WEBVTT - Fight or Flight: Election Year Stress 0:00:00.160 --> 0:00:00.840 I'm Tamika d. 0:00:01.000 --> 0:00:02.640 Mallory and it's your boy my Son. 0:00:02.680 --> 0:00:05.400 In general, we are your host of t M I. 0:00:05.400 --> 0:00:09.639 Tamika and my Son's Information, Truth, Motivation and Inspiration. 0:00:09.840 --> 0:00:15.720 New name, New Energy. But what's up my song? 0:00:15.920 --> 0:00:16.439 What's going on? 0:00:17.800 --> 0:00:20.880 I'm on my no makeup for the second one? 0:00:20.960 --> 0:00:21.480 There you go? 0:00:22.120 --> 0:00:25.080 Well, going back to makeup. I decided as I was 0:00:25.120 --> 0:00:27.160 looking at the video from last. 0:00:26.960 --> 0:00:30.200 Week, Oh why it's cool. 0:00:30.080 --> 0:00:33.320 Because you know what? It is cool? Like, Actually, I've 0:00:33.320 --> 0:00:37.280 really been feeling so free. I still always laugh. I 0:00:37.320 --> 0:00:39.479 know we talked about the sun the show before, but 0:00:39.560 --> 0:00:42.559 when Alicia Key says she wasn't wearing makeup no more, 0:00:42.600 --> 0:00:45.040 people were so upset and they're like, why did everybody's 0:00:45.080 --> 0:00:48.080 going crazy? And I remember Swiss being like, so let 0:00:48.120 --> 0:00:51.720 me just get this stray. You're mad about somebody else's 0:00:51.760 --> 0:00:54.680 face and what she's gonna wear on her face. Like 0:00:56.160 --> 0:00:59.160 she didn't say you don't need to wear makeup. She 0:00:59.200 --> 0:01:03.040 says she's not gonna weird makeups anyway. I just you know, 0:01:03.120 --> 0:01:05.320 first of all, I'm just tired of it period for 0:01:05.360 --> 0:01:08.440 a while. Just needed a break. Skin sometimes needed to break. 0:01:08.480 --> 0:01:10.920 I had a great facial didn't want to put any 0:01:10.959 --> 0:01:14.200 makeup on, and so that's just it is what it is. However, 0:01:14.280 --> 0:01:17.399 on camera you can see the dark rings from not 0:01:17.440 --> 0:01:20.039 getting enough rest and certain things that come through. 0:01:20.080 --> 0:01:21.160 So I think we're going. 0:01:21.120 --> 0:01:23.560 Back to it. But you know what, I truly want 0:01:23.600 --> 0:01:28.560 to force myself in the authenticity of who I am 0:01:28.840 --> 0:01:31.760 and you know whatever, to just have a balance where 0:01:31.760 --> 0:01:33.320 you don't always have to show up. 0:01:33.680 --> 0:01:35.199 You don't need that's none needed. 0:01:35.280 --> 0:01:36.640 I mean, if you want to do it here, but 0:01:36.680 --> 0:01:40.319 it shouldn't be like a requirement for you to move around. 0:01:40.080 --> 0:01:43.920 Or be on Yandy was on TV. She had a 0:01:43.959 --> 0:01:49.160 collaboration or she brought Porsche into a collaboration that she 0:01:49.240 --> 0:01:54.800 did with Bloomingdale's and they had an interview in Atlanta 0:01:55.520 --> 0:01:59.800 on a local news station to talk about the products 0:01:59.840 --> 0:02:03.160 and the collaboration and all the things, which is a 0:02:03.160 --> 0:02:09.560 big moment. Congratulations to Yandy, and congratulations to Yandy. Just 0:02:09.560 --> 0:02:12.000 shout out to her for being the type of person 0:02:12.120 --> 0:02:15.160 that's going to bring somebody else to the table. Portia 0:02:15.280 --> 0:02:18.840 has I don't know what you call it. It's lenen 0:02:19.240 --> 0:02:25.160 bed linen, which actually feels amazing, like literally her linen 0:02:25.560 --> 0:02:30.160 is amazing. I have them. It is amazing, and so 0:02:30.440 --> 0:02:33.760 again Yandy brought her into the collaboration. But the point 0:02:33.760 --> 0:02:36.280 of this is that on the interview that they did, 0:02:36.720 --> 0:02:40.400 Yandy didn't wear makeup. And it's not I mean, it's 0:02:40.520 --> 0:02:42.680 very vulnerable to show up in front of these lights 0:02:42.720 --> 0:02:47.640 and camera without your coverage of blemishes and under your 0:02:47.639 --> 0:02:49.679 eyes and all of that. But what she said, which 0:02:49.720 --> 0:02:53.360 I respect, is that here I am promoting a skin 0:02:53.440 --> 0:02:56.560 care line, sometimes I have to show people what the 0:02:56.760 --> 0:03:00.160 actual rawness of my skin looks like. Not that she's 0:03:00.560 --> 0:03:02.720 not gonna wear makeup. Of course she's gonna wear makeup. 