1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:03,800 Speaker 1: Just having a way to hold yourself accountable, that you 2 00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:07,400 Speaker 1: will hold space to have these thoughts and to have 3 00:00:07,520 --> 00:00:10,920 Speaker 1: these conversations. That's the best thing that you can do. 4 00:00:25,239 --> 00:00:29,680 Speaker 2: Hey, everyone, Emily Abati here bringing you another installment of 5 00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:34,239 Speaker 2: Hurdle Moment from Hurdle. For today's episode, I am chatting 6 00:00:34,680 --> 00:00:39,920 Speaker 2: with Taylor ray Almonte. She is a trainer at Rumble Boxing, 7 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:44,560 Speaker 2: a Rebox sponsored athlete, co founder of an anti racism 8 00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:50,080 Speaker 2: wellness program called Activism. We'll get into exactly what activism 9 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:54,080 Speaker 2: is in today's show, but this is a really special 10 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:58,840 Speaker 2: conversation that we are having today about racial justice, terminology, 11 00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:03,640 Speaker 2: and just the intersection of race and wellness. 12 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:06,640 Speaker 3: Le me b Taylor's type woman for just a second. 13 00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:10,240 Speaker 2: First and foremost, we connected for the first time when 14 00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:12,319 Speaker 2: I was working on an article for self at some 15 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:16,399 Speaker 2: point last year, and ever since we first did so, 16 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:22,480 Speaker 2: I have just been drawn to her passion, her electric personality. 17 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:26,640 Speaker 2: We have since become insta friends and have now irl 18 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:30,959 Speaker 2: plans like I'm just totally on her wavelength, and I 19 00:01:30,959 --> 00:01:34,240 Speaker 2: think what I respect the most about her is her 20 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:38,559 Speaker 2: passion for just being authentically herself and showing up the 21 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:41,840 Speaker 2: best possible way that she can to serve for a community. 22 00:01:41,880 --> 00:01:43,920 Speaker 3: It's something that I can align with. 23 00:01:43,959 --> 00:01:46,120 Speaker 2: It's something that I feel like is definitely in my 24 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:51,800 Speaker 2: values wheelhouse. And she's not taking on easy subject matter 25 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 2: for Taylor. She has made it her mission to be 26 00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:58,920 Speaker 2: a social justice activist, to be the person that helps 27 00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:04,520 Speaker 2: people have sometimes difficult conversations. And I am just so 28 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:08,919 Speaker 2: grateful that she is lending her expertise to the Hurdle 29 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:12,960 Speaker 2: community today in this episode. I say it toward the 30 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:16,839 Speaker 2: beginning of our conversation, but my goal with Hurdle has 31 00:02:16,919 --> 00:02:22,280 Speaker 2: always been to have important and sometimes tough conversations and 32 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:27,960 Speaker 2: to bring important topics to the forefront of what I 33 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:30,919 Speaker 2: offer on the feed. And so as we are in 34 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:33,840 Speaker 2: the middle of Black History Month, and as I continue 35 00:02:33,880 --> 00:02:37,680 Speaker 2: on my personal journey of allyship, this felt right to 36 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:40,720 Speaker 2: offer at this point in time. I do want to 37 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:44,519 Speaker 2: bring you this discussion uninterrupted today, So before we get 38 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:48,840 Speaker 2: into it, I do want to thank my sponsor at Beam. 39 00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:50,079 Speaker 3: Beam is a. 40 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:54,280 Speaker 2: Boston based CBD company that is making waves in the 41 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:58,680 Speaker 2: wellness industry. Founded by two athletes who have been on 42 00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:01,040 Speaker 2: the show, Matt and ke Heaven. 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I make mine with 50 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:29,040 Speaker 2: a little bit of almond milk and some hot water, 51 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:32,200 Speaker 2: sometimes a scoop of collagen, and it's the perfect way 52 00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:35,200 Speaker 2: to wind down at the end of a long day. 53 00:03:35,360 --> 00:03:35,640 Speaker 1: In it. 54 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:40,800 Speaker 2: It's got melatonin, magnesium, reshelthianine, and of course their beam 55 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:45,120 Speaker 2: Nano CBD powder. You've got to get your hands on it. 56 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:48,560 Speaker 2: Head on over to beamtlc dot com and use the 57 00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:53,200 Speaker 2: code Hurdle at checkout for fifteen percent off today. Again, 58 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:56,000 Speaker 2: head on over to BEAMTLC dot com. That's b e 59 00:03:56,160 --> 00:04:00,640 Speaker 2: A m TLC dot com. Use the code hurd at 60 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:04,760 Speaker 2: checkout to get fifteen percent off your order today. Taylor's 61 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:08,240 Speaker 2: sponsor over at Rebok also has an awesome deal for 62 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:11,200 Speaker 2: you guys. They want to bring you forty percent off 63 00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:16,080 Speaker 2: full price and sale items. Now, some exclusions apply and 64 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:20,360 Speaker 2: this is only available for one hundred uses and good 65 00:04:20,440 --> 00:04:22,880 Speaker 2: for one month from the date. 66 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:24,599 Speaker 3: That this episode goes live. 67 00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:28,040 Speaker 2: Head on over to rebook dot com that is r 68 00:04:28,200 --> 00:04:32,599 Speaker 2: e Ebok dot com and use the code Hurdle at 69 00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:36,520 Speaker 2: checkout for forty percent off full price and sale items. Again, 70 00:04:36,560 --> 00:04:39,839 Speaker 2: that's Hurdle at checkout for forty percent off. 71 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:41,240 Speaker 3: Full price in sale items. 72 00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:44,919 Speaker 2: Some exclusions apply, and I'll put those exclusions in the 73 00:04:44,960 --> 00:04:48,440 Speaker 2: show notes. I am also partnering with Rebok to give 74 00:04:48,440 --> 00:04:53,360 Speaker 2: away one pair of their new NanoX once to enter 75 00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:55,680 Speaker 2: to win yours. I'm not going to promo this on 76 00:04:55,720 --> 00:04:59,680 Speaker 2: social media. This is just a little social experiment to 77 00:04:59,720 --> 00:05:03,039 Speaker 2: see how many hurdlers are really in the groove here. 78 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:06,559 Speaker 2: All you've got to do is rate, interview the show 79 00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:10,760 Speaker 2: in the iTunes store, and send a screen grab of 80 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:15,000 Speaker 2: this to Hello at hurdle dot us. I will be 81 00:05:15,080 --> 00:05:20,480 Speaker 2: choosing a winner for this giveaway on Friday, February nineteenth 82 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:23,440 Speaker 2: at nine a m. So again, if you are listening 83 00:05:23,480 --> 00:05:25,520 Speaker 2: to this episode and you want your chance to win 84 00:05:25,640 --> 00:05:29,360 Speaker 2: a pair of the new Rebok Nano x ones, rate 85 00:05:29,440 --> 00:05:32,320 Speaker 2: and review the show in the iTunes store and then 86 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:36,920 Speaker 2: send me a screen grab to Hello at Hurdle dot us. 87 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:40,400 Speaker 3: And that's it for now. With that, let's get to 88 00:05:40,480 --> 00:05:48,720 Speaker 3: hurdling today. 