do you remember two thousand with Florida. So 178 00:11:49,280 --> 00:11:52,280 Speaker 1: the fact that Cinema and Mansion are aiding and embedding 179 00:11:52,400 --> 00:11:55,400 Speaker 1: that type of behavior across the country, not just in 180 00:11:55,440 --> 00:11:58,680 Speaker 1: their home states, lets us know that the message isn't 181 00:11:58,679 --> 00:12:02,720 Speaker 1: getting out like Joe Biden should be letting Americans know 182 00:12:02,960 --> 00:12:05,920 Speaker 1: every single day, this is what I'm doing. And use 183 00:12:05,960 --> 00:12:09,240 Speaker 1: your surrogates, right, Use your mayors. Most mayors in major 184 00:12:09,240 --> 00:12:12,480 Speaker 1: cities they're Democrats. Use your mayors. Use your governors. A 185 00:12:12,480 --> 00:12:14,600 Speaker 1: few that we have left that we're lost under Obama 186 00:12:14,600 --> 00:12:17,360 Speaker 1: and the state houses lost under the Obama administration. Use 187 00:12:17,440 --> 00:12:20,439 Speaker 1: them to go out and be the surrogates to tell 188 00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:23,160 Speaker 1: everyone what you're doing. And what you're doing is a lot. 189 00:12:23,360 --> 00:12:25,600 Speaker 1: The fact that we still have people in their homes, 190 00:12:25,800 --> 00:12:28,439 Speaker 1: that's the Biden administration. The fact that people got paid 191 00:12:28,800 --> 00:12:31,040 Speaker 1: real cash money to not be out in the world 192 00:12:31,120 --> 00:12:35,120 Speaker 1: during the height of the pandemic, you know, these past 193 00:12:35,160 --> 00:12:37,800 Speaker 1: few months, that's Joe Biden, right. And so they're they're 194 00:12:37,840 --> 00:12:40,120 Speaker 1: finding money in various ways because you know, we got 195 00:12:40,160 --> 00:12:41,880 Speaker 1: the money. Like, let's be clear, we're one of the 196 00:12:41,920 --> 00:12:43,880 Speaker 1: registrations of the world. We got the money, we just 197 00:12:43,880 --> 00:12:46,280 Speaker 1: don't want to use it on certain people. So I 198 00:12:46,320 --> 00:12:49,120 Speaker 1: think my frustration is that the Democrats never articulate all 199 00:12:49,120 --> 00:12:51,440 Speaker 1: the stuff that they're doing for people, and they're not 200 00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:54,320 Speaker 1: using people who want to be used. Right, tell me 201 00:12:54,440 --> 00:12:56,680 Speaker 1: what I need to be saying, well, how can I 202 00:12:56,720 --> 00:12:59,679 Speaker 1: be the champion so that we can get people inspired 203 00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:02,319 Speaker 1: to turn out in mid terms, because we know when 204 00:13:02,360 --> 00:13:05,280 Speaker 1: Republicans win in midterm elections, it's not because they have 205 00:13:05,320 --> 00:13:07,840 Speaker 1: more voters. It's because they use two things. One the 206 00:13:07,880 --> 00:13:11,079 Speaker 1: institutional mechanisms to prevent Democrats from voting, and then two, 207 00:13:11,200 --> 00:13:13,079 Speaker 1: Democrats just tend not to turn out in the same 208 00:13:13,160 --> 00:13:16,320 Speaker 1: rates as Republicans during midterm elections. And so that's how 209 00:13:16,320 --> 00:13:19,240 Speaker 1: we're going to see, most likely this pendulum swing. But 210 00:13:19,360 --> 00:13:22,160 Speaker 1: Joe Biden and his administration have eight months to ring 211 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:26,320 Speaker 1: the alarm to say just how dangerous this is. But 212 00:13:26,360 --> 00:13:28,560 Speaker 1: I think that there's a simple but there's a type 213 00:13:28,559 --> 00:13:31,200 Speaker 1: of apathy that people have where it's like, well, we've 214 00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:34,560 Speaker 1: been on high alert forever, right, And then you add politically, 215 00:13:34,559 --> 00:13:36,520 Speaker 1: we've been on high alert since Donald Trump came down 216 00:13:36,520 --> 00:13:39,440 Speaker 1: that gold escalator and called Mexicans rapists. And then we've 217 00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:42,040 Speaker 1: got a pandemic, and then we've got unemployment, and then 218 00:13:42,040 --> 00:13:44,760 Speaker 1: we've got mass debts. Almost a million Americans have died 219 00:13:44,760 --> 00:13:47,079 Speaker 1: from COVID. Say nothing about people who are languishing in 220 00:13:47,160 --> 00:13:51,440 Speaker 1: hospitals and long term COVID people who were once healthy 221 00:13:51,559 --> 00:13:53,959 Speaker 1: and did all the right things, but somehow got COVID 222 00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:56,280 Speaker 1: and they're just never going to be the same. And 223 00:13:56,320 --> 00:13:58,120 Speaker 1: then you have you know, parents who are just like 224 00:13:58,160 --> 00:14:00,840 Speaker 1: I'm homeschooling, Like what I have a day in Algebraison's 225 00:14:01,040 --> 00:14:03,199 Speaker 1: ninth grade? Like what am I supposed to be doing? 226 00:14:03,280 --> 00:14:07,679 Speaker 1: So there's this exhaustion that Joe Biden is competing against, 227 00:14:08,120 --> 00:14:11,679 Speaker 1: this like global exhaustion. But for Americans, you know, our 228 00:14:11,760 --> 00:14:14,480 Speaker 1: middle class, I'm just gonna say blanket mid class. I'm 229 00:14:14,480 --> 00:14:16,079 Speaker 1: not gonna talk about the bla middle class just yet, 230 00:14:16,160 --> 00:14:18,280 Speaker 1: but the blanket middle class is holding on by a thread. 231 00:14:18,559 --> 00:14:21,520 Speaker 1: But we know to be black middle class is literally 232 00:14:21,560 --> 00:14:25,320 Speaker 1: to be one paycheck away from poverty. Because most black 233 00:14:25,360 --> 00:14:29,880 Speaker 1: middle class people we're in mixed class households, mixed class families. Right, 234 00:14:29,880 --> 00:14:32,400 Speaker 1: so we know we've got you know, good jobs, and 235 00:14:32,520 --> 00:14:34,680 Speaker 1: we may work for ourselves or whatever, but like we're 236 00:14:34,720 --> 00:14:37,360 Speaker 1: in a tenuous position. We don't have savings. You know, 237 00:14:37,400 --> 00:14:40,680 Speaker 1: when our grandparents die, we don't automatically become millionaires. We 238 00:14:40,760 --> 00:14:42,240 Speaker 1: tend to be from families where we have to like 239 00:14:42,280 --> 00:14:44,960 Speaker 1: come together as a family to bury grandma. Not oh 240 00:14:45,040 --> 00:14:47,440 Speaker 1: grandma's house you know is in the white part of town. 241 00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:50,200 Speaker 1: And so it's now we're two million. We don't have 242 00:14:50,240 --> 00:14:53,760 Speaker 1: that luxury. So this exhaustion that I think black people 243 00:14:53,800 --> 00:14:57,160 Speaker 1: have where it's like, oh, you'll save the democracy again, 244 00:14:57,200 --> 00:14:58,960 Speaker 1: it's like, I'm tired to save in this country. Look, 245 00:14:59,200 --> 00:15:01,680 Speaker 1: we understand why. I mean, I've got this candle of 246 00:15:01,680 --> 00:15:04,960 Speaker 1: Stacey Abrams behind me, right, and I haven't just because 247 00:15:05,040 --> 00:15:07,560 Speaker 1: I have the most respect for Stacey Abrams, but it's 248 00:15:07,600 --> 00:15:11,160 Speaker 1: also this reminder, like a tongue in cheek reminder for myself, 249 00:15:11,160 --> 00:15:14,280 Speaker 1: where it's like, I'm tired of us being saint black women, 250 00:15:15,560 --> 00:15:18,440 Speaker 1: Saint Danielle tell us all the news we need to know, 251 00:15:18,600 --> 00:15:21,360 Speaker 1: Sat Professor Chrissy, you know educators. It's like, you know 252 00:15:21,400 --> 00:15:26,800 Speaker 1: what you good liberals, pick up the slack, do the work. 253 00:15:27,040 --> 00:15:28,840 Speaker 1: And I think I said this, you know, on the 254 00:15:28,840 --> 00:15:31,400 Speaker 1: podcast when I was with you and Terray, which just 255 00:15:31,680 --> 00:15:33,440 Speaker 1: you know, when I was younger, we have this big 256 00:15:33,480 --> 00:15:36,480 Speaker 1: house and you know, companies coming over at three, and 257 00:15:36,520 --> 00:15:38,520 Speaker 1: I'd ask my mom like, so what do I need 258 00:15:38,560 --> 00:15:40,080 Speaker 1: to do? And she would just look at me and 259 00:15:40,160 --> 00:15:44,880 Speaker 1: she's like look around, like I don't need to give you, 260 00:15:45,080 --> 00:15:46,960 Speaker 1: Like you know that we're about to have a hundred 261 00:15:46,960 --> 00:15:49,960 Speaker 1: people up in this house in approximately four hours. Do 262 00:15:50,040 --> 00:15:52,640 Speaker 1: not keep asking me what I need to do, Like, 263 00:15:52,800 --> 00:15:54,440 Speaker 1: you know, these trash canting to be empty. You know, 264 00:15:54,440 --> 00:15:56,120 Speaker 1: these bathrooms need to be clean. You know, get the 265 00:15:56,200 --> 00:15:58,520 Speaker 1: vacuum out, get the room, get the mop the dust, 266 00:15:58,560 --> 00:16:00,880 Speaker 1: mop the wax of lords. I mean, we were full 267 00:16:00,920 --> 00:16:02,920 Speaker 1: Cinderella up in that house. But I just think that 268 00:16:03,040 --> 00:16:07,640 Speaker 1: so many white Americans who mean well are looking to 269 00:16:07,720 --> 00:16:09,560 Speaker 1: black women like, so what should I be doing? And 270 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:12,600 Speaker 1: it's like, are you serious? Like serience, right now, you 271 00:16:12,920 --> 00:16:15,800 Speaker 1: were asking me to help you figure out what needs 272 00:16:15,800 --> 00:16:19,440 Speaker 1: to be look around. Convince your dad and your uncle 273 00:16:19,480 --> 00:16:23,520 Speaker 1: and you and your mom that voting Republican for these 274 00:16:23,560 --> 00:16:25,760 Speaker 1: white nationalists, it's going to hurt the country in the 275 00:16:25,800 --> 00:16:28,680 Speaker 1: long time. Stop telling me that your dad's awesome, but 276 00:16:28,800 --> 00:16:33,400 Speaker 1: he's he's voting against my voting rights on a daily basis, right. 