WEBVTT - Political Organizing and Advocacy with Zenia Perez (Part 1) 0:00:00.480 --> 0:00:02.760 Broadcasting from the Hip Hop Weekly Studios. I'd like to 0:00:02.759 --> 0:00:04.960 welcome you to another episode of Civic Cipher, where our 0:00:05.000 --> 0:00:07.720 mission is to foster ally ship, empathy and understanding. 0:00:07.800 --> 0:00:10.319 I am your host, Ramses, job is Ramses Joh, I 0:00:10.360 --> 0:00:13.560 am q Ward. You are tuned into civic socie, Yes. 0:00:13.440 --> 0:00:16.440 You are, and we appreciate you tuning in because, uh, 0:00:16.440 --> 0:00:20.200 today we're gonna we're gonna learn something. We have a 0:00:20.200 --> 0:00:22.560 a new a new teacher, a new instructor in the building. 0:00:22.680 --> 0:00:25.680 She goes by the name of Zenya Perez and she's 0:00:25.720 --> 0:00:28.680 an organizer and political consultant working in the fields of 0:00:28.720 --> 0:00:33.080 advocacy and electoral politics. You can find her on social 0:00:33.159 --> 0:00:38.280 media that is TikTok and Instagram, specifically at your political prema. 0:00:38.800 --> 0:00:39.800 So welcome to the show. 0:00:40.159 --> 0:00:41.040 Thank you for having me. 0:00:41.200 --> 0:00:44.400 Yeah yeah, and uh around here with me and Kewit's 0:00:44.400 --> 0:00:49.919 business as usual. So we have a uh I'm I'm 0:00:49.920 --> 0:00:54.240 really excited for our bae by segment because uh, there 0:00:54.360 --> 0:00:58.640 was an epic takedown of a of a young man 0:00:58.880 --> 0:01:01.720 in Virginia that I think that folks need to stick 0:01:01.760 --> 0:01:07.119 around for because it was inspirational and it's really kind 0:01:07.160 --> 0:01:10.000 of what we need nowadays. And I know for Q 0:01:10.080 --> 0:01:11.880 because you haven't heard it yet. So this is kind 0:01:11.880 --> 0:01:14.600 of my surprise to you that with a lot of 0:01:14.600 --> 0:01:17.840 the things that you've been dealing with in your like life, 0:01:18.520 --> 0:01:24.000 especially under the new administration and the emboldening of really 0:01:24.240 --> 0:01:30.199 some of the worst facets of this country, it's really 0:01:30.240 --> 0:01:36.000 exciting to see, you know, people resisting that shift in 0:01:36.120 --> 0:01:39.840 the culture in this country. And so I'm excited to 0:01:39.840 --> 0:01:42.640 share that with you, and we're excited to learn. Zenya 0:01:43.280 --> 0:01:46.240 also is going to be talking to us about really 0:01:46.240 --> 0:01:49.120 getting involved on the ground and you know, making some 0:01:49.240 --> 0:01:52.560 changes in ways that you can in your own community. 0:01:52.720 --> 0:01:56.120 So this is kind of what we need to do 0:01:56.160 --> 0:01:58.760 now in order to resist what many people consider to 0:01:58.760 --> 0:02:02.120 be an oppressiveministration. And so that is what we're doing 0:02:02.200 --> 0:02:04.560 so much more. But before we get there, it is 0:02:04.600 --> 0:02:06.120 time for some Ebony excellence. 0:02:06.800 --> 0:02:07.120 Shall we? 0:02:07.880 --> 0:02:11.000 Yes, we shall, And today's abny excellence we shouting out Shaboozi. 0:02:11.800 --> 0:02:15.160 I don't know if you saw Shaboozi's side eye at 0:02:15.320 --> 0:02:19.480 the American Music Awards, but I will share with you. 0:02:19.520 --> 0:02:22.640 This comes from the National Black Guy. Shaboozi, the Nigerian 0:02:22.760 --> 0:02:25.880 American country artist, addressed a viral moment from the twenty 0:02:25.880 --> 0:02:28.440 twenty five American Music Awards, where he reacted to co 0:02:28.520 --> 0:02:32.840 presenter Megan Moroney's claim that the Carter family basically invented 0:02:32.880 --> 0:02:36.120 country music. During the presentation of the Favorite Country Duo 0:02:36.240 --> 0:02:39.160 or Group Award, Shabbuzzi gave a noticeable side eye and 0:02:39.280 --> 0:02:42.880 chuckle in response to Maroni's statement. The following day, he 0:02:42.919 --> 0:02:45.360 took to social media to highlight the significant, yet often 0:02:45.400 --> 