89 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:52,840 Speaker 2: I am chatting with Taylor Ray Almonde. She is a 90 00:05:52,920 --> 00:05:57,560 Speaker 2: rebox sponsored athlete, a trainer at Rumble Boxing, co founder 91 00:05:57,640 --> 00:06:00,840 Speaker 2: of anti racism wellness program Activism. 92 00:06:01,360 --> 00:06:05,479 Speaker 1: How you doing, girl, I am great. I'm super excited 93 00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:09,400 Speaker 1: to be talking with you. Honestly, Oh, honestly. 94 00:06:08,960 --> 00:06:11,679 Speaker 3: We only want honesty here, un Hurdle. 95 00:06:12,160 --> 00:06:14,480 Speaker 2: I'm you know, I'm super excited to be talking with 96 00:06:14,520 --> 00:06:18,160 Speaker 2: you for a number of reasons. I want to tell 97 00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:23,039 Speaker 2: you face to face that my focus with Hurdle, day in, 98 00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:26,920 Speaker 2: day out, as time goes on, is to bring important 99 00:06:26,960 --> 00:06:29,719 Speaker 2: conversations with thought leaders to my audience. 100 00:06:29,800 --> 00:06:32,360 Speaker 3: And all of my. 101 00:06:32,839 --> 00:06:36,840 Speaker 2: Listeners are certainly active people, but as we all know, 102 00:06:37,120 --> 00:06:41,200 Speaker 2: there is so much else that is going on in 103 00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:45,640 Speaker 2: our day to day life, especially over the last three 104 00:06:45,720 --> 00:06:52,040 Speaker 2: sixty five And I am having this particular conversation about 105 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:56,400 Speaker 2: social justice and racial equality with you because you have 106 00:06:56,560 --> 00:07:02,600 Speaker 2: found this really amazing and beautiful way of marrying our 107 00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:07,599 Speaker 2: physical well being with anti racism education in a way 108 00:07:07,600 --> 00:07:10,360 Speaker 2: that I have never ever seen before. 109 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:12,960 Speaker 1: Yeah. I love that. That makes me so happy. I 110 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:15,960 Speaker 1: feel like, honestly, so many folks over the last few 111 00:07:15,960 --> 00:07:20,040 Speaker 1: months have asked me about why I started doing that 112 00:07:20,440 --> 00:07:24,000 Speaker 1: or how I started doing it, and realistically, I just 113 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:28,440 Speaker 1: I'm a trainer, and this was something that was really 114 00:07:28,480 --> 00:07:30,640 Speaker 1: on my heart and that I felt super compelled to 115 00:07:30,680 --> 00:07:35,000 Speaker 1: start talking about. And I thought, well, here's where I am, 116 00:07:35,120 --> 00:07:37,680 Speaker 1: so just going to put it together right where I am, 117 00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:38,480 Speaker 1: right now. 118 00:07:38,720 --> 00:07:42,240 Speaker 2: Right here, right now. So first things first, talk to 119 00:07:42,280 --> 00:07:45,280 Speaker 2: me a little bit about where you hail from, because 120 00:07:45,280 --> 00:07:47,640 Speaker 2: I know right now you're in Brooklyn, But where did 121 00:07:47,640 --> 00:07:49,840 Speaker 2: you grow up? Give me a little bit of your backstory. 122 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:53,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely, So I grew up in a town called 123 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:56,640 Speaker 1: brick in New Jersey by the shore. Both of my 124 00:07:56,760 --> 00:07:59,920 Speaker 1: parents are amazing. They both immigrated when they were a kid. 125 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:02,480 Speaker 1: So my mom's Puerto Rican came from Puerto Rico as 126 00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:05,200 Speaker 1: a kid, my dad is Dominican, came from Dominican Republic 127 00:08:05,240 --> 00:08:07,720 Speaker 1: as a kid. And yeah, I live there with my 128 00:08:07,800 --> 00:08:11,800 Speaker 1: older sister, Danielle, and I feel like it definitely shaped 129 00:08:11,840 --> 00:08:15,920 Speaker 1: a lot of my identity or my confusion around my identity, 130 00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:21,400 Speaker 1: growing around a predominantly white community and just feeling a 131 00:08:21,400 --> 00:08:24,760 Speaker 1: lot of confusion and a lot of conflict as I 132 00:08:24,840 --> 00:08:27,960 Speaker 1: grew up which I think definitely influences my work. 133 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:31,120 Speaker 2: Now, tell me a little bit about your relationship with 134 00:08:31,480 --> 00:08:33,880 Speaker 2: health and wellness growing up. 135 00:08:34,640 --> 00:08:39,000 Speaker 1: So as a kid, I was the least athletic person 136 00:08:39,320 --> 00:08:43,200 Speaker 1: you've ever seen in your life. I was all about 137 00:08:43,240 --> 00:08:45,560 Speaker 1: that doctor's note that I would make last the whole 138 00:08:45,600 --> 00:08:49,240 Speaker 1: school year so I could avoid doing gym class. And 139 00:08:49,920 --> 00:08:52,840 Speaker 1: I just never saw myself as an athlete. I always sang, 140 00:08:52,920 --> 00:08:57,920 Speaker 1: I always acted, I danced, but I never was running 141 00:08:57,960 --> 00:09:01,319 Speaker 1: the track, playing you know, varsity sports, none of that stuff. 142 00:09:01,559 --> 00:09:05,000 Speaker 1: Something I was thinking about lately is that growing up, 143 00:09:05,040 --> 00:09:08,760 Speaker 1: I never felt proud of my body. I felt like 144 00:09:09,480 --> 00:09:11,760 Speaker 1: it was something that I always wished to look different, 145 00:09:12,040 --> 00:09:14,920 Speaker 1: and whether that meant wishing I was white, which was 146 00:09:14,960 --> 00:09:18,600 Speaker 1: absolutely something I wished as a child, or wishing I 147 00:09:18,679 --> 00:09:23,160 Speaker 1: was thinner, wishing I was shorter, wishing I looked different. 148 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:26,800 Speaker 1: And I feel like now being a trainer, the most 149 00:09:26,800 --> 00:09:29,280 Speaker 1: important thing to me is helping others feel proud of 150 00:09:29,320 --> 00:09:33,280 Speaker 1: their body, because this is our home, more than the 151 00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:36,320 Speaker 1: four walls that are around you every day, like this 152 00:09:36,360 --> 00:09:39,120 Speaker 1: is where you live. And I think that's something I 153 00:09:39,160 --> 00:09:40,559 Speaker 1: didn't find until much later. 154 00:09:41,640 --> 00:09:45,360 Speaker 2: That's so interesting to hear you say that there were 155 00:09:45,400 --> 00:09:48,560 Speaker 2: times that you wish that you were white. Did you 156 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:50,599 Speaker 2: grow up in a predominantly white area. 157 00:09:50,760 --> 00:09:53,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, so all of my friends were white, and I 158 00:09:53,120 --> 00:09:56,320 Speaker 1: definitely felt so. Something I talk about all the time 159 00:09:56,480 --> 00:09:58,840 Speaker 1: is I've been wearing extensions in my hair since i 160 00:09:58,880 --> 00:10:03,080 Speaker 1: was fourteen, and I've never not warn them in public. 161 00:10:03,320 --> 00:10:06,439 Speaker 1: It took me until several months into dating my new fee, 162 00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:09,800 Speaker 1: my now fiance, to even show him what I looked 163 00:10:09,800 --> 00:10:14,640 Speaker 1: like without extensions, because I felt so different and othered 164 00:10:15,240 --> 00:10:19,720 Speaker 1: and ugly. Uh. And I always wanted to look like 165 00:10:19,800 --> 00:10:22,840 Speaker 1: my friends, which were all white, every single one of them, 166 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:26,199 Speaker 1: and that was kind of the only example of beauty 167 00:10:26,200 --> 00:10:30,040 Speaker 1: that I saw around me, and I felt like that 168 00:10:30,200 --> 00:10:32,040 Speaker 1: was all, you know, that was all I wanted to be. 169 00:10:32,559 --> 00:10:35,960 Speaker 2: So then talk me through coming of age and getting 170 00:10:36,120 --> 00:10:40,600 Speaker 2: to a place where you felt more comfortable in your ethnicity. 171 00:10:41,640 --> 00:10:45,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, so I think it was definitely a learning experience. 