277 00:16:33,440 --> 00:16:35,440 Speaker 1: I mean, like I talk to people all the time, 278 00:16:35,480 --> 00:16:37,600 Speaker 1: and it's like they think it's enough for them to 279 00:16:37,600 --> 00:16:39,360 Speaker 1: pat themselves on the back because they're on like the 280 00:16:39,400 --> 00:16:41,120 Speaker 1: good side of history. I was like, yeah, but your 281 00:16:41,240 --> 00:16:43,520 Speaker 1: entire family isn't, So why don't you do the heavy lifting? 282 00:16:43,520 --> 00:16:44,960 Speaker 1: Because they're gonna listen to this a little black girl 283 00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:49,000 Speaker 1: with a PhD. You spend that time, but you know, 284 00:16:49,480 --> 00:16:52,840 Speaker 1: you say so many things that makes so much sense. 285 00:16:52,880 --> 00:16:56,920 Speaker 1: I mean one like I could do an entire month 286 00:16:57,120 --> 00:17:00,000 Speaker 1: on the level of exhaustion, on the level of language, 287 00:17:00,360 --> 00:17:03,280 Speaker 1: on the level of you know what. Today, I'm actually 288 00:17:03,360 --> 00:17:06,760 Speaker 1: in the mood where I'm like, here's the match, y'all 289 00:17:06,760 --> 00:17:09,399 Speaker 1: want this shit to burn down. You don't want America 290 00:17:09,440 --> 00:17:11,440 Speaker 1: to function in the way that it was. Woke up 291 00:17:11,440 --> 00:17:14,640 Speaker 1: this morning to hearing that the killers of Ahmad Aubrey 292 00:17:15,520 --> 00:17:18,479 Speaker 1: got a backdoor deal with the federal government, you know, 293 00:17:18,560 --> 00:17:20,760 Speaker 1: to make their time in prison easier. I'm like, you 294 00:17:21,160 --> 00:17:24,199 Speaker 1: lynched a man in broad fucking daylight, right, But like, 295 00:17:24,480 --> 00:17:27,439 Speaker 1: but once again, let let black people wake up to 296 00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:30,040 Speaker 1: the fact that not only is this country not equal, 297 00:17:30,320 --> 00:17:32,840 Speaker 1: not only is our politics and our democracy hanging on 298 00:17:32,920 --> 00:17:35,679 Speaker 1: by a thread. But like, you ain't shit right, It 299 00:17:35,680 --> 00:17:37,480 Speaker 1: doesn't matter what it is that you do, whether you're 300 00:17:37,480 --> 00:17:39,480 Speaker 1: going out for a jog, you're going for an Arizona 301 00:17:39,640 --> 00:17:41,600 Speaker 1: iced tea, you're going around the block, or you're sitting 302 00:17:41,600 --> 00:17:45,399 Speaker 1: in your goddamn car, right or like me, I'm a burner, 303 00:17:45,880 --> 00:17:48,920 Speaker 1: can't I just enjoy nature like everybody. Can you No, no, 304 00:17:49,080 --> 00:17:51,040 Speaker 1: you can't. And can you sleep in your bed? No, 305 00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:53,840 Speaker 1: you can't do that either. And I think that when 306 00:17:53,880 --> 00:17:55,880 Speaker 1: you tick all of these things off, and we do 307 00:17:55,960 --> 00:18:00,360 Speaker 1: it as a personal reminder, but it's also like with 308 00:18:00,440 --> 00:18:02,639 Speaker 1: every single one of those instances, I want to go 309 00:18:02,680 --> 00:18:04,600 Speaker 1: and lay down. Do you know what I'm saying? And 310 00:18:04,640 --> 00:18:09,040 Speaker 1: I'm tired of hearing about Joe Biden and Kamala Harris 311 00:18:09,040 --> 00:18:11,119 Speaker 1: having all of these wins in the first year, but 312 00:18:11,160 --> 00:18:13,679 Speaker 1: they don't know, they don't know how to message you. 313 00:18:13,880 --> 00:18:17,560 Speaker 1: We just finished four years under Donald Trump, right, a 314 00:18:17,680 --> 00:18:21,040 Speaker 1: man that and an administration and a Republican Party that 315 00:18:21,080 --> 00:18:25,680 Speaker 1: has become so disgustingly cruel, so vicious, so violent, so 316 00:18:25,920 --> 00:18:30,040 Speaker 1: rage filled, and they have single handedly figured out what 317 00:18:30,240 --> 00:18:33,080 Speaker 1: makes their base tick. It doesn't matter that their base 318 00:18:33,200 --> 00:18:35,840 Speaker 1: is white supremacist, it doesn't matter if their folks are 319 00:18:35,880 --> 00:18:39,480 Speaker 1: oathkeepers or their proud boys, because they figured out what 320 00:18:39,640 --> 00:18:41,720 Speaker 1: makes them tick, and they give them all of the 321 00:18:41,800 --> 00:18:43,800 Speaker 1: red meat and all of the things that they need 322 00:18:43,840 --> 00:18:46,320 Speaker 1: in order to keep functioning. So the question that I 323 00:18:46,359 --> 00:18:48,800 Speaker 1: have for you, Christina, is that you know it isn't 324 00:18:48,920 --> 00:18:51,920 Speaker 1: enough for us to continue to say obial democrats don't 325 00:18:51,960 --> 00:18:54,920 Speaker 1: know how to message is, particularly when we're talking about 326 00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:57,680 Speaker 1: messaging being the difference between life and death. We're talking 327 00:18:57,680 --> 00:19:00,720 Speaker 1: about a million Americans have died of COVID it because 328 00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:04,600 Speaker 1: of messaging, right, Like, yeah, you know what I'm saying, Like, 329 00:19:04,840 --> 00:19:07,960 Speaker 1: but white people don't. They're not at the life and 330 00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:12,280 Speaker 1: death point yet They're getting little glimpses, right. Texas Democrats 331 00:19:12,280 --> 00:19:14,800 Speaker 1: are like what abortion Right, It's like, what are you doing? 332 00:19:15,119 --> 00:19:17,520 Speaker 1: You know, like they're little glimpses. But I've said this 333 00:19:17,600 --> 00:19:22,119 Speaker 1: before and I it sounds blunt, but I'm it's just 334 00:19:22,160 --> 00:19:25,800 Speaker 1: how I feel. White people don't understand the capacity of 335 00:19:25,800 --> 00:19:30,119 Speaker 1: white people. They don't understand what white people are capable of. 336 00:19:30,480 --> 00:19:31,880 Speaker 1: I think there are a lot there are a lot 337 00:19:31,960 --> 00:19:35,000 Speaker 1: of white people in this country, good white people, like 338 00:19:35,280 --> 00:19:37,879 Speaker 1: white people who were either on the on the team 339 00:19:37,960 --> 00:19:40,239 Speaker 1: and like will fight for the cause or just kind 340 00:19:40,280 --> 00:19:42,760 Speaker 1: of like the ones Martin Luther King warn is about, 341 00:19:42,800 --> 00:19:44,680 Speaker 1: like the moderates where it's like, listen, I'm not gonna 342 00:19:44,760 --> 00:19:46,760 Speaker 1: stand in your way or progress, but I'm also not 343 00:19:46,760 --> 00:19:48,680 Speaker 1: gonna put my skin in the game, like settle down. 344 00:19:49,640 --> 00:19:54,200 Speaker 1: But those two groups of people do not understand January six. 345 00:19:55,240 --> 00:19:58,320 Speaker 1: They see them as like, well, I mean it's an overreach, 346 00:19:59,280 --> 00:20:01,720 Speaker 1: but like I can sort of see because like those 347 00:20:01,760 --> 00:20:04,439 Speaker 1: guys are with my uncles, and like there is just 348 00:20:04,480 --> 00:20:06,560 Speaker 1: a I can see how they have a lot of frustrations, 349 00:20:06,560 --> 00:20:10,560 Speaker 1: like no, no no, no, you don't understand that, like when 350 00:20:10,600 --> 00:20:12,399 Speaker 1: you really read history books, because I mean, this is 351 00:20:12,400 --> 00:20:15,000 Speaker 1: the part of whitewashing our history right, always done. I 352 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:17,399 Speaker 1: mean CRT is just another iteration of it. It's like 353 00:20:17,680 --> 00:20:20,040 Speaker 1: you don't understand the number of white people who were 354 00:20:20,119 --> 00:20:22,800 Speaker 1: killed in the Civil rights movement, either the ones who 355 00:20:22,840 --> 00:20:24,280 Speaker 1: had the skin in the game or the ones who 356 00:20:24,320 --> 00:20:28,040 Speaker 1: were just on the sidelines and weren't virulent racist, right. 