0:02:49.400 overlooked contributions of black musicians to the genre. He emphasized 0:02:49.600 --> 0:02:52.880 the influence of artists like Leslie Riddle, who collaborated with 0:02:52.919 --> 0:02:56.360 the Carter family, as well as Rufus Teapot, Pain, Gus Cannon, 0:02:56.639 --> 0:02:59.720 and DeFord Bailey, all of whom played foundational roles in 0:02:59.720 --> 0:03:03.840 shape country music. Chibuzzi's remarks have reignited discussions about the 0:03:03.919 --> 0:03:08.360 historical erasure of black artists in country music. He pointed 0:03:08.360 --> 0:03:11.520 out that while the Carter family is celebrated, the black 0:03:11.600 --> 0:03:15.560 musicians who influenced them often remain unrecognized. This conversation the 0:03:15.560 --> 0:03:17.840 lines with a broader movement to acknowledge and celebrate the 0:03:17.840 --> 0:03:20.800 diverse roots of country music, a theme also explored in 0:03:20.840 --> 0:03:24.920 Beyonce's Cowboy Carter album, which features Shaboozi and pays tribute 0:03:25.120 --> 0:03:31.240 to trailblazers like Linda Martel. So, you know, around here, 0:03:31.280 --> 0:03:39.280 we haven't been able to really give Shaboozi his flowers. 0:03:39.360 --> 0:03:41.760 You know, he is definitely of any excellence, and it's 0:03:41.920 --> 0:03:44.160 fitting that the time, the first time that we're able 0:03:44.160 --> 0:03:47.040 to do it is because he's taking you know, he's 0:03:47.160 --> 0:03:51.000 using his platform in the stage to resist, even if 0:03:51.000 --> 0:03:53.000 it's in a small way. I do recognize he's kind 0:03:53.000 --> 0:03:56.560 of a lone, you know, figure in that world in 0:03:56.600 --> 0:03:58.640 a manner of speaking, but I love the fact that 0:03:58.680 --> 0:04:02.880 he gave that little side eye and elaborated. All right, 0:04:03.160 --> 0:04:08.840 so Zania Perez, welcome to the show. Thank you for 0:04:09.120 --> 0:04:13.160 taking the time to come and talk to us. I 0:04:13.240 --> 0:04:15.240 know that this is kind of a this kind of 0:04:15.280 --> 0:04:18.040 came together quickly, but I do appreciate you coming on here. 0:04:18.080 --> 0:04:20.479 So allow me to share with you kind of a 0:04:20.480 --> 0:04:22.840 little bit about us, and then we'll get a little 0:04:22.839 --> 0:04:27.320 bit more about you. So Q and I we felt 0:04:27.360 --> 0:04:32.640 that this show is necessary because, in particular, on hip 0:04:32.680 --> 0:04:34.880 hop stations around the country, there's a lot of you know, 0:04:34.960 --> 0:04:40.719 celebration of black culture, black music, black art, but not 0:04:40.880 --> 0:04:43.800 a lot in the way of the advancement of a 0:04:43.880 --> 0:04:48.360 decidedly black political agenda or the galvanization of black folks 0:04:48.400 --> 0:04:52.960 behind causes that would benefit black and adjacent namely brown 0:04:53.040 --> 0:04:57.640 and other marginalized communities. And so we created this show 0:04:57.839 --> 0:05:00.920 to highlight people who are actually doing the work and 0:05:00.960 --> 0:05:03.200 give them a platform to share their stories. And so, 0:05:03.720 --> 0:05:06.120 while Q and I do a great job, I believe 0:05:06.320 --> 0:05:09.440 of kind of taking care of this space, it was 0:05:09.520 --> 0:05:13.760 built for you because you're the person that is out 0:05:13.760 --> 0:05:17.960 there actually making things happen. And what you're going to 0:05:18.000 --> 0:05:20.840 do today is teach us and our listeners all about that. 0:05:21.000 --> 0:05:23.320 So before we get to that, do us a favor 0:05:23.480 --> 0:05:27.279 and just kind of introduce yourself beyond kind of the 0:05:27.279 --> 0:05:28.600 brief introduction that we gave you. 0:05:29.680 --> 0:05:34.479 Well, I was born and raised in the County of Dade. 0:05:34.760 --> 0:05:38.960 To quote a rapper from Miami. 