WEBVTT - The State of Our Grief

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<v Speaker 1>Good morning, peeps, and welcome to Wika f Daily with

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<v Speaker 1>me your girl, Daniel Moody recording from the Home Bunker. Folks,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm not quite sure how to begin today's recording. I

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<v Speaker 1>want to offer up a few thoughts on where we are,

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<v Speaker 1>this state of the world, this state of our grief,

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<v Speaker 1>this state of despair and anxiety, and the collective unsuredness

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<v Speaker 1>that we are all sharing at this moment. Last week,

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<v Speaker 1>I took the end of the week off and I

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<v Speaker 1>decided to give myself with the opportunity to go to

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<v Speaker 1>a Black women led spiritual retreat. It was put on

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<v Speaker 1>by a group called Bukuo Hoodoo. There's a bookstore that

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<v Speaker 1>is owned by Chantra lewis the creative divine mind behind

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<v Speaker 1>Bukuo Hoodoo, and it is about African traditional religion and

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<v Speaker 1>getting to understand the source in a different way. And

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<v Speaker 1>if you know anything about me, you know that I

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<v Speaker 1>do not prescribe to or subscribe to any particular organized religion.

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<v Speaker 1>But I am someone who has throughout the course of

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<v Speaker 1>my life from my work career personal have always been hungry,

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<v Speaker 1>thirsty for education to understand how how people connect, to

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<v Speaker 1>understand why we are here, to know the universe, more,

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<v Speaker 1>to know people, more, to understand why humans move and

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<v Speaker 1>act the way that they do. And I think that

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<v Speaker 1>as our present, our present time becomes so devastating, I

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<v Speaker 1>find myself wanting to go to the past. And I'm

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<v Speaker 1>talking deep past. I'm talking the spark past. I'm talking like,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, the creation of the universe. Past. I'm talking about,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, being purposefully disconnected from the elements so that

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<v Speaker 1>we can abuse the earth. Pat I'm talking about the

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<v Speaker 1>missionaries that created a religion that was based on extraction,

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<v Speaker 1>and not just extraction from the ground, but extraction of

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<v Speaker 1>people's souls, extraction of people's spirit, extraction of people's freedoms. Right.

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<v Speaker 1>And it is my exposure and experience around organized religion

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<v Speaker 1>things that wars right today and yester year were fought

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<v Speaker 1>over because what I know about how my interpretation of

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<v Speaker 1>how we have come to existence in this world is

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<v Speaker 1>that religion is a creation by man. Right, because you

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<v Speaker 1>don't need to go to a place, you don't need

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<v Speaker 1>to tie money, you don't need to have a medium

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<v Speaker 1>to connect you to whatever you believe to be or

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<v Speaker 1>not believe as a source as spirit, as God, as this,

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<v Speaker 1>as that, as you know all that is that goes

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<v Speaker 1>by so many different names. And why do I and

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<v Speaker 1>have I looked for that type of understanding because I

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<v Speaker 1>think that in order to truly understand what moves people,

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<v Speaker 1>you have to understand what moves inside of people right

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<v Speaker 1>when they hear certain scripture, certain words that drive them

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<v Speaker 1>to commit all types of acts, acts of kindness and compassion,

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<v Speaker 1>acts of depravity right all in the name of this

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<v Speaker 1>said being. And where I find myself right now is

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<v Speaker 1>where many of you find yourselves, which is just at

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<v Speaker 1>a deep place of grief. Right If you watch Brene

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<v Speaker 1>Brown's Actlas of the Heart, and I forget what stream

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<v Speaker 1>place its on, and it was her book. It talks

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<v Speaker 1>about the eighty sum odd emotions that we have an

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<v Speaker 1>experience as humans, but we can only really name five

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<v Speaker 1>of them. And grief is something that is different than sadness.

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<v Speaker 1>Grief to me is something that shows up physically and

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<v Speaker 1>spiritually and mentally. That is like putting a thousand weighted

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<v Speaker 1>satchels around your body and then being told to sprint

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<v Speaker 1>in the heat without water across coals that are heated.