357 00:20:28,080 --> 00:20:30,960 Speaker 1: And so it's like I don't think that the vast 358 00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:34,199 Speaker 1: majority of white people in this country understand the extent 359 00:20:34,320 --> 00:20:36,600 Speaker 1: to which certain white people will go to burn this 360 00:20:36,720 --> 00:20:39,200 Speaker 1: country to the ground with them in it. They don't 361 00:20:39,240 --> 00:20:42,840 Speaker 1: care as long as colored people and immigrants and all 362 00:20:42,920 --> 00:20:46,320 Speaker 1: the folks that they've been told are stealing from them. 363 00:20:46,600 --> 00:20:48,679 Speaker 1: Forget that it's their own party. I mean, this is 364 00:20:48,720 --> 00:20:50,760 Speaker 1: I use this quote all the time because it's so real. 365 00:20:50,800 --> 00:20:52,879 Speaker 1: This is why LBJ is my favorite president. It's like 366 00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:55,160 Speaker 1: LBJ said, because you know, don't forget he was poor, 367 00:20:55,240 --> 00:20:56,920 Speaker 1: he was from Texas. He used to be a good 368 00:20:56,920 --> 00:20:58,760 Speaker 1: old boy and then he evolved with the times because 369 00:20:58,840 --> 00:21:01,119 Speaker 1: he was smart and he felt like he needed to 370 00:21:01,440 --> 00:21:03,159 Speaker 1: whether he was genuine about the civil rights moving the 371 00:21:03,200 --> 00:21:04,760 Speaker 1: vone and right Zack in the immigration neck, I don't know, 372 00:21:04,960 --> 00:21:06,560 Speaker 1: I don't care, and I don't care. I don't care. 373 00:21:07,440 --> 00:21:09,320 Speaker 1: The bab brain he gave the pen to mart Luther King, 374 00:21:09,359 --> 00:21:11,960 Speaker 1: so here we are. But he was just like he said, 375 00:21:13,080 --> 00:21:15,360 Speaker 1: if you can convince the poorest white man that he's 376 00:21:15,400 --> 00:21:18,480 Speaker 1: better than the negro, then you can pick his pockets long. 377 00:21:18,760 --> 00:21:20,480 Speaker 1: And I think that's what the Republican Party is looking 378 00:21:20,480 --> 00:21:24,560 Speaker 1: at Donald Trump, like, wow, you unlock the secret code, 379 00:21:24,960 --> 00:21:27,520 Speaker 1: like you and your you know, thousand air status. But 380 00:21:27,560 --> 00:21:31,720 Speaker 1: it's like that frumpled suit, that cotton candy hair. All 381 00:21:31,800 --> 00:21:34,600 Speaker 1: that is an aesthetic to make people feel like he's 382 00:21:34,720 --> 00:21:37,479 Speaker 1: regular and he's with them. That sort of broken English. 383 00:21:37,520 --> 00:21:40,280 Speaker 1: I mean, he uses fewer words than mister t right, 384 00:21:40,320 --> 00:21:46,520 Speaker 1: Like he is this person where he can go to 385 00:21:46,640 --> 00:21:49,840 Speaker 1: the dregs of society and make them feel good, and 386 00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:53,120 Speaker 1: even the wealthy folks, they can excuse it and say, well, 387 00:21:53,440 --> 00:21:56,960 Speaker 1: I don't like the packaging, but I'm still gonna vote 388 00:21:57,000 --> 00:21:59,320 Speaker 1: for it. Right. And this is why someone like Junkan 389 00:21:59,720 --> 00:22:03,520 Speaker 1: is so dangerous because he's actually quasi educated and he 390 00:22:03,520 --> 00:22:06,479 Speaker 1: comes with the LLL being you know, fleece fast, and 391 00:22:06,520 --> 00:22:09,280 Speaker 1: he says, if you're listening closely enough, he says the 392 00:22:09,320 --> 00:22:13,320 Speaker 1: same things as Donald Trump. He just says it in 393 00:22:13,600 --> 00:22:17,760 Speaker 1: a much more professional and educated way, which gets people 394 00:22:17,760 --> 00:22:19,240 Speaker 1: to vote for it. Because at the end of the day, 395 00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:23,840 Speaker 1: so many Americans, white Americans in particular, who are still 396 00:22:23,880 --> 00:22:26,919 Speaker 1: holding on to this Republican Party. It's like, just be honest, 397 00:22:27,119 --> 00:22:29,800 Speaker 1: you care about money more than people. That's fine, just 398 00:22:29,840 --> 00:22:31,879 Speaker 1: say it. But I'm like, just here's to say it. 399 00:22:32,040 --> 00:22:35,160 Speaker 1: But and this is where this is actually where I'm 400 00:22:35,160 --> 00:22:38,119 Speaker 1: going to say something that I don't normally say, because 401 00:22:38,160 --> 00:22:41,000 Speaker 1: I don't normally do Devil's Advocate and I don't normally 402 00:22:41,040 --> 00:22:43,280 Speaker 1: do both sides. But let me tell you something. What 403 00:22:43,359 --> 00:22:46,119 Speaker 1: I have realized and why it becomes why there are 404 00:22:46,240 --> 00:22:49,920 Speaker 1: days where I am just wanting to throw my hands 405 00:22:50,000 --> 00:22:53,280 Speaker 1: up is because Christina, both of them only give a 406 00:22:53,359 --> 00:22:56,240 Speaker 1: damn about money, right, And this is what I said, 407 00:22:56,320 --> 00:22:58,800 Speaker 1: I'm like, you know, do you go with the party 408 00:22:58,880 --> 00:23:02,280 Speaker 1: that says fut your face or the one that smiles 409 00:23:02,320 --> 00:23:05,000 Speaker 1: in your face and then says f you behind your back? 410 00:23:05,280 --> 00:23:08,879 Speaker 1: Because to me, that is right now the distinction between 411 00:23:09,040 --> 00:23:12,720 Speaker 1: Republicans and Democrats. Republicans are ready to lynch every single 412 00:23:12,760 --> 00:23:15,240 Speaker 1: one of us that does not look love and pray 413 00:23:15,320 --> 00:23:18,240 Speaker 1: like them. Okay, that is not white, that is not sith, 414 00:23:18,359 --> 00:23:21,800 Speaker 1: that is not Christian, that is not like an avowed 415 00:23:21,880 --> 00:23:24,919 Speaker 1: quote unquote real American. They're ready to get rid of 416 00:23:24,960 --> 00:23:27,080 Speaker 1: every single one of us and put them back on 417 00:23:27,320 --> 00:23:30,600 Speaker 1: the plantation, the boat, the wherever, right out of sight, 418 00:23:30,680 --> 00:23:34,440 Speaker 1: out of mind. But Democrats with an opportunity to actually 419 00:23:34,560 --> 00:23:38,399 Speaker 1: do more. Right, you have Joe Manchin driving around in 420 00:23:38,440 --> 00:23:41,359 Speaker 1: a maserati, and you have Kersen Cinema going to Europe 421 00:23:41,400 --> 00:23:44,720 Speaker 1: to go fundraise right in the height of a pandemic. 422 00:23:44,840 --> 00:23:52,119 Speaker 1: So you have these people, even the policy the bill 423 00:23:52,600 --> 00:23:56,480 Speaker 1: right now that is going around going around the hill, 424 00:23:56,520 --> 00:23:59,600 Speaker 1: that is about, Hey, how about you don't have the 425 00:23:59,600 --> 00:24:02,560 Speaker 1: ability as a sitting member of Congress to be able 426 00:24:02,560 --> 00:24:06,440 Speaker 1: to do insider trading. How about you shouldn't be able 427 00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:09,159 Speaker 1: to do that to get a lega and guess what. 428 00:24:09,760 --> 00:24:12,920 Speaker 1: It ain't a bipartisan bill because it's not going to 429 00:24:12,960 --> 00:24:17,120 Speaker 1: go anywhere because both Democrats and Republicans get to make 430 00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:20,760 Speaker 1: money off of their inside intel and so no one 431 00:24:20,880 --> 00:24:23,639 Speaker 1: wants to do away with that. And so when we 432 00:24:23,760 --> 00:24:26,440 Speaker 1: get to this place where we recognize that we are 433 00:24:26,560 --> 00:24:36,160 Speaker 1: dealing with one unabashed evil and one that is fairly negligent, right, 434 00:24:36,720 --> 00:24:39,640 Speaker 1: then what do you do with the population of people, 435 00:24:39,680 --> 00:24:43,160 Speaker 1: and particularly with your students who are trying to enter 436 00:24:43,200 --> 00:24:47,040 Speaker 1: into this field when all you do is step back 437 00:24:47,040 --> 00:24:49,119 Speaker 1: and you're just like, this is just all about money, 438 00:24:49,400 --> 00:24:53,280 Speaker 1: and whoever gets the most wins, right. But I think 439 00:24:53,320 --> 00:24:56,200 Speaker 1: the difference is this, and this is at least what 440 00:24:56,240 --> 00:24:59,440 Speaker 1: I tell myself, what I trick myself when I tell 441 00:24:59,440 --> 00:25:05,640 Speaker 1: my students. Whatever it may be, there's still enough Democrats 442 00:25:05,680 --> 00:25:09,359 Speaker 1: throughout the country, on all different levels of government who 443 00:25:09,440 --> 00:25:13,520 Speaker 1: are actually working towards certain things. I think sometimes when 444 00:25:13,560 --> 00:25:17,760 Speaker 1: we talk about and money is permeated in all facets, 445 00:25:17,840 --> 00:25:19,840 Speaker 1: like in all levels, right, even when you're running from 446 00:25:19,840 --> 00:25:22,760 Speaker 1: mayor city council or whatever it may be. But I 447 00:25:22,840 --> 00:25:26,479 Speaker 1: do think that Democrats, because we organize ourselves in parties, right, 448 00:25:26,480 --> 00:25:29,160 Speaker 1: parties aren't mentioned in the Constitution. But we've always had 449 00:25:29,200 --> 00:25:32,159 Speaker 1: parties in some iteration because this is the way that 450 00:25:32,160 --> 00:25:34,919 Speaker 1: we get politics done right, Because someone who just has 451 00:25:34,960 --> 00:25:38,399 Speaker 1: an interesting idea isn't necessarily going to get elected. You 452 00:25:38,480 --> 00:25:41,520 Speaker 1: need a party structure to assist you. I'd much rather 453 00:25:41,600 --> 00:25:44,200 Speaker 1: be with a party that's like, ah, well, at least 454 00:25:44,240 --> 00:25:46,840 Speaker 1: we're not going to rip the whole institution away from 455 00:25:47,080 --> 00:25:49,280 Speaker 1: you being able to participate. Right, at least I'm not 456 00:25:49,280 --> 00:25:51,040 Speaker 1: going to throw you in jail for giving Danielle a 457 00:25:51,040 --> 00:25:54,520 Speaker 1: glass of water while she's standing online. Hey, maybe it's 458 00:25:54,560 --> 00:25:57,840 Speaker 1: actually not an inspirational story that a black woman waits 459 00:25:57,840 --> 00:26:00,520 Speaker 1: in line to vote for a Barack Obama for ten hours, right, 460 00:26:00,560 --> 00:26:02,600 Speaker 1: And that's that's im media's fault. But you know, like 461 00:26:03,160 --> 00:26:06,439 Speaker 1: I think that the Democratic Party is at least there 462 00:26:06,680 --> 00:26:09,000 Speaker 1: there are enough individuals in that party that are working 463 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:11,639 Speaker 1: towards like this is. You know, we're people of color. 464 00:26:11,800 --> 00:26:15,840 Speaker 1: I mean, Republicans have chosen and made it very clear 465 00:26:15,880 --> 00:26:17,760 Speaker 1: the ninety seven percent of who they want to put 466 00:26:17,800 --> 00:26:20,720 Speaker 1: forward are white men. That's it, right, When you look 467 00:26:20,720 --> 00:26:22,600 Speaker 1: at the judges that Donald Trump put in a place, 468 00:26:22,600 --> 00:26:24,040 Speaker 1: when you look at people who are running and of 469 00:26:24,040 --> 00:26:27,639 Speaker 1: course they highlight their like random colored person, you know, 470 00:26:27,680 --> 00:26:32,000 Speaker 1: the lieutenant governor of Virginia now who's an immigrant or 471 00:26:32,119 --> 00:26:34,359 Speaker 1: Nicky Hailey child of immigrants, you know, like they have 472 00:26:34,440 --> 00:26:38,520 Speaker 1: their special Yeah, they have their token. Yeah, let's let's 473 00:26:38,560 --> 00:26:41,439 Speaker 1: be whatever, but that they are who are complicit in 474 00:26:41,520 --> 00:26:44,199 Speaker 1: white supremacy exactly because hey, guess what, you don't need 475 00:26:44,200 --> 00:26:46,359 Speaker 1: to be white to be white sass, right on the 476 00:26:46,400 --> 00:26:48,000 Speaker 1: same way, you don't need to be a man to 477 00:26:48,119 --> 00:26:51,240 Speaker 1: participate in patriarchy colo white women, right like, And I 478 00:26:51,320 --> 00:26:54,440 Speaker 1: learned that from Mark twain Um and camp. But that's 479 00:26:54,440 --> 00:26:56,120 Speaker 1: a whole other story. When I was ten years old, 480 00:26:56,359 --> 00:26:58,840 Speaker 1: so someone was like, how do you have this like 481 00:26:58,920 --> 00:27:01,320 Speaker 1: full understanding of patriarch and whit supremacy. I was like, 482 00:27:01,359 --> 00:27:03,840 Speaker 1: I went to camp let sleepaway camp to be a specific. 483 00:27:04,720 --> 00:27:07,840 Speaker 1: So I say that because when I'm talking to my 484 00:27:07,920 --> 00:27:11,560 Speaker 1: students right now, I always teach intro to politics for 485 00:27:11,640 --> 00:27:14,320 Speaker 1: someone of my stature who is the associate chair of 486 00:27:14,359 --> 00:27:17,640 Speaker 1: the department, I'm the chair essentially of the Lincoln Center campus. 487 00:27:17,960 --> 00:27:22,080 Speaker 1: I am tenured, right, I've written books and articles. For 488 00:27:22,119 --> 00:27:25,239 Speaker 1: me to teach an introductory course is kind of odd, right, 489 00:27:25,359 --> 00:27:28,520 Speaker 1: people of my stature would teach advanced leable courses. I 490 00:27:28,640 --> 00:27:31,800 Speaker 1: always teach intro every semester. That's the course that you know, 491 00:27:31,840 --> 00:27:33,920 Speaker 1: most of the time adjuncts teach. You know, like people 492 00:27:33,920 --> 00:27:35,520 Speaker 1: who are in graduate school who just need a few 493 00:27:35,720 --> 00:27:37,640 Speaker 1: extra books, and you know, they come into a department 494 00:27:37,720 --> 00:27:39,000 Speaker 1: and I'm like, no, no, no no, no no, because we, 495 00:27:39,080 --> 00:27:42,520 Speaker 1: you know, usually teach multiple intro classes each semester. I'm like, one, 496 00:27:42,560 --> 00:27:43,960 Speaker 1: I like to see all the smart kids from the 497 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:47,520 Speaker 1: other majors. But two, the intro to politics class is 498 00:27:47,560 --> 00:27:52,200 Speaker 1: your foundation of politics. I'm getting you interested in reading 499 00:27:52,200 --> 00:27:54,720 Speaker 1: the newspaper. I'm getting you interested. I mean, my specialty 500 00:27:54,760 --> 00:27:56,359 Speaker 1: is American politics. But you know, I have lots of 501 00:27:56,400 --> 00:28:00,080 Speaker 1: people who are obviously interested in international comparative politics. It's like, well, 502 00:28:00,119 --> 00:28:01,919 Speaker 1: then we can talk about what's going on in Brazil 503 00:28:02,119 --> 00:28:06,600 Speaker 1: or Ukraine, right and so, and related also back to America, 504 00:28:06,680 --> 00:28:09,560 Speaker 1: because if we get into an interaction in Ukraine with Russia, 505 00:28:09,680 --> 00:28:12,119 Speaker 1: like we ain't got no money, and Pootin knows that, right, 506 00:28:12,119 --> 00:28:14,040 Speaker 1: and so we can talk about those types of things. 507 00:28:14,240 --> 00:28:19,600 Speaker 1: I think, what's what is inspiring? I will say in 508 00:28:19,720 --> 00:28:22,119 Speaker 1: this moment, because you know I always ask my students. 509 00:28:22,160 --> 00:28:23,800 Speaker 1: I'm like Okay, so I'm talking about Barack Obama. I'm like, 510 00:28:23,800 --> 00:28:25,280 Speaker 1: how old are you guys again? And they were like, hey, 511 00:28:25,560 --> 00:28:27,879 Speaker 1: I mean so they're getting younger and younger. Right, Like 512 00:28:27,880 --> 00:28:30,680 Speaker 1: when I show the war room about Bill Clinton's ninety 513 00:28:30,680 --> 00:28:34,320 Speaker 1: two campaign, they weren't even anywhere near born. They don't 514 00:28:34,359 --> 00:28:37,840 Speaker 1: know Bill Clinton. They only know Hillary Clinton barely because 515 00:28:37,880 --> 00:28:41,239 Speaker 1: they were in kindergarten when she and Barack Obama were 516 00:28:41,320 --> 00:28:44,400 Speaker 1: duking it out for the Democratic primary. So you see 517 00:28:44,440 --> 00:28:48,040 Speaker 1: what I'm saying. So like these important touchstones in our 518 00:28:48,160 --> 00:28:50,960 Speaker 1: political understanding of this moment. How we have to understand 519 00:28:50,960 --> 00:28:54,800 Speaker 1: Reagan right, to understand Trump, How we have to understand 520 00:28:55,000 --> 00:28:58,960 Speaker 1: the backlash against Barack Obama, to understand how Joe Biden, 521 00:28:59,000 --> 00:29:00,920 Speaker 1: how did you not think people werenk going to work 522 00:29:00,960 --> 00:29:02,520 Speaker 1: with you, like just because you're old and white? Like 523 00:29:02,880 --> 00:29:05,080 Speaker 1: thought that because he thought he was old and white, right, 524 00:29:05,120 --> 00:29:06,920 Speaker 1: And it's like you walked into this black man for 525 00:29:06,960 --> 00:29:09,640 Speaker 1: eight years and saw them say no at every single turn, 526 00:29:09,920 --> 00:29:12,600 Speaker 1: so like you just thought you'd be different. Okay, but 527 00:29:12,680 --> 00:29:14,760 Speaker 1: you know, so the thing is I'm teaching kids who 528 00:29:14,800 --> 00:29:17,240 Speaker 1: they weren't around for that, because you know when when 529 00:29:17,240 --> 00:29:18,760 Speaker 1: they say like oh, I was six, and I was like, oh, 530 00:29:18,800 --> 00:29:21,000 Speaker 1: so you guys were obviously actively reading at the Times 531 00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:23,720 Speaker 1: every morning. They're like yeah, right between ball patrol right. 532 00:29:23,760 --> 00:29:28,360 Speaker 1: So like, so I'm also trying to contextualize the history 533 00:29:28,440 --> 00:29:31,239 Speaker 1: of this moment because I'm like, listen, guys, you all 534 00:29:31,280 --> 00:29:32,840 Speaker 1: are too young to sort of be of the soap 535 00:29:32,880 --> 00:29:35,080 Speaker 1: opera generation. You remember, like, you know, we were days 536 00:29:35,080 --> 00:29:37,840 Speaker 1: of our lives and you know, like all those stuff. 