0:05:40.200 --> 0:05:42.800 We like rappers run here, so great for us. 0:05:42.880 --> 0:05:46.560 Yeah, it's Rick Ross, you know, like he claims us. 0:05:46.600 --> 0:05:50.719 I don't know if we claim him, but you know, so, Yeah, 0:05:50.760 --> 0:05:52.960 I was born and raised a county of Dad like Miami, 0:05:53.200 --> 0:05:57.280 Dade County. It's just this really great melting pot. Like 0:05:57.560 --> 0:06:00.800 you think, it's very Latino, and yes it is, but 0:06:01.160 --> 0:06:06.880 it's a city built by black Bahamians, and it grew 0:06:07.080 --> 0:06:11.960 with our different waves of immigrants, and so we've got 0:06:12.200 --> 0:06:14.680 all sorts of different immigrants and not all Latinos are 0:06:14.720 --> 0:06:17.520 a monolith, and so you have the city just being 0:06:17.560 --> 0:06:20.360 shaped in different ways. And that kind of just made 0:06:20.400 --> 0:06:23.240 me a very curious person. So when I got to college, 0:06:23.279 --> 0:06:24.640 my parents were like, you got to make money, and 0:06:24.640 --> 0:06:26.160 I was like, no, I got to do something I love. 0:06:26.279 --> 0:06:30.040 So I studied anthropology and that ended up, you know, 0:06:30.400 --> 0:06:34.240 me serving in the Peace Corps on the sugarcane plantations 0:06:34.240 --> 0:06:37.760 of the Dominican Republic. It was kind of like modern 0:06:37.839 --> 0:06:40.640 day slavery. But that's a feature of capitalism, I guess. 0:06:41.600 --> 0:06:46.680 And then I came back to the States. And when 0:06:46.760 --> 0:06:49.799 you go through an experience like that, you come back 0:06:50.880 --> 0:06:54.680 a changed person. And I was coming back to what 0:06:54.839 --> 0:06:57.120 was the birth of Black Lives Matter. We didn't know 0:06:57.120 --> 0:07:01.560 at that moment, but George Zimmerman, a Latino mind you 0:07:01.839 --> 0:07:06.960 had just killed, had just murdered Travon Martin. And when 0:07:07.000 --> 0:07:09.400 I saw his high school, I d I had the 0:07:09.400 --> 0:07:11.600 same high school ID, my brother had the same high 0:07:11.600 --> 0:07:15.800 school ID. Like in Florida. It's hot at heck outside, 0:07:16.160 --> 0:07:19.320 so they blasted ac. We all go to school with 0:07:19.360 --> 0:07:21.200 our hoodies. That could have been me, that could have 0:07:21.280 --> 0:07:25.360 been my brother, and so yeah, that wouldn't just hurt 0:07:25.400 --> 0:07:29.440 me in the fields and going through an experience like 0:07:30.480 --> 0:07:36.320 the Peace Corps living amongst marginalized communities. You know, I 0:07:36.360 --> 0:07:39.440 was living with people of Haitian descent in a Latino 0:07:39.480 --> 0:07:43.560 culture that was very anti black, even though most of Dominicans, 0:07:44.080 --> 0:07:48.800 you know, are are black. And I remember going back 0:07:48.840 --> 0:07:51.760 on a trip to visit my people in the Demican 0:07:51.800 --> 0:07:53.600 Republic and they were like, how can you say the 0:07:53.720 --> 0:07:56.160 US is the best country in the world, Like look 0:07:56.200 --> 0:07:59.280 at this NYA, Like what do you mean? And we 0:07:59.400 --> 0:08:02.240 all thought in that moment like that's it. America's no 0:08:02.360 --> 0:08:06.200 longer racist. President Obama is our president, Like that's it. 0:08:06.240 --> 0:08:08.960 We did it, like, you know, let's check this off. 0:08:09.400 --> 0:08:12.120 We were very very wrong. A lot of people, a 0:08:12.120 --> 0:08:14.000 lot of organizers, are like we did it, and they 0:08:14.040 --> 0:08:16.720 turned away. We lost the mid terms. But then and 0:08:16.760 --> 0:08:21.640 so yeah, you you by my own students, they they 0:08:21.720 --> 0:08:25.560 made me realize that America had things that we needed 0:08:25.640 --> 0:08:28.200 to work on, right, But you know, it's a journey, 0:08:28.360 --> 0:08:31.120 not a destination, and when I got back, I just 0:08:31.200 --> 0:08:34.400 could not go back to my daily grind. I ended 0:08:34.480 --> 0:08:37.680 up finding my way into politics. It kind of found me, 0:08:37.840 --> 0:08:41.400 and so I got heavily involved in the Bernie campaign. 0:08:41.440 --> 0:08:45.080 After that, I worked at Justice Democrats, we got AOC elected. 