172 00:10:45,440 --> 00:10:48,960 Speaker 1: I went to NYU for college, which was the greatest 173 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:51,240 Speaker 1: decision ever. I had decided I wanted to go to 174 00:10:51,320 --> 00:10:53,480 Speaker 1: NYU when I was six years old, and that was 175 00:10:53,480 --> 00:10:56,560 Speaker 1: the only school I applied to, and it was absolutely 176 00:10:56,600 --> 00:10:58,960 Speaker 1: all I hoped it would be. And so while I 177 00:10:59,040 --> 00:11:00,960 Speaker 1: was in college, I got to meet a lot of 178 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:04,360 Speaker 1: different people that I'd never been exposed to before. And 179 00:11:04,440 --> 00:11:06,920 Speaker 1: it was really during that time that something that I 180 00:11:06,960 --> 00:11:10,560 Speaker 1: always was super conflicted about was my mom's Puerto Rican, 181 00:11:10,600 --> 00:11:14,120 Speaker 1: my dad's Dominican. At home, we're speaking Spanish, we're eating 182 00:11:14,720 --> 00:11:18,880 Speaker 1: Spanish food, we're listening to Spanish music. And so that 183 00:11:19,040 --> 00:11:22,280 Speaker 1: was the culture that I was immersed in. And I 184 00:11:22,280 --> 00:11:24,320 Speaker 1: would go to family gatherings and look around and I 185 00:11:24,360 --> 00:11:28,360 Speaker 1: had cousins that were white presenting with blue eyes a 186 00:11:28,360 --> 00:11:30,839 Speaker 1: blonde hair. I had cousins that were five shades darker 187 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:33,040 Speaker 1: than me with super curly hair, and that's kind of 188 00:11:33,040 --> 00:11:36,800 Speaker 1: what it's like to be a LATINX person. But I 189 00:11:36,840 --> 00:11:39,520 Speaker 1: was always really confused because people would see me and 190 00:11:39,520 --> 00:11:41,720 Speaker 1: they'd say, oh, you're black, and I would think, no, 191 00:11:41,760 --> 00:11:44,480 Speaker 1: I'm Puerto Rican and Dominican. And I didn't really ever 192 00:11:44,640 --> 00:11:48,440 Speaker 1: understand as a kid that you can be what I 193 00:11:48,440 --> 00:11:53,480 Speaker 1: identify now as Afro Latina, which I'm black and LATINX. 194 00:11:53,520 --> 00:11:56,480 Speaker 1: I'm both of those things, being Puerto Rican and Dominican, 195 00:11:56,520 --> 00:12:01,920 Speaker 1: both is being indigenous Spanish and African, and I was 196 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:04,679 Speaker 1: not really clear on that or where I fit in 197 00:12:05,200 --> 00:12:08,560 Speaker 1: So once I went to college, was older, got to 198 00:12:08,600 --> 00:12:12,600 Speaker 1: meet tons of people and talk to them and say, Okay, 199 00:12:13,120 --> 00:12:16,360 Speaker 1: what does this mean for me? Your Jamaican and you 200 00:12:16,400 --> 00:12:19,240 Speaker 1: identify as black, Your Haitian and you identify as black, 201 00:12:19,679 --> 00:12:22,120 Speaker 1: What is that experience for you? Because I didn't know 202 00:12:22,559 --> 00:12:25,760 Speaker 1: what it looked like to be black, and I felt 203 00:12:25,800 --> 00:12:29,320 Speaker 1: like it didn't look how my life looked. So as 204 00:12:29,360 --> 00:12:31,600 Speaker 1: I've gotten older, I've been able to really claim that 205 00:12:31,679 --> 00:12:33,760 Speaker 1: as part of my identity, that I can be all 206 00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:34,520 Speaker 1: of those things. 207 00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:39,200 Speaker 2: Do you find that this connection and inquiry period, the 208 00:12:39,280 --> 00:12:41,719 Speaker 2: one that you went through in college, it's kind of 209 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:45,040 Speaker 2: an ever evolving and continuing process for you. 210 00:12:45,840 --> 00:12:50,520 Speaker 1: Yeah? Absolutely, I think, even more recently, being more outspoken 211 00:12:50,880 --> 00:12:53,720 Speaker 1: since the kind of social and civic reckoning that's been 212 00:12:54,200 --> 00:12:58,559 Speaker 1: the twenty twenty Black Lives Matter movement, I definitely question 213 00:12:58,679 --> 00:13:01,040 Speaker 1: all the time should I be the person person on 214 00:13:01,040 --> 00:13:03,600 Speaker 1: this platform? Should I be the voice that's heard? Because 215 00:13:03,640 --> 00:13:06,800 Speaker 1: I think something that is also very apparent to me 216 00:13:06,960 --> 00:13:11,880 Speaker 1: is that I'm light skin, mixed race, attractive, thin, able bodied, 217 00:13:12,160 --> 00:13:15,760 Speaker 1: college educated, middle class, and all of these things do 218 00:13:15,880 --> 00:13:19,200 Speaker 1: put me in a position in which my voice is 219 00:13:19,280 --> 00:13:22,000 Speaker 1: often going to be the loudest when you look at 220 00:13:22,040 --> 00:13:25,680 Speaker 1: a group of marginalized individuals. So I feel like I'm 221 00:13:25,760 --> 00:13:28,679 Speaker 1: constantly always checking in with myself and with the people 222 00:13:28,679 --> 00:13:32,640 Speaker 1: that I trust to kind of better continue to shape 223 00:13:32,640 --> 00:13:34,920 Speaker 1: my identity and how that moves in the world. 224 00:13:35,520 --> 00:13:40,120 Speaker 2: Like you, I am also trying to effectively communicate different 225 00:13:40,160 --> 00:13:42,320 Speaker 2: topics to my audience. So I can relate to you 226 00:13:42,640 --> 00:13:44,760 Speaker 2: in that you're just trying to do it in a 227 00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:47,520 Speaker 2: way that you feel like will be effective and beneficial 228 00:13:47,559 --> 00:13:49,040 Speaker 2: to the people that you're trying to reach. 229 00:13:49,200 --> 00:13:49,400 Speaker 1: Yeah. 230 00:13:49,440 --> 00:13:54,200 Speaker 2: Absolutely, So talk to me then about the conception and 231 00:13:54,280 --> 00:13:58,720 Speaker 2: development of activism and first and foremost, what is. 232 00:13:58,880 --> 00:14:05,800 Speaker 1: Activism is an anti racism wellness program. And essentially I 233 00:14:05,880 --> 00:14:08,640 Speaker 1: was looking back at the first class that I taught. 234 00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:14,120 Speaker 1: George Floyd was murdered in late May and in early June, 235 00:14:14,520 --> 00:14:19,720 Speaker 1: I had tons of classes scheduled. This is like mid pandemic. 236 00:14:19,960 --> 00:14:23,960 Speaker 1: Everyone's loving like Instagram live classes, virtual classes. So I 237 00:14:23,960 --> 00:14:27,840 Speaker 1: had tons of virtual classes scheduled on Instagram Live. And 238 00:14:27,880 --> 00:14:30,200 Speaker 1: I just reached out to all of the people I 239 00:14:30,240 --> 00:14:32,080 Speaker 1: was supposed to be on their platform and was like, 240 00:14:32,800 --> 00:14:36,200 Speaker 1: I must speak about this in some capacity. I just 241 00:14:36,320 --> 00:14:39,280 Speaker 1: feel called to do this. At this moment. And I 242 00:14:39,320 --> 00:14:42,880 Speaker 1: think when people talk to me about what led me 243 00:14:42,920 --> 00:14:45,000 Speaker 1: to this moment, like being an actor, I have a 244 00:14:45,040 --> 00:14:49,240 Speaker 1: double major in English, being a trainer, being a marginalized 245 00:14:49,280 --> 00:14:51,760 Speaker 1: person moving in the world. I feel like all of 246 00:14:51,800 --> 00:14:53,920 Speaker 1: these things were kind of preparing me for this moment, 247 00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:58,480 Speaker 1: being able to use this platform for this purpose. And 248 00:14:58,560 --> 00:15:02,720 Speaker 1: so I went into my first class and I was like, Okay, well, 249 00:15:02,760 --> 00:15:05,040 Speaker 1: we're going to talk about racism a little bit before 250 00:15:05,080 --> 00:15:08,080 Speaker 1: we box, and I was super nervous, and I was like, 251 00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:11,160 Speaker 1: these things don't flow together as seamlessly as I wish, 252 00:15:11,320 --> 00:15:14,400 Speaker 1: But there's nothing else to do but for me to 253 00:15:14,400 --> 00:15:16,200 Speaker 1: bring my whole self. And I think that's something that 254 00:15:16,240 --> 00:15:19,320 Speaker 1: was often missing for me in many different spaces, not 255 00:15:19,440 --> 00:15:22,120 Speaker 1: coming in as my whole self. There's a term called 256 00:15:22,640 --> 00:15:26,200 Speaker 1: code switching, and what code switching means is that essentially, 257 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:29,880 Speaker 1: I'm bringing different facets of my personality to different groups 258 00:15:29,920 --> 00:15:32,960 Speaker 1: in order to be more widely accepted in those spaces. 259 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:35,680 Speaker 1: And I felt like, Okay, well, I'm going to bring 260 00:15:35,720 --> 00:15:38,760 Speaker 1: the whole thing today. And I found that so many 261 00:15:38,800 --> 00:15:41,520 Speaker 1: people were receptive, and I found that there was no 262 00:15:41,640 --> 00:15:43,960 Speaker 1: way that I could use this platform not for this 263 00:15:44,040 --> 00:15:48,840 Speaker 1: purpose any longer. So Kira West, who's my co founder 264 00:15:48,880 --> 00:15:51,920 Speaker 1: of Activism, is one of my really good friends. And 265 00:15:51,920 --> 00:15:53,960 Speaker 1: it's so funny because we had only met once in 266 00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:57,440 Speaker 1: real life before we started this program together. Everything else 267 00:15:57,520 --> 00:16:00,640 Speaker 1: was on social media and zoom and face and all that. 268 00:16:01,000 --> 00:16:02,400 Speaker 1: And she reached out to me and she was like, 269 00:16:02,440 --> 00:16:05,800 Speaker 1: we're both being super outspoken on social media. Is there 270 00:16:05,880 --> 00:16:08,800 Speaker 1: something that we can do together. She's a wellness blogger, 271 00:16:08,840 --> 00:16:11,680 Speaker 1: I'm a trainer, and how could we kind of make 272 00:16:11,800 --> 00:16:15,000 Speaker 1: something out of this? So within two weeks, three weeks, 273 00:16:15,000 --> 00:16:18,360 Speaker 1: we launched our first program in October of last year 274 00:16:18,400 --> 00:16:23,960 Speaker 1: and had about fifty people. And essentially the whole point 275 00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:26,480 Speaker 1: of the program is that racial justice can be incorporated 276 00:16:26,520 --> 00:16:29,840 Speaker 1: into your daily life. So we have five action steps 277 00:16:29,880 --> 00:16:33,960 Speaker 1: a week, something to read, watch, listen, to support and share. 