1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:04,400 Speaker 1: Welcome one and all to the Professional Homegirl Podcast. Before 2 00:00:04,440 --> 00:00:06,640 Speaker 1: we begin today's episode, we want to remind you that 3 00:00:06,680 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 1: the views and opinions expressed on this podcast are those 4 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:12,200 Speaker 1: of the host and guests and are intended for educational 5 00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:15,920 Speaker 1: and entertaining purposes. In this safe space, no question is 6 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:19,239 Speaker 1: off limits because you never know how someone's storyline can 7 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:22,520 Speaker 1: be your lifeline. The Professional Homegirl Podcast is here to 8 00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:26,200 Speaker 1: celebrate the diverse voices, stories and experiences of women of color, 9 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:30,200 Speaker 1: providing a platform for authentic and empowering conversations. There will 10 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:33,600 Speaker 1: be some key king, some tears, but most importantly a 11 00:00:33,680 --> 00:00:37,839 Speaker 1: reminder that tough times don't last, but professional homegirls do 12 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:49,200 Speaker 1: enjoy the show. 13 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:54,280 Speaker 2: Hello professional Homegirls. Ishagura ebine here and I hope all 14 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:58,040 Speaker 2: is cute now. In this week's rewind episode, I had 15 00:00:58,080 --> 00:01:00,360 Speaker 2: the honor of speaking with the door to of the 16 00:01:00,480 --> 00:01:04,440 Speaker 2: legendary Florence Griffin Joyner, also known as Flo Jo, the 17 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:08,319 Speaker 2: fastest woman in history. Now my guests opened up about 18 00:01:08,319 --> 00:01:11,959 Speaker 2: her mother's incredible legacy, sharing her thoughts on Flow Joe 19 00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:15,680 Speaker 2: receiving the recognition she truly deserves, and reflecting on the 20 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:19,280 Speaker 2: impact her mom had on their family and also the world. 21 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:21,840 Speaker 2: She also shared touch and memories of growing up with 22 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:25,520 Speaker 2: her mom, the lessons she carried forward, and how losing 23 00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:29,360 Speaker 2: her mom at a young age shaped her perspective. Y'all, 24 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:32,119 Speaker 2: I remember when I first saw Flojo, Like I think 25 00:01:32,160 --> 00:01:34,480 Speaker 2: I was in like seventh grade and I was going 26 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:36,840 Speaker 2: to a magazine and I saw a picture of her, 27 00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:40,440 Speaker 2: and like, I instantly fell in love with this woman. 28 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:42,600 Speaker 2: Like I thought, she was the most beautiful woman I 29 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:44,759 Speaker 2: have ever seen, and I've never seen a woman in. 30 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:45,880 Speaker 3: Sports look like her. 31 00:01:46,240 --> 00:01:49,680 Speaker 2: Like she was a brownie, she was beautiful, Her face 32 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:53,080 Speaker 2: was on fleek, hair was all nice and long, long nails, 33 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:56,160 Speaker 2: Like she was just so flyve and like, granted I 34 00:01:56,240 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 2: was not athletic at all in seventh grade, but I 35 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:02,919 Speaker 2: want to do some type of like just get involved 36 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:05,320 Speaker 2: in some type of sports. So I was the manager 37 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:08,200 Speaker 2: of the basketball the boys basketball team, and granted it's 38 00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 2: not track, but I just wanted to do something because 39 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:12,480 Speaker 2: I just felt like when I saw flow Joe, it 40 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:16,280 Speaker 2: made me think that anything was possible. So in her 41 00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:19,400 Speaker 2: conversation I had with her daughter, her daughter also spoke 42 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:22,560 Speaker 2: about the recent loss of her husband. In the Bittersweet Bond, 43 00:02:22,639 --> 00:02:25,360 Speaker 2: she now shares with her son as they both navigate 44 00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:28,960 Speaker 2: life after losing a parent. But beyond that, we also 45 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:31,640 Speaker 2: explore her love for music because she is a singer, 46 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:35,160 Speaker 2: her work on a documentary honor in Flojo's Life, in 47 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:37,440 Speaker 2: which I was personally invited, and I was like, oh 48 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:40,360 Speaker 2: my god, like I'm really here with her family and 49 00:02:40,480 --> 00:02:44,000 Speaker 2: her business Flow Joe Forever, which is keeping her mom's 50 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:47,440 Speaker 2: legacy alive. So y'all get ready. This was one of 51 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:50,440 Speaker 2: my favorite favorite throwback episodes, Like when I tell y'all, 52 00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:53,960 Speaker 2: I'm so proud of this conversation. I mean, the little 53 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:57,040 Speaker 2: girl in me was just screaming, so get ready, y'all 54 00:02:57,080 --> 00:03:00,600 Speaker 2: because my mother is Florence Griffin Joyner aka a Flow 55 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:05,960 Speaker 2: Joe starts now. So, y'all, this is like a dream 56 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:09,800 Speaker 2: come true. I express to my guests so many times before, 57 00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:11,760 Speaker 2: but I am super excited to be speaking to the 58 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:16,200 Speaker 2: daughter of one of the greatest legendary iconic athletes in 59 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:20,360 Speaker 2: the world, flores Grippin Jorian aka Flow Joe. So I 60 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:21,959 Speaker 2: really want to say thank you so much for being 61 00:03:21,960 --> 00:03:22,840 Speaker 2: a part of the show. 62 00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:28,200 Speaker 3: Thank you for having me. It's a great, great feeling 63 00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:32,000 Speaker 3: to just be a part of what you're doing, and 64 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:35,960 Speaker 3: I am so happy to support and be a part 65 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:37,440 Speaker 3: of it. Thank you. 66 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:38,560 Speaker 2: So how are you doing? 67 00:03:40,160 --> 00:03:44,960 Speaker 3: I am doing well, you know. Every day when my 68 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:47,960 Speaker 3: seat hit the floor, I'm just learning to be thankful 69 00:03:48,120 --> 00:03:54,400 Speaker 3: because it has been a year and just I've been 70 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:57,640 Speaker 3: going through so much ups and downs and I'm learning 71 00:03:57,680 --> 00:04:00,600 Speaker 3: to just count my blessings these days. Mm hmm. 72 00:04:01,480 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 2: I know that your husband recently passed away, so I 73 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:05,440 Speaker 2: want to send my condolences to you. 74 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:06,560 Speaker 3: Thank you. 75 00:04:07,200 --> 00:04:11,240 Speaker 2: So how has it been navigating through life, especially motherhood. 