0:08:46.040 --> 0:08:49.199 After that, I worked in labor and you know, did 0:08:49.240 --> 0:08:53.720 some cool stuff with really cool, really cool people working 0:08:53.760 --> 0:08:57.680 in retail and private own equity. And yeah, and now 0:08:57.720 --> 0:09:03.800 I'm here working on vocating for DEI, which I can 0:09:03.840 --> 0:09:06.960 tell you my career has been a kind of you know, 0:09:07.200 --> 0:09:10.680 beating the political moment in a very interesting way. 0:09:10.800 --> 0:09:18.760 But yeah, listening to your story and how synonymous it 0:09:18.800 --> 0:09:22.600 is with ours, like these moments in history that happened 0:09:22.640 --> 0:09:25.240 that kind of shaped our view and took us from 0:09:25.240 --> 0:09:27.840 something that was adjacent by the nature of who we 0:09:27.920 --> 0:09:31.920 are to something direct. You know, we were hip hop 0:09:32.000 --> 0:09:35.440 radio DJs. We did a hip hop radio show exactly 0:09:35.480 --> 0:09:37.640 what you think when you hear hip hop radio show, 0:09:38.080 --> 0:09:41.800 your favorite hip hop artists, concert ticket giveaways, you know, 0:09:41.920 --> 0:09:43.880 us popping up at your local high school or local 0:09:43.880 --> 0:09:47.720 concert outside with tents and speakers in our turntables, at 0:09:47.760 --> 0:09:50.680 your local nightclub and for both of us in the 0:09:50.720 --> 0:09:57.280 arena with the local NBA team and similar to that 0:09:57.400 --> 0:10:00.920 kind of birthing of Black Lives Matter with George Zimmerman 0:10:01.040 --> 0:10:07.080 and Trayvon Martin was George Floyd years later, and that 0:10:07.240 --> 0:10:14.320 happening at the same time as COVID nineteen. The world 0:10:14.400 --> 0:10:17.000 was in a very unique place to be able to 0:10:17.040 --> 0:10:20.439 respond and mobilize during that movement in a way that 0:10:20.640 --> 0:10:24.079 you know, not before or since have we been so available, 0:10:24.120 --> 0:10:27.080 so off work, so out of school, so you know, 0:10:28.240 --> 0:10:32.400 so in tuned, and everybody was outside for seemingly the 0:10:32.440 --> 0:10:37.240 same reason, and it was impossible to ignore and having 0:10:37.280 --> 0:10:39.679 conversations about what the world was dealing with and what 0:10:39.720 --> 0:10:41.920 we saw in the in the streets as we protested 0:10:41.920 --> 0:10:44.800 and as we marched, got our hands slapped a little 0:10:44.800 --> 0:10:48.079 bit at the radio station, and we went from entertainers 0:10:48.960 --> 0:10:52.320 to a moment and a decision turning us into activist. 0:10:52.640 --> 0:10:55.360 And like Ramda said, the idea for this show was 0:10:55.440 --> 0:10:58.199 that we're DJs. We're not experts in this field. We 0:10:58.200 --> 0:11:00.400 don't do this work, but we know people that do, 0:11:00.960 --> 0:11:03.600 and they deserve a platform and to have their voices 0:11:03.600 --> 0:11:06.800 and their messages amplified. Little did we know that we 0:11:06.800 --> 0:11:10.000 would be joining in on that fight because you know, 0:11:10.160 --> 0:11:14.760 the moment decided that for us, right, the moment decided that, 0:11:15.080 --> 0:11:20.680 and then Ramses decided it for us, specifically resigning from 0:11:20.679 --> 0:11:22.920 the radio station that we were at, because they decided 0:11:23.120 --> 0:11:25.920 in that moment that they wouldn't they wouldn't live up 0:11:25.920 --> 0:11:28.800 to it, they would not answer the call, and black 0:11:29.280 --> 0:11:32.280 was too much for them, almost specifically, they don't want 0:11:32.280 --> 0:11:34.319 to do a black show where the words that they used, 0:11:34.320 --> 0:11:37.920 and Ramses knew in that moment that the decision had 0:11:37.960 --> 0:11:41.959 to be made that we would go a different way. 0:11:42.080 --> 0:11:46.880 It's a full circle moment to almost have someone like 0:11:46.960 --> 0:11:50.320 Ramsay said that we built this whole thing for sitting 0:11:50.320 --> 0:11:53.040 here with