0:03:02.760 --> 0:03:05.720 We love it, We doll ourselves up. But every now 0:03:05.760 --> 0:03:08.160 and then I have to be able to show people 0:03:08.200 --> 0:03:11.400 my skin. If I'm not comfortable wearing my skin as 0:03:11.440 --> 0:03:14.480 a person who owns the skincare line, then how I'm 0:03:14.520 --> 0:03:18.880 going to encourage you to get your skin together and 0:03:18.919 --> 0:03:20.680 then just pack it down and don't show the. 0:03:20.600 --> 0:03:23.200 World doesn't make sense, And you know, and shout out 0:03:23.200 --> 0:03:25.600 to Syandy, because that's one thing I love about Yandy. 0:03:25.680 --> 0:03:30.400 Yandy does not have a problem with being vulnerable. This 0:03:30.480 --> 0:03:33.000 is just who she is. She's she's from the hood, 0:03:33.160 --> 0:03:36.360 like she's just down the earth. She's raw and I 0:03:36.440 --> 0:03:38.280 just love it. That's why, you know, we have such 0:03:38.320 --> 0:03:40.760 a dope relationship. And shout out to her, Shout out 0:03:40.800 --> 0:03:44.840 to Porsche, you know, for promoting what they have in Bloomingdale's. 0:03:44.880 --> 0:03:48.120 I have open doors to the two Black lakes, two 0:03:48.160 --> 0:03:50.680 black women keep on moving, and that's a good thing. 0:03:50.720 --> 0:03:53.520 There are other black products in many of the Department's 0:03:53.520 --> 0:03:56.360 stores at this point, And there was a time when 0:03:56.600 --> 0:03:59.240 it really like wasn't like, let's just be clear that 0:03:59.440 --> 0:04:01.640 it may have been in one or two, but not 0:04:01.840 --> 0:04:04.560 to the point where Yandy could get a partnership with 0:04:04.600 --> 0:04:06.640 Bloomingdale's and then they say okay, and we're gonna bring 0:04:06.680 --> 0:04:09.120 Portia in as well, Like that just wasn't a thing 0:04:09.520 --> 0:04:12.320 that was happening. So you know this, it's a great thing. 0:04:12.400 --> 0:04:16.840 But you know, overall, I think the sisterhood is one thing. 0:04:16.880 --> 0:04:21.039 But the as you said, vulnerability of Yandy it made 0:04:21.040 --> 0:04:24.800 me be like, yeah, like why why why? And I 0:04:24.839 --> 0:04:28.000 love my makeup artist, Tatiana, because she's like all for it, 0:04:28.160 --> 0:04:30.640 like she could be getting paid, but she's like, you 0:04:30.680 --> 0:04:33.440 should actually wear your skin because it's it's good skin. 0:04:34.080 --> 0:04:36.359 There. Shut out to Tati. 0:04:36.640 --> 0:04:39.640 Yeah, so let's talk about my thought of the day. 0:04:41.920 --> 0:04:47.200 At this point, everyone who's anyone, everybody, even the people 0:04:47.240 --> 0:04:50.719 that's not on the internet, even people who don't watch TV, 0:04:51.600 --> 0:04:59.280 have witnessed the horrific, horrific video of Puffy beating, brutalizing, 0:04:59.400 --> 0:05:03.640 abusing Cassie. Everybody's seen it. It made me sick to 0:05:03.680 --> 0:05:06.919 my stomach. I mean because, for one, as I said 0:05:07.120 --> 0:05:09.479 several weeks ago, when all of this stuff, all of 0:05:09.520 --> 0:05:14.719 this first started, and when the lawsuit came out, and 0:05:14.880 --> 0:05:18.800 you know, when a Cassie sued him and all of that, 0:05:18.960 --> 0:05:21.880 I said that you can love someone. People know that 0:05:21.960 --> 0:05:25.800 I have a close relationship with Puff, and you know, 0:05:25.839 --> 0:05:28.320 you can love someone and they can do something really wrong, 0:05:28.360 --> 0:05:30.320 