76 00:04:13,840 --> 00:04:17,000 Speaker 3: The seven years I got with my mom because she 77 00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:20,279 Speaker 3: passed away when I was seven. Luckily, she was a 78 00:04:20,400 --> 00:04:25,039 Speaker 3: very hands on mother, so I learned a lot of 79 00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:29,400 Speaker 3: manners and pretty much a lot of things from her 80 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:34,960 Speaker 3: that I try to teach my son. Faith is definitely 81 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:40,159 Speaker 3: number one. So we have a thing where I teach 82 00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:42,760 Speaker 3: him you know, hey did we get a new day? 83 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:46,839 Speaker 3: And he says, thank you God, And so faith is 84 00:04:46,880 --> 00:04:50,520 Speaker 3: a big thing that I am still in my son. 85 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:56,239 Speaker 3: And being a mother was out my mother physically here 86 00:04:56,800 --> 00:05:02,560 Speaker 3: like I always feel her spirit, But it's been challenging 87 00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:07,720 Speaker 3: because there's certain things that I want to ask her, like, hey, 88 00:05:07,760 --> 00:05:12,000 Speaker 3: what was it like, you know with this and how 89 00:05:12,040 --> 00:05:17,600 Speaker 3: did you you know feel you know, mothering me while 90 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:21,080 Speaker 3: you had so many responsibilities, you know, to the world. 91 00:05:21,240 --> 00:05:30,760 Speaker 3: So me being aspired entertainer and just handling my company. 92 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:34,240 Speaker 3: I tried to just balance it all out. But I 93 00:05:34,279 --> 00:05:37,960 Speaker 3: think this year I learned a lot with learning how 94 00:05:37,960 --> 00:05:42,000 Speaker 3: to take breaks and learning how to not really deal 95 00:05:42,320 --> 00:05:47,880 Speaker 3: with putting so much pressure on yourself and not really 96 00:05:47,960 --> 00:05:50,680 Speaker 3: caring what other people think or want for you. You 97 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:52,560 Speaker 3: got to do you at the end of the day, 98 00:05:53,160 --> 00:05:57,360 Speaker 3: and so I've been really trying to navigating I've been 99 00:05:57,360 --> 00:06:00,720 Speaker 3: really trying to navigate that through balance. Seeing that all 100 00:06:00,800 --> 00:06:05,720 Speaker 3: out with my personal life, public life, and work life 101 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:14,640 Speaker 3: and motherhood has been I think full circle because me 102 00:06:14,760 --> 00:06:18,040 Speaker 3: losing my mom and then him losing his dad. He's 103 00:06:18,040 --> 00:06:23,520 Speaker 3: on me. My son just turned five. It's going to 104 00:06:23,560 --> 00:06:26,240 Speaker 3: be challenging. But I think I'm the best parent for 105 00:06:26,440 --> 00:06:30,479 Speaker 3: that because I know what it's like and i know 106 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:32,720 Speaker 3: it's going to be challenging. But I'm just going to 107 00:06:32,760 --> 00:06:34,479 Speaker 3: make sure that I'd be the best mother that I 108 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:37,599 Speaker 3: could be, because that's why I'm just learning how to 109 00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:42,160 Speaker 3: take care of myself first, Because if you don't take 110 00:06:42,160 --> 00:06:46,240 Speaker 3: care of you, other things may fall apart and through 111 00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:48,240 Speaker 3: ups and downs. At the end of the day, you 112 00:06:48,360 --> 00:06:52,680 Speaker 3: have a little little person that's counting on you. So 113 00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:56,520 Speaker 3: I don't care about what anybody else says. As long 114 00:06:56,560 --> 00:07:02,040 Speaker 3: as my baby's happy, that's all that matters. 115 00:07:01,120 --> 00:07:04,880 Speaker 2: When a child was as a parent at a young age, 116 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:08,479 Speaker 2: do you think they should do you recommend therapy? 117 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:13,000 Speaker 3: I definitely do, because I didn't go into therapy until 118 00:07:13,040 --> 00:07:17,840 Speaker 3: I was older. But it's also personal preference as well, 119 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:21,560 Speaker 3: like if you feel like your child's starting to act 120 00:07:21,600 --> 00:07:24,520 Speaker 3: out or you feel like they're not learning how to 121 00:07:24,560 --> 00:07:29,800 Speaker 3: express themselves in a healthy way. I think therapy definitely helped, 122 00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:33,160 Speaker 3: but it's more if it's by choice. When it's forced, 123 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:37,920 Speaker 3: it may not do good because they may not want 124 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:42,440 Speaker 3: to tell how they really feel. They may just say 125 00:07:42,600 --> 00:07:46,120 Speaker 3: what is expected to be said just to get it 126 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:54,280 Speaker 3: over with. So it's really challenging with being young and therapy. 127 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:59,880 Speaker 3: And you also have to just have a sense of 128 00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:06,000 Speaker 3: yah open mindness to sure because certain certain like let's 129 00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:10,160 Speaker 3: say you have a different ethnicity of a therapist, so 130 00:08:10,480 --> 00:08:13,560 Speaker 3: certain families like me growing up in a black family, 131 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:17,480 Speaker 3: it's always like, okay, you can pray your mental health 132 00:08:17,520 --> 00:08:21,680 Speaker 3: problems away and it's okay. And so that's what I 133 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:23,880 Speaker 3: want to be there for my son, Like I want 134 00:08:23,920 --> 00:08:27,520 Speaker 3: to make sure like, okay, you understand this right, and 135 00:08:29,280 --> 00:08:32,680 Speaker 3: do you feel comfortable talking to this person? So one, 136 00:08:32,720 --> 00:08:34,360 Speaker 3: you have to make sure that they're the person that 137 00:08:34,720 --> 00:08:36,959 Speaker 3: they feel comfortable talking to, because there's a. 138 00:08:36,880 --> 00:08:41,640 Speaker 2: Lot of times where I didn't like my therapists say so, and. 139 00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:44,880 Speaker 3: You don't always like the person, so you have to 140 00:08:45,559 --> 00:08:51,760 Speaker 3: feel comfortable for opening up those vulnerable wounds that you 141 00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:54,680 Speaker 3: have to revisit. I'm going to do the best that 142 00:08:54,720 --> 00:08:57,320 Speaker 3: I can for my son to make sure that his 143 00:08:57,480 --> 00:09:05,439 Speaker 3: healing process is always what he feels best and that 144 00:09:05,679 --> 00:09:09,800 Speaker 3: it's okay to express himself. It's okay to cry. I 145 00:09:09,840 --> 00:09:14,760 Speaker 3: grew up with tough love, and sometimes tough love you 146 00:09:14,960 --> 00:09:18,199 Speaker 3: learn to shelter your emotions and then when you get older, 147 00:09:18,400 --> 00:09:21,480 Speaker 3: you just they come out not in the best way. 148 00:09:21,640 --> 00:09:23,800 Speaker 3: So I don't want to do that to my son. 149 00:09:24,080 --> 00:09:26,920 Speaker 3: I want to make sure that he lives his life 150 00:09:26,960 --> 00:09:31,600 Speaker 3: for him and that he knows how to express himself 151 00:09:31,679 --> 00:09:35,400 Speaker 3: the way that he wants to, whether it's with creativity 152 00:09:35,679 --> 00:09:42,760 Speaker 3: or words like writing or music, or if he's putting 153 00:09:42,760 --> 00:09:45,200 Speaker 3: that energy into sports. 154 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:50,640 Speaker 2: So I unfortunately you said, at least he can be 155 00:09:50,720 --> 00:09:53,160 Speaker 2: able to come to you and express how he feels 156 00:09:53,160 --> 00:09:56,240 Speaker 2: because you did go through something very similar at a 157 00:09:56,280 --> 00:10:01,640 Speaker 2: young age. That would do People express to you how 158 00:10:01,679 --> 00:10:04,240 Speaker 2: much your mom means to them all. 159 00:10:04,120 --> 00:10:10,800 Speaker 3: The time, And that's something that's more comforting to hear, because, 160 00:10:11,760 --> 00:10:14,160 Speaker 3: like I said, I only got seven years with her, 161 00:10:14,240 --> 00:10:17,800 Speaker 3: but to me, she was my mother. So to hear 162 00:10:17,920 --> 00:10:22,080 Speaker 3: what she meant to other people, that helps me, you know, 163 00:10:22,400 --> 00:10:25,360 Speaker 3: just connect with her like in my adulthood, like what 164 00:10:25,440 --> 00:10:29,440 Speaker 3: she was like as a woman, and even stuff that 165 00:10:29,480 --> 00:10:31,600 Speaker 3: I saw that she would do with just random people 166 00:10:31,920 --> 00:10:34,680 Speaker 3: on the street that recognized her. She always took time 167 00:10:34,720 --> 00:10:40,439 Speaker 3: out to acknowledge her fans or you know, just write 168 00:10:40,480 --> 00:10:45,480 Speaker 3: out every autograph. And really she was more of a 169 00:10:46,760 --> 00:10:49,880 Speaker 3: She's more of a writer. So she was the type 170 00:10:49,880 --> 00:10:52,080 Speaker 3: to write letters. She was the type to write thank 171 00:10:52,120 --> 00:10:58,959 Speaker 3: you cards, and she was the type to fully express gratitude. 