us. You know, someone who's doing the work, 0:11:53.160 --> 0:11:57.880 someone who's experienced life in a way that has kind 0:11:57.880 --> 0:12:01.440 of ingrained empathy into your heart and to your mind. 0:12:01.480 --> 0:12:03.320 The decisions that you make are based on that. Because 0:12:03.360 --> 0:12:05.480 you went to a university and got a degree, and 0:12:05.520 --> 0:12:08.760 you could have chased the capitalistic dream and done something 0:12:08.760 --> 0:12:10.720 to make far more money than you make doing the 0:12:10.720 --> 0:12:13.560 type of work that you do. So we can't express 0:12:13.600 --> 0:12:18.280 our gratitude enough for you making decisions really based on 0:12:18.559 --> 0:12:21.199 wanting to take care of and show up for everybody 0:12:21.240 --> 0:12:29.920 else from Dade County to a red border state to 0:12:30.080 --> 0:12:32.719 visit two hip hop DJs and have a conversation. That's 0:12:32.720 --> 0:12:39.480 the heck of a story. Making the decisions for that 0:12:39.520 --> 0:12:43.640 to be career? How did you get there? Like our 0:12:43.679 --> 0:12:46.839 decision was kind of made for us. What was the 0:12:47.520 --> 0:12:50.000 kind of lightning in the bottom moment that said to you, Okay, 0:12:50.000 --> 0:12:52.319 this is what I need to do moving forward? Because 0:12:52.320 --> 0:12:54.559 from the Peace Corps to now being an organizer that 0:12:55.040 --> 0:12:56.960 you know, there are adjacent things, but there's a bridge 0:12:56.960 --> 0:12:58.720 that you had to cross to get where you are now. 0:13:00.720 --> 0:13:03.280 You know, my parents, I think they asked themselves this 0:13:03.480 --> 0:13:06.640 very thing, and they're like, how did you get here? 0:13:07.559 --> 0:13:11.720 And I mean, how could I not? It is what 0:13:11.840 --> 0:13:16.920 I asked them. Like I think they they our lives 0:13:16.960 --> 0:13:21.120 are so political and and what politics ought to be 0:13:21.440 --> 0:13:28.240 is just people getting their basic needs met and then 0:13:28.280 --> 0:13:31.000 some and I think we kind of like forget that 0:13:31.040 --> 0:13:34.880 here in this country. And I tell my parents, I'm like, 0:13:35.000 --> 0:13:39.320 I work in politics because I grew up in Miami, 0:13:39.679 --> 0:13:45.040 like I grew up protesting Fidel Castro. You know, we 0:13:45.080 --> 0:13:47.520 would walk to the Orange Bowl fill that Orange Bowl, 0:13:47.600 --> 0:13:49.800 and we would stomp our feet and we would chant 0:13:49.960 --> 0:13:54.120 Guba si gastron and you know, when you know, similar 0:13:54.200 --> 0:13:57.920 to what we're seeing in Palestine, Like we had we 0:13:57.960 --> 0:14:01.199 had groups that would deliver aid to the people in Cuba, 0:14:01.840 --> 0:14:06.280 and the Cuban government shot those rescue planes down and 0:14:06.320 --> 0:14:09.200 people were up in arms, Like people in Miami are 0:14:09.240 --> 0:14:14.280 always upset about something, and we're always going to fight 0:14:14.360 --> 0:14:17.280 for what's rightfully yours. Maybe it's because like you know, 0:14:17.320 --> 0:14:21.600 there's there's all like our politicians are Latino and we 0:14:21.640 --> 0:14:25.600 are Latino, and you know, and so we just we 0:14:25.640 --> 0:14:30.080 feel comfortable telling this country what we deserve and what 0:14:30.120 --> 0:14:34.240 we need because like our legislators look like us, and 0:14:34.320 --> 0:14:39.160 so like I I grew up poor, and you know, 0:14:39.200 --> 0:14:42.040 and yes my life was hard, but I didn't have 0:14:42.160 --> 0:14:45.880 this this notion that I could not be what I 0:14:45.920 --> 0:14:48.440 wanted to be. I just didn't know where I wanted 0:14:48.440 --> 0:14:50.480 to go and what I wanted to do. I mean, 0:14:50.520 --> 0:14:53.280 who does really, and and so like that's how I 0:14:53.360 --> 0:14:57.160 ended up in politics. Like I realized that there were 0:14:57.320 --> 0:15:04.320 people who just weren't given a fair shake. And in 0:15:04.360 --> 0:15:08.880 