and you got to just be able to say it's 0:05:30.400 --> 0:05:32.960 just wrong. It's no, it's there's nothing. Some people said, 0:05:33.000 --> 0:05:35.800 well you didn't say this or that. There's nothing to 0:05:35.839 --> 0:05:38.280 say except it is wrong. And if anybody's looking for 0:05:38.279 --> 0:05:40.560 me to try to make up the reason, well when 0:05:40.560 --> 0:05:42.680 he was a kid, da da, I'm not doing any 0:05:42.800 --> 0:05:45.440 of that because it's just wrong and it's horrific and 0:05:45.760 --> 0:05:50.520 it's hurtful and that's just it, period, right, And it 0:05:50.640 --> 0:05:53.880 just made me think about another piece because one of 0:05:53.880 --> 0:05:57.760 the things that I saw after Cassie released her statement 0:05:58.760 --> 0:06:02.279 in which she said, believe women, you know, the first 0:06:02.279 --> 0:06:05.000 time they tell you their stories. And I saw all 0:06:05.080 --> 0:06:09.000 these people like, yeah, you know, we should be believing folks. 0:06:09.120 --> 0:06:11.839 We shouldn't need a video. We need to be able 0:06:11.880 --> 0:06:16.400 to immediately believe what we see. And that's it. And 0:06:17.080 --> 0:06:19.599 why is it that a video had to be present 0:06:19.800 --> 0:06:23.000 in order for people to condemn the actions and to 0:06:23.160 --> 0:06:26.440 believe what she was saying happened to her. I was 0:06:26.480 --> 0:06:31.279 thinking in this past couple of weeks where we commemorated 0:06:31.320 --> 0:06:35.240 the life of George Floyd, that I hope people are 0:06:35.320 --> 0:06:41.080 able to keep that same exact energy of believing victims 0:06:41.120 --> 0:06:46.679 who've been brutalized without a video, because the same people 0:06:46.720 --> 0:06:51.000 who are saying we should believe Cassie, you know, Cassie 0:06:51.000 --> 0:06:53.599 and others the first time that they say something, these 0:06:53.640 --> 0:06:55.400 will be the same people that are be in my 0:06:55.480 --> 0:06:58.120 comment section like, well, I see the part where the 0:06:58.160 --> 0:07:00.080 cop beat them up, but I need to know what 0:07:00.200 --> 0:07:04.320 happened before that. I need to know what happened off camera. 0:07:04.600 --> 0:07:06.680 I need to be able to see the parts that 0:07:06.800 --> 0:07:10.240 I didn't see so I can know exactly what happened. 0:07:10.240 --> 0:07:13.559 And if it had not been for George Floyd being 0:07:13.680 --> 0:07:16.120 choked to death the way that he was on TV, 0:07:16.520 --> 0:07:20.240 they would have told you the story about an incident 0:07:20.320 --> 0:07:22.560 which is alleged. I've never even had a conversation with 0:07:22.600 --> 0:07:24.880 his family members about this, so all I can say 0:07:25.200 --> 0:07:30.320 is they say that he hit a pregnant woman. Then 0:07:30.520 --> 0:07:33.120 they would tell you about the fentanyl that was in 0:07:33.160 --> 0:07:35.920 his system. They would have told people those things, and 0:07:36.040 --> 0:07:39.160 I promise you the movement would not have been the 0:07:39.280 --> 0:07:44.080 same if people did not see him his life literally 0:07:44.200 --> 0:07:48.080 leave his body. It has been that, and the stories 0:07:48.240 --> 0:07:50.640 and the cases go on and on, and in fact, 0:07:50.960 --> 0:07:53.480 there are people who did not see the video of 0:07:53.480 --> 0:07:57.520 Breonna Taylor being shot to death who still don't believe 0:07:57.720 --> 0:08:00.360 the story as it is being as it had been 0:08:00.400 --> 0:08:04.840 told and proven because the officers. We literally had to 0:08:04.960 --> 0:08:09.320 learn that the officers went into a garage and made 0:08:09.480 --> 0:08:13.440 up their story and begin to feed the media lies 0:08:13.480 --> 0:08:16.720 about Brionna Taylor in order for folks to say, well, 0:08:16.800 --> 0:08:20.040 damn because but prior to