172 00:10:59,360 --> 00:11:04,120 Speaker 3: And I've just been trying to instill that in my 173 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:07,360 Speaker 3: adult life. And when people say, oh my gosh, I 174 00:11:07,400 --> 00:11:09,920 Speaker 3: met your mother for one second and it changed my life, 175 00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:14,320 Speaker 3: and that that makes me so happy because I will 176 00:11:14,360 --> 00:11:17,760 Speaker 3: always honor her legacy and want to keep her memory 177 00:11:17,800 --> 00:11:22,560 Speaker 3: alive and just knowing that outside of track and field, 178 00:11:22,720 --> 00:11:25,959 Speaker 3: outside of her career, she was a genuine nice person. 179 00:11:28,280 --> 00:11:31,120 Speaker 2: Does they get overwhelming, it's onto maintaining her legacy. 180 00:11:32,920 --> 00:11:35,320 Speaker 3: I think when I was in sports, like when I 181 00:11:35,360 --> 00:11:38,440 Speaker 3: did track and field, it was more overwhelming because there's 182 00:11:38,480 --> 00:11:44,480 Speaker 3: so much pressure. My dad coach. Yeah, my dad was 183 00:11:44,520 --> 00:11:48,520 Speaker 3: my coach. I didn't have no choice, so I had 184 00:11:48,559 --> 00:11:51,760 Speaker 3: to run, and honestly, like it was a lot of 185 00:11:51,760 --> 00:11:56,160 Speaker 3: pressure because if you did exceed and do well, it 186 00:11:56,200 --> 00:11:59,920 Speaker 3: was expected. It was like you're a joiner, so that's expected. 187 00:12:00,440 --> 00:12:02,280 Speaker 3: And then let's say if I didn't get the right 188 00:12:02,360 --> 00:12:04,640 Speaker 3: times or I didn't get first place. 189 00:12:04,520 --> 00:12:07,080 Speaker 2: It was like you're a joiner. 190 00:12:07,400 --> 00:12:08,880 Speaker 3: It was a lot of pressure. 191 00:12:09,280 --> 00:12:12,079 Speaker 2: Like your whole family is like legends between your mom, 192 00:12:12,160 --> 00:12:13,280 Speaker 2: your dad, your aunt. 193 00:12:13,920 --> 00:12:16,680 Speaker 3: I did feel like I did want to do track 194 00:12:16,720 --> 00:12:19,640 Speaker 3: and fields, like I was a sprinter and a jumper 195 00:12:19,640 --> 00:12:23,080 Speaker 3: because I'm a gymnastics background, but gymnastics was actually my 196 00:12:23,120 --> 00:12:30,480 Speaker 3: first love. But my uncle Bob Kersey, my dad, a'll joiner. 197 00:12:30,679 --> 00:12:38,680 Speaker 3: They were both coaches, so they both contributed to my 198 00:12:38,880 --> 00:12:45,079 Speaker 3: mom's legacy and my aunt Jackie's legacy. So I didn't 199 00:12:45,120 --> 00:12:49,280 Speaker 3: only run, I could jump. And my aunt Jackie, she 200 00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:54,440 Speaker 3: was a heptathlete, so she did everything all seven events. 201 00:12:54,880 --> 00:12:57,440 Speaker 3: And then my dad, he was a triple jumper. So 202 00:12:58,240 --> 00:13:01,480 Speaker 3: I had all the qualities to be a great athlete, 203 00:13:01,520 --> 00:13:04,640 Speaker 3: but I didn't want it. I didn't feel like that 204 00:13:04,880 --> 00:13:09,960 Speaker 3: was my main lane because it didn't bring the joy 205 00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:13,960 Speaker 3: that brought them joy. I was able to my own 206 00:13:14,080 --> 00:13:18,959 Speaker 3: path and creativity and music and business where I could 207 00:13:19,040 --> 00:13:25,280 Speaker 3: still feel like I am contributing to the legacy by 208 00:13:25,760 --> 00:13:30,240 Speaker 3: you know, starting the company Flow drom Forever, where I 209 00:13:30,280 --> 00:13:32,400 Speaker 3: get to finish what my mom wanted to finish, like 210 00:13:32,480 --> 00:13:37,200 Speaker 3: she wanted to, you know, continue her own clothing line, 211 00:13:37,880 --> 00:13:41,840 Speaker 3: and she had boutiques overseas, and she had so much 212 00:13:41,920 --> 00:13:45,120 Speaker 3: things that she was working on outside of for drack 213 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:48,960 Speaker 3: and field with after she retired, and little did people know, 214 00:13:49,120 --> 00:13:51,199 Speaker 3: she wasn't even done. She was coming back for the 215 00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:58,360 Speaker 3: four hundred meters. And also what what I loved doing. 216 00:13:59,240 --> 00:14:03,160 Speaker 3: I used to coach gymnastics, and so I had the 217 00:14:03,280 --> 00:14:06,760 Speaker 3: coaching in me. So even though I didn't specifically do 218 00:14:06,880 --> 00:14:12,280 Speaker 3: track and field and continue that, I still had experience 219 00:14:12,480 --> 00:14:17,720 Speaker 3: where I felt like I was doing my part the 220 00:14:17,760 --> 00:14:21,440 Speaker 3: most that I can, and now I'm doing things for me, 221 00:14:21,880 --> 00:14:25,960 Speaker 3: like I created my own lane and that's what I'm 222 00:14:25,960 --> 00:14:27,320 Speaker 3: going to keep thriving in. 223 00:14:28,080 --> 00:14:29,840 Speaker 2: Do you feel like your family get the respect that 224 00:14:29,840 --> 00:14:30,400 Speaker 2: they deserve? 225 00:14:31,440 --> 00:14:43,000 Speaker 3: Who I do? But you have to be either from 226 00:14:43,120 --> 00:14:51,840 Speaker 3: when they were competing, or people who have recently educated themselves, 227 00:14:52,120 --> 00:14:56,800 Speaker 3: or people who are doing what they've done. But now 228 00:14:56,920 --> 00:15:03,360 Speaker 3: there's social media, now there's there's more awareness. Okay, there's 229 00:15:03,600 --> 00:15:09,280 Speaker 3: athletes that are phenomenal athletes, but I feel like with 230 00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:13,800 Speaker 3: my mom specifically, I'm seeing a lot of people do 231 00:15:13,880 --> 00:15:17,280 Speaker 3: the things that she started, and I don't feel like 232 00:15:17,400 --> 00:15:23,400 Speaker 3: she gets enough credit. But also she wasn't that type 233 00:15:23,440 --> 00:15:26,840 Speaker 3: of person like she loved inspiring people. She always said, 234 00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:32,680 Speaker 3: don't be like me, be better than me. And at 235 00:15:32,760 --> 00:15:41,320 Speaker 3: times there's certain ways that people they don't know how 236 00:15:41,360 --> 00:15:46,000 Speaker 3: to accept a person sometimes that have accomplished so much. 237 00:15:47,400 --> 00:15:51,400 Speaker 3: I don't think people knew how hard she worked and 238 00:15:51,760 --> 00:15:58,360 Speaker 3: that everything wasn't how she left she lost races before 239 00:15:58,400 --> 00:16:04,720 Speaker 3: she won raceis she worked her butt off, she educated herself. 240 00:16:05,080 --> 00:16:10,560 Speaker 3: You know, she had downtime where she was working at 241 00:16:10,600 --> 00:16:14,800 Speaker 3: a regular job and where she had to you know, 242 00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:19,120 Speaker 3: do nails and hair to help her family out, and 243 00:16:19,880 --> 00:16:23,240 Speaker 3: people don't look at that. You know, It's funny because 244 00:16:23,680 --> 00:16:25,680 Speaker 3: a lot of people look at your success and they 245 00:16:25,680 --> 00:16:29,080 Speaker 3: don't look at like like they you got to see 246 00:16:29,120 --> 00:16:33,440 Speaker 3: success as an account balance. So let's say you you 247 00:16:33,520 --> 00:16:37,200 Speaker 3: got a big account balance, that's your success, but people 248 00:16:37,240 --> 00:16:40,080 Speaker 3: don't see what you've done to work to put in 249 00:16:40,080 --> 00:16:46,040 Speaker 3: the deposit. And my mother, she was so humble, and 250 00:16:46,120 --> 00:16:50,560 Speaker 3: I think that's what's missing in today's athletes, in today's entertainers, 251 00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:53,920 Speaker 3: and there's just nobody like her. So I think that 252 00:16:54,080 --> 00:16:58,520 Speaker 3: credit she doesn't get because people they sometimes lie on 253 00:16:58,640 --> 00:17:01,160 Speaker 3: her and said she did this and she did that. 254 00:17:01,280 --> 00:17:04,960 Speaker 3: It was just like no, she actually worked hard and 255 00:17:05,400 --> 00:17:09,280 Speaker 3: she built up her career and when she wanted to retire, 256 00:17:09,600 --> 00:17:12,840 Speaker 3: she had other things to do. Acting, She did designing 257 00:17:12,840 --> 00:17:16,520 Speaker 3: for the NBA pacers, she was starting her own clothing life. 258 00:17:16,560 --> 00:17:19,080 Speaker 3: She had me, you know, she was a mother and 259 00:17:19,119 --> 00:17:23,600 Speaker 3: so now it's nice to see that especially black women 260 00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:27,800 Speaker 3: and just athletes and entertainers that are women, they can 261 00:17:27,840 --> 00:17:33,280 Speaker 3: be mothers and get appreciated that they are enjoying being 262 00:17:33,359 --> 00:17:36,720 Speaker 3: mothers while on top of being successful. And I don't 263 00:17:36,720 --> 00:17:38,679 Speaker 3: think my mom was in the time where that was 264 00:17:38,720 --> 00:17:43,879 Speaker 3: appreciated enough. So it's kind of like sometimes what she's 265 00:17:43,920 --> 00:17:47,120 Speaker 3: done gets overlooked, and it's like, no, she was more 266 00:17:47,160 --> 00:17:49,560 Speaker 3: than just a track athlete. You know, she was an 267 00:17:49,600 --> 00:17:50,479 Speaker 3: amazing woman. 