537 00:29:37,880 --> 00:29:38,960 Speaker 1: I was like, so, you guys didn't grow up on 538 00:29:38,960 --> 00:29:40,920 Speaker 1: soap operas, but I was this is nothing but like 539 00:29:41,000 --> 00:29:45,400 Speaker 1: sex and intrigue and backstabbing and all types of stuff 540 00:29:45,440 --> 00:29:47,160 Speaker 1: if you sort of look at it that way. And 541 00:29:47,200 --> 00:29:48,880 Speaker 1: I'm not trying to say it's a game, but I'm like, 542 00:29:49,080 --> 00:29:52,520 Speaker 1: you should be wholly invested in it, because if you 543 00:29:52,560 --> 00:29:54,120 Speaker 1: don't want them to rip out your ovaries and give 544 00:29:54,120 --> 00:29:57,320 Speaker 1: them to your daddy, if you have student loans, if 545 00:29:57,360 --> 00:30:00,520 Speaker 1: you care about the environment, if you have asthma or 546 00:30:01,200 --> 00:30:02,959 Speaker 1: you know a sibling with an asthma, if you went 547 00:30:03,000 --> 00:30:04,800 Speaker 1: to a public school and you're like this place is crappy, 548 00:30:04,840 --> 00:30:07,920 Speaker 1: It's like, not all public schools are crappy. Maybe yours was, 549 00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:10,560 Speaker 1: but not everybody else's. If your parents had to take 550 00:30:10,600 --> 00:30:12,680 Speaker 1: out loans to send you to a Catholic school because 551 00:30:12,680 --> 00:30:15,080 Speaker 1: you couldn't go to your public school. That's something if 552 00:30:15,080 --> 00:30:17,000 Speaker 1: you're in the military because you're trying to save money 553 00:30:17,040 --> 00:30:18,520 Speaker 1: to go to school, or if your parents are in 554 00:30:18,560 --> 00:30:20,600 Speaker 1: the military, right and you're wondering if they're going to 555 00:30:20,640 --> 00:30:23,320 Speaker 1: come home. Even though we're not quote unquote actively involved, 556 00:30:23,320 --> 00:30:26,680 Speaker 1: but like, uh, stuff still pops off. So I'm like politics. 557 00:30:26,960 --> 00:30:29,120 Speaker 1: I literally take a piece of paper. I'm like, what 558 00:30:29,200 --> 00:30:31,160 Speaker 1: is political about this piece of paper? And they're like, 559 00:30:32,240 --> 00:30:34,040 Speaker 1: it's literally a white piece of paper. I'm like, no, No, 560 00:30:34,520 --> 00:30:38,040 Speaker 1: somebody's trees in somebody's country or somebody's state got chopped 561 00:30:38,040 --> 00:30:41,560 Speaker 1: down by people who possibly weren't making real money. My 562 00:30:41,600 --> 00:30:44,240 Speaker 1: grandfather worked in a paper mill for forty three years 563 00:30:44,240 --> 00:30:48,240 Speaker 1: in northern Florida, right, and people missing hands, missing fingers, 564 00:30:48,280 --> 00:30:51,200 Speaker 1: all types of wage theft, you name it, because the 565 00:30:51,240 --> 00:30:53,040 Speaker 1: black people had to work outside and white people got 566 00:30:53,080 --> 00:30:55,080 Speaker 1: to work inside. Right Now, It's like then the truck's 567 00:30:55,080 --> 00:30:59,440 Speaker 1: going through people's communities and the pollution going through the bronx. Right. 568 00:30:59,640 --> 00:31:02,400 Speaker 1: So by the time this piece of paper gets to you, 569 00:31:02,840 --> 00:31:06,000 Speaker 1: all the political mechanisms and the global company that has 570 00:31:06,000 --> 00:31:08,600 Speaker 1: sold this paper company that is on the New York 571 00:31:08,600 --> 00:31:12,600 Speaker 1: Stock Exchange, right, so, like everything is political. A plastic 572 00:31:12,640 --> 00:31:14,160 Speaker 1: pen is political, and you know, so I'm trying to 573 00:31:14,200 --> 00:31:17,160 Speaker 1: get them to understand that everything around them involves them, 574 00:31:18,080 --> 00:31:21,760 Speaker 1: and doing that because I have this sort of this 575 00:31:21,960 --> 00:31:24,880 Speaker 1: privilege to kind of be at the forefront of people 576 00:31:24,920 --> 00:31:28,040 Speaker 1: who will be in the future, I'm a little less 577 00:31:28,080 --> 00:31:31,520 Speaker 1: freaked out the present is a mess. But I also 578 00:31:31,680 --> 00:31:34,000 Speaker 1: keep reminding them and you know, one of my students 579 00:31:34,160 --> 00:31:35,840 Speaker 1: was like, you're the only professor who keeps saying this. 580 00:31:36,640 --> 00:31:39,960 Speaker 1: I literally say every single class, we're in the middle 581 00:31:39,960 --> 00:31:46,080 Speaker 1: of a global pandemic. Because we are because we are 582 00:31:46,560 --> 00:31:50,880 Speaker 1: because we are being normal, quote unquote. And I'm like, hey, guys, 583 00:31:51,120 --> 00:31:53,120 Speaker 1: I'm going to extend you a certain modicum of grace 584 00:31:53,160 --> 00:31:54,960 Speaker 1: and grandas still don't take things that are late, because 585 00:31:55,000 --> 00:31:56,959 Speaker 1: I'm like, I'm still got to teach you some lessons, right, 586 00:31:57,000 --> 00:31:58,240 Speaker 1: and like, I can't have you out in the world 587 00:31:58,240 --> 00:32:00,400 Speaker 1: thinking that everything's going to be you know, you get 588 00:32:00,440 --> 00:32:01,800 Speaker 1: time and a half for everything. You just get to 589 00:32:01,800 --> 00:32:03,240 Speaker 1: hand this stuff whenever you feel like it. I was like, 590 00:32:03,320 --> 00:32:05,560 Speaker 1: so we're still gonna have some rules and some sort 591 00:32:05,600 --> 00:32:08,000 Speaker 1: of standards in this class, but I was like, I 592 00:32:08,040 --> 00:32:10,280 Speaker 1: want you to extend me a modicum of grace because 593 00:32:10,320 --> 00:32:12,600 Speaker 1: I'm in the middle of a global pandemic. I can't 594 00:32:12,640 --> 00:32:14,240 Speaker 1: see my family as much as I want to, I 595 00:32:14,320 --> 00:32:15,800 Speaker 1: can't see my friends as much as I want. You. 596 00:32:15,840 --> 00:32:17,600 Speaker 1: I haven't seen you, i'ven't given you a hug since 597 00:32:17,600 --> 00:32:20,960 Speaker 1: we're probably an MSNBC before the pandemic, you know what 598 00:32:21,040 --> 00:32:23,200 Speaker 1: I'm saying. So it's like, all these things that make 599 00:32:23,240 --> 00:32:25,760 Speaker 1: me whole, I'm not allowed to do either. You guys 600 00:32:25,760 --> 00:32:28,800 Speaker 1: are having a college experience that is not normal. You 601 00:32:28,880 --> 00:32:31,240 Speaker 1: might be living in a dorm, but it's still not normal. 602 00:32:31,600 --> 00:32:36,640 Speaker 1: So like just this latent pressure, yeah, that we're all in, 603 00:32:37,520 --> 00:32:39,880 Speaker 1: coupled with the fact that this is roughly around the 604 00:32:39,880 --> 00:32:43,360 Speaker 1: time the democracies die and we're kind of tiktoking on 605 00:32:43,480 --> 00:32:46,360 Speaker 1: that time period for America as young as we are. 606 00:32:46,400 --> 00:32:48,480 Speaker 1: But this is kind of when, you know, when democracies 607 00:32:48,480 --> 00:32:53,280 Speaker 1: tend to sort of unravel, the number of people who 608 00:32:53,280 --> 00:32:57,320 Speaker 1: were willing to help it unravel is scary, right because 609 00:32:57,360 --> 00:32:59,360 Speaker 1: it's not like, oh, it's just a few bad apples. 610 00:32:59,360 --> 00:33:02,800 Speaker 1: It's like, oh no, got like we're orchards up in here. Yeah, 611 00:33:02,800 --> 00:33:06,560 Speaker 1: with people who want to cross country burns. Yeah, across 612 00:33:06,640 --> 00:33:08,760 Speaker 1: the country. And you know, again, you don't need to 613 00:33:08,760 --> 00:33:11,360 Speaker 1: be white to have one sremacy. So it's not just 614 00:33:11,560 --> 00:33:14,160 Speaker 1: you know, looking over your shoulder for some hillbillies. It's 615 00:33:14,160 --> 00:33:16,120 Speaker 1: like oh no, no, no, Like they come in all 616 00:33:16,400 --> 00:33:19,360 Speaker 1: shapes and forms and colors and ethnicity and classes and 617 00:33:19,480 --> 00:33:24,400 Speaker 1: economic status and listeners. Donald Trumps still got millions upon 618 00:33:24,480 --> 00:33:26,920 Speaker 1: millions of votes, and he lost when he ran against 619 00:33:26,960 --> 00:33:30,600 Speaker 1: Joe Biden, but seventy five or seventy five million people 620 00:33:31,200 --> 00:33:33,760 Speaker 1: million people still, so I like what he's selling. I 621 00:33:33,760 --> 00:33:35,840 Speaker 1: don't care that he said Mexicans rapists. I don't care 622 00:33:35,880 --> 00:33:38,320 Speaker 1: that he's tried tried to sign an executive order. I 623 00:33:38,360 --> 00:33:42,480 Speaker 1: don't care twenty women accused him of sexual assault and 624 00:33:42,600 --> 00:33:46,160 Speaker 1: or harassment. I don't I don't care that. Like you 625 00:33:46,240 --> 00:33:49,120 Speaker 1: have kidnapped children with no plans to reunite them with 626 00:33:49,120 --> 00:33:51,960 Speaker 1: their families, and there are still hundreds that will probably 627 00:33:52,040 --> 00:33:55,280 Speaker 1: never be reunited. It's like I think that when you 628 00:33:56,040 --> 00:33:58,960 Speaker 1: say to your students, we're in the middle of a 629 00:33:59,000 --> 00:34:04,200 Speaker 1: pandemic and like democracy is unraveling. I feel like the 630 00:34:04,240 --> 00:34:07,680 Speaker 1: whole sentiment in America right now is just pushed through. 