278 00:16:34,560 --> 00:16:36,520 Speaker 1: And then we have five wellness steps a week. And 279 00:16:36,560 --> 00:16:38,680 Speaker 1: that could be something like drink water as soon as 280 00:16:38,680 --> 00:16:41,400 Speaker 1: you wake up, make a meal with whole foods only, 281 00:16:42,520 --> 00:16:45,280 Speaker 1: go for this job or this walk while you listen 282 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:48,640 Speaker 1: to your podcast this week. It could be a workout, 283 00:16:48,720 --> 00:16:50,720 Speaker 1: it could be a live Zoom class that I teach 284 00:16:50,760 --> 00:16:54,440 Speaker 1: to the group. And essentially it's to realize that one 285 00:16:54,680 --> 00:16:58,440 Speaker 1: movement really helps you process your trauma as a person 286 00:16:58,520 --> 00:17:01,680 Speaker 1: of color or a marginalized person, and movement also really 287 00:17:01,720 --> 00:17:05,200 Speaker 1: helps you to kind of free yourself up from being 288 00:17:05,440 --> 00:17:08,640 Speaker 1: so in your head, and then to see that these 289 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:11,200 Speaker 1: action steps only take ten minutes fifteen minutes a day, 290 00:17:11,480 --> 00:17:14,439 Speaker 1: and you could do this every day. You don't just 291 00:17:14,520 --> 00:17:18,720 Speaker 1: have to do these long tasks like read this massive 292 00:17:18,880 --> 00:17:21,440 Speaker 1: novel and that be your only education. 293 00:17:22,080 --> 00:17:26,040 Speaker 2: I think some of the criticism over the popularity, so 294 00:17:26,080 --> 00:17:27,840 Speaker 2: to speak, that came hand in hand with the Black 295 00:17:27,840 --> 00:17:31,240 Speaker 2: Lives Matter movement last summer was that everyone was saying, 296 00:17:31,600 --> 00:17:36,000 Speaker 2: buy this book, do this thing, and White Fragility was 297 00:17:36,040 --> 00:17:39,080 Speaker 2: the number one best seller, and so many individuals were 298 00:17:39,080 --> 00:17:41,920 Speaker 2: speaking up and saying how many people actually read White 299 00:17:41,920 --> 00:17:46,160 Speaker 2: Fragility after they ordered it on Amazon? And So I 300 00:17:46,200 --> 00:17:49,240 Speaker 2: love what you're saying for two reasons. One because you're 301 00:17:49,320 --> 00:17:53,639 Speaker 2: articulating how it can be a daily practice that you 302 00:17:53,680 --> 00:17:56,680 Speaker 2: can integrate and it doesn't have to feel maybe overwhelming 303 00:17:57,040 --> 00:18:00,840 Speaker 2: or potentially intimidating. And also this point that you made 304 00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:05,400 Speaker 2: about movement being something that helps us deal with our 305 00:18:05,480 --> 00:18:11,080 Speaker 2: feelings and then also process information regardless of what you're 306 00:18:11,119 --> 00:18:13,680 Speaker 2: going through regardless of what you're trying to process. I 307 00:18:13,720 --> 00:18:16,040 Speaker 2: don't think there's a single person listening to this right 308 00:18:16,080 --> 00:18:18,800 Speaker 2: now that would not co sign that statement. 309 00:18:19,280 --> 00:18:21,480 Speaker 1: No, absolutely, I absolutely agree with that. 310 00:18:21,720 --> 00:18:24,119 Speaker 2: Another reason that I wanted to have you on here today, 311 00:18:24,160 --> 00:18:26,760 Speaker 2: aside from the fact that I was excited for you 312 00:18:26,840 --> 00:18:30,359 Speaker 2: to expand upon activism and give us the lowdown, is 313 00:18:30,400 --> 00:18:33,880 Speaker 2: because you did something leading up to Black History Month 314 00:18:33,920 --> 00:18:37,840 Speaker 2: that I really admired over on social when you started 315 00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:44,040 Speaker 2: to dive into a lot of different racial justice terminology. 316 00:18:44,280 --> 00:18:48,159 Speaker 2: And the reason why I loved the way that you 317 00:18:48,840 --> 00:18:51,600 Speaker 2: executed on this because I believe that there are so 318 00:18:51,720 --> 00:18:55,040 Speaker 2: many resources available right now, and I do want to 319 00:18:55,320 --> 00:18:58,439 Speaker 2: again thank you for taking your time to show up 320 00:18:58,440 --> 00:19:00,359 Speaker 2: and be an educator, because I know it can be 321 00:19:00,480 --> 00:19:03,639 Speaker 2: a time consuming thing. But what I loved about the 322 00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:05,560 Speaker 2: way that you were going about it was that you 323 00:19:05,800 --> 00:19:10,040 Speaker 2: were speaking in a way that I could totally relate 324 00:19:10,080 --> 00:19:12,800 Speaker 2: to and breaking it down to me, it felt like 325 00:19:13,040 --> 00:19:15,800 Speaker 2: one on one in a way that I was like, Wow, 326 00:19:15,840 --> 00:19:19,000 Speaker 2: I actually understand what we're talking about here, and I 327 00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:21,800 Speaker 2: think that's so important because for some and I won't 328 00:19:21,840 --> 00:19:26,119 Speaker 2: lie like myself included, this can definitely feel intimidating because 329 00:19:26,119 --> 00:19:28,879 Speaker 2: at times it's like I want to be so in 330 00:19:28,920 --> 00:19:31,840 Speaker 2: the know. I want to show up in the correct way. 331 00:19:31,960 --> 00:19:34,520 Speaker 2: I want to speak in the correct way. I want 332 00:19:34,560 --> 00:19:37,359 Speaker 2: to inform others in a capacity that feels true to 333 00:19:37,400 --> 00:19:39,720 Speaker 2: who I am in a correct way. So to have 334 00:19:39,840 --> 00:19:42,760 Speaker 2: someone like you informing me in a way that made 335 00:19:42,800 --> 00:19:45,159 Speaker 2: me feel like an equal and not like you were 336 00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:48,720 Speaker 2: talking down to me, I thought that was so helpful. 337 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:53,439 Speaker 1: Yeah. Absolutely, I feel like when we have the language 338 00:19:53,520 --> 00:19:57,560 Speaker 1: to talk about these complex topics, not only are we 339 00:19:57,600 --> 00:20:00,760 Speaker 1: more likely to engage in the conversation, but we're more 340 00:20:00,880 --> 00:20:03,880 Speaker 1: likely to actually reach someone else because we have the 341 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:08,800 Speaker 1: actual words to say what we mean and to not 342 00:20:09,080 --> 00:20:14,960 Speaker 1: be overwhelmed by the by the mystery in our head 343 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:19,439 Speaker 1: of how to unravel what we actually want to say. 344 00:20:19,720 --> 00:20:22,800 Speaker 2: So, what I would love to do here is dive 345 00:20:23,000 --> 00:20:27,000 Speaker 2: into a few of these terms so that we can 346 00:20:27,840 --> 00:20:33,360 Speaker 2: hopefully demystify some of the perhaps confusion that is lingering 347 00:20:33,440 --> 00:20:35,760 Speaker 2: out there when it comes to some of these words. 348 00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:38,720 Speaker 2: I'm going to pass these reins over to you. Where 349 00:20:38,720 --> 00:20:39,680 Speaker 2: do you think we should start? 350 00:20:40,200 --> 00:20:42,480 Speaker 1: Yeah? So I love this. Something I mentioned earlier was 351 00:20:42,480 --> 00:20:45,280 Speaker 1: that I'm an English double major and I just love 352 00:20:46,040 --> 00:20:49,480 Speaker 1: language so much. I feel like it has so much 353 00:20:49,560 --> 00:20:53,240 Speaker 1: power to really just transform our experience. So I am 354 00:20:53,920 --> 00:20:56,879 Speaker 1: very hype for this. The first place I want to 355 00:20:56,920 --> 00:21:01,200 Speaker 1: start is just the difference between prejudice, discriminating, and racism. 