268 00:17:50,880 --> 00:17:51,960 Speaker 2: She's a businesswoman. 269 00:17:52,480 --> 00:17:56,640 Speaker 3: She's a businesswoman. I mean, she did her thing more 270 00:17:56,680 --> 00:17:59,560 Speaker 3: than saying it gets overlooked. I just wish she was 271 00:17:59,600 --> 00:18:02,040 Speaker 3: here to say, see it and see how how much 272 00:18:02,080 --> 00:18:05,440 Speaker 3: easier it was because she was handmaking things and now 273 00:18:05,480 --> 00:18:08,199 Speaker 3: people can just buy them, and just she put so 274 00:18:08,320 --> 00:18:11,399 Speaker 3: much work behind closed doors that I got to see 275 00:18:11,440 --> 00:18:16,000 Speaker 3: in the seven years that I had with her. And 276 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:19,760 Speaker 3: and now I'm using everything that she taught me to 277 00:18:19,880 --> 00:18:22,199 Speaker 3: keep going and I'm gonna pass that on to my 278 00:18:22,400 --> 00:18:27,240 Speaker 3: son and from her coming from nothing that I mean, 279 00:18:27,359 --> 00:18:32,000 Speaker 3: the the projects, and people have to understand that. You know, 280 00:18:32,119 --> 00:18:35,239 Speaker 3: there's there's no excuses that can make it can be 281 00:18:35,320 --> 00:18:38,320 Speaker 3: made unless you make them for yourself. You've got to 282 00:18:38,320 --> 00:18:39,679 Speaker 3: put in the work no matter what. 283 00:18:40,400 --> 00:18:52,440 Speaker 2: That's a fact. I remember when I was a little girl, 284 00:18:53,160 --> 00:18:56,080 Speaker 2: I found this picture of your mom and I was 285 00:18:56,160 --> 00:18:58,720 Speaker 2: just so proud, Like I became so obsessed with her 286 00:18:58,720 --> 00:19:02,080 Speaker 2: because I thought she was the most beautiful woman ever, 287 00:19:02,280 --> 00:19:04,360 Speaker 2: and to see her in a place that I normally 288 00:19:04,400 --> 00:19:06,159 Speaker 2: see black women at, like it made me want to 289 00:19:06,200 --> 00:19:08,400 Speaker 2: run track even though I was I slept at it, 290 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:12,240 Speaker 2: but I use so I just get so annoyed because 291 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:13,639 Speaker 2: I'm just like, how do y'all not know who this 292 00:19:13,720 --> 00:19:16,600 Speaker 2: woman is and who she was to our culture? Like 293 00:19:16,920 --> 00:19:19,280 Speaker 2: and even like when I see certain athletes on the 294 00:19:19,280 --> 00:19:23,280 Speaker 2: track and field and they don't acknowledge that her influence 295 00:19:23,400 --> 00:19:25,520 Speaker 2: inspire them, like it really upsets me. 296 00:19:27,400 --> 00:19:31,399 Speaker 3: I have to agree with you, but I just I 297 00:19:31,720 --> 00:19:33,720 Speaker 3: brush it off because you know, it's their time to 298 00:19:33,800 --> 00:19:36,520 Speaker 3: shine and they want to make it about them. But 299 00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:41,240 Speaker 3: you know, I do music, but I wouldn't be doing 300 00:19:41,320 --> 00:19:43,840 Speaker 3: music if I didn't listen to the artists that I 301 00:19:43,960 --> 00:19:46,399 Speaker 3: listened to influenced me to do music. And so I 302 00:19:46,440 --> 00:19:50,560 Speaker 3: always look got credibility because that's important to me to 303 00:19:50,600 --> 00:19:54,800 Speaker 3: pay homage to those who came before us, because they 304 00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:57,800 Speaker 3: made the way, Like you know that saying like this 305 00:19:57,840 --> 00:20:01,760 Speaker 3: person walks so you can run, So that that's just 306 00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:04,760 Speaker 3: how I see it, and I get what you're saying, 307 00:20:04,920 --> 00:20:08,000 Speaker 3: like it would be nice if my mom was mentioned more. 308 00:20:08,400 --> 00:20:09,600 Speaker 3: That's why I do what. 309 00:20:09,600 --> 00:20:13,119 Speaker 2: I do, and that's our job. We're gonna support you. 310 00:20:13,720 --> 00:20:17,000 Speaker 3: Oh yeah. I don't play about my mama, but I've 311 00:20:17,080 --> 00:20:21,520 Speaker 3: learned to not not you know, bring any negativity, just 312 00:20:21,560 --> 00:20:26,679 Speaker 3: show the positive aspect that she brought to this world globally, 313 00:20:27,160 --> 00:20:29,800 Speaker 3: not just you know, in the United States. There's people 314 00:20:30,359 --> 00:20:34,960 Speaker 3: that loved her globally and that's a blessing. 315 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:38,760 Speaker 2: What were your thoughtsand the Olympics this year, especially with 316 00:20:38,800 --> 00:20:41,720 Speaker 2: the conversation surrounding mental health. 317 00:20:43,440 --> 00:20:48,000 Speaker 3: To be honest, this year, I didn't watch as much 318 00:20:48,040 --> 00:20:51,320 Speaker 3: because I was dealing with everything in my personal life, 319 00:20:51,440 --> 00:20:57,679 Speaker 3: so I wasn't really watching the Olympics like that. I 320 00:20:57,840 --> 00:21:05,040 Speaker 3: did get, you know, just the changes that people were 321 00:21:05,080 --> 00:21:11,280 Speaker 3: acknowledging about mental health and how certain athletes should be 322 00:21:11,400 --> 00:21:17,280 Speaker 3: able to I guess, cope with their issues or personal 323 00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:22,639 Speaker 3: personal healing with certain things. But I kind of just 324 00:21:22,640 --> 00:21:26,199 Speaker 3: stayed out the conversation because it's not my place. But 325 00:21:28,240 --> 00:21:33,320 Speaker 3: the Olympics it wasn't the same this year, and it's 326 00:21:33,440 --> 00:21:37,800 Speaker 3: not just the conversations, it's everything that we've all been 327 00:21:37,800 --> 00:21:41,240 Speaker 3: going through because it's not the same, you know, there 328 00:21:41,240 --> 00:21:45,640 Speaker 3: weren't that many people in the stands for competitions building up. 329 00:21:45,960 --> 00:21:51,880 Speaker 3: It was delayed athletes are tired, you know, they're overworked, underpaid, 330 00:21:52,440 --> 00:21:57,639 Speaker 3: especially in track and field. So I really hope and 331 00:21:57,720 --> 00:22:01,280 Speaker 3: pray for the sport that they can all together on 332 00:22:02,359 --> 00:22:06,360 Speaker 3: balancing out their personal life because I think this generation 333 00:22:06,480 --> 00:22:11,800 Speaker 3: doesn't realize it's not as easy because you're not just 334 00:22:11,880 --> 00:22:17,600 Speaker 3: showing what you're doing physical, you're showing your private life 335 00:22:17,720 --> 00:22:22,199 Speaker 3: as well. Social media privacy is not it's not an 336 00:22:22,240 --> 00:22:25,920 Speaker 3: option anymore because one day you're loved and next day 337 00:22:25,960 --> 00:22:28,520 Speaker 3: you're hated, and then one day you're rooted for the 338 00:22:28,560 --> 00:22:33,399 Speaker 3: next day you're judged, And it's just not fair for 339 00:22:33,560 --> 00:22:38,080 Speaker 3: athletes or entertainers because we have to realize that we're 340 00:22:38,119 --> 00:22:42,320 Speaker 3: all human. And you know, when people get on these 341 00:22:42,359 --> 00:22:46,280 Speaker 3: social media sites and they just see pictures or they 342 00:22:46,320 --> 00:22:49,840 Speaker 3: see a headline, and they don't know the full backstory 343 00:22:50,040 --> 00:22:53,400 Speaker 3: of what goes on behind closed doors. They just are 344 00:22:53,480 --> 00:22:57,040 Speaker 3: reading words that somebody put together to get a click, 345 00:22:57,200 --> 00:23:01,040 Speaker 3: to get a like, to get popularity, and not know 346 00:23:01,080 --> 00:23:02,840 Speaker 3: the facts. If you don't know the facts, if you 347 00:23:02,840 --> 00:23:05,480 Speaker 3: don't know that person personally, if you don't know what 348 00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:09,919 Speaker 3: that person has been dealing with, then you're wrong to 349 00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:14,040 Speaker 3: judge them. And we're open to all of our opinions, 350 00:23:14,080 --> 00:23:17,360 Speaker 3: but have an open heart and have a decency that 351 00:23:18,080 --> 00:23:20,600 Speaker 3: we're all just trying to make a way to do 352 00:23:20,680 --> 00:23:26,159 Speaker 3: things that make us happy and we aren't going to 353 00:23:26,160 --> 00:23:30,560 Speaker 3: be perfect all the time. People put athletes and entertainers 354 00:23:31,400 --> 00:23:34,000 Speaker 3: at a very high pedestal. If they expect you to 355 00:23:34,040 --> 00:23:36,760 Speaker 3: be perfect, they expect you to not mess up. But 356 00:23:37,119 --> 00:23:43,080 Speaker 3: I think, my opinion, it's okay when they mess up 357 00:23:43,119 --> 00:23:46,760 Speaker 3: because it reminds people that they're human, whether what their 358 00:23:46,800 --> 00:23:50,400 Speaker 3: faith is, you know, only God can judge them or anything. 