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<v Speaker 1>And for years now we have been challenged with the

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<v Speaker 1>products of greed of hatred, of discrimination, of lawlessness, of lies,

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<v Speaker 1>of sickness, of death that has besieged us in the

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<v Speaker 1>United States, but around the globe and folks, we can

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<v Speaker 1>go beyond the last three years of COVID to other

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<v Speaker 1>points and pain points and wounds, ancient wounds of our history.

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<v Speaker 1>And when I say our history, I mean of human

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<v Speaker 1>beings on this earth history. To understand that we live

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<v Speaker 1>inside of a dual experience where there is always going

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<v Speaker 1>to be light and darkness. We're going to always contend

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<v Speaker 1>withholding both of these things. But the question that I

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<v Speaker 1>think is one of the many that is being asked

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<v Speaker 1>of us right now, is is the light that we're

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<v Speaker 1>trying to hold and be and shine out real, right?

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<v Speaker 1>Or is it someone else's fluorescent lighting that is making

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<v Speaker 1>us think that it's natural light? But it's so false. Right.

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<v Speaker 1>It is light that has you see what others want

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<v Speaker 1>you to see and not what you truly see. There's

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<v Speaker 1>a scene in The Devilwar's Prada. Meryl Streep is talking

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<v Speaker 1>to Anne Hathaway in the room of folks that work

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<v Speaker 1>at the or whatever the fake magazine was in The

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<v Speaker 1>Devilwares Prada, and she's telling her about the fact that

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<v Speaker 1>she did not choose the sweater that she is wearing,

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<v Speaker 1>that it was actually chosen by her, by the people

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<v Speaker 1>that are in this room, right, that the ones that

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<v Speaker 1>set trends and set style, right that everyone else follows

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<v Speaker 1>from the high end of you know, fashion, all the

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<v Speaker 1>way down to, as she says, the bargain basement bin,

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<v Speaker 1>which is where you received that sweater from, no doubt.

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<v Speaker 1>And that's what I think about when I think about

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<v Speaker 1>this moment where people feel like it is necessary in

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<v Speaker 1>some way, shape or form to watch this war in

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<v Speaker 1>Israel and Palestine as if you are watching a video

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<v Speaker 1>game and choosing sides. Humanity is the side that we

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<v Speaker 1>should be choosing. Right. Babies are being killed, whether they

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<v Speaker 1>are being killed from the bombs that Israel is using

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<v Speaker 1>to drop on Gaza, or they're being killed at the

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<v Speaker 1>hands of Hamath. Women are being raped as a form

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<v Speaker 1>of battle, whether that is happening by Israeli soldiers who

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<v Speaker 1>are destroying and have been destroying Palestinian homes and lives

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<v Speaker 1>for seventy five years, or whether it is happening at

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<v Speaker 1>the hands of Hammah since the late nineteen eighties. You see,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm going to be honest, and I'm going to say

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<v Speaker 1>some things that may have me lose listeners and have

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<v Speaker 1>people call me all types of names. But this is

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<v Speaker 1>the truth that I'm going to share. When I went

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<v Speaker 1>to Israel and Palestine in twenty fifteen, I was brought

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<v Speaker 1>there by the Foundation for Middle East Piece that brought

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<v Speaker 1>a cohort of journalists of color and a few white

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<v Speaker 1>journalists as well, to speak with activists, Palestinian activists, Israeli activists,

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<v Speaker 1>to speak with lawmakers inside of the Kannesset to understand

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<v Speaker 1>to get a better understanding and situational understanding of what

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<v Speaker 1>had been transpiring in this part of the world. Now,

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<v Speaker 1>let me preface everything that I'm going to say with

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<v Speaker 1>which is I am not a Middle Eastern scholar. I

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<v Speaker 1>am not a scholar in Israeli politics, in Palestinian politics. Right.