this land of opportunity, we all deserve that and then 0:15:08.920 --> 0:15:13.280 some you know, if if we all prosper, like we 0:15:13.320 --> 0:15:16.080 all get to benefit from that, if we all like 0:15:16.320 --> 0:15:21.040 have our basic needs met like housing, food, shelter, healthcare, 0:15:22.760 --> 0:15:26.680 then imagine like this beautiful world we could be living 0:15:26.720 --> 0:15:30.040 in instead of like this scarcity that we have been 0:15:30.160 --> 0:15:34.560 trained and condition groomed even through our own education system, 0:15:34.600 --> 0:15:38.560 our own politicians. But the thing about America, the beauty 0:15:38.640 --> 0:15:42.000 of America is that when something's wrong, Like when my 0:15:42.040 --> 0:15:43.680 parents gave me the ride to the airport, I was 0:15:43.680 --> 0:15:45.680 telling them like this, this is what I do for work, 0:15:46.240 --> 0:15:50.080 and we were talking about parental leave and my dad 0:15:50.160 --> 0:15:52.480 was like, well, I didn't have parental leave when I 0:15:52.640 --> 0:15:57.080 was when we had you. And I was like yeah, 0:15:57.120 --> 0:16:00.920 and that's terrible, Like that's bad for you for your 0:16:00.920 --> 0:16:03.720 ability to bond with us, and it's bad for the 0:16:03.720 --> 0:16:07.160 mother because she's more likely to have postpartum. And so 0:16:07.360 --> 0:16:10.720 you know what my brother now had parentally he had 0:16:13.040 --> 0:16:15.640 and guess what, Like they're all thriving because they all 0:16:15.640 --> 0:16:18.200 had that together, and because we get to fight for 0:16:18.280 --> 0:16:22.080 things that matter and make these families all families like healthy, 0:16:22.440 --> 0:16:26.360 Like that's that's what makes America great, Like America's been 0:16:26.520 --> 0:16:28.760 great because we're a country where we get to like 0:16:28.960 --> 0:16:32.040 shape it the way that we want, Like we don't 0:16:32.040 --> 0:16:34.880 have to ask for permission, like that's just our job. 0:16:35.600 --> 0:16:38.600 Well, speaking of shaping the country the way that we want, 0:16:38.720 --> 0:16:41.560 I want to get into the weeds a bit in 0:16:41.680 --> 0:16:43.680 terms of like what it is that you actually do. 0:16:44.680 --> 0:16:50.120 So earlier, you know, I said that you work in 0:16:50.160 --> 0:16:54.080 the fields of advocacy and electoral politics. Okay, so make 0:16:54.120 --> 0:16:55.720 that live for us a little bit. Talk to us 0:16:55.720 --> 0:16:58.640 about what electoral politics means, and talk to us a 0:16:58.680 --> 0:17:01.840 bit about what advocacy means, just so that people kind 0:17:01.840 --> 0:17:03.760 of get an idea of what the work, what the 0:17:03.800 --> 0:17:04.639 work entails. 0:17:04.720 --> 0:17:08.280 So you know, I'll talk to you as if like 0:17:08.280 --> 0:17:13.440 I'm talking to my parents. Electoral politics means that I'm 0:17:13.480 --> 0:17:18.359 trying to get somebody elected because I want to have 0:17:18.400 --> 0:17:22.000 a certain agenda pushed, and so that means I'm going 0:17:22.080 --> 0:17:25.680 to be knocking doors. I'm going to be having conversations 0:17:25.720 --> 0:17:29.440 with people with my end goal being that we get 0:17:29.480 --> 0:17:33.880 this person elected, or we get this ballot measure pushed 0:17:34.280 --> 0:17:38.680 through and voted into you know, whatever it is, whatever state. 0:17:39.880 --> 0:17:43.600 And so that's kind of the electoral side the advocacy 0:17:43.680 --> 0:17:49.040 side is where you have a cause. And I'll give 0:17:49.080 --> 0:17:53.119 you the example of when I worked in labor, we 0:17:53.400 --> 0:17:57.040 had people who were getting who are losing their jobs. 0:17:59.680 --> 0:18:02.280 And this was because private equity owned a lot of 0:18:02.760 --> 0:18:07.240 retail at the time and they were shutting down during 0:18:07.240 --> 0:18:13.280 the pandemic, not giving anyone any kind of warning, and 0:18:14.400 --> 0:18:16.200 things were really tough