356 00:21:01,640 --> 00:21:06,200 Speaker 1: I feel like often these words get interchangeably used, and 357 00:21:06,680 --> 00:21:09,480 Speaker 1: something that's super important is that when we talk about race, 358 00:21:09,600 --> 00:21:13,119 Speaker 1: there is a sensitivity. Whether it's as a white person 359 00:21:13,160 --> 00:21:15,160 Speaker 1: that doesn't want to say the wrong thing, a white 360 00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:18,760 Speaker 1: person that feels defensive, a person of color that feels 361 00:21:18,960 --> 00:21:23,760 Speaker 1: that they don't need to be educating someone else in 362 00:21:24,200 --> 00:21:28,080 Speaker 1: a day to day conversation, there's a lot of sensitivity here. 363 00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:31,720 Speaker 1: So I feel like a lot of time folks, specifically 364 00:21:31,760 --> 00:21:36,840 Speaker 1: with the term racism, they feel really triggered when we say, oh, 365 00:21:36,920 --> 00:21:40,680 Speaker 1: that experience in which a black person said something racially 366 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:46,720 Speaker 1: insulting to a white person that's actually not racism. They feel, yes, 367 00:21:46,760 --> 00:21:49,200 Speaker 1: it is, like that was not an okay thing to say. 368 00:21:49,200 --> 00:21:51,679 Speaker 1: That was upsetting, and no one is invalidating that it 369 00:21:51,760 --> 00:21:54,439 Speaker 1: was upsetting or not acceptable, But we're saying it's a 370 00:21:54,480 --> 00:21:57,560 Speaker 1: different word. And I think that's what's super important, that 371 00:21:57,640 --> 00:22:00,800 Speaker 1: it's just a different term. Just like I said was turquoise, 372 00:22:00,840 --> 00:22:02,399 Speaker 1: and he said it was blue, and someone said, no, 373 00:22:02,440 --> 00:22:04,840 Speaker 1: it's actually turquoise because we have a word for that, 374 00:22:05,359 --> 00:22:10,040 Speaker 1: and it's a different word, and that's okay. And so 375 00:22:10,119 --> 00:22:12,479 Speaker 1: the kind of basis of those three terms is going 376 00:22:12,520 --> 00:22:15,760 Speaker 1: to be prejudice. And the word prejudice is a baseless, 377 00:22:16,080 --> 00:22:20,320 Speaker 1: negative preconception toward a member or toward a group. And 378 00:22:20,440 --> 00:22:23,240 Speaker 1: so it's a thought, it's a feeling, and it's something 379 00:22:23,280 --> 00:22:26,840 Speaker 1: that is not necessarily acted upon. It's something that you 380 00:22:26,960 --> 00:22:31,080 Speaker 1: might believe deep down or something that might color your 381 00:22:31,160 --> 00:22:34,920 Speaker 1: perception of the world. When that prejudice is then turned 382 00:22:34,920 --> 00:22:39,520 Speaker 1: into an action, that's discrimination. Discrimination is a verb. Discrimination 383 00:22:39,680 --> 00:22:43,480 Speaker 1: is something that is done unfair and unequal treatment to 384 00:22:43,680 --> 00:22:47,159 Speaker 1: an individual or to a group. So that's prejudice. That's discrimination. 385 00:22:47,600 --> 00:22:51,440 Speaker 1: And then racism is going to be prejudice plus power. 386 00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:56,199 Speaker 1: So power dynamics are super important. And power here is 387 00:22:56,200 --> 00:23:00,400 Speaker 1: defined as the authority granted through social structure. So we 388 00:23:00,520 --> 00:23:03,480 Speaker 1: know that the social structure is upheld by white supremacy, 389 00:23:03,880 --> 00:23:07,400 Speaker 1: and so the social structure at this present time, when 390 00:23:07,440 --> 00:23:10,879 Speaker 1: social structure is constantly shifting, but at this present time, 391 00:23:11,320 --> 00:23:15,520 Speaker 1: racism can only be enacted by the person that holds 392 00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:19,800 Speaker 1: the power tied together with that prejudice. So I feel 393 00:23:19,800 --> 00:23:22,399 Speaker 1: like that's a great place to kick it off. 394 00:23:22,600 --> 00:23:24,119 Speaker 3: It's a good place to kick it off. 395 00:23:24,240 --> 00:23:27,840 Speaker 2: I love the way that you articulated discrimination being a verb. 396 00:23:28,560 --> 00:23:33,240 Speaker 2: I think that oftentimes, like that extra layer of explanation 397 00:23:33,640 --> 00:23:36,239 Speaker 2: is what really made me relate into what you were 398 00:23:36,280 --> 00:23:39,280 Speaker 2: putting into the world last month, and of course in 399 00:23:39,320 --> 00:23:41,399 Speaker 2: the months leading up to that. So then for a 400 00:23:41,520 --> 00:23:44,720 Speaker 2: shift here, I think it could be good for us 401 00:23:44,800 --> 00:23:48,000 Speaker 2: to then talk a little bit about tone policing. 402 00:23:48,640 --> 00:23:52,520 Speaker 1: Yeah. So, tone policing, I think is so important and 403 00:23:52,560 --> 00:23:57,360 Speaker 1: critical toward being an ally and toward continuing any sort 404 00:23:57,400 --> 00:24:02,120 Speaker 1: of anti racism journey. Plice saying is a diversionary tactic, 405 00:24:02,320 --> 00:24:05,600 Speaker 1: and it's used when a person purposely turns away from 406 00:24:05,640 --> 00:24:09,200 Speaker 1: the message behind someone's argument to focus on the delivery 407 00:24:09,240 --> 00:24:12,360 Speaker 1: of it. So an example of tone policing would be 408 00:24:12,480 --> 00:24:16,080 Speaker 1: if someone says I'm so fed up with this shit 409 00:24:16,440 --> 00:24:19,000 Speaker 1: and I don't want to deal with white people anymore, 410 00:24:19,920 --> 00:24:24,080 Speaker 1: and a white person might think I feel attacked, I 411 00:24:24,160 --> 00:24:29,119 Speaker 1: feel upset, I feel triggered. I feel that this is 412 00:24:29,880 --> 00:24:34,080 Speaker 1: an unkind way to verbalize this sentiment. I feel that 413 00:24:34,119 --> 00:24:37,320 Speaker 1: I'm being attacked in this moment when potentially maybe this 414 00:24:37,440 --> 00:24:39,760 Speaker 1: is a friend let's say that you're having a conversation 415 00:24:39,880 --> 00:24:44,480 Speaker 1: with and that becomes the focused And I think that 416 00:24:45,200 --> 00:24:48,880 Speaker 1: what I mentioned before about the privileges that I have 417 00:24:49,040 --> 00:24:53,639 Speaker 1: of being a college educated, middle class person is that 418 00:24:53,880 --> 00:24:56,840 Speaker 1: maybe I have I have, for example, access to therapy. 419 00:24:56,880 --> 00:24:58,840 Speaker 1: I've been going to therapy for five years and that 420 00:24:58,920 --> 00:25:00,760 Speaker 1: has allowed me to be able to trauma in a 421 00:25:00,760 --> 00:25:04,560 Speaker 1: different way that maybe someone that doesn't have access to therapy. 422 00:25:04,600 --> 00:25:07,040 Speaker 1: I also put myself in a position as an educator, 423 00:25:07,359 --> 00:25:09,520 Speaker 1: so the way in which that I'm going to express 424 00:25:09,720 --> 00:25:12,680 Speaker 1: my feelings to someone might be different. But I think 425 00:25:12,720 --> 00:25:16,000 Speaker 1: what's so important is to realize that marginalized people have 426 00:25:16,080 --> 00:25:18,720 Speaker 1: a reason to be angry, they have a reason to 427 00:25:18,800 --> 00:25:22,400 Speaker 1: be traumatized, they have a reason to be upset. And 428 00:25:22,480 --> 00:25:25,440 Speaker 1: so if the words that someone uses make you less 429 00:25:25,480 --> 00:25:28,760 Speaker 1: than comfortable, I think it is up to the person 430 00:25:29,359 --> 00:25:32,119 Speaker 1: that is trying to learn to be able to say, Okay, 431 00:25:32,680 --> 00:25:35,400 Speaker 1: from what you just said, I'm hearing that you're sad. 432 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:38,320 Speaker 1: I'm hearing that you're traumatized. I'm hearing that your heartbroken. 433 00:25:38,359 --> 00:25:41,000 Speaker 1: I'm hearing that maybe I've let you down as a friend, 434 00:25:41,600 --> 00:25:45,000 Speaker 1: And that is really the beauty of tone policing. It's 435 00:25:45,240 --> 00:25:48,760 Speaker 1: turning it away from feeling offended at the delivery of 436 00:25:48,800 --> 00:25:53,879 Speaker 1: something into really grasping the message that's behind that hurt. 437 00:25:54,520 --> 00:25:59,119 Speaker 1: And it's definitely necessary because again, when someone is traumatized, 438 00:25:59,160 --> 00:26:04,520 Speaker 1: wounded and oppressed, they can't be expected to be eloquent 439 00:26:04,800 --> 00:26:05,440 Speaker 1: all the time. 440 00:26:06,640 --> 00:26:08,879 Speaker 3: So that would go hand in hand with emotional labor. 441 00:26:09,760 --> 00:26:13,359 Speaker 1: Yeah. Absolutely. Like I again, like I said, I'm putting 442 00:26:13,359 --> 00:26:16,320 Speaker 1: myself in this position. I love. I was so hyped 443 00:26:16,359 --> 00:26:19,199 Speaker 1: to talk about language because it's really something that is 444 00:26:19,400 --> 00:26:22,560 Speaker 1: I have a passion for, and I'm putting myself in 445 00:26:22,600 --> 00:26:25,359 Speaker 1: this position. So when folks ask me a question in 446 00:26:25,440 --> 00:26:28,919 Speaker 1: relation to this, I've put myself out there in this way. 447 00:26:29,200 --> 00:26:32,960 Speaker 1: Whereas just because you have a black coworker doesn't make 448 00:26:33,000 --> 00:26:35,840 Speaker 1: it appropriate for you to go to them and ask 449 00:26:35,920 --> 00:26:40,000 Speaker 1: them to teach you about something. Luckily, we are in 450 00:26:40,280 --> 00:26:42,560 Speaker 1: an age where we have Google and we just have 451 00:26:42,680 --> 00:26:45,960 Speaker 1: all the resources at our fingertips, and so there's not 452 00:26:46,080 --> 00:26:49,159 Speaker 1: really a need to put that pressure on someone else. 453 00:26:50,280 --> 00:26:53,240 Speaker 1: So emotional labor, when you really think about it, it's 454 00:26:53,359 --> 00:26:57,879 Speaker 1: just when a person must constantly manage their emotion in 455 00:26:58,040 --> 00:27:00,840 Speaker 1: order to make someone else feel comfortable. It goes definitely 456 00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:03,960 Speaker 1: hand in hand with tone policing. It's about the work 457 00:27:04,240 --> 00:27:06,800 Speaker 1: of think about like if you're in a fight with 458 00:27:06,800 --> 00:27:08,639 Speaker 1: someone and there's something you really want to say, but 459 00:27:08,720 --> 00:27:11,040 Speaker 1: you know you shouldn't say it, and so you're like 460 00:27:11,119 --> 00:27:14,040 Speaker 1: talking yourself down in your head. It's that kind of 461 00:27:14,080 --> 00:27:17,439 Speaker 1: feeling that you have to get yourself together in a 462 00:27:17,480 --> 00:27:20,560 Speaker 1: way to make the other person feel comfortable when maybe 463 00:27:20,760 --> 00:27:23,720 Speaker 1: your comfort should be put at the forefront. 