631 00:34:08,120 --> 00:34:11,759 Speaker 1: Yeah right, it's just keep this is where, this is 632 00:34:11,760 --> 00:34:14,120 Speaker 1: where a British this is where a British heritage is 633 00:34:15,719 --> 00:34:18,400 Speaker 1: not serving us. Well you know that sort of just 634 00:34:18,400 --> 00:34:20,400 Speaker 1: have a stiff upper lip, let's not talk about it. 635 00:34:20,480 --> 00:34:22,960 Speaker 1: Let's just power through, you know, like the kind of 636 00:34:22,960 --> 00:34:27,320 Speaker 1: the old school British style of like, let's not be hysterical. 637 00:34:27,719 --> 00:34:33,160 Speaker 1: And I think for me, when I look at my students, 638 00:34:33,160 --> 00:34:35,440 Speaker 1: because I mean they're they're babies to me, right, I 639 00:34:35,480 --> 00:34:38,279 Speaker 1: mean they're eighteen years old, what I have to do? 640 00:34:38,320 --> 00:34:42,279 Speaker 1: And you said something key about democracy and raveling. First though, 641 00:34:42,560 --> 00:34:45,799 Speaker 1: I have to explain to them what democracy is. I 642 00:34:45,800 --> 00:34:48,160 Speaker 1: can't explain to them that democracy is unraveling. They don't 643 00:34:48,200 --> 00:34:51,759 Speaker 1: understand what this country is, so like their understanding of 644 00:34:51,840 --> 00:34:54,320 Speaker 1: who America is and has been. Because I got to 645 00:34:54,320 --> 00:34:56,200 Speaker 1: talk to you about how she has been, right, I 646 00:34:56,280 --> 00:34:57,919 Speaker 1: was like, you guys have always been told that she's 647 00:34:57,960 --> 00:35:01,719 Speaker 1: basically this Ritz Carlton or this you know, this four 648 00:35:01,800 --> 00:35:03,920 Speaker 1: seasons that had to give us some moments of history. 649 00:35:03,960 --> 00:35:05,920 Speaker 1: But that was so long ago, and it's like no, 650 00:35:05,920 --> 00:35:09,440 Speaker 1: no, no no, no, no, this is a hojo. This country 651 00:35:09,520 --> 00:35:14,479 Speaker 1: is a motels. It is exactly right in the middle 652 00:35:14,520 --> 00:35:18,280 Speaker 1: of nowhere. And you know when I tell them, because 653 00:35:18,400 --> 00:35:19,960 Speaker 1: I mean, I don't know how old they think I am, 654 00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:21,320 Speaker 1: because you know, ay, I'm black, so I could be 655 00:35:21,360 --> 00:35:24,399 Speaker 1: anywhere between like eighteen and eighty seven. But I'm like, 656 00:35:24,680 --> 00:35:28,560 Speaker 1: when I tell them, my mother only went to segregated 657 00:35:28,600 --> 00:35:33,359 Speaker 1: schools her entire life, from k through high school. My 658 00:35:33,480 --> 00:35:36,359 Speaker 1: father integrated his high school. And I'm like, I know 659 00:35:36,400 --> 00:35:39,040 Speaker 1: that you guys don't fully understand what that means. But 660 00:35:39,080 --> 00:35:42,399 Speaker 1: I'm like, that means my mother was not allowed to 661 00:35:42,440 --> 00:35:45,640 Speaker 1: go to school with white people, like not just oh 662 00:35:45,680 --> 00:35:47,640 Speaker 1: she didn't want to and they lived on the other 663 00:35:47,640 --> 00:35:49,880 Speaker 1: side of town. It's like, no, no no, it was illegal 664 00:35:50,680 --> 00:35:53,880 Speaker 1: in the state of Florida where she was. So and 665 00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:56,920 Speaker 1: you have to say that to them in the context 666 00:35:56,960 --> 00:36:00,919 Speaker 1: of this was not a hundred years ago, no, right, 667 00:36:02,760 --> 00:36:05,000 Speaker 1: That's what I'm saying. I'm like, this was like we 668 00:36:05,120 --> 00:36:07,799 Speaker 1: love as a nation to say like, oh, this was 669 00:36:07,840 --> 00:36:12,000 Speaker 1: like centuries ago. No, there are people who are not 670 00:36:12,080 --> 00:36:16,279 Speaker 1: that old right right now that has very clear and 671 00:36:16,400 --> 00:36:20,680 Speaker 1: vivid memories. Oh how they grew up, what their families 672 00:36:20,719 --> 00:36:24,560 Speaker 1: went through that were just let again, power through it. Oh, 673 00:36:24,640 --> 00:36:26,880 Speaker 1: the civil rights move that was so long ago. No, 674 00:36:27,520 --> 00:36:30,520 Speaker 1: it wasn't was not. My dad is only seventy four, 675 00:36:30,600 --> 00:36:32,359 Speaker 1: and you know, I went and lived with him for 676 00:36:32,400 --> 00:36:34,680 Speaker 1: six weeks during the height of the pandemic in New York, 677 00:36:34,680 --> 00:36:36,120 Speaker 1: where I was like, I gotta get out of here, 678 00:36:37,280 --> 00:36:40,960 Speaker 1: and so I went to my dad, who lives in Delaware, 679 00:36:41,000 --> 00:36:43,000 Speaker 1: and it was that's when I started birding, and you know, 680 00:36:43,040 --> 00:36:45,200 Speaker 1: I just had space and I could be outside and 681 00:36:45,200 --> 00:36:47,719 Speaker 1: I could go for walks without you know, sort of 682 00:36:47,719 --> 00:36:50,040 Speaker 1: being so worried about catching COVID. This is you know, 683 00:36:50,080 --> 00:36:52,560 Speaker 1: in the twenty twenty June of twenty twenty, so we 684 00:36:52,560 --> 00:36:54,600 Speaker 1: didn't have a vaccine. We didn't know how this thing 685 00:36:54,719 --> 00:36:56,759 Speaker 1: was jumping from person to person. So it's like, let 686 00:36:56,760 --> 00:36:58,879 Speaker 1: me just go kind of, you know, to a more 687 00:36:58,920 --> 00:37:02,680 Speaker 1: suburban environment. And at night we had movie night every night, 688 00:37:02,760 --> 00:37:04,560 Speaker 1: so we'd watch movies and it was great because I 689 00:37:04,560 --> 00:37:06,200 Speaker 1: haven't lived with my dad since I was in high school. 690 00:37:06,920 --> 00:37:10,799 Speaker 1: And he would tell me stories. Danielle, I'm like, this 691 00:37:10,880 --> 00:37:14,399 Speaker 1: is stuff that's in history books. This man is having 692 00:37:14,440 --> 00:37:16,359 Speaker 1: a cigar and a glass of rum. He is nice 693 00:37:16,360 --> 00:37:19,600 Speaker 1: and spry. He is not old at all. And you 694 00:37:19,680 --> 00:37:23,960 Speaker 1: know the N words stuff. You know what I think 695 00:37:24,040 --> 00:37:28,279 Speaker 1: is fascinating. He's an he's a Life Scout. You know, 696 00:37:28,320 --> 00:37:30,520 Speaker 1: there's Eagle Scout is the highest of the boy scouts, right, 697 00:37:30,520 --> 00:37:32,600 Speaker 1: and then I think Life Scout is like the second highest. 698 00:37:32,920 --> 00:37:34,439 Speaker 1: And he was just like, oh, well, I wasn't allowed 699 00:37:34,480 --> 00:37:35,960 Speaker 1: to be an Eagle Scout, So what do you mean 700 00:37:36,000 --> 00:37:37,640 Speaker 1: even un allowed to be an Eagle Scout. He's like, well, 701 00:37:37,680 --> 00:37:39,719 Speaker 1: black people at the time in Miami couldn't be Eagle 702 00:37:39,719 --> 00:37:42,359 Speaker 1: Scouts like across the country, but like, you know, he 703 00:37:42,360 --> 00:37:43,719 Speaker 1: was in the Eagle Scouts of Miami. It was like, 704 00:37:43,840 --> 00:37:45,719 Speaker 1: what do you mean? And he was just like, well, 705 00:37:45,760 --> 00:37:47,719 Speaker 1: they would make it such that the last badge was 706 00:37:47,719 --> 00:37:49,680 Speaker 1: at the fire department and you would never get it 707 00:37:49,840 --> 00:37:52,560 Speaker 1: because obviously the fire department had no black firefighters. I mean, 708 00:37:52,600 --> 00:37:56,160 Speaker 1: like all these things. So he could tell me the 709 00:37:56,160 --> 00:37:59,400 Speaker 1: black person in Miami the year, the name of the 710 00:37:59,480 --> 00:38:01,680 Speaker 1: year that the black boy became an Eagle Scout because 711 00:38:01,719 --> 00:38:04,120 Speaker 1: he was the first black kid to become an Eagle Scout, 712 00:38:04,600 --> 00:38:06,279 Speaker 1: something that none of them could have done. And so 713 00:38:06,360 --> 00:38:08,640 Speaker 1: they're so proud and exciting all this other stuff Like 714 00:38:08,880 --> 00:38:12,440 Speaker 1: this dude, I was like Ruby Bridges is not even seventy, 715 00:38:12,640 --> 00:38:15,080 Speaker 1: right when we think about some of these pioneers, and 716 00:38:15,120 --> 00:38:18,520 Speaker 1: so I think so much of the power of racism 717 00:38:18,520 --> 00:38:21,000 Speaker 1: and went supremacy and anti blackness in this country has 718 00:38:21,040 --> 00:38:24,280 Speaker 1: been to make us feel like everything's from Harriet Tubman 719 00:38:24,320 --> 00:38:27,239 Speaker 1: and Regid Douglas. But first of all, Martin Luther King 720 00:38:27,520 --> 00:38:29,759 Speaker 1: would have been younger than Betty White when she died 721 00:38:30,000 --> 00:38:33,279 Speaker 1: a few week younger, I mean like and not just 722 00:38:33,320 --> 00:38:36,480 Speaker 1: about younger than Sidney Potier, you know what I'm saying. 