359 00:23:50,520 --> 00:23:55,040 Speaker 3: Like if these people paying your bills or if they 360 00:23:55,040 --> 00:23:58,800 Speaker 3: don't personally, you know, add to your success, then you 361 00:23:58,840 --> 00:24:02,879 Speaker 3: can't pay these people minding what they do on a 362 00:24:02,960 --> 00:24:06,800 Speaker 3: daily basics with just hiding behind the screen and judging you. 363 00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:13,040 Speaker 3: You know, it's tough. And I think this year, last 364 00:24:13,080 --> 00:24:16,960 Speaker 3: year has been really hard and people have to understand 365 00:24:17,520 --> 00:24:20,879 Speaker 3: everything has been changing. It's just been completely different. So 366 00:24:21,640 --> 00:24:24,960 Speaker 3: the performances are not going to be the way that 367 00:24:25,040 --> 00:24:28,120 Speaker 3: people expected to and I think that's just been the hardest. 368 00:24:28,720 --> 00:24:32,400 Speaker 2: I agree. So how did you feel when you saw 369 00:24:32,440 --> 00:24:36,600 Speaker 2: that Beyonce pay homage to your mom during Halloween in 370 00:24:36,640 --> 00:24:37,400 Speaker 2: twenty eighteen? 371 00:24:38,640 --> 00:24:43,840 Speaker 3: Girl? So me being a Beyonce fan girl me, so 372 00:24:44,200 --> 00:24:48,960 Speaker 3: I was sleep right. I was sleep where I was 373 00:24:48,960 --> 00:24:52,879 Speaker 3: was like two am. My phone just goes off like NonStop, 374 00:24:52,920 --> 00:24:56,480 Speaker 3: and I'm like it's somebody dad or something. So I 375 00:24:56,640 --> 00:25:00,520 Speaker 3: checked my phone and one of my guys friends was like, 376 00:25:00,680 --> 00:25:03,199 Speaker 3: Beyonce is your mom. I'm like, okay, somebody's messing with me. 377 00:25:03,240 --> 00:25:04,720 Speaker 3: So I turned the phone off and I went back 378 00:25:04,760 --> 00:25:08,080 Speaker 3: to sleep. Next day, I'm getting tagged in all these 379 00:25:08,119 --> 00:25:12,840 Speaker 3: posts and I see this photo and I'm like, is 380 00:25:12,880 --> 00:25:16,880 Speaker 3: that mom? No, that's Beyonce as my mom. It was. 381 00:25:17,880 --> 00:25:22,520 Speaker 3: It was funny, but I was the first thing I did. 382 00:25:23,080 --> 00:25:29,040 Speaker 3: I shared it. I personally thanked her on my Instagram page. 383 00:25:29,200 --> 00:25:31,880 Speaker 3: I don't know if she ever saw it, but it 384 00:25:31,960 --> 00:25:35,680 Speaker 3: was just a very good moment because me as a singer, 385 00:25:36,560 --> 00:25:41,159 Speaker 3: she's one of my inspirations. It was nice to see 386 00:25:41,240 --> 00:25:44,440 Speaker 3: that my mom was one of her inspirations for Halloween. 387 00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:46,960 Speaker 3: So it was full circle and it was a blessing. 388 00:25:47,320 --> 00:25:49,280 Speaker 2: Oh, I know, it was so beautiful. I was like 389 00:25:49,359 --> 00:25:51,320 Speaker 2: so excited. I was like, damn, why are you dressed 390 00:25:51,359 --> 00:25:52,640 Speaker 2: up as slow Jo for Fowey. 391 00:25:55,000 --> 00:25:57,479 Speaker 3: Funny thing is I've never dressed up as her and 392 00:25:57,520 --> 00:26:00,520 Speaker 3: I've always wanted to, but the people like not just 393 00:26:00,640 --> 00:26:04,879 Speaker 3: not just her. A lot of people have dressed up 394 00:26:04,920 --> 00:26:05,480 Speaker 3: as my mom. 395 00:26:05,600 --> 00:26:07,200 Speaker 2: So when I do with Fledgel. 396 00:26:06,920 --> 00:26:10,880 Speaker 3: Forever, I held the Halloween contest, and you know, there's 397 00:26:10,960 --> 00:26:13,359 Speaker 3: people out there that are educating their kids about my 398 00:26:13,400 --> 00:26:15,880 Speaker 3: mom and I love seeing that. So when people dress 399 00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:19,360 Speaker 3: up as her, it just warms my heart. Mm hmm. 400 00:26:19,880 --> 00:26:22,080 Speaker 2: So what was what was your upbringing? Light like, what 401 00:26:22,160 --> 00:26:23,879 Speaker 2: was your relationship like with your parents? 402 00:26:24,520 --> 00:26:30,719 Speaker 3: They were They were really down the earth. They were pranksters. 403 00:26:31,160 --> 00:26:37,359 Speaker 3: My mom she was so funny. She anything I wanted 404 00:26:37,400 --> 00:26:41,200 Speaker 3: to do like, she made sure she would she would 405 00:26:41,920 --> 00:26:45,479 Speaker 3: get me to do it. And I wanted to be 406 00:26:45,560 --> 00:26:48,280 Speaker 3: a veterinarian one time, so she got me all these 407 00:26:48,280 --> 00:26:53,359 Speaker 3: stuffed animals and a stephoscope and she gave me like 408 00:26:54,359 --> 00:26:56,960 Speaker 3: she ripped off the label of tic TACs and those 409 00:26:56,960 --> 00:27:03,240 Speaker 3: are supposed to be like the medicine and anything I 410 00:27:03,440 --> 00:27:07,639 Speaker 3: just wanted. They did their best to try to get it, 411 00:27:07,680 --> 00:27:11,439 Speaker 3: but I would have to earn it. They instilled in 412 00:27:11,520 --> 00:27:16,600 Speaker 3: me a very loving home, and I'm so blessed now 413 00:27:16,640 --> 00:27:21,280 Speaker 3: that I see what I had, and it's just been 414 00:27:22,160 --> 00:27:25,520 Speaker 3: it's just been great to be a part of that 415 00:27:26,160 --> 00:27:30,320 Speaker 3: because I learned what love was. I got to see 416 00:27:30,359 --> 00:27:35,280 Speaker 3: them love each other and I got to see them 417 00:27:35,720 --> 00:27:40,679 Speaker 3: really motivate each other. My mom was training a lot, 418 00:27:41,280 --> 00:27:44,760 Speaker 3: she loved working out. I just saw support and love. 419 00:27:45,160 --> 00:27:52,280 Speaker 3: So that was my first, I guess knowledge of seeing love, 420 00:27:52,680 --> 00:27:58,680 Speaker 3: of seeing a partnership, of seeing two people who came 421 00:27:58,720 --> 00:28:03,480 Speaker 3: from nothing make something out of nothing, and the way 422 00:28:03,520 --> 00:28:09,479 Speaker 3: that they were with people are family. My mom was 423 00:28:09,600 --> 00:28:12,440 Speaker 3: the type of person that would plan the big parties. 424 00:28:12,720 --> 00:28:15,600 Speaker 3: She would have this type too. If there's a baby shower, 425 00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:21,040 Speaker 3: she'd be in her sewing machine room and making baby clothes, 426 00:28:21,520 --> 00:28:26,240 Speaker 3: sewing my barbie clothes. I did gymnastics and she sewed 427 00:28:26,320 --> 00:28:31,520 Speaker 3: my leotards like she was a homemaker. And the fact 428 00:28:31,560 --> 00:28:33,399 Speaker 3: that I got to see that in what an amazing 429 00:28:33,440 --> 00:28:39,360 Speaker 3: woman she was. And my dad, you know the times 430 00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:45,240 Speaker 3: where I had to be either disciplined or just shown, 431 00:28:45,920 --> 00:28:48,760 Speaker 3: you know that tough love. I had a good balance 432 00:28:48,840 --> 00:28:54,000 Speaker 3: for seven years. So I'm beyond thankful for that. I 433 00:28:54,080 --> 00:28:56,040 Speaker 3: didn't know how good I had it, but I didn't, 434 00:28:56,080 --> 00:28:59,440 Speaker 3: if that makes any sense, Like, I'm so thankful. I 435 00:28:59,480 --> 00:29:04,400 Speaker 3: got to see different places, different states, different countries. When 436 00:29:04,400 --> 00:29:06,240 Speaker 3: I got to travel with them. We were in Japan 437 00:29:06,360 --> 00:29:09,880 Speaker 3: a lot, and I got to learn different languages. My 438 00:29:09,960 --> 00:29:13,040 Speaker 3: mom taught me how to read at two. I knew 439 00:29:13,080 --> 00:29:14,760 Speaker 3: different languages by the age of. 440 00:29:14,760 --> 00:29:17,080 Speaker 2: Four, Like you knew like foign languages, right. 441 00:29:17,720 --> 00:29:21,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, And she was really big on education. I didn't 442 00:29:21,640 --> 00:29:24,600 Speaker 3: like reading all the time, but she did not play 443 00:29:24,680 --> 00:29:30,840 Speaker 3: about education, so I just wanted to go play. But 444 00:29:31,280 --> 00:29:35,520 Speaker 3: I was an only child, so I got so much 445 00:29:35,560 --> 00:29:38,240 Speaker 3: love and attention and I'm thankful for that. So I'm 446 00:29:38,280 --> 00:29:43,680 Speaker 3: thankful of my upbringing. And I my life changed after, 447 00:29:43,880 --> 00:29:48,200 Speaker 3: you know, she passed, but it I'm glad of what 448 00:29:48,280 --> 00:29:48,800 Speaker 3: I did get. 449 00:29:50,200 --> 00:29:52,200 Speaker 2: And I feel like when I when I was a parent, 450 00:29:52,240 --> 00:29:55,760 Speaker 2: for this conversation, when I watched old videos of your 451 00:29:55,840 --> 00:29:58,440 Speaker 2: parents on YouTube, it looked like they were just the 452 00:29:58,480 --> 00:30:01,160 Speaker 2: epitome of like black love, the black excellence. 