during the pandemic. A lot of 0:18:16.200 --> 0:18:19.080 people suffered, and so we got those people who had 0:18:19.119 --> 0:18:22.120 been laid off and they advocated and they pushed for 0:18:22.240 --> 0:18:26.199 a law that if you have this massive layoff, you 0:18:26.320 --> 0:18:30.560 get a severance paycheck, and we passed that first law. Okay, 0:18:30.640 --> 0:18:33.320 so that's like one example of what advocacy look like. 0:18:33.359 --> 0:18:35.000 It can look like a lot of things. It could 0:18:35.000 --> 0:18:37.800 be calling your legislator and telling them that you don't 0:18:37.840 --> 0:18:40.919 want to have Medicaid cut because it pays for all 0:18:40.960 --> 0:18:44.000 of the nursing homes in Florida. That's what that looks like. 0:18:44.080 --> 0:18:46.920 But there's people behind that, like setting up those scripts 0:18:46.920 --> 0:18:48.680 so that you can call and setting up the phone 0:18:48.760 --> 0:18:51.520 numbers and so like there's us doing that. So there's 0:18:51.560 --> 0:18:54.040 that big picture, that big legislative that we have like 0:18:54.280 --> 0:18:56.359 that I just told you, But then behind the scenes, 0:18:56.400 --> 0:19:00.280 like there's people knocking on the door. There's people like 0:19:00.280 --> 0:19:04.000 like trying to get you onto your side to either 0:19:04.080 --> 0:19:07.840 explain that cause or just like making it happen so 0:19:07.920 --> 0:19:10.439 that you can do education, or you can do like 0:19:10.520 --> 0:19:14.879 mobilization where you get people, you know, maybe just packing 0:19:14.920 --> 0:19:18.080 the house at your your your city hall, that sort 0:19:18.119 --> 0:19:20.440 of thing. And then the reason I do these two 0:19:20.480 --> 0:19:22.760 things is because like if I have a bill, like 0:19:22.920 --> 0:19:26.160 let's say I want to have you know, I don't 0:19:26.160 --> 0:19:30.600 want people to you know, in the US, you're more 0:19:30.720 --> 0:19:34.479 likely to become homeless from a cancer diagnosis than you 0:19:34.520 --> 0:19:38.919 are ever to become a millionaire billionaire, right, And so 0:19:39.680 --> 0:19:42.840 I think it's a it's a tragedy that we don't 0:19:42.840 --> 0:19:47.400 have that everyone doesn't have equal access, equitable access to healthcare. 0:19:47.880 --> 0:19:50.679 So I might want to you know, advocate, get you 0:19:50.760 --> 0:19:55.240 all to like call in and push for Medicaid expansion 0:19:55.480 --> 0:19:57.639 just we all, we all deserve a safety in it. 0:19:58.200 --> 0:20:01.640 And then but I want people well on the other 0:20:01.760 --> 0:20:05.640 side that have been that are sitting in office, those legislators, 0:20:05.640 --> 0:20:10.000 those lawmakers, and so like I need those people in office. 0:20:10.000 --> 0:20:12.359 I need to get them elected so that when I 0:20:12.440 --> 0:20:15.040 do this advocacy work like I have those allies, I 0:20:15.080 --> 0:20:17.119 have those people, So like those two things kind of 0:20:17.119 --> 0:20:19.800 work hand in hand. I love that some people work 0:20:19.840 --> 0:20:22.200 both sides. Some people only work one side, but I've 0:20:22.240 --> 0:20:24.680 been fortunate enough to have experience doing both. 0:20:24.800 --> 0:20:31.200 Okay, you're gonna please yeah, yeah, So you you mentioned 0:20:31.240 --> 0:20:33.080 a couple of the campaigns, you mentioned a labor thing, 0:20:33.560 --> 0:20:37.480 you mentioned AOC Talk about some of the other things 0:20:37.520 --> 0:20:39.920 and other people that you've worked with, because I want 0:20:39.960 --> 0:20:42.879 to say that I'm connecting you mentally with like Stacy 0:20:42.920 --> 0:20:47.400 Abrams and you know, maybe some other things. So let's 0:20:47.520 --> 0:20:50.560 let's let people know just how far this goes or 0:20:50.640 --> 0:20:51.000 can go. 0:20:53.880 --> 0:21:03.240 Yeah, Like we like to say as organizers that if 0:21:03.280 --> 0:21:06.119 you don't have a seat at the table, you're likely 0:21:06.160 --> 0:21:09.919 going to be at the menu. So bring a folding 0:21:10.000 --> 0:21:14.320 chair with you. Oh right, I have a friend who 0:21:14.400 --> 0:21:17.439 I think her ferb is called like folding chair, you know, 0:21:18.240 --> 0:21:22.680 consulting something like that. And like you, just in this country, 0:21:22.720 --> 0:21:24.879 we don't have to ask for permission or we should 0:21:24.920 --> 0:21:28.800 not be required room to think that way, Like this 0:21:29.000 --> 0:21:32.600 is the United States of America, for the people, by 0:21:32.720 --> 0:21:37.400 the people, and so like I think the way maybe 0:21:37.400 --> 0:21:40.679 it's our education system. I don't know why, but I 0:21:40.680 --> 0:21:45.440 think civic engagement it's very it's like this very foreign thing, 0:21:45.640 --> 0:21:49.280 like Howard Laws made? What is the job of a politician? 0:21:49.520 --> 0:21:52.399 You know, It's just it's this weird foreign concept. And 0:21:52.680 --> 0:21:55.560 I think it's like that by design because I think 0:21:55.640 --> 0:21:58.840 they don't you know, the powers that be or you know, 0:21:59.000 --> 0:22:02.840 very powerful corporation. They don't want you to know how 0:22:02.920 --> 0:22:04.880 powerful you are. Like at the end of the day, 0:22:05.760 --> 0:22:08.719 we pay their bills because we pay our taxes. So 0:22:09.400 --> 0:22:12.560 like politicians should be scared of us, not because I'm 0:22:12.600 --> 0:22:16.120 condoting political violence or anything, but because like we can 0:22:16.160 --> 0:22:19.879 get upset and vote them out. We yeah, let me, 0:22:20.000 --> 0:22:20.240 let me. 0:22:20.600 --> 0:22:22.320 I want this to live too, So my bad for 0:22:22.480 --> 0:22:29.919 jumping in front of que But under an administration like 0:22:29.960 --> 0:22:34.199 this one, obviously there's some people that think this administration 0:22:34.280 --> 0:22:37.240 is great, and there are some people that think that 0:22:37.320 --> 0:22:43.959 this administration is hostile. Right for those people that feel 0:22:44.000 --> 0:22:52.200 like this administration is hostile, but they themselves they want 0:22:52.240 --> 0:22:54.040 to do something and want to make some changes. They 0:22:54.040 --> 0:22:57.320 want to get out there and be active. But it's 0:22:57.440 --> 0:23:00.200 not for that, like they're not a politician there not. 0:23:01.040 --> 0:23:03.840 You know, they're not going to you know, and they're 0:23:03.880 --> 0:23:05.600 going to vote, of course, but they can't vote for 0:23:05.640 --> 0:23:08.760 another two years or four years or whatever. It sounds 0:23:08.800 --> 0:23:12.120 like there's a place based on what you're saying, there's 0:23:12.160 --> 0:23:15.359 a place for those people. Yeah, so talk to us 0:23:15.400 --> 0:23:19.920 about how easy or challenging it might be to become 0:23:20.200 --> 0:23:27.879 a political organizer or an advocacy or a you know, 0:23:28.000 --> 0:23:31.679 to support electoral politics. Like what does a person go 0:23:31.760 --> 0:23:35.439 through to become their city's version of you or their 0:23:35.480 --> 0:23:40.240 community's version of you. 0:23:40.240 --> 0:23:43.040 You just have to find your people, find your cause 0:23:43.240 --> 0:23:46.919 and find your people, like no one can do it alone. 0:23:47.400 --> 0:23:51.800 I know this country preaches rugged individualism, but humans, we 0:23:52.080 --> 0:23:57.119 are social creatures. Like and when when I was taught 0:23:57.119 --> 0:24:00.600 about organizing, you have to like remember buy in and 0:24:00.760 --> 0:24:03.320 just make sure like everyone's like bought into your cause. 0:24:03.480 --> 0:24:07.440 You know your your mission and so like ask yourself, 0:24:07.480 --> 0:24:10.840 like what is important to you for me right now? 0:24:10.880 --> 0:24:14.479 It's saving the Peace Corps from you know, the like 0:24:14.880 --> 0:24:19.879 demonic grips of Doge and Elon Musk and so you know, 0:24:19.920 --> 0:24:23.159