that, I remember you being 0:08:20.080 --> 0:08:23.240 on Clubhouse one time with some guys who was up 0:08:23.280 --> 0:08:25.280 there talking about she was a drug dealer and she 0:08:25.400 --> 0:08:28.280 was getting packages to her house and all of these 0:08:28.280 --> 0:08:31.440 things that was bullshit, lies that have now been proven 0:08:31.560 --> 0:08:34.160 in court. They've been proven by the witnesses who are 0:08:34.400 --> 0:08:38.480 the witnesses, who are police officers that were involved, right, 0:08:38.720 --> 0:08:40.839 And so I want us to do that. I want 0:08:40.920 --> 0:08:43.000 us to do that. I want if we are going 0:08:43.040 --> 0:08:46.640 to start saying that we have to believe people for 0:08:46.840 --> 0:08:50.000 what they say at the very moment that they tell 0:08:50.000 --> 0:08:53.640 you their story. I want people to stop asking us 0:08:53.679 --> 0:08:59.280 to prove police brutality incidents, even if the person ran, 0:09:00.000 --> 0:09:02.400 even if the person did this or that. In the 0:09:02.480 --> 0:09:06.640 third the cop is the one who is the aggressor, 0:09:06.679 --> 0:09:10.000 who has the most responsibility in the situation because they 0:09:10.000 --> 0:09:13.280 have a gun, they have training, they have responsibilities that 0:09:13.360 --> 0:09:16.080 come along with getting a paycheck to protect and serve. 0:09:17.360 --> 0:09:22.360 So even this happened, he ran, he did this, This 0:09:22.400 --> 0:09:25.760 one yelled at me, this one spit at a cop. 0:09:26.080 --> 0:09:27.560 They know how to do it when the white woman 0:09:27.600 --> 0:09:30.680 gets in the car and drives off in the police car. 0:09:31.040 --> 0:09:35.800 They know how to refrain and de escalate, but they 0:09:35.800 --> 0:09:38.200 don't know how to de escalate and refrain when it 0:09:38.200 --> 0:09:41.000 comes to our community. And I'm not conflating the two 0:09:41.040 --> 0:09:43.600 things to say that one is more important than the other. 0:09:43.800 --> 0:09:46.920 What I am saying is that the same people who 0:09:46.960 --> 0:09:50.400 often say we're gonna believe folks, then they should also 0:09:50.520 --> 0:09:53.000 respect the fact that when a victim shows up to 0:09:53.120 --> 0:09:55.960 us and tells us that they've been brutalized, we believe them. 0:09:56.400 --> 0:09:59.559 We believe them, and even if later on we find 0:09:59.600 --> 0:10:02.640 out that that they slapped their mama, they did this, 0:10:02.800 --> 0:10:06.760 they were on drugs, they were this terrible, horrific, horrid 0:10:06.920 --> 0:10:11.160 person with this background. That night when that incident happened 0:10:11.200 --> 0:10:15.079 and a police officer encountered that person, they had a 0:10:15.120 --> 0:10:20.160 particular responsibility as a person who is paid by us 0:10:20.240 --> 0:10:26.280 as taxpayers and paid by the state and or the 0:10:26.320 --> 0:10:31.880 city and municipalities to handle their job with professionalism. And 0:10:31.960 --> 0:10:34.120 I want to see that. I want to see the 0:10:34.440 --> 0:10:38.280 energy that we have that is very selective to spread. 0:10:39.960 --> 0:10:45.280 I think for me, in situations, right, it's it's not 0:10:45.360 --> 0:10:49.200 so much about believing or not believing anyone, Right, It's 0:10:49.240 --> 0:10:53.720 just that I realized that I have a powerful voice, right, 0:10:53.760 --> 0:10:57.880 and when I speak about something that I don't have 0:10:58.000 --> 0:11:00.960 knowledge of. I found myself in trou right, I found 0:11:00.960 --> 0:11:04.640 myself just on the side of this is what the 0:11:04.640 --> 0:11:06.839 news is saying, and then finding out later on that 0:11:06.840 --> 0:11:08.439 that wasn't exactly what happened. 