453 00:30:01,800 --> 00:30:04,760 Speaker 3: They really were a couple of goals and relationship goes 454 00:30:04,880 --> 00:30:07,960 Speaker 3: like seriously, and I know that's a lot to deal with. 455 00:30:08,680 --> 00:30:11,840 Speaker 3: I mean, you your training partner, then you gotta go 456 00:30:11,880 --> 00:30:15,520 Speaker 3: to home to your husband, and you know, and like 457 00:30:15,720 --> 00:30:19,840 Speaker 3: they really just they they really looked out for each other. 458 00:30:20,360 --> 00:30:26,840 Speaker 3: And I think that it's just great to still see, 459 00:30:27,000 --> 00:30:31,120 Speaker 3: you know, mm hmm. Yeah. 460 00:30:31,160 --> 00:30:33,200 Speaker 2: So when did you realize who your parents were? Like 461 00:30:33,200 --> 00:30:35,640 Speaker 2: did you always knew or did something happen when you 462 00:30:35,680 --> 00:30:39,080 Speaker 2: was like, oh wow, like my parents are famous. 463 00:30:40,960 --> 00:30:44,560 Speaker 3: And never just because we were so normal. My mom 464 00:30:44,880 --> 00:30:50,040 Speaker 3: was just so down to earth. She never, I guess 465 00:30:50,120 --> 00:30:50,960 Speaker 3: divified me. 466 00:30:51,840 --> 00:30:53,840 Speaker 2: That's a good flex though, like my mom is Klojo. 467 00:30:54,200 --> 00:30:57,360 Speaker 3: Honestly, my friends and family flex more than me. 468 00:30:57,720 --> 00:30:59,520 Speaker 2: I'm like, do I know who I'm talking? Since tonight, 469 00:31:00,160 --> 00:31:01,200 Speaker 2: like I got serious. 470 00:31:01,840 --> 00:31:05,000 Speaker 3: They did it more so for me, Like sometimes they'd 471 00:31:05,040 --> 00:31:07,680 Speaker 3: be like, girl, do you know who you are? And me? 472 00:31:08,080 --> 00:31:14,120 Speaker 3: But I think that's just because I've experienced so much 473 00:31:16,800 --> 00:31:23,560 Speaker 3: loss that I don't really like when people brag. I 474 00:31:23,600 --> 00:31:29,800 Speaker 3: don't really like attention like that anymore. I always was 475 00:31:29,880 --> 00:31:36,240 Speaker 3: taught to work hard for anything that you earn and 476 00:31:36,400 --> 00:31:41,560 Speaker 3: always thank God for it, so I wasn't raised up 477 00:31:41,760 --> 00:31:46,240 Speaker 3: like a fool celebrity kid. I was around people that 478 00:31:46,280 --> 00:31:50,280 Speaker 3: are known celebrities, but I just saw them as normal people, 479 00:31:50,560 --> 00:31:52,600 Speaker 3: just like I saw my mom as my mom and 480 00:31:52,640 --> 00:31:57,760 Speaker 3: not slow Joe, and I'm thankful for that. People wish that, 481 00:31:57,960 --> 00:32:02,880 Speaker 3: you know, I, you know, do the flex more, but honestly, 482 00:32:04,360 --> 00:32:08,880 Speaker 3: I I am just honored to have such great role 483 00:32:08,960 --> 00:32:14,200 Speaker 3: models and have a mom that left a huge place 484 00:32:14,400 --> 00:32:17,840 Speaker 3: on this on this earth that I just want to 485 00:32:17,840 --> 00:32:20,960 Speaker 3: do the best that I can to honor her. 486 00:32:22,440 --> 00:32:24,480 Speaker 2: Could you tell us about the days leading up to 487 00:32:24,520 --> 00:32:27,600 Speaker 2: her transition, Like what do you what do you remember? 488 00:32:28,640 --> 00:32:35,800 Speaker 3: I actually had a gymnastics competition and I was struggling 489 00:32:36,200 --> 00:32:41,480 Speaker 3: on being and I finally got first place and she 490 00:32:41,600 --> 00:32:48,800 Speaker 3: got to see it. And she was just going about 491 00:32:48,920 --> 00:32:54,760 Speaker 3: days like as they were just normal days. I know 492 00:32:54,840 --> 00:32:58,720 Speaker 3: that she was tired a lot from traveling and she 493 00:32:58,840 --> 00:33:02,600 Speaker 3: wanted to be home with me, me more anytime that 494 00:33:02,760 --> 00:33:05,840 Speaker 3: she was home and not have to do like any 495 00:33:05,880 --> 00:33:12,640 Speaker 3: speaking engagements or commercials or anything. She would always take 496 00:33:12,720 --> 00:33:17,600 Speaker 3: me everywhere spend time with me. The last few days, 497 00:33:17,720 --> 00:33:22,680 Speaker 3: we just made sure, like I I started my new school. 498 00:33:22,720 --> 00:33:26,440 Speaker 3: It was a private school. I was in third grade, 499 00:33:26,600 --> 00:33:29,320 Speaker 3: so it was a new school. So she was just 500 00:33:29,520 --> 00:33:32,960 Speaker 3: making sure that I was up to par with my education, 501 00:33:33,880 --> 00:33:37,520 Speaker 3: and you know, just making sure I'm going to be 502 00:33:37,600 --> 00:33:40,560 Speaker 3: balancing gymnastics, because I would be in the gym for 503 00:33:41,200 --> 00:33:46,480 Speaker 3: four to five hours after school, and we would have 504 00:33:46,560 --> 00:33:50,280 Speaker 3: these nights where we'd stay up late night watching movies 505 00:33:50,920 --> 00:33:54,480 Speaker 3: and its crazy. As she showed me Danby before she 506 00:33:54,720 --> 00:34:00,000 Speaker 3: passed and she was bawling and I was just like, Mommy, 507 00:34:00,040 --> 00:34:02,720 Speaker 3: you're a cry baby. And I was just like, why 508 00:34:02,720 --> 00:34:06,280 Speaker 3: are you crying? And you know, kids, we have no features. 509 00:34:06,480 --> 00:34:12,040 Speaker 3: So she was just like, no, Bamby has to live 510 00:34:12,080 --> 00:34:17,319 Speaker 3: without mom. She had strong faith, but she's very spiritual. 511 00:34:18,520 --> 00:34:24,000 Speaker 3: She always said to you see what time it is 512 00:34:24,040 --> 00:34:27,960 Speaker 3: and I'm like, yes, ten forty nine. She's like, that's 513 00:34:28,000 --> 00:34:30,719 Speaker 3: mommy's world record. I did that and I was like, 514 00:34:31,800 --> 00:34:34,040 Speaker 3: I was like, you did do that, mommy. She's like, 515 00:34:34,080 --> 00:34:35,560 Speaker 3: You're going to be the only one to break my 516 00:34:35,640 --> 00:34:39,160 Speaker 3: world record. And I was like, okay, mommy. So I 517 00:34:39,280 --> 00:34:41,279 Speaker 3: used to tell her that, you know, I used to 518 00:34:41,320 --> 00:34:43,360 Speaker 3: be so sure like that that was going to be 519 00:34:43,440 --> 00:34:48,880 Speaker 3: me next, you know. So the night we said our prayers. 520 00:34:50,160 --> 00:34:52,200 Speaker 3: Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the 521 00:34:52,239 --> 00:34:53,840 Speaker 3: Lord my soul to keep if I should die, to 522 00:34:53,920 --> 00:34:59,560 Speaker 3: war awake, and we went to sleep. I was in 523 00:34:59,600 --> 00:35:01,720 Speaker 3: the bed next to her, which a lot of people 524 00:35:01,800 --> 00:35:05,880 Speaker 3: don't know. I was in the bed next to her. 525 00:35:07,080 --> 00:35:16,680 Speaker 3: My dad woke up screaming, and I I felt like 526 00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:19,319 Speaker 3: I knew what was going on, but I think I 527 00:35:19,400 --> 00:35:23,839 Speaker 3: was in shock because it was a startling wake up, 528 00:35:24,080 --> 00:35:28,440 Speaker 3: like it was a Monday morning, and my Dad's just like, 529 00:35:28,520 --> 00:35:32,319 Speaker 3: go downstairs, go downstairs, call Grandma, call, you know, call. 530 00:35:32,920 --> 00:35:36,080 Speaker 3: I had a list of people to call, and I 531 00:35:36,200 --> 00:35:39,279 Speaker 3: did just that, and I was very like robotic. You know. 532 00:35:39,600 --> 00:35:44,560 Speaker 3: I didn't understand at that time. But what's crazy is 533 00:35:44,600 --> 00:35:48,200 Speaker 3: two years before that, she had a seizure and I 534 00:35:48,320 --> 00:35:53,480 Speaker 3: was next to her and I told my dad. I 535 00:35:53,560 --> 00:35:59,120 Speaker 3: was just like crazy, wasn't I learned we didn't have 536 00:35:59,200 --> 00:36:01,480 Speaker 3: cell phones, but I knew how to work a phone, 537 00:36:01,560 --> 00:36:04,160 Speaker 3: like so my mom she she taught me a lot 538 00:36:04,160 --> 00:36:07,239 Speaker 3: of stuff early, like I knew my grandma's phone number, 539 00:36:07,280 --> 00:36:09,960 Speaker 3: I get my dad's phone number. I knew how to 540 00:36:10,000 --> 00:36:13,200 Speaker 3: work a phone. So when I called my dad and 541 00:36:13,239 --> 00:36:15,160 Speaker 3: I was just like, there's something wrong with mommy, He's like, okay, 542 00:36:15,160 --> 00:36:18,080 Speaker 3: I'll I'll be up and I rode in the ambulance. 