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<v Speaker 1>What I am sharing with you is my experience that

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<v Speaker 1>I had, which I am an expert in. I'm an

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<v Speaker 1>expert in me. I'm an expert in understanding in justice.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm an expert in what it means to live in

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<v Speaker 1>a society that marginalizes those that are not part of

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<v Speaker 1>the mainstream or deemed undesirable. I am an expert in

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<v Speaker 1>that while I was there, I had the great fortune

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<v Speaker 1>of being taken around to Jerusalem, to East Jerusalem, to

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<v Speaker 1>the West Bank, to Tel Aviv, to all different parts

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<v Speaker 1>of this very small, fracticious but incredibly important in the

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<v Speaker 1>foundation of every religion, every mainstream religion. When I'm talking

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<v Speaker 1>about Islam, Judaism, and Christianity, so not every religion, excuse me,

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<v Speaker 1>the main streamed Big Three that we often discuss in

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<v Speaker 1>this country, because let me tell you, what is happening

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<v Speaker 1>in India's a story for another day. What happens in

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<v Speaker 1>African nations is a story for another day. So I'm

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<v Speaker 1>talking about the Big Three and this place that is

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<v Speaker 1>not very big, but that's been filled with so much bloodshed,

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<v Speaker 1>so much pain, and so much injustice. What I will

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<v Speaker 1>tell you is that my experience was shocking because when

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<v Speaker 1>you are a black person in America, you understand discrimination

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<v Speaker 1>and hatred through the lens of white supremacy. You understand

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<v Speaker 1>difference in terms of physical difference. Right, the melanated black

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<v Speaker 1>people in this country have been mistreated, abused, terrorized, tortured, raped, beaten,

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<v Speaker 1>expelled for centuries in the United States and still are

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<v Speaker 1>beaten in the streets like dogs, suffer, vacated in the street,

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<v Speaker 1>like dogs, hung from trees, all of it. And we

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<v Speaker 1>understand that again through the lens of white supremacy. If

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<v Speaker 1>you are not white, and you are not Christian, you

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<v Speaker 1>are not treated well in America, nor have you been.

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<v Speaker 1>But when I went to Israel and Palestine, what initially

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<v Speaker 1>shocked me was the fact that to me there was

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<v Speaker 1>no physical difference at all. Everyone looked like members of

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<v Speaker 1>the same family. And I looked and I looked for what,

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<v Speaker 1>what is this thing that has you cage people? Right?

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<v Speaker 1>Because that is what Gaza is, which I wasn't able

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<v Speaker 1>to visit because at the time there was a spark

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<v Speaker 1>in fighting, and so there was a lot of bombing

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<v Speaker 1>that was happening, and the trip was almost called off.

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<v Speaker 1>But for those on the trip who had been to

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<v Speaker 1>Gaza prior explained conditions that no human being should ever

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<v Speaker 1>be forced to live in. You see, we come from

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<v Speaker 1>a space and place where we say, well, if you

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<v Speaker 1>don't like it, then leave. Palestinians don't have that ability

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<v Speaker 1>because they don't have freedom of movement, they don't have

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<v Speaker 1>bodily autonomy, they don't have self determination. So when you

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<v Speaker 1>are seeing and witnessing right now people leaving because it's

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<v Speaker 1>too dangerous. Those are free Israelis that are leaving, that

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<v Speaker 1>have the ability to leave. The people who are being

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<v Speaker 1>bombed off of the face of this earth don't have

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<v Speaker 1>that same freedom. They're not allowed to leave. They are

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<v Speaker 1>forced to live in utter sickness and despair and grief.