723 00:38:36,560 --> 00:38:39,160 Speaker 1: So it's like, and guess what, he didn't die of cancer. 724 00:38:39,920 --> 00:38:42,799 Speaker 1: He didn't die of a heart attack like he was assassinated. 725 00:38:42,920 --> 00:38:44,600 Speaker 1: And when you look at the public opinion from when 726 00:38:44,640 --> 00:38:49,839 Speaker 1: he was assassinated and murdered, nobody liked him. White people wise, right, 727 00:38:50,120 --> 00:38:53,120 Speaker 1: They're just like, oh, he's a terrorist. So this this 728 00:38:53,239 --> 00:38:56,400 Speaker 1: kind of mythology that we're obsessed within this country. That 729 00:38:56,640 --> 00:38:59,600 Speaker 1: this is why I love being an educator because most 730 00:38:59,680 --> 00:39:03,239 Speaker 1: of my students we're just like, oh, Martley Ding, I 731 00:39:03,280 --> 00:39:06,720 Speaker 1: have a dream. I'm like, let's read these speeches from 732 00:39:06,719 --> 00:39:10,480 Speaker 1: talking about Vietnam and emancipating poor white people. Let's talk 733 00:39:10,480 --> 00:39:13,319 Speaker 1: about that, because that's how you get yourself assassinated. Now 734 00:39:13,320 --> 00:39:15,279 Speaker 1: when you're trying to free black people, when you're trying 735 00:39:15,280 --> 00:39:18,399 Speaker 1: to have a global conversation about white supremacy, that's when 736 00:39:18,400 --> 00:39:20,319 Speaker 1: folks are like, yeah, we gotta shut this man from 737 00:39:21,480 --> 00:39:26,120 Speaker 1: Alabama real fast. I will say this one. I always 738 00:39:26,160 --> 00:39:30,680 Speaker 1: appreciate our conversation so much because you just illuminated so 739 00:39:30,680 --> 00:39:35,840 Speaker 1: many things for me, which is that America, like most places, 740 00:39:36,280 --> 00:39:39,040 Speaker 1: is based on a set of mythologies, right, like I 741 00:39:39,080 --> 00:39:43,799 Speaker 1: can North Korea. Yeah, I continue to say, like, you know, 742 00:39:43,920 --> 00:39:47,200 Speaker 1: there are people many, there are generations of people in 743 00:39:47,320 --> 00:39:51,560 Speaker 1: China who have no idea about the Tianamen Square. Why 744 00:39:51,920 --> 00:39:55,879 Speaker 1: because they don't teach it there, And like, if you 745 00:39:56,080 --> 00:40:01,480 Speaker 1: know about it, it is because of oral history that 746 00:40:01,560 --> 00:40:04,000 Speaker 1: has been passed down because it is nowhere written, it 747 00:40:04,120 --> 00:40:06,960 Speaker 1: is nowhere talked about it. There is no museum, there 748 00:40:07,080 --> 00:40:09,480 Speaker 1: is no nothing. As a matter of fact, they passed 749 00:40:09,480 --> 00:40:12,440 Speaker 1: a law in China that the parents of those people 750 00:40:12,600 --> 00:40:16,160 Speaker 1: that were killed, those students that were murdered, we're not 751 00:40:16,200 --> 00:40:19,320 Speaker 1: allowed to grieve in public, We're not allowed to mention 752 00:40:19,400 --> 00:40:22,919 Speaker 1: those children's name. And so we wonder, like, well, how 753 00:40:22,920 --> 00:40:26,160 Speaker 1: do people continue to go on right and not know 754 00:40:26,640 --> 00:40:30,600 Speaker 1: because it has been extracted you're doing and your life 755 00:40:30,640 --> 00:40:33,200 Speaker 1: has been extracted and set up in such a way. 756 00:40:33,239 --> 00:40:35,960 Speaker 1: So when I talk about on this show and others 757 00:40:36,280 --> 00:40:39,000 Speaker 1: about the matrix that we are living in, the matrix 758 00:40:39,040 --> 00:40:43,279 Speaker 1: that has been created around America, the beautiful America, the 759 00:40:43,360 --> 00:40:46,319 Speaker 1: great this is what the fuck I'm talking about. So 760 00:40:46,360 --> 00:40:49,560 Speaker 1: to be able to sit with your dad and get 761 00:40:49,600 --> 00:40:52,600 Speaker 1: a one on one history lesson just based on the 762 00:40:52,680 --> 00:40:56,480 Speaker 1: vantage point of his life and how much gaslighting he 763 00:40:56,640 --> 00:41:00,000 Speaker 1: is probably endured to be told that what he's experienced 764 00:41:00,120 --> 00:41:03,359 Speaker 1: is something that happened generations ago, something that we don't 765 00:41:03,360 --> 00:41:07,160 Speaker 1: need to talk about or understand the economic impressions of 766 00:41:07,200 --> 00:41:09,560 Speaker 1: what has happened right and why we are where we 767 00:41:09,600 --> 00:41:13,800 Speaker 1: are because of those times, because of those negations, Christina, 768 00:41:13,920 --> 00:41:15,799 Speaker 1: this is why I always want to have you back 769 00:41:15,840 --> 00:41:18,120 Speaker 1: on the show, because we need to go back to 770 00:41:18,120 --> 00:41:20,480 Speaker 1: one oh one, Because I don't know how we figure 771 00:41:20,480 --> 00:41:25,719 Speaker 1: out how to rebuild, restore, reimagine when we don't know 772 00:41:25,920 --> 00:41:28,960 Speaker 1: where we orient ourselves from, where we don't have a 773 00:41:29,000 --> 00:41:35,200 Speaker 1: strong foundation and really integral understanding of this country and 774 00:41:35,280 --> 00:41:37,560 Speaker 1: how to fix it. Like you can't fix something that 775 00:41:37,680 --> 00:41:41,160 Speaker 1: you don't understand, you can't build something that you don't 776 00:41:41,160 --> 00:41:44,680 Speaker 1: have the tools for, absolutely, And I'll leave it at this. 777 00:41:45,560 --> 00:41:49,759 Speaker 1: Whenever my students say the word slave, I stop them. 778 00:41:51,280 --> 00:41:53,120 Speaker 1: And this is part of the mythology and the sort 779 00:41:53,120 --> 00:41:55,920 Speaker 1: of erasure of history. And I'm like, listen, flavors and 780 00:41:56,000 --> 00:42:01,239 Speaker 1: now table chair, cup, glass, pen, paper, slate. When we 781 00:42:01,280 --> 00:42:05,640 Speaker 1: talk about us chattel slavery that carried out for centuries, 782 00:42:06,000 --> 00:42:08,480 Speaker 1: I was like, I always use the word enslaved person 783 00:42:08,560 --> 00:42:11,359 Speaker 1: or enslaved African. I was like, because that's a human being, 784 00:42:11,400 --> 00:42:13,799 Speaker 1: and it's a relationship between two people. One is the 785 00:42:13,880 --> 00:42:16,120 Speaker 1: enslaver and one is the enslaved. And I was like, 786 00:42:16,160 --> 00:42:19,839 Speaker 1: so in our history we're taught, oh, slaves. It's like, oh, well, 787 00:42:19,840 --> 00:42:21,640 Speaker 1: the slaves, we're doing this. It's like, no, no, no no, no. 788 00:42:21,760 --> 00:42:24,560 Speaker 1: These are people who could not reproduce on their own. 789 00:42:24,600 --> 00:42:27,439 Speaker 1: They couldn't have their own family structure, they couldn't they 790 00:42:27,440 --> 00:42:29,400 Speaker 1: couldn't eat when they felt like eating. I mean, they 791 00:42:29,440 --> 00:42:31,120 Speaker 1: couldn't go to the bathroom when they felt like like 792 00:42:31,320 --> 00:42:34,320 Speaker 1: these horrible things. You know. It's like, oh, Sally Hemmings 793 00:42:34,360 --> 00:42:37,520 Speaker 1: dated Thomas Jefferson. I'm like, uh, if I'm enslaved, I'm 794 00:42:37,520 --> 00:42:41,360 Speaker 1: not dating anyone. I'm being raped, okay by one of 795 00:42:41,400 --> 00:42:43,480 Speaker 1: the leaders of this nation. And so I think just 796 00:42:43,680 --> 00:42:47,919 Speaker 1: even the minor ways that we need to change our 797 00:42:48,120 --> 00:42:50,920 Speaker 1: language in this country. And this is why I appreciate 798 00:42:51,040 --> 00:42:54,000 Speaker 1: Nicolehannah Jones so much, because she'll be in an interview 799 00:42:54,520 --> 00:43:01,000 Speaker 1: I'm thinking of that god awful touch Chodo Chocho, yeah, interview, 800 00:43:01,080 --> 00:43:04,400 Speaker 1: and he keeps saying, well, you know, parents and black's 801 00:43:04,719 --> 00:43:07,640 Speaker 1: and she's like, so if you want to say white parents, 802 00:43:07,719 --> 00:43:10,600 Speaker 1: say say white parents, say your parents. Because the thing is, 803 00:43:10,840 --> 00:43:13,400 Speaker 1: it was always, you know, when when Hillary Clinton and 804 00:43:13,440 --> 00:43:16,440 Speaker 1: Barack Obama were running, it's like, well, woman versus a 805 00:43:16,520 --> 00:43:19,040 Speaker 1: black a black person or a black man. And I'm like, no, 806 00:43:19,040 --> 00:43:22,080 Speaker 1: no, no no, it's a white woman, right because women aren't white, 807 00:43:23,040 --> 00:43:25,319 Speaker 1: not all women are white. But like this idea that 808 00:43:25,400 --> 00:43:28,799 Speaker 1: womanhood is white womanhood and blackness is a black malehood, right. 