543 00:36:18,800 --> 00:36:22,080 Speaker 3: I went to the hospital window. She woke up, and 544 00:36:22,320 --> 00:36:24,960 Speaker 3: at the time I wasn't thinking anything of that. So 545 00:36:25,120 --> 00:36:27,759 Speaker 3: the next time that that happened, she didn't wake up. 546 00:36:28,200 --> 00:36:31,879 Speaker 3: Little did I know she was dealing with these seizures 547 00:36:32,239 --> 00:36:36,799 Speaker 3: from the time I was in her tummy. She had 548 00:36:36,800 --> 00:36:41,279 Speaker 3: a brain abnormality, which was blood vessels that bleed in 549 00:36:41,280 --> 00:36:44,400 Speaker 3: the brain. So on top of all of this, on 550 00:36:44,520 --> 00:36:47,719 Speaker 3: top of being the fastest woman in the world, a 551 00:36:47,760 --> 00:36:51,480 Speaker 3: business woman, yeah, a business woman, a homemaker, a mom, 552 00:36:51,640 --> 00:36:55,080 Speaker 3: someone that you know helps take care of the family 553 00:36:55,600 --> 00:37:01,560 Speaker 3: and tire like. No, she doesn't get enough credit because 554 00:37:01,600 --> 00:37:05,680 Speaker 3: she dealt with so much that so many people decided 555 00:37:05,680 --> 00:37:08,040 Speaker 3: to attack her then to realize what she was going 556 00:37:08,040 --> 00:37:11,000 Speaker 3: on behind closed doors. And even me as. 557 00:37:10,880 --> 00:37:15,840 Speaker 4: A child with my needy self, she was there for 558 00:37:15,960 --> 00:37:18,839 Speaker 4: me as a mom. She made sure I had the 559 00:37:18,920 --> 00:37:23,760 Speaker 4: world and little did I know don until her last breath, 560 00:37:24,239 --> 00:37:30,480 Speaker 4: she was my world. So I just want to do 561 00:37:30,600 --> 00:37:33,320 Speaker 4: this than I can as a mother because this job 562 00:37:33,440 --> 00:37:34,120 Speaker 4: is hard. 563 00:37:34,360 --> 00:37:37,040 Speaker 3: It's the hardest job in the world. And it was 564 00:37:37,080 --> 00:37:40,520 Speaker 3: her favorite job, not the gold medals, not the world records. 565 00:37:41,000 --> 00:37:44,879 Speaker 3: She loved being a mom and she was one hell 566 00:37:44,920 --> 00:37:47,200 Speaker 3: of a woman. She was one hell of a Black woman. 567 00:37:47,840 --> 00:37:53,560 Speaker 3: She was one hell of a wife, and she's iconic 568 00:37:53,640 --> 00:37:56,440 Speaker 3: to this world because people can try to do what 569 00:37:56,520 --> 00:37:59,400 Speaker 3: she does, but they ain't gonna come close. I'm sorry, 570 00:37:59,600 --> 00:38:02,399 Speaker 3: They're not gonna come close to what our mom does. 571 00:38:02,480 --> 00:38:05,640 Speaker 3: Because even if somebody was to break her world record. 572 00:38:05,719 --> 00:38:08,560 Speaker 3: They can't take of everything else else that she done 573 00:38:08,680 --> 00:38:11,680 Speaker 3: or the persons who she was. She was humble, she 574 00:38:11,840 --> 00:38:15,799 Speaker 3: was strong, and she didn't make any excuses. We did 575 00:38:15,840 --> 00:38:20,319 Speaker 3: not know of all the medical conditions that that you know, 576 00:38:20,480 --> 00:38:23,760 Speaker 3: took her life, you know, and she just kept going. 577 00:38:23,880 --> 00:38:26,479 Speaker 3: She lived life to the fullest and she made sure 578 00:38:27,040 --> 00:38:33,440 Speaker 3: that she gave love positivity. She didn't get on anything 579 00:38:33,640 --> 00:38:37,760 Speaker 3: to embarrass herself, you know, and she passed every drug test. 580 00:38:37,800 --> 00:38:43,400 Speaker 3: She never did. They did a complete autopsy of my 581 00:38:43,560 --> 00:38:46,200 Speaker 3: mom and just the fact that she had to go 582 00:38:46,239 --> 00:38:49,080 Speaker 3: through that after she died because my dad knew that. 583 00:38:49,200 --> 00:38:51,839 Speaker 3: They would still try to say that she died from 584 00:38:52,040 --> 00:38:56,040 Speaker 3: different things, but no, she had blood vessels that were 585 00:38:56,200 --> 00:38:59,640 Speaker 3: giving her migraines and just dealing with so much and 586 00:38:59,680 --> 00:39:03,319 Speaker 3: people don't know about it. So anything that I do, 587 00:39:03,800 --> 00:39:07,680 Speaker 3: anything that I say, I don't play about my mama. 588 00:39:07,800 --> 00:39:09,759 Speaker 3: But you know what, I'm a stick up for her 589 00:39:09,840 --> 00:39:13,360 Speaker 3: no matter what. I'm gonna make sure that her legacy 590 00:39:13,480 --> 00:39:13,920 Speaker 3: lives on. 591 00:39:14,320 --> 00:39:17,440 Speaker 5: And I wish that I could be half the woman, 592 00:39:18,000 --> 00:39:23,239 Speaker 5: half the mother, half the entertainer, writer, anything that she was, 593 00:39:23,400 --> 00:39:27,680 Speaker 5: because I'm thankful and this world needs more love and 594 00:39:27,760 --> 00:39:30,200 Speaker 5: positivity and positive. 595 00:39:30,080 --> 00:39:32,360 Speaker 3: People to know that we are human. 596 00:39:32,560 --> 00:39:36,400 Speaker 6: We mess up, but we gotta give more love instead 597 00:39:36,440 --> 00:39:40,400 Speaker 6: of just bringing each other down, Like especially as black people, 598 00:39:40,719 --> 00:39:44,800 Speaker 6: especially as women, especially if humans going through mental health, 599 00:39:44,920 --> 00:39:47,360 Speaker 6: we have to do better. 600 00:39:47,520 --> 00:39:50,560 Speaker 3: We just have to do better. And if anything that 601 00:39:50,640 --> 00:39:54,320 Speaker 3: I little things that I do or say can help somebody, 602 00:39:54,640 --> 00:39:57,120 Speaker 3: songs that I sing, I'd rather do that. 603 00:40:00,040 --> 00:40:02,759 Speaker 2: Oh man, you gotta me crying over here. God bless you. 604 00:40:02,800 --> 00:40:03,000 Speaker 3: Man. 605 00:40:03,000 --> 00:40:05,520 Speaker 2: I'm telling you, I've been praying for you. I've been 606 00:40:05,600 --> 00:40:08,400 Speaker 2: even think for lots of your husband and then this 607 00:40:08,600 --> 00:40:11,319 Speaker 2: experience and like, like I know it still affects you. 608 00:40:11,360 --> 00:40:12,759 Speaker 2: I don't even have to ask you that question on 609 00:40:12,840 --> 00:40:15,799 Speaker 2: what ways, but like I feel like it's just it's 610 00:40:15,840 --> 00:40:17,000 Speaker 2: just really unfortunate. 611 00:40:17,719 --> 00:40:19,320 Speaker 3: But I just always want to see you love and 612 00:40:19,400 --> 00:40:20,440 Speaker 3: light your way because. 613 00:40:20,200 --> 00:40:23,000 Speaker 2: I can't even imagine, especially in the current climate that 614 00:40:23,040 --> 00:40:24,839 Speaker 2: you're in now, what you're going through. 615 00:40:25,400 --> 00:40:25,879 Speaker 3: Thank you. 616 00:40:36,120 --> 00:40:39,360 Speaker 2: I know you mentioned that your mom was spiritual. Do 617 00:40:39,400 --> 00:40:40,160 Speaker 2: you think she knew? 618 00:40:41,040 --> 00:40:44,319 Speaker 3: I think she was just going to be prepared no 619 00:40:44,360 --> 00:40:54,040 Speaker 3: matter what, because how strong her face was and just 620 00:40:54,040 --> 00:40:59,600 Speaker 3: just signs that I get Still to this day, I'm 621 00:40:59,680 --> 00:41:09,520 Speaker 3: just beyond connected. With her that I feel like when 622 00:41:09,560 --> 00:41:14,080 Speaker 3: she did write me letters and write me, write to 623 00:41:14,120 --> 00:41:16,680 Speaker 3: me when I was even next to her, Like, I 624 00:41:16,719 --> 00:41:20,080 Speaker 3: think it's just the preparation of a mother. Like even 625 00:41:20,480 --> 00:41:25,839 Speaker 3: you just get that when when life gives you certain challenges, 626 00:41:26,040 --> 00:41:28,360 Speaker 3: like just in case I'm not here one day, just 627 00:41:28,480 --> 00:41:30,640 Speaker 3: know that I love you. It's little things like that. 628 00:41:31,080 --> 00:41:33,600 Speaker 3: So like the fact that she wrote me full on letters, 629 00:41:34,320 --> 00:41:37,440 Speaker 3: I think she didn't want to ever leave me because 630 00:41:37,480 --> 00:41:41,279 Speaker 3: I saw her break down, you know, watching Bambi. I 631 00:41:41,320 --> 00:41:45,520 Speaker 3: think it's something that she didn't want, but just in case, 632 00:41:46,239 --> 00:41:51,040 Speaker 3: she knew how to connect and accept it. Mm hmm. 633 00:41:53,040 --> 00:41:54,759 Speaker 2: How do you think it effect they turned dead? 634 00:41:56,440 --> 00:42:04,560 Speaker 3: Uh, drastically. You you had the baddest woman you know ever, 635 00:42:04,920 --> 00:42:07,240 Speaker 3: So she was the baddest woman. 636 00:42:07,320 --> 00:42:09,719 Speaker 2: Like I'm telling y'all. I was a kid and I 637 00:42:09,760 --> 00:42:12,920 Speaker 2: was like, yo, who is this? She was so beautiful 638 00:42:12,960 --> 00:42:15,400 Speaker 2: and then she had like the long mals. It's just like, 639 00:42:15,520 --> 00:42:15,960 Speaker 2: come on. 640 00:42:16,280 --> 00:42:19,880 Speaker 3: Like she was popping before like we even knew what 641 00:42:19,960 --> 00:42:20,640 Speaker 3: popping was. 642 00:42:20,880 --> 00:42:23,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's like she would fly. Like That's why I 643 00:42:23,360 --> 00:42:26,040 Speaker 2: get so angry when people don't know who this woman was, 644 00:42:26,040 --> 00:42:29,480 Speaker 2: because nobody did, but she did before she did it. 645 00:42:30,400 --> 00:42:36,279 Speaker 3: Yeah, I think he will always love her, and the 646 00:42:36,360 --> 00:42:40,680 Speaker 3: fact that I now get a taste of what he 647 00:42:40,719 --> 00:42:44,680 Speaker 3: went through. It's not fun losing the love of your life. 648 00:42:44,920 --> 00:42:48,120 Speaker 3: It's it's it's not something that you ever want to 649 00:42:48,160 --> 00:42:50,200 Speaker 3: deal with, especially when you got to look at a 650 00:42:50,320 --> 00:42:55,240 Speaker 3: child that looks just like them. Oh yeah, I think, 651 00:42:56,320 --> 00:43:00,719 Speaker 3: you know, But he found happiness, and I I just 652 00:43:00,800 --> 00:43:06,520 Speaker 3: I feel for him more now because it's hard. It's hard, 653 00:43:06,760 --> 00:43:11,200 Speaker 3: you know, not having you know, that person that you love, 654 00:43:11,920 --> 00:43:16,759 Speaker 3: your best friend, you know, your training partner, you're a therapist, 655 00:43:17,280 --> 00:43:21,000 Speaker 3: you know, the parent of your child. You lose a 656 00:43:21,000 --> 00:43:27,560 Speaker 3: part of yourself. So I commend him for staying strong 657 00:43:27,640 --> 00:43:32,440 Speaker 3: and you know, trying to give me the the best 658 00:43:32,480 --> 00:43:35,120 Speaker 3: life that he could. But my mama did everything, so 659 00:43:35,560 --> 00:43:39,160 Speaker 3: I couldn't imagine how it was like she did anything. 