0:11:08.600 --> 0:11:11.600 Not saying that it was totally false or not, but 0:11:11.640 --> 0:11:12.880 it was just like for me. 0:11:13.000 --> 0:11:16.679 Moving forward after I've I've had situations where I actually 0:11:16.920 --> 0:11:19.520 spoke up or spoke against someone. I think for me 0:11:20.000 --> 0:11:24.040 to speak against somebody, it's a lot different than me 0:11:24.080 --> 0:11:27.400 speaking up for someone. Right, So if I'm speaking up 0:11:27.440 --> 0:11:30.760 for a victim because I want that person to see 0:11:31.280 --> 0:11:34.720 to receive justice, it's not me speaking against anyone, you know. 0:11:34.800 --> 0:11:37.600 I think in this situation, it took time for me 0:11:37.720 --> 0:11:42.240 to actually have to see something or have something that 0:11:42.679 --> 0:11:46.120 I felt comfortable saying, Okay, I'm going to speak against 0:11:46.120 --> 0:11:49.400 this situation because it was for me because I wanted 0:11:49.440 --> 0:11:51.760 to make sure that I was honest and I was 0:11:51.840 --> 0:11:55.720 given true to what I knew knowledge, you know. And 0:11:55.760 --> 0:11:58.920 I think people have people have a problem with that. 0:11:59.040 --> 0:12:02.319 People want you to speak to something when they want 0:12:02.360 --> 0:12:04.240 to speak in and I think each of us has 0:12:04.320 --> 0:12:09.160 our own have our own compass of what what it 0:12:09.240 --> 0:12:12.440 takes for us to speak up, right, Because things I speak, 0:12:12.480 --> 0:12:14.640 I'm very vocal about a lot of things. Right when 0:12:14.640 --> 0:12:16.960 I when I when I see something, I say okay. 0:12:17.200 --> 0:12:19.600 For me, it computes in my mind that those are 0:12:19.640 --> 0:12:22.319 the realities of that situation. I have no problem. I'm 0:12:22.320 --> 0:12:24.400 going to stand and if it's wrong, then I can say, 0:12:24.400 --> 0:12:26.679 you know what, I was wrong. But there's a lot 0:12:26.679 --> 0:12:28.800 of situations where I look and I say, okay, I 0:12:28.840 --> 0:12:30.800 don't know the dynamics of that. I don't I never 0:12:30.960 --> 0:12:32.920 was there. I don't really know. I don't even know 0:12:33.000 --> 0:12:34.280 anybody that knows. 0:12:34.600 --> 0:12:35.079 I don't have. 0:12:35.000 --> 0:12:38.160 Because I remember I would say that, first of all, 0:12:38.200 --> 0:12:42.080 in the previous show that we did, I said that 0:12:42.200 --> 0:12:45.360 I was clear something because people were like, just because 0:12:45.360 --> 0:12:48.720 you settled with somebody doesn't mean that that you did wrong. 0:12:48.760 --> 0:12:51.280 And we know that, right. We understand that settlements happen 0:12:51.360 --> 0:12:55.320 all the time for various reasons. Sometimes insurance companies settle, 0:12:55.800 --> 0:12:58.760 uh you know, when when a person of a high 0:12:58.880 --> 0:13:03.000 network value is being sued. They may feel like it's 0:13:03.000 --> 0:13:06.439 too much damage to the business or the brand. Sometimes 0:13:06.480 --> 0:13:09.839 people settle because there's just a no win situation. Sometimes 0:13:09.880 --> 0:13:12.120 people settle because this part is true and this party 0:13:12.120 --> 0:13:17.800 ain't and costs more to go through the So there's 0:13:17.840 --> 0:13:20.880 different reasons. But in this situation, I was clear. I 0:13:20.960 --> 0:13:25.120 was very clear. My my my instincts told me, my 0:13:25.200 --> 0:13:28.920 heart told me that something happened, and something bad happened 0:13:28.960 --> 0:13:31.360 in the way in which that settlement moves so fast. 0:13:31.440 --> 0:13:34.680 And I said that on our show, let's not fool 0:13:34.720 --> 0:13:39.079 ourselves and act like we don't understand human instinct. Right, 0:13:40.000 --> 0:13:43.800 if you my son or somebody else that's close to 0:13:43.840 --> 0:13:47.360 me and a and a person who is not close 0:13:47.400 --> 0:13:50.320 to me says that you did something to them and 0:13:50.360 --> 