464 00:27:24,680 --> 00:27:25,120 Speaker 3: Wow. 465 00:27:25,520 --> 00:27:27,639 Speaker 2: I'm just like sitting here absorbing a lot of this, 466 00:27:27,760 --> 00:27:30,760 Speaker 2: and I think this is helpful, not just when it 467 00:27:30,800 --> 00:27:35,560 Speaker 2: comes to conversations on activism and racial justice, but also 468 00:27:35,680 --> 00:27:38,240 Speaker 2: just like in our everyday life and understanding like where 469 00:27:38,240 --> 00:27:41,600 Speaker 2: you can sit in discussions with the people you care about, 470 00:27:41,840 --> 00:27:43,919 Speaker 2: or just I mean, how you can sit in discussions 471 00:27:43,920 --> 00:27:44,439 Speaker 2: in general. 472 00:27:44,760 --> 00:27:46,960 Speaker 1: Yeah. Absolutely, I think about that all the time. I 473 00:27:46,960 --> 00:27:52,359 Speaker 1: think about how I've tone policed someone that was telling 474 00:27:52,400 --> 00:27:56,920 Speaker 1: me any number of things that was hurtful or traumatizing 475 00:27:56,960 --> 00:27:58,639 Speaker 1: to them, and I'm like, ooh, I didn't really like 476 00:27:58,720 --> 00:28:01,320 Speaker 1: how you said that to me, And I think absolutely 477 00:28:01,400 --> 00:28:02,800 Speaker 1: exactly what you said. I feel like it can be 478 00:28:02,920 --> 00:28:06,840 Speaker 1: used in a lot of different scenarios on. 479 00:28:06,840 --> 00:28:12,000 Speaker 2: The tone policing note, can you have a constructive conversation 480 00:28:12,400 --> 00:28:16,080 Speaker 2: about the way that the two of you were communicating, 481 00:28:16,359 --> 00:28:18,959 Speaker 2: because that's what I would hope to do realistically. 482 00:28:19,160 --> 00:28:24,000 Speaker 1: It's the I feel like. It definitely depends on the relationship, 483 00:28:24,200 --> 00:28:28,000 Speaker 1: and it depends on the circumstances. Like my fiance, Richard, 484 00:28:28,320 --> 00:28:32,400 Speaker 1: He's Chinese, Korean and Puerto Rican. He identifies primarily as 485 00:28:32,440 --> 00:28:35,439 Speaker 1: Asian and lives in experience as an Asian American and 486 00:28:35,520 --> 00:28:38,640 Speaker 1: is more tied to that culture. And so in the 487 00:28:38,640 --> 00:28:42,000 Speaker 1: beginning of this kind of moment where I started really 488 00:28:42,040 --> 00:28:44,760 Speaker 1: speaking out on racial justice, there were plenty of things 489 00:28:44,800 --> 00:28:47,360 Speaker 1: that we didn't see eye to eye on and I 490 00:28:47,480 --> 00:28:53,920 Speaker 1: would sometimes lash out because I was exhausted of speaking 491 00:28:54,000 --> 00:28:57,040 Speaker 1: to people maybe in this way in my public life, 492 00:28:57,080 --> 00:29:00,160 Speaker 1: and so in my private life, I was just did 493 00:29:00,280 --> 00:29:04,040 Speaker 1: not have the energy to hold my emotions back. And 494 00:29:04,080 --> 00:29:08,840 Speaker 1: I think it took time, because I think what you're 495 00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:11,160 Speaker 1: looking for when you're lashing out, at least me. I 496 00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:14,480 Speaker 1: can't speak to all black people obviously are all marginalized people. 497 00:29:14,720 --> 00:29:17,680 Speaker 1: But what I'm looking for is someone to reach their 498 00:29:17,680 --> 00:29:20,840 Speaker 1: handout and say I believe you. Everything that you're saying 499 00:29:20,960 --> 00:29:26,600 Speaker 1: is true, Everything that you're saying is verified and validated. 500 00:29:27,080 --> 00:29:30,200 Speaker 1: And once I feel that, it definitely is easier to 501 00:29:30,240 --> 00:29:34,480 Speaker 1: be able to have a more calm conversation in which 502 00:29:34,480 --> 00:29:35,880 Speaker 1: I don't feel that I'm being attacked. 503 00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:39,600 Speaker 2: Is there anything else I can say or do for 504 00:29:39,760 --> 00:29:44,160 Speaker 2: public facing tailor to make public facing tailor feel more 505 00:29:44,240 --> 00:29:45,880 Speaker 2: comfortable or accepted? 506 00:29:47,560 --> 00:29:51,080 Speaker 1: I feel like I definitely feel a lot more comfortable now. 507 00:29:51,080 --> 00:29:54,800 Speaker 1: I think it's just over time learning. You know where 508 00:29:55,840 --> 00:29:58,280 Speaker 1: where I need rest and where I need you know, 509 00:29:58,400 --> 00:29:59,520 Speaker 1: to take a moment. 510 00:30:00,200 --> 00:30:03,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, fair, fair, Okay. I want to dive into two 511 00:30:03,760 --> 00:30:07,600 Speaker 2: more terms before I let you go. The first term, 512 00:30:07,640 --> 00:30:10,240 Speaker 2: I want to dive into microaggressions. 513 00:30:11,360 --> 00:30:15,760 Speaker 1: Yes, microaggressions. Ooh, it is such a buzzword in these times, 514 00:30:16,120 --> 00:30:19,680 Speaker 1: such a buzz I'll give you kind of a more 515 00:30:19,720 --> 00:30:23,000 Speaker 1: dictionary definition of what a microaggression is and then kind 516 00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:25,040 Speaker 1: of dive into a little bit more. I feel like 517 00:30:25,200 --> 00:30:27,280 Speaker 1: as I learn more about these terms, I kind of 518 00:30:27,320 --> 00:30:30,960 Speaker 1: have more thoughts to offer. So a microaggression is a 519 00:30:30,960 --> 00:30:36,240 Speaker 1: commonplace verbal or behavioral example of racism is perpetuated often, 520 00:30:36,320 --> 00:30:38,960 Speaker 1: and you will see this in literally every single definition 521 00:30:39,200 --> 00:30:43,760 Speaker 1: of microaggressions, that it's often perpetuated by well meaning people 522 00:30:44,160 --> 00:30:49,000 Speaker 1: or well intentioned people, And I think it's so interesting 523 00:30:49,040 --> 00:30:52,560 Speaker 1: that that language has used so much in the dictionary 524 00:30:52,560 --> 00:30:56,480 Speaker 1: definition of this word. When we talk about microaggressions, there 525 00:30:56,520 --> 00:31:02,800 Speaker 1: is nothing micro about them. My entire life, my entire childhood. 526 00:31:03,080 --> 00:31:06,840 Speaker 1: I would say I experience microaggressions every single day, whether 527 00:31:06,880 --> 00:31:09,480 Speaker 1: it was someone throwing rocks in my hair to see 528 00:31:09,520 --> 00:31:11,360 Speaker 1: if they would stay in It could be a behavior 529 00:31:11,520 --> 00:31:15,560 Speaker 1: or or a verbal example, so throwing sticks in my 530 00:31:15,600 --> 00:31:17,080 Speaker 1: hair to see if they would stick in my hair, 531 00:31:17,360 --> 00:31:20,920 Speaker 1: or if it was someone telling me that my food 532 00:31:21,040 --> 00:31:24,800 Speaker 1: was weird because it was you know, rice and beans 533 00:31:24,800 --> 00:31:29,360 Speaker 1: are something that my parents had made me. Microaggressions are 534 00:31:29,840 --> 00:31:33,640 Speaker 1: not micro. They are the tiny, tiny cuts that you 535 00:31:33,760 --> 00:31:36,760 Speaker 1: experience every day that result in a massive wound as 536 00:31:36,760 --> 00:31:41,000 Speaker 1: a marginalized person. And when I say marginalized person, that 537 00:31:41,080 --> 00:31:44,520 Speaker 1: includes anyone that's at the fringes of society. Those are 538 00:31:44,960 --> 00:31:49,280 Speaker 1: black people, Hispanic people, Latin X people, queer people, trans people, 539 00:31:49,400 --> 00:31:52,960 Speaker 1: fat people, old people, people with disabilities, folks that are 540 00:31:53,040 --> 00:31:55,560 Speaker 1: cast to the side and not seen as the ideal 541 00:31:56,120 --> 00:32:01,520 Speaker 1: and microaggressions are hurtful and they are ongoing because we 542 00:32:01,600 --> 00:32:05,600 Speaker 1: see them as something that's super disorienting for the person 543 00:32:05,680 --> 00:32:09,440 Speaker 1: that's experiencing them. When someone says, can I touch your hair, 544 00:32:09,600 --> 00:32:12,160 Speaker 1: and they reach out and touch my hair as a child, 545 00:32:12,800 --> 00:32:15,640 Speaker 1: and for me to turn around and say that's racist, 546 00:32:16,200 --> 00:32:20,480 Speaker 1: the uproar that I receive is I just liked your hair, 547 00:32:20,800 --> 00:32:22,560 Speaker 1: and I was doing something nice. I was giving you 548 00:32:22,560 --> 00:32:25,440 Speaker 1: a compliment. And I think we really need to strip 549 00:32:25,520 --> 00:32:30,240 Speaker 1: away the layers of our society that say racism is 550 00:32:30,280 --> 00:32:32,760 Speaker 1: too tough of a word. I think we need to 551 00:32:32,800 --> 00:32:36,400 Speaker 1: call something racism when it's racist, When it is making 552 00:32:36,480 --> 00:32:40,760 Speaker 1: me feel othered, it is not acceptable. And I think 553 00:32:40,760 --> 00:32:44,680 Speaker 1: when we use words like microaggression sometimes it minimizes the 554 00:32:44,760 --> 00:32:48,920 Speaker 1: damage that is done when someone experiences this kind of thing. 