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<v Speaker 1>I cannot express to you some of the eyes that

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<v Speaker 1>I saw on my trips to the West Bend to

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<v Speaker 1>East Jerusalem going through security, and as a black woman,

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<v Speaker 1>I can tell you that what it felt like a

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<v Speaker 1>combination of the worst Jim Crow and the worst apartheid

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<v Speaker 1>that I had ever read about, And it was something

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<v Speaker 1>else to experience it up close and personal outside of

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<v Speaker 1>a museum. So when you are being told that there

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<v Speaker 1>are only one side's life that matters, and you see

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<v Speaker 1>people arguing, and you may yourself be choosing to get

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<v Speaker 1>on social media to argue with people, understand that you

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<v Speaker 1>are arguing about humanity. Right. Everyone, everyone, regardless of who

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<v Speaker 1>they worship, whether they worship, what they look like, who

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<v Speaker 1>they love, and what body they are in able or disabled,

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<v Speaker 1>should have self determination, should be able by virtue of

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<v Speaker 1>being born human, be born free, so anywhere where you

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<v Speaker 1>see that, there are powers that be whose job it

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<v Speaker 1>is to dehumanize and decouple people from their humanity so

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<v Speaker 1>that the justification of their mistreatment can be because they

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<v Speaker 1>are not like us. They don't pray like us, they

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<v Speaker 1>don't love like us, they don't look like us. Understand

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<v Speaker 1>that that is propaganda that is centuries old. I understand

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<v Speaker 1>the desire to want to show your solidarity by putting

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<v Speaker 1>up the Israeli flag wearing rite it as if it

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<v Speaker 1>is Ukraine. But I want people to understand that both

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<v Speaker 1>Palestinians and Israelis deserve freedom, self determination, and to live

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<v Speaker 1>free of fear, persecution, and abuse. And to say, right,

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<v Speaker 1>if all white people are not Maga, if all white

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<v Speaker 1>people are not the KKK, then all Palestinians are not Hamas,

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<v Speaker 1>then all Palestinians are not terrorists, then all Muslims and

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<v Speaker 1>all that pray differently should not be subjugated, because living

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<v Speaker 1>a life through fear is no life at all. Because

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<v Speaker 1>for me, in my expertise as a black queer woman,

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<v Speaker 1>being a black queer woman in these United States, I

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<v Speaker 1>know what was said and what continues to be said

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<v Speaker 1>about black people to justify excessive force. This century's old

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<v Speaker 1>lies superpower strength of black men. So you need to

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<v Speaker 1>have three, four, five six officers suffocate to death and

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<v Speaker 1>Eric Gardner the presumption of guilt by virtue of your skin.

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<v Speaker 1>So you need to shoot first and ask questions later

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<v Speaker 1>because you fear for your life. I know what it

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<v Speaker 1>is like to be a part of a group that

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<v Speaker 1>is marginalized, that is demonized and dehumanized. Being and having

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<v Speaker 1>been oppressed can sometimes open the door to you turning

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<v Speaker 1>into the oppressor and making the same justification that was

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<v Speaker 1>made for your end, making that for someone else's and

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<v Speaker 1>calling that righteousness and saying that anyone that objects to

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<v Speaker 1>that then objects to your humanity and your right to exist.

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<v Speaker 1>Having been oppressed, having been murdered and tortured, does not

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<v Speaker 1>give you the liberty to do that to other people.

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<v Speaker 1>I don't care what religion you are, I don't care

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<v Speaker 1>what ethnic group you come from. What we are and

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<v Speaker 1>what we are seeing is a bunch of wounded souls

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<v Speaker 1>who have never been healed, continue to inflict wound after wound,

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<v Speaker 1>death blow after death blow. This is no way to live.

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<v Speaker 1>Whether it is inside of the United States, whether it

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<v Speaker 1>is in the Middle East, whether it is on the

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<v Speaker 1>continent of Africa, whether it is in Asia. Having been

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<v Speaker 1>subjugated does not give you the license to subjugate. And

0:22:37.480 --> 0:22:42.480
<v Speaker 1>we should ask ourselves as Americans, just like we did

0:22:42.720 --> 0:22:47.159
<v Speaker 1>when we all witnessed the murder of George Floyd, your

0:22:47.200 --> 0:22:53.280
<v Speaker 1>tax dollars are going to fund all of the hashtags

0:22:54.560 --> 0:22:58.480
<v Speaker 1>that follow Black Lives Matter that were people with families,

0:22:58.560 --> 0:23:10.639
<v Speaker 1>with lives with future. They are going to fund this

0:23:10.800 --> 0:23:21.000
<v Speaker 1>same oppression in countries around the world, including Israel and Palestine.