0:13:53.320 you say you didn't do it, I'm not just about 0:13:53.360 --> 0:13:55.840 to run out there and say you did just because 0:13:55.880 --> 0:13:57.520 the world is telling me that that's what I have 0:13:57.559 --> 0:14:00.760 to do. I do value my friendships, right, I value 0:14:00.800 --> 0:14:03.480 my friendships, and I value that if somebody has done 0:14:03.880 --> 0:14:07.560 nothing to me, they have always been loving and kind 0:14:07.679 --> 0:14:10.839 to me and helpful to me, that I at least 0:14:10.960 --> 0:14:14.200 owe them that if they say they didn't do something wrong, 0:14:14.520 --> 0:14:17.120 that I have to be able to take a moment 0:14:17.200 --> 0:14:20.840 to try to reflect and gather and even still in that. 0:14:21.160 --> 0:14:24.000 When we came on our show a week or two later, 0:14:24.280 --> 0:14:27.520 I said that I believe something happened, and I also 0:14:27.720 --> 0:14:31.200 said that listen, I can love you and know you've 0:14:31.240 --> 0:14:33.640 done wrong and people love me and know I've done wrong, 0:14:33.680 --> 0:14:37.400 and of course it's not this two totally different things, right, 0:14:38.280 --> 0:14:41.280 So I don't want people to get the impression that 0:14:41.320 --> 0:14:45.440 I'm inhuman because I am human. I am a human person. 0:14:45.480 --> 0:14:48.480 I have feelings. I hurt. When I saw a Cassie 0:14:48.520 --> 0:14:51.240 being beaten, it made me feel like I was being 0:14:51.280 --> 0:14:54.520 beaten because I'm a woman and I actually have dealt 0:14:54.520 --> 0:14:57.800 with domestic violence, so it's no joke to me. And 0:14:59.200 --> 0:15:02.000 I again, I oh that something happened, and it was 0:15:02.040 --> 0:15:05.640 horrific things that took place in that relationship, But I 0:15:05.720 --> 0:15:08.880 still I don't really care who feels a way about it. 0:15:08.920 --> 0:15:11.920 Either way, I am not the type of person that 0:15:12.000 --> 0:15:14.480 I'm your friend. And then when the social media goes 0:15:14.520 --> 0:15:17.440 crazy against you that I just jump with social media. 0:15:17.680 --> 0:15:22.120 That's not realistic. And the biggest thing is that if 0:15:22.520 --> 0:15:25.280 I feel you've done something wrong, I don't need to 0:15:25.400 --> 0:15:28.280 tell them. I need to tell you. I need to 0:15:28.480 --> 0:15:33.880 actually tell you how I feel, versus me going out 0:15:34.040 --> 0:15:36.840 just to be able to catch the wind of getting 0:15:36.840 --> 0:15:39.840 out there so that I could please other people by 0:15:39.880 --> 0:15:42.840 speaking to them and and and and making sure that 0:15:42.880 --> 0:15:45.840 they feel like, oh yeah, you with us that's not 0:15:46.120 --> 0:15:48.720 that's it's actually much bigger than that though. That's just 0:15:48.760 --> 0:15:52.360 where I stand. It's no confusion for those people. I've 0:15:52.400 --> 0:15:55.000 seen a couple people tag me, oh, well, you know 0:15:55.080 --> 0:15:57.760 what is your What are you not being on social 0:15:57.840 --> 0:15:59.720 media about this? Means? Well, I could tell you what 0:15:59.760 --> 0:16:02.240 it me. It's different ways that people do different things, 0:16:02.320 --> 0:16:05.000 but to do nothing is not okay. And so that's 0:16:05.000 --> 0:16:05.960 what I have to say. 0:16:05.800 --> 0:16:08.880 On that, and that's that on that. So that brings 0:16:08.920 --> 0:16:14.400 me to my music spotlight of the day. But for 0:16:14.480 --> 0:16:17.640 such a time like this, we need artists who are 0:16:17.680 --> 0:16:19.880 speaking to the realities that were going on that who 0:16:19.880 --> 0:16:24.720 are not afraid, who are not going to be politically correct, 0:16:25.400 --> 0:16:25.920 you know, or. 0:16:26.080 --> 0:16:28.400 Not correct because they could sell they could sell booty, 0:16:28.440 --> 0:16:30.640 but they just don't want to politic exactly. 