555 00:32:49,920 --> 00:32:53,920 Speaker 1: So I would say, while microaggression is absolutely a term 556 00:32:53,960 --> 00:32:58,000 Speaker 1: that's used and a valid term, I feel like I 557 00:32:58,040 --> 00:33:01,160 Speaker 1: am much more of the mindset that when something is racist, 558 00:33:01,440 --> 00:33:03,720 Speaker 1: we can call it racist. We don't have to shy 559 00:33:03,800 --> 00:33:06,520 Speaker 1: away from saying it was a little racist, it was 560 00:33:06,560 --> 00:33:09,360 Speaker 1: a microaggression. It was just not too nice. We don't 561 00:33:09,360 --> 00:33:12,240 Speaker 1: have to sugarcoat it. Words are here for a reason. 562 00:33:12,280 --> 00:33:14,360 Speaker 1: They're here for us to reach out and use them, 563 00:33:15,080 --> 00:33:18,040 Speaker 1: and I think racist works just fine. 564 00:33:18,880 --> 00:33:21,760 Speaker 2: Hot take, okay, And so then the last word that 565 00:33:21,880 --> 00:33:26,600 Speaker 2: I want to discuss with you here today is allyship. 566 00:33:26,840 --> 00:33:31,160 Speaker 2: It is something that I myself have been really striving 567 00:33:31,360 --> 00:33:34,520 Speaker 2: to do better. It is something that I've been trying 568 00:33:34,560 --> 00:33:37,440 Speaker 2: to educate myself on, and so I think that it's 569 00:33:37,480 --> 00:33:40,040 Speaker 2: a great way to bring us home here. 570 00:33:40,880 --> 00:33:46,000 Speaker 1: Absolutely so. My favorite definition of allyship is an active, consistent, 571 00:33:46,120 --> 00:33:51,640 Speaker 1: and arduous practice of unlearning and reevaluating, and allyship is 572 00:33:51,760 --> 00:33:55,720 Speaker 1: essentially to be right there at the forefront with those 573 00:33:55,840 --> 00:34:00,280 Speaker 1: that are marginalized. Some of my favorite tips for an 574 00:34:00,280 --> 00:34:04,440 Speaker 1: ally are believing people, which is something I referenced earlier. 575 00:34:04,520 --> 00:34:09,880 Speaker 1: Believing people validating their humanity, validating their experience, and along 576 00:34:09,920 --> 00:34:13,680 Speaker 1: with that goes learning consistently. If someone tells you something 577 00:34:13,719 --> 00:34:18,680 Speaker 1: that maybe is completely out of your understanding, something you've 578 00:34:18,760 --> 00:34:21,920 Speaker 1: never experienced before, that you couldn't even fathom happening to you, 579 00:34:22,360 --> 00:34:25,200 Speaker 1: that doesn't mean it's not true. It means just you 580 00:34:25,280 --> 00:34:28,160 Speaker 1: have been lucky enough to not experience that, and so 581 00:34:28,280 --> 00:34:33,680 Speaker 1: it's your job to then go away and learn what 582 00:34:33,880 --> 00:34:36,719 Speaker 1: that person was talking about. What that means, because going 583 00:34:36,760 --> 00:34:40,080 Speaker 1: back to emotional labor, it's not their job to educate 584 00:34:40,120 --> 00:34:47,120 Speaker 1: you on how our society functions as upholding white supremacist ideology. 585 00:34:47,560 --> 00:34:50,720 Speaker 1: It's your job to say, wow, I've never heard anything 586 00:34:50,840 --> 00:34:53,320 Speaker 1: like that. I'm going to go away and find more 587 00:34:53,960 --> 00:34:58,120 Speaker 1: so believing people, learning consistently, absolutely being willing to make 588 00:34:58,160 --> 00:35:02,520 Speaker 1: mistakes and to apologize for those mistakes because there's no 589 00:35:02,640 --> 00:35:07,160 Speaker 1: way to be perfect and there's no but there's also 590 00:35:07,200 --> 00:35:09,520 Speaker 1: no way to make positive change unless you really go 591 00:35:09,640 --> 00:35:13,560 Speaker 1: out there and try to have these conversations and practice 592 00:35:13,719 --> 00:35:17,040 Speaker 1: what you're learning. And the last thing is really just 593 00:35:17,239 --> 00:35:21,360 Speaker 1: sharing that knowledge with others. So you being the person 594 00:35:21,520 --> 00:35:25,279 Speaker 1: to call out your friend, you being the person that 595 00:35:25,320 --> 00:35:28,640 Speaker 1: doesn't minimize there's so many memes that are like that 596 00:35:28,800 --> 00:35:31,520 Speaker 1: racist uncle that you're going to see at Thanksgiving, Like, 597 00:35:31,880 --> 00:35:34,440 Speaker 1: don't be the person that minimizes that. Be the person 598 00:35:34,480 --> 00:35:36,880 Speaker 1: that says something. Share it with your family, share it 599 00:35:36,920 --> 00:35:39,520 Speaker 1: with your coworker, share it with your children. It has 600 00:35:39,560 --> 00:35:42,359 Speaker 1: to be something that's integrated into your life. Yeah, ala 601 00:35:42,480 --> 00:35:46,440 Speaker 1: ship Again. It's that active and consistent part that is 602 00:35:46,520 --> 00:35:48,120 Speaker 1: really the most important. 603 00:35:49,120 --> 00:35:55,640 Speaker 2: What excites you about where this conversation is going right now. 604 00:35:56,120 --> 00:35:59,880 Speaker 1: I feel like what definitely excites me, but also some 605 00:36:00,000 --> 00:36:04,759 Speaker 1: and what puzzles me is that it is so at 606 00:36:04,800 --> 00:36:07,960 Speaker 1: the forefront, and I think a lot of people are 607 00:36:08,040 --> 00:36:12,600 Speaker 1: listening that might not have listened before, and I feel 608 00:36:12,600 --> 00:36:14,640 Speaker 1: like that is super exciting. I feel like it has 609 00:36:14,680 --> 00:36:16,600 Speaker 1: brought a lot of hope and it has brought a 610 00:36:16,640 --> 00:36:21,120 Speaker 1: lot of possibility. I think that it's also sometimes a 611 00:36:21,160 --> 00:36:25,759 Speaker 1: conflicting feeling for me because I see folks that were 612 00:36:25,840 --> 00:36:28,319 Speaker 1: at the forefront of racial justice fifty years or one 613 00:36:28,360 --> 00:36:31,920 Speaker 1: hundred years ago and how their lives were threatened or 614 00:36:31,960 --> 00:36:35,720 Speaker 1: even taken for speaking out. And so it definitely makes 615 00:36:35,760 --> 00:36:39,600 Speaker 1: me feel pretty honored to be in a position where 616 00:36:39,640 --> 00:36:42,760 Speaker 1: I can speak freely about this and have people actually listen, 617 00:36:43,120 --> 00:36:45,759 Speaker 1: when I know that so many people before me risk 618 00:36:45,840 --> 00:36:49,920 Speaker 1: their lives by saying these very same things. So I 619 00:36:49,960 --> 00:36:51,799 Speaker 1: do feel hopeful, and I do feel like a lot 620 00:36:51,840 --> 00:36:52,920 Speaker 1: of people are paying attention. 621 00:36:53,440 --> 00:36:56,880 Speaker 2: As your efforts have picked up and you have become 622 00:36:57,200 --> 00:37:01,080 Speaker 2: someone who is more vocal on these issues, has your 623 00:37:01,320 --> 00:37:03,799 Speaker 2: movement practice changed at all. 624 00:37:04,520 --> 00:37:09,920 Speaker 1: My movement practice has changed a bit. Something that's always 625 00:37:09,920 --> 00:37:14,400 Speaker 1: been really important to me is boxing, And for me, 626 00:37:14,600 --> 00:37:17,320 Speaker 1: boxing is such an outlet. Not necessarily a lot of 627 00:37:17,360 --> 00:37:20,040 Speaker 1: people think, oh, yeah, you're getting out like your aggression 628 00:37:20,120 --> 00:37:22,640 Speaker 1: or your rage and you're hitting something. But that's not 629 00:37:22,719 --> 00:37:25,440 Speaker 1: really what it is. To be honest, I don't really 630 00:37:25,480 --> 00:37:28,879 Speaker 1: find myself a very rageful person. That's not really where 631 00:37:28,880 --> 00:37:32,200 Speaker 1: I go first. And so it's not really that part. 632 00:37:32,239 --> 00:37:35,080 Speaker 1: It's more like when I'm boxing, when it's me and 633 00:37:35,160 --> 00:37:38,400 Speaker 1: my coach, like I can't be thinking, I must be 634 00:37:38,480 --> 00:37:41,359 Speaker 1: present or I will get hit in the face. So 635 00:37:42,239 --> 00:37:46,120 Speaker 1: I feel like that being present and also kind of 636 00:37:46,120 --> 00:37:50,000 Speaker 1: being in community with my coach, who I absolutely adore, 637 00:37:50,840 --> 00:37:55,839 Speaker 1: is something that's very meaningful to me. And I've definitely 638 00:37:55,880 --> 00:37:59,200 Speaker 1: started having a lot more grace with myself on days 639 00:37:59,200 --> 00:38:00,880 Speaker 1: that I just kind of want to roll around and 640 00:38:00,920 --> 00:38:03,720 Speaker 1: do some stretching stuff and like not do a hard workout, 641 00:38:03,800 --> 00:38:08,640 Speaker 1: I'm like, yeah, absolutely, you deserve that. And that's also 642 00:38:08,680 --> 00:38:09,799 Speaker 1: something that's kind of new for me. 643 00:38:10,680 --> 00:38:15,000 Speaker 2: How else have you been implementing self care for yourself 644 00:38:15,280 --> 00:38:19,359 Speaker 2: over the past let's say, ten to twelve months. And 645 00:38:19,880 --> 00:38:23,480 Speaker 2: on this note, something that Tune Day from Peloton said 646 00:38:23,760 --> 00:38:25,600 Speaker 2: this week on Hurdle that I want to bring into 647 00:38:25,640 --> 00:38:30,120 Speaker 2: the fold here is She asked what happens when you 648 00:38:30,280 --> 00:38:35,640 Speaker 2: change the phrase from self care to soul care? So 649 00:38:36,800 --> 00:38:40,040 Speaker 2: how have you been taking care of your soul over 650 00:38:40,080 --> 00:38:41,640 Speaker 2: the past ten to twelve months. 