809 00:43:28,800 --> 00:43:30,680 Speaker 1: And this is what's so interesting about Sherley Chisolm, who's 810 00:43:30,719 --> 00:43:33,160 Speaker 1: right behind me, right when it's like, okay, in seventy two, 811 00:43:33,160 --> 00:43:35,360 Speaker 1: it's like when we need a woman or a black person, 812 00:43:35,400 --> 00:43:37,720 Speaker 1: so she's like, you know, goes to the black folks. 813 00:43:37,760 --> 00:43:39,799 Speaker 1: It's like, okay, well we said a black person. I'm 814 00:43:39,840 --> 00:43:42,120 Speaker 1: here and there like, uh, we actually meant a black man. 815 00:43:42,400 --> 00:43:44,440 Speaker 1: And then she goes to the women, Laurie Steinham and 816 00:43:44,480 --> 00:43:46,560 Speaker 1: friends and it's like, okay, you said a woman, and 817 00:43:46,560 --> 00:43:49,239 Speaker 1: they were like, uh, well, we actually meant a white woman, right, 818 00:43:49,239 --> 00:43:51,479 Speaker 1: And so it's like, right, if you want to say 819 00:43:51,520 --> 00:43:53,680 Speaker 1: a woman, say why woman? Then if that's what you're 820 00:43:53,719 --> 00:43:56,160 Speaker 1: talking about. And so I think for my students, I'm 821 00:43:56,160 --> 00:43:59,080 Speaker 1: really trying to be a lot more deliberate in my 822 00:43:59,200 --> 00:44:01,399 Speaker 1: language because I I don't allow them to say like, oh, well, 823 00:44:01,400 --> 00:44:04,120 Speaker 1: I'm a minority. I'm like, listen, I'm a global majority. 824 00:44:04,280 --> 00:44:06,920 Speaker 1: I'm a woman and a person of color. So globally, 825 00:44:07,000 --> 00:44:10,040 Speaker 1: more people look like me and more people are either 826 00:44:10,080 --> 00:44:12,080 Speaker 1: a woman or a person of color. So like, I'm 827 00:44:12,080 --> 00:44:14,480 Speaker 1: not walking around saying that I'm a minority at all. 828 00:44:14,840 --> 00:44:18,799 Speaker 1: And I think that in this country, because this mythology 829 00:44:18,840 --> 00:44:21,880 Speaker 1: of white supremacy, anti black racism, patriarch and capitalism is 830 00:44:21,960 --> 00:44:26,239 Speaker 1: so embedded in our foundation that Bell Hooks talks about this, 831 00:44:27,320 --> 00:44:31,560 Speaker 1: We've got just folks believing the big lie, and the 832 00:44:31,600 --> 00:44:34,400 Speaker 1: big lie is from before seventeen seventy six. Come on, 833 00:44:35,480 --> 00:44:42,280 Speaker 1: that's right, Oh, doctor Christina Greer. We need we need hugs. 834 00:44:42,440 --> 00:44:46,160 Speaker 1: We need hug time, we need cocktail time, walking time, 835 00:44:46,480 --> 00:44:48,760 Speaker 1: we need all of those things. Thank you so much 836 00:44:48,800 --> 00:44:51,840 Speaker 1: for making the time to give us at wok F 837 00:44:52,239 --> 00:44:54,560 Speaker 1: one on a one on one and a one on 838 00:44:54,560 --> 00:44:58,520 Speaker 1: one with me education as to where we are, how 839 00:44:58,560 --> 00:45:01,600 Speaker 1: we got here, and where, if anywhere, we are headed. 840 00:45:01,640 --> 00:45:04,279 Speaker 1: We appreciate you. Thank you so much for having me. 841 00:45:07,080 --> 00:45:10,000 Speaker 1: That is it for me today. Dear friends on woke 842 00:45:10,040 --> 00:45:13,080 Speaker 1: a F. You know I'm going to be starting something 843 00:45:13,440 --> 00:45:17,160 Speaker 1: new this week, and you tell me what you all 844 00:45:17,239 --> 00:45:19,040 Speaker 1: will think about it. But I want to leave you 845 00:45:19,160 --> 00:45:25,640 Speaker 1: kind of with this moment of zen of reprieve of rest. 846 00:45:27,000 --> 00:45:33,920 Speaker 1: I did a meditation earlier this morning. I meditate in 847 00:45:33,960 --> 00:45:36,839 Speaker 1: the morning and in the evening before I go to bed, 848 00:45:36,880 --> 00:45:40,000 Speaker 1: I kind of try in sandwich my day in that way, 849 00:45:40,080 --> 00:45:43,400 Speaker 1: because you know, so much happens. And in one of 850 00:45:43,400 --> 00:45:48,960 Speaker 1: the meditations that I did today and I use insight timer. 851 00:45:49,120 --> 00:45:52,120 Speaker 1: There is calm, there's insight timer. There you know, are 852 00:45:52,360 --> 00:45:56,120 Speaker 1: many free apps that people can use. And what I 853 00:45:56,200 --> 00:45:59,040 Speaker 1: like about insight timer is right now is that they 854 00:45:59,080 --> 00:46:03,640 Speaker 1: will ask you, you know, to with happy faces, where 855 00:46:03,719 --> 00:46:08,279 Speaker 1: is your mood? Great? Good, okay, bad, you know, and 856 00:46:08,320 --> 00:46:11,920 Speaker 1: then they will provide you with meditations that correspond with 857 00:46:11,960 --> 00:46:15,400 Speaker 1: your mood. So this morning I did one that was 858 00:46:15,719 --> 00:46:23,400 Speaker 1: on healing, because I realize that we don't talk about 859 00:46:23,480 --> 00:46:28,120 Speaker 1: healing and pain and trauma enough, and grief and what 860 00:46:28,160 --> 00:46:32,960 Speaker 1: it means to not just you know, power through bad 861 00:46:33,000 --> 00:46:40,320 Speaker 1: situations or emotionally draining situations or traumatic experiences and situations, 862 00:46:40,360 --> 00:46:43,719 Speaker 1: but what it means to honestly sit in that, not 863 00:46:43,920 --> 00:46:46,880 Speaker 1: sit in it as into marinate, but to sit in 864 00:46:46,960 --> 00:46:54,880 Speaker 1: and actually feel your feelings and recognize that our life 865 00:46:55,360 --> 00:46:59,200 Speaker 1: right isn't about how successful we are, isn't about how 866 00:46:59,320 --> 00:47:03,160 Speaker 1: productive we are, but is about how aligned we can 867 00:47:03,239 --> 00:47:08,000 Speaker 1: be in our state of being. We are so busy doing. 868 00:47:08,480 --> 00:47:10,120 Speaker 1: There was a meme that I saw that it was 869 00:47:10,160 --> 00:47:15,120 Speaker 1: always that was human doing instead of human being, that 870 00:47:15,200 --> 00:47:18,399 Speaker 1: we never just kind of sit. We're told to fight through, 871 00:47:18,800 --> 00:47:22,360 Speaker 1: muster on, you know, pull yourself up from your bootstraps, 872 00:47:22,680 --> 00:47:28,520 Speaker 1: but nobody ever just says, sit, breathe, and feel and 873 00:47:28,600 --> 00:47:33,440 Speaker 1: allow what comes up to come up right, not in 874 00:47:33,440 --> 00:47:35,960 Speaker 1: a way to control it, but in a way to 875 00:47:36,080 --> 00:47:41,560 Speaker 1: observe it. And So moving forward with woke AF, I'm 876 00:47:41,600 --> 00:47:45,600 Speaker 1: going to do my best to provide us with an 877 00:47:45,760 --> 00:47:50,480 Speaker 1: ending note that isn't one that is steeped in rage 878 00:47:50,520 --> 00:47:54,400 Speaker 1: and frustration and anger, but is one that as a collective, 879 00:47:54,520 --> 00:47:57,520 Speaker 1: we can use this show, use woke a f and 880 00:47:57,560 --> 00:48:01,759 Speaker 1: this platform to meditate on our rage, to get it 881 00:48:01,840 --> 00:48:06,840 Speaker 1: out of our bodies and then leave ourselves more leveled 882 00:48:06,880 --> 00:48:10,200 Speaker 1: and more at peace for having gone through this exercise 883 00:48:10,239 --> 00:48:14,719 Speaker 1: of learning, expanding and growing together. Anger and rage are 884 00:48:14,760 --> 00:48:18,160 Speaker 1: important tools. And so I'm not saying we just pretend 885 00:48:18,200 --> 00:48:20,480 Speaker 1: and be happy, go lucky all the time, but I 886 00:48:20,520 --> 00:48:23,480 Speaker 1: do believe that there is an alignment and a settle, 887 00:48:23,880 --> 00:48:28,080 Speaker 1: a settling that needs to happen. Once we rid ourselves 888 00:48:28,200 --> 00:48:30,960 Speaker 1: of that kind of energy, there is a coming back 889 00:48:31,040 --> 00:48:33,480 Speaker 1: into our bodies that I think is going to be 890 00:48:33,640 --> 00:48:37,640 Speaker 1: really important, particularly as we move forward in these very 891 00:48:37,719 --> 00:48:42,400 Speaker 1: uncertain times. And so if you have tips and tactics 892 00:48:42,400 --> 00:48:45,279 Speaker 1: and tricks that you are using to help keep your 893 00:48:45,560 --> 00:48:49,160 Speaker 1: energy in a good place, in a glowing place, in 894 00:48:49,200 --> 00:48:52,400 Speaker 1: a healing place, please you let us know in the 895 00:48:52,440 --> 00:48:56,640 Speaker 1: comments section or DM me and let me know, because 896 00:48:56,680 --> 00:49:02,759 Speaker 1: I'm going to be looking for opportunities for us to 897 00:49:03,080 --> 00:49:07,720 Speaker 1: find rest after our rage on a daily basis. Whether 898 00:49:07,719 --> 00:49:11,160 Speaker 1: it be for a minute or ten, but just wanting 899 00:49:11,160 --> 00:49:14,840 Speaker 1: to leave you all in a better place than I 900 00:49:14,960 --> 00:49:17,880 Speaker 1: do than I have been when I pop off, and 901 00:49:17,920 --> 00:49:21,239 Speaker 1: then just cut out so beyond the lookout for that 902 00:49:23,400 --> 00:49:26,400 Speaker 1: as always, dear friends. Power to the people and to 903 00:49:26,680 --> 00:49:31,000 Speaker 1: all the people. Power, Get woke and stay woke as fuck.