0:16:30.760 --> 0:16:33.760 I want to celebrate those who don't coward in the moment. 0:16:34.600 --> 0:16:37.400 So a young artist from the Bay Area that I 0:16:37.440 --> 0:16:40.800 really love. His name is l Russell. He was doing 0:16:40.800 --> 0:16:44.000 a performance I don't know exactly where, but he spoke 0:16:44.080 --> 0:16:46.640 up about what was happening in Palestine, and he spoke 0:16:46.680 --> 0:16:49.920 about how it took him time and he wanted to 0:16:50.280 --> 0:16:51.760 and he said it in the rhym like you know 0:16:51.760 --> 0:16:53.760 what I said, And I looked and I thought, and 0:16:53.800 --> 0:16:56.120 I'm like I have to say something, you know, So 0:16:56.160 --> 0:16:58.040 shout out to larussell if you get to see that 0:16:58.160 --> 0:17:01.600 freestyles on this page and he talks about, you know, 0:17:01.920 --> 0:17:04.399 just seeing what's happening in Gaza and seeing what's happening 0:17:04.440 --> 0:17:09.480 in Palestine and and and and talking about how all 0:17:09.520 --> 0:17:12.159 those things are intertwined and how we need to be 0:17:12.240 --> 0:17:16.200 able and be brave in this movement and speak about 0:17:16.200 --> 0:17:20.720 what's going on. Yeah, because you know it gets a 0:17:20.760 --> 0:17:23.320 little deep. Man gets a little different times, so shout 0:17:23.359 --> 0:17:25.640 out to luissel Man. Appreciate you man. 0:17:28.080 --> 0:17:30.520 All right, So you know friends. 0:17:30.400 --> 0:17:34.760 Friend friends, many others have them. 0:17:35.359 --> 0:17:37.639 We should have that song as a part of like 0:17:37.720 --> 0:17:41.439 the intro to we have the friends because we have 0:17:41.560 --> 0:17:42.639 friends that are. 0:17:45.880 --> 0:17:47.560 Really works but you know we're trying. 0:17:47.800 --> 0:17:54.960 Thanks Anastasia. So our friends are are individuals that you 0:17:55.080 --> 0:17:59.440 all know out there doing amazing things. Some of them 0:17:59.480 --> 0:18:01.600 are our friend end because you know, we told them 0:18:01.600 --> 0:18:03.080 and we met them and we liked them and we 0:18:03.080 --> 0:18:05.480 see them. But some of them are friends because we 0:18:05.600 --> 0:18:09.199 cry together, we fight together, we spend time together, we 0:18:09.320 --> 0:18:17.639 do everything in this and absolutely turning up together. And 0:18:17.880 --> 0:18:21.920 Michael Blake, who is joining us today, is absolutely one 0:18:21.960 --> 0:18:24.320 of our friends. And I would say he's definitely our 0:18:24.359 --> 0:18:27.840 dear brother. He's in the inner circle. And you know, 0:18:28.480 --> 0:18:33.960 our circle is closed because it's closed because the it's 0:18:34.000 --> 0:18:38.040 the elements are around us. The forces of evil are 0:18:38.119 --> 0:18:41.639 constantly trying to pope their way in, and we have 0:18:41.720 --> 0:18:45.199 built a fortress. And I would say that Michael, you 0:18:45.320 --> 0:18:46.680 certainly are one. 0:18:46.880 --> 0:18:48.520 Is this a fortress? Like when y'all rolled up on 0:18:48.560 --> 0:18:51.360 my office in Albany started like yelling at me about 0:18:51.400 --> 0:18:52.040 something I didn't do. 0:18:52.560 --> 0:18:56.600 No, no, you was doing it? 0:18:56.720 --> 0:18:58.280 Or is that like my birthday party? I'm just trying 0:18:58.280 --> 0:19:01.240 to stay you know? Is it is a big no 0:19:01.400 --> 0:19:02.040 question in the back. 0:19:02.640 --> 0:19:06.600 The fortress that we've built, I think encompasses all things, 0:19:07.240 --> 0:19:11.240 and it is accountability that we have for one another. 0:19:11.920 --> 0:19:17.600 It is fun, of course, it is enlightenment and education. 