651 00:38:42,120 --> 00:38:44,760 Speaker 1: I did listen to that episode with Tundy, so I 652 00:38:44,840 --> 00:38:48,000 Speaker 1: love that. For me, I think something that was really 653 00:38:48,080 --> 00:38:54,160 Speaker 1: important to me was kind of segmenting my day between 654 00:38:54,760 --> 00:38:59,200 Speaker 1: when am I being an activist? It cannot be all 655 00:38:59,320 --> 00:39:02,480 Speaker 1: the time. I cannot be on and I cannot be 656 00:39:02,600 --> 00:39:06,440 Speaker 1: engaging in these difficult conversations that I'm not just an 657 00:39:06,440 --> 00:39:10,799 Speaker 1: outsider like looking in, like I am part of this community, 658 00:39:11,280 --> 00:39:16,399 Speaker 1: still experiencing these hardships, and so it's really just this 659 00:39:16,640 --> 00:39:19,520 Speaker 1: when I'm at my desk in this way, at this time, 660 00:39:19,600 --> 00:39:21,600 Speaker 1: this is when I'm doing this work. And when I'm not, 661 00:39:21,800 --> 00:39:25,440 Speaker 1: I'm just tailor. I'm not tailor with any expectations or 662 00:39:25,480 --> 00:39:29,759 Speaker 1: any title. And I think the absolute best self care 663 00:39:29,880 --> 00:39:35,680 Speaker 1: for me that I highly recommend is just sitting down existing. 664 00:39:36,600 --> 00:39:37,160 Speaker 3: That's it. 665 00:39:37,840 --> 00:39:40,640 Speaker 1: Like I get in my head when I have a 666 00:39:40,640 --> 00:39:42,560 Speaker 1: self care day, I'm like, first I do this, then 667 00:39:42,600 --> 00:39:44,160 Speaker 1: I do this. I need to buy this product, I 668 00:39:44,200 --> 00:39:46,960 Speaker 1: need to do this thing. And I've realized just like 669 00:39:47,280 --> 00:39:52,960 Speaker 1: sitting down doing nothing, being alive realizing I'm human and 670 00:39:53,239 --> 00:39:56,279 Speaker 1: my feelings will come and go is the best thing 671 00:39:56,280 --> 00:39:57,280 Speaker 1: I could do for myself. 672 00:39:58,920 --> 00:40:02,759 Speaker 2: Finishing us all here. For someone that wants to continue 673 00:40:02,800 --> 00:40:08,880 Speaker 2: to stay informed and continue to practice allyeship and do good, 674 00:40:09,480 --> 00:40:13,440 Speaker 2: what would you say to them to help them progress 675 00:40:13,480 --> 00:40:14,480 Speaker 2: on this journey? 676 00:40:14,520 --> 00:40:20,080 Speaker 1: First and foremost, it's really the step of looking inside 677 00:40:20,120 --> 00:40:23,400 Speaker 1: of yourself and thinking about what are those ugly things 678 00:40:23,440 --> 00:40:26,600 Speaker 1: in there? When I see someone that is X, Y 679 00:40:26,760 --> 00:40:29,160 Speaker 1: or Z fill in the blank this way, and I 680 00:40:29,320 --> 00:40:34,040 Speaker 1: feel maybe a thought like, oh, I wouldn't be their friend, 681 00:40:34,200 --> 00:40:36,839 Speaker 1: or I wouldn't want my child to be like this, 682 00:40:37,560 --> 00:40:40,719 Speaker 1: or I wouldn't want to know that person. Those are 683 00:40:40,760 --> 00:40:44,239 Speaker 1: really ugly things that are really tough to face. But 684 00:40:44,320 --> 00:40:47,600 Speaker 1: I think really taking a moment and just acknowledging that 685 00:40:47,760 --> 00:40:50,800 Speaker 1: is kind of the first step, and really thinking about 686 00:40:51,160 --> 00:40:53,719 Speaker 1: what are those like crevices in there that we don't 687 00:40:53,760 --> 00:40:56,200 Speaker 1: really let the light shine in And as soon as 688 00:40:56,200 --> 00:40:58,680 Speaker 1: you acknowledge it, you let some light in there. Really 689 00:40:58,760 --> 00:41:01,319 Speaker 1: just taking that time, and the second part is just 690 00:41:01,440 --> 00:41:05,120 Speaker 1: finding something consistent, which is why we started activism to 691 00:41:05,200 --> 00:41:07,480 Speaker 1: really show that you can do this every day. I 692 00:41:07,520 --> 00:41:10,359 Speaker 1: have a weekly anti racism newsletter that I send out 693 00:41:10,400 --> 00:41:13,440 Speaker 1: every week. There's tons of newsletters that you can get. 694 00:41:13,640 --> 00:41:16,319 Speaker 1: There's one from Equal Justice Initiative that you get either 695 00:41:16,400 --> 00:41:19,680 Speaker 1: every day or every month that I absolutely love and recommend. 696 00:41:20,400 --> 00:41:24,560 Speaker 1: And just having a way to hold yourself accountable that 697 00:41:24,600 --> 00:41:28,120 Speaker 1: you will hold space to have these thoughts and to 698 00:41:28,200 --> 00:41:31,839 Speaker 1: have these conversations. That's the best thing that you can do. 699 00:41:32,719 --> 00:41:35,480 Speaker 2: One piece of advice that you would have offered the 700 00:41:35,600 --> 00:41:38,960 Speaker 2: tailor in July of last year. 701 00:41:39,880 --> 00:41:46,960 Speaker 1: To not rush through the beauty and the accomplishments and 702 00:41:47,160 --> 00:41:52,200 Speaker 1: the success that I've found in these moments, whether it's 703 00:41:52,680 --> 00:41:57,800 Speaker 1: truly reaching someone in a part of our activism program 704 00:41:58,000 --> 00:42:00,759 Speaker 1: or the messages that I've received after teaching these classes. 705 00:42:01,440 --> 00:42:04,920 Speaker 1: Oftentimes I think about how do I reach more people, 706 00:42:04,960 --> 00:42:09,280 Speaker 1: how do I do more? What constitutes success in this area? 707 00:42:10,040 --> 00:42:13,279 Speaker 1: And a lot of times I feel guilty that I'm 708 00:42:13,320 --> 00:42:19,400 Speaker 1: in this position of privilege in these sort of ways, 709 00:42:19,480 --> 00:42:22,839 Speaker 1: and how can I do more? Because there are folks 710 00:42:22,880 --> 00:42:25,440 Speaker 1: that are suffering so much more than me, And I 711 00:42:25,480 --> 00:42:28,959 Speaker 1: feel like I would give myself the advice of don't 712 00:42:29,000 --> 00:42:32,520 Speaker 1: be so hard on yourself, and you're doing a lot, 713 00:42:32,719 --> 00:42:36,080 Speaker 1: and you should enjoy that you are are moving in 714 00:42:36,120 --> 00:42:36,520 Speaker 1: this way. 715 00:42:37,480 --> 00:42:38,040 Speaker 3: I love that. 716 00:42:38,120 --> 00:42:42,200 Speaker 2: I know that every month Activism donates proceeds to a 717 00:42:42,320 --> 00:42:44,720 Speaker 2: spotlight organization, and this month it. 718 00:42:44,600 --> 00:42:50,600 Speaker 1: Is Avenues for Justice was our partner for our last program, 719 00:42:50,640 --> 00:42:55,680 Speaker 1: and they are absolutely amazing. They're an alternative to incarceration program, 720 00:42:56,120 --> 00:42:59,440 Speaker 1: so young folks in the city between the ages of 721 00:42:59,480 --> 00:43:02,800 Speaker 1: thirteen to nineteen that would potentially be put in prison. 722 00:43:03,400 --> 00:43:05,920 Speaker 1: They really take them under their wing and help them 723 00:43:06,360 --> 00:43:11,240 Speaker 1: to kind of rehabilitate back into society. And ninety percent 724 00:43:11,360 --> 00:43:13,480 Speaker 1: of the people that go through their program never commit 725 00:43:13,520 --> 00:43:17,759 Speaker 1: a crime again. So absolutely love that organization. 726 00:43:18,600 --> 00:43:22,000 Speaker 2: Well, I am excited because I'm grateful for your time, 727 00:43:22,280 --> 00:43:25,080 Speaker 2: and I know that the hurdlers are grateful for it 728 00:43:25,120 --> 00:43:27,440 Speaker 2: as well. So to thank you, I'll be making a 729 00:43:27,560 --> 00:43:33,279 Speaker 2: donation to Avenues for Justice on your behalf. I am 730 00:43:33,360 --> 00:43:38,040 Speaker 2: really really grateful just for your friendship, and I have 731 00:43:38,080 --> 00:43:40,000 Speaker 2: a big feeling that a lot of the hurdlers are 732 00:43:40,000 --> 00:43:42,000 Speaker 2: going to be reaching out to you to say thank 733 00:43:42,080 --> 00:43:43,120 Speaker 2: you as well. 734 00:43:43,840 --> 00:43:47,160 Speaker 1: Yay, thank you so much for having me. I feel 735 00:43:47,280 --> 00:43:51,640 Speaker 1: so good when I can help folks feel a little 736 00:43:51,680 --> 00:43:56,319 Speaker 1: bit more able to engage in these conversations, because that 737 00:43:56,600 --> 00:43:59,560 Speaker 1: is the first step, and having the words to talk about. 738 00:43:59,600 --> 00:44:02,799 Speaker 1: It is the first thing that you need. How do 739 00:44:02,960 --> 00:44:04,680 Speaker 1: the hurdlers keep up with you? How do they follow 740 00:44:04,719 --> 00:44:06,960 Speaker 1: along with you? How do they get involved with activism? 741 00:44:07,200 --> 00:44:10,040 Speaker 1: Give me all of the details. You can find me 742 00:44:10,160 --> 00:44:15,360 Speaker 1: on Instagram, my whole full government name Taylor Real Monte, 743 00:44:15,800 --> 00:44:19,319 Speaker 1: my website tailor relmante dot com where you can subscribe 744 00:44:19,400 --> 00:44:22,560 Speaker 1: to my anti racism newsletter. There's a little bar right 745 00:44:22,640 --> 00:44:25,720 Speaker 1: on top of my website that says subscribe here because 746 00:44:25,719 --> 00:44:28,719 Speaker 1: it ain't a trend, honey, Because it's not. You need 747 00:44:28,760 --> 00:44:32,920 Speaker 1: that education every week. And I think that's it. Just 748 00:44:33,000 --> 00:44:34,160 Speaker 1: Instagram and website. 749 00:44:34,280 --> 00:44:37,280 Speaker 2: I am over at Emilia Body and at Hurdle Podcast 750 00:44:37,480 --> 00:44:39,120 Speaker 2: Another Hurdle conquered. 751 00:44:39,560 --> 00:44:40,600 Speaker 3: Catch you guys next time.