0:23:21.359 --> 0:23:26.200
<v Speaker 1>So when I see cities around the world turn blue

0:23:26.480 --> 0:23:33.320
<v Speaker 1>in solidarity, what that says to me is solidarity for who?

0:23:33.760 --> 0:23:37.679
<v Speaker 1>Because what color should we put up for solidarity with humanity?

0:23:39.480 --> 0:23:45.280
<v Speaker 1>What color is that? Because it isn't about calling for

0:23:45.840 --> 0:23:51.199
<v Speaker 1>peace in the Middle East. What you're doing is picking

0:23:51.200 --> 0:23:53.439
<v Speaker 1>a side. And what I'm saying is that there is

0:23:53.480 --> 0:24:02.640
<v Speaker 1>no side to humanity. That's what propaganda has you do

0:24:03.560 --> 0:24:08.040
<v Speaker 1>is make a choice where there isn't one. We don't

0:24:08.119 --> 0:24:16.240
<v Speaker 1>need to devalue in order to show our solidarity. Showing

0:24:16.320 --> 0:24:23.400
<v Speaker 1>solidarity is asking and fighting for a just and free world.

0:24:25.240 --> 0:24:29.320
<v Speaker 1>From book bands to marriage, to freedom of movement, to

0:24:29.400 --> 0:24:33.760
<v Speaker 1>freedom to drink clean water, freedom to make a family

0:24:33.920 --> 0:24:37.840
<v Speaker 1>or not, freedom to pray in the way that fills

0:24:37.880 --> 0:24:43.520
<v Speaker 1>your soul or not. That's what we are fighting for.

0:24:45.119 --> 0:24:48.320
<v Speaker 1>We are not fighting against a people or a religion.

0:24:48.600 --> 0:24:52.320
<v Speaker 1>We are not on somebody's access. That is somebody else's

0:24:52.400 --> 0:24:56.720
<v Speaker 1>political agenda. That is not our truth. Our truth is

0:24:56.720 --> 0:25:01.119
<v Speaker 1>about humanity. Our truth is about love. Our truth is

0:25:01.160 --> 0:25:08.080
<v Speaker 1>about creation, not deprivation. So when you find yourself shedding

0:25:08.119 --> 0:25:13.520
<v Speaker 1>tears for one group and not the other, ask yourself why.

0:25:14.240 --> 0:25:18.919
<v Speaker 1>That is the reason. Mamma till Emmettil's mother opened up

0:25:18.920 --> 0:25:23.239
<v Speaker 1>his casket to say that her son's life mattered just

0:25:23.280 --> 0:25:29.080
<v Speaker 1>like everybody else's. The people inside of Gaza matter just

0:25:29.119 --> 0:25:33.359
<v Speaker 1>as much as the people outside of that war. And

0:25:33.440 --> 0:25:36.520
<v Speaker 1>if you feel differently and you think differently, you should

0:25:36.560 --> 0:25:42.159
<v Speaker 1>ask yourself why and whose rules and whose propaganda you

0:25:42.200 --> 0:25:47.880
<v Speaker 1>are buying, because that is what is fueling this war

0:25:48.840 --> 0:25:58.800
<v Speaker 1>and every war. That is it for me today, dear

0:25:58.880 --> 0:26:03.560
<v Speaker 1>friends on wo g F, Power to the people and

0:26:03.680 --> 0:26:09.280
<v Speaker 1>to all the people. Power, get woke and stay woke

0:26:09.320 --> 0:26:09.760
<v Speaker 1>as fuck.