0:19:18.000 --> 0:19:20.639 What I don't know. I never feel like I can't 0:19:20.680 --> 0:19:22.800 call one of y'all and say, hey, I don't know, 0:19:22.960 --> 0:19:25.879 can you help me how you know, help me prepare 0:19:25.880 --> 0:19:28.159 a speech, help me think through a thing. And I 0:19:28.200 --> 0:19:30.520 feel like I've been a part of that for both 0:19:30.560 --> 0:19:33.680 of you. So what people ask me on the road 0:19:33.720 --> 0:19:36.359 all the time. One of the biggest questions. It's like 0:19:36.400 --> 0:19:39.520 the most common question is what do you do for yourself? 0:19:40.040 --> 0:19:42.920 You know, how do you renew and restore with everything 0:19:42.920 --> 0:19:44.800 that we do? And I tell people I've built a 0:19:44.840 --> 0:19:47.439 family that don't play about me, you know, and I 0:19:47.480 --> 0:19:50.280 certainly know that you are one of those individuals. But 0:19:50.320 --> 0:19:51.920 you're a whole lot of other things. 0:19:52.240 --> 0:19:54.680 I appreciate that. For one, you realize to Mak and 0:19:54.720 --> 0:19:56.960 did not respond about rolling up on the office. 0:19:57.040 --> 0:19:59.320 Because we're gonna get to it. Actually, I said we're 0:19:59.320 --> 0:19:59.800 gonna get to it. 0:20:00.320 --> 0:20:06.320 I heard that that's in the accountability boku. 0:20:06.520 --> 0:20:09.399 So, first of all of the many things that you 0:20:09.480 --> 0:20:13.359 are is a former New York State assemblyman. Okay, you 0:20:13.680 --> 0:20:20.240 are from from the Bronx, but you are a Jamaican immigrant. No, 0:20:20.320 --> 0:20:22.800 you were born to Jamaican immigrants. Your parents, I'm gonna 0:20:22.800 --> 0:20:25.879 talk about them. Last, you are also a member of 0:20:26.080 --> 0:20:29.840 Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, and that's such a big deal, 0:20:30.080 --> 0:20:31.680 you know, big big deal. 0:20:32.480 --> 0:20:33.160 We're starting good. 0:20:34.359 --> 0:20:37.360 You also were a vice chair of the Democratic National 0:20:37.359 --> 0:20:42.240 Committee from twenty and seventeen to twenty twenty one, and 0:20:42.400 --> 0:20:47.639 now you are the CEO of Atlas Strategy Group. And 0:20:47.840 --> 0:20:52.600 also you have a major major effort that I enjoy 0:20:52.640 --> 0:20:56.360 and am a part of, which is your Cairos events 0:20:56.840 --> 0:20:59.600 where you organize and what is the name of the 0:20:59.640 --> 0:21:01.080 actual initiative. 0:21:01.720 --> 0:21:05.320 Chiros is the community that we've built. The vision is 0:21:05.320 --> 0:21:08.479 where people all color see our power. The event on 0:21:08.520 --> 0:21:11.159 the vineyard is called Convenient for the Culture exactly. 0:21:11.240 --> 0:21:16.000 And so it's not just the vineyard. You're doing events 0:21:16.040 --> 0:21:19.880 all over the country under the Chiros community where you're 0:21:19.920 --> 0:21:23.760 bringing people together. And I think that what Chiros to 0:21:23.880 --> 0:21:27.080 me is like exactly what until Freedom is. It's always 0:21:27.119 --> 0:21:29.760 a place where everybody is a table, a seat at 0:21:29.760 --> 0:21:33.040 the table. You don't have to be voting for this person. 0:21:33.280 --> 0:21:34.800 You could be a person that doesn't vote at all. 0:21:34.800 --> 0:21:37.199 Hopefully we move you, but when you get there, you 0:21:37.280 --> 0:21:39.080 show up as you are, as long as you care 0:21:39.119 --> 0:21:42.239 about justice and equity and inclusion and all of that. 0:21:42.359 --> 0:21:45.120 So all of those things, but the most important thing 0:21:45.200 --> 0:21:50.520 that you are is the son of Hedley and Hillary. 0:21:50.440 --> 0:21:54.080 Hedley Headler, George Blake and Hillary Lawrence. 0:21:54.400 --> 0:21:59.320 Okay, and that's that is how you how your roots 0:21:59.359 --> 0:22:03.320 to Jamake come to be because these two are proud, 0:22:03.840 --> 0:22:04.920 proud Jamaican. 0:22:06.200 --> 0:22:10.480 Oh, body roll, body Rod. I had oxtail coming in here. 0:22:11.200 --> 0:22:13.880