660 00:43:39,480 --> 00:43:42,960 Speaker 3: So she took me to gymnastics. She knows she did 661 00:43:43,040 --> 00:43:46,560 Speaker 3: not she will what you No, she was not lying, 662 00:43:46,719 --> 00:43:53,880 Speaker 3: She's not. And I just I commend him, But also, 663 00:43:54,040 --> 00:43:56,600 Speaker 3: like you know, I think the families that were there 664 00:43:56,680 --> 00:43:59,680 Speaker 3: for me afterwards, you know, I lived with a lot 665 00:43:59,719 --> 00:44:05,040 Speaker 3: of families, you know, but I lost a family for 666 00:44:05,280 --> 00:44:09,400 Speaker 3: like eleven years, you know, And and after somebody passes away, 667 00:44:09,480 --> 00:44:14,880 Speaker 3: it's not easy. So but nobody knows what a spouse 668 00:44:14,960 --> 00:44:18,520 Speaker 3: goes through. Nobody knows. It's just it's just a feeling 669 00:44:18,640 --> 00:44:21,360 Speaker 3: you don't you don't want to have, like you just 670 00:44:22,520 --> 00:44:27,200 Speaker 3: you really lose part of yourself. And I'm still dealing 671 00:44:27,280 --> 00:44:32,319 Speaker 3: with that and it's hard. So I feel for him. 672 00:44:32,760 --> 00:44:34,880 Speaker 3: I and the fact that he had to do it 673 00:44:34,920 --> 00:44:38,560 Speaker 3: in the public eye that's even worse. You know, there 674 00:44:38,680 --> 00:44:43,120 Speaker 3: was helicopters around our house. Like you get interrupted of 675 00:44:43,160 --> 00:44:45,920 Speaker 3: your grieving time. You never healed properly. 676 00:44:45,800 --> 00:44:49,319 Speaker 2: You don't, Yeah, and then you have chill. 677 00:44:49,560 --> 00:44:50,880 Speaker 3: Did I do it with your baby? 678 00:44:51,040 --> 00:44:53,080 Speaker 2: Is just as a black man, I couldn't even imagine 679 00:44:53,320 --> 00:44:54,520 Speaker 2: which your dad was going through. 680 00:44:55,200 --> 00:44:59,080 Speaker 3: I can't imagine. Also, like I said, I got a case. 681 00:44:59,200 --> 00:45:04,160 Speaker 3: I understand him more, but it's I can't imagine. 682 00:45:06,280 --> 00:45:09,160 Speaker 2: How did you feel when he decides to get remarried. 683 00:45:11,560 --> 00:45:14,680 Speaker 3: I was a typical pain in the butt. 684 00:45:14,960 --> 00:45:18,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, I can kick any on this sad and your 685 00:45:18,480 --> 00:45:20,080 Speaker 2: mom is slow dough. It's like, come on, dad, are 686 00:45:20,080 --> 00:45:20,640 Speaker 2: you serious? 687 00:45:24,120 --> 00:45:27,520 Speaker 3: I had my good days and bad days. I had 688 00:45:27,600 --> 00:45:30,040 Speaker 3: my good moments and bad moments, But you know what 689 00:45:30,200 --> 00:45:35,759 Speaker 3: I got two beautiful siblings out of that marriage, and 690 00:45:36,920 --> 00:45:40,960 Speaker 3: I love them more than life itself. Actually, they actually 691 00:45:41,040 --> 00:45:44,960 Speaker 3: prepared me to be the mom that I am because 692 00:45:45,000 --> 00:45:48,400 Speaker 3: we're we're we're far apart in age, we're fourteen and 693 00:45:48,520 --> 00:45:51,839 Speaker 3: sixteen years apart. But I am glad that he had 694 00:45:51,960 --> 00:45:56,480 Speaker 3: a little time to heal before he got married. So 695 00:45:58,400 --> 00:46:05,400 Speaker 3: I I'm glad he had time, you know. So, But 696 00:46:05,560 --> 00:46:12,080 Speaker 3: it was hard because I you were young. Yeah, I 697 00:46:12,080 --> 00:46:15,200 Speaker 3: think it was just hard to adapt into a whole 698 00:46:15,239 --> 00:46:20,560 Speaker 3: other family with a whole nother ethnicity. My siblings are mixed, 699 00:46:20,640 --> 00:46:26,720 Speaker 3: they're they're they're their Their mom's side is is white, 700 00:46:26,760 --> 00:46:29,960 Speaker 3: so that was also hard to adjust to from two 701 00:46:30,000 --> 00:46:32,480 Speaker 3: black parents to one white parent and one black parent. 702 00:46:33,080 --> 00:46:36,040 Speaker 3: So I I think that's why I'm so like open 703 00:46:36,320 --> 00:46:40,200 Speaker 3: minded and I love all cultures because where I grew 704 00:46:40,280 --> 00:46:45,640 Speaker 3: up and where I was raised, I had many friends 705 00:46:45,640 --> 00:46:49,799 Speaker 3: of different ethnicities and stuff. But I did miss out 706 00:46:49,880 --> 00:46:54,960 Speaker 3: on living a full life with my black family that 707 00:46:56,680 --> 00:47:01,800 Speaker 3: I'm now starting to reconnect too. But love is love, 708 00:47:02,440 --> 00:47:06,839 Speaker 3: and I had to be happy for him. 709 00:47:06,840 --> 00:47:09,200 Speaker 2: So let's start with your singing carereer. How did you 710 00:47:09,280 --> 00:47:11,840 Speaker 2: first discover that you were a singer. 711 00:47:12,239 --> 00:47:18,320 Speaker 3: Honestly, I was just messing around, mimicking Mariah and Christina 712 00:47:18,360 --> 00:47:23,480 Speaker 3: Aguilar and like Whitney. So I didn't really take it 713 00:47:23,640 --> 00:47:34,720 Speaker 3: serious until I joined choir and I I always love musicals, 714 00:47:34,840 --> 00:47:41,720 Speaker 3: I still do. My dad got me a vocal coach 715 00:47:42,160 --> 00:47:45,799 Speaker 3: and I finally started learning like the proper way to 716 00:47:45,880 --> 00:47:49,280 Speaker 3: sing because I was always like yelling and like trying 717 00:47:49,280 --> 00:47:55,720 Speaker 3: to like built out my boys. It was my love 718 00:47:56,200 --> 00:48:00,440 Speaker 3: for just what came to me. I can't really explain 719 00:48:00,520 --> 00:48:06,000 Speaker 3: how I sing because I don't have like a specific 720 00:48:06,120 --> 00:48:10,880 Speaker 3: tone that's like, oh, you're that type of genre singer. 721 00:48:11,160 --> 00:48:16,320 Speaker 3: So I've studied all genres and I love different types 722 00:48:16,360 --> 00:48:23,040 Speaker 3: of music, but I resonate more as I started studying 723 00:48:24,120 --> 00:48:31,280 Speaker 3: jazz and classical because I always challenged myself to become better. 724 00:48:31,440 --> 00:48:35,880 Speaker 3: Like I wasn't really good at singing when I was younger. 725 00:48:36,080 --> 00:48:39,320 Speaker 3: I would just like I said, I was singing proper, 726 00:48:39,480 --> 00:48:41,680 Speaker 3: I would hurt my vocal chords. I didn't know what 727 00:48:41,719 --> 00:48:44,920 Speaker 3: I was doing. I was just trying to mimic and 728 00:48:46,760 --> 00:48:49,560 Speaker 3: I really wanted to become a singer. When I wanted 729 00:48:49,600 --> 00:48:53,200 Speaker 3: to audition for American Idol when it first came out, 730 00:48:53,840 --> 00:48:57,200 Speaker 3: I was studying jazz and classical, and I had a 731 00:48:57,239 --> 00:49:02,200 Speaker 3: pop vocal coach, and in high school I was in choir, 732 00:49:02,480 --> 00:49:06,840 Speaker 3: so I learned how to do different harmonies and sing 733 00:49:06,880 --> 00:49:11,600 Speaker 3: in different languages, so it was really fun for me, 734 00:49:12,080 --> 00:49:16,520 Speaker 3: and it was different from sports. I was already writing 735 00:49:16,640 --> 00:49:20,680 Speaker 3: as a young girl, like at seven, so I would 736 00:49:20,719 --> 00:49:25,319 Speaker 3: write poetry and write songs, but I never learned how 737 00:49:25,360 --> 00:49:28,080 Speaker 3: to put them together until like high school. And then 738 00:49:28,160 --> 00:49:32,600 Speaker 3: I wrote my first song in high school and I 739 00:49:32,640 --> 00:49:35,000 Speaker 3: started playing the piano, and then I was just like 740 00:49:35,680 --> 00:49:41,560 Speaker 3: my dad always played Alicia Keith's Diary, and I was 741 00:49:41,960 --> 00:49:45,920 Speaker 3: trying to challenge myself to sing and play, but I 742 00:49:45,960 --> 00:49:49,520 Speaker 3: had stage right, so I really slept out in the box. 743 00:49:49,600 --> 00:49:53,120 Speaker 3: Once I got to choir and really worked with my 744 00:49:53,239 --> 00:50:01,680 Speaker 3: vocal coaches and started doing shows in college like little 745 00:50:02,480 --> 00:50:06,640 Speaker 3: little hole in the wall clubs, and I started recording 746 00:50:06,680 --> 00:50:10,480 Speaker 3: myself and teaching myself how to make beats, and I 747 00:50:10,560 --> 00:50:15,239 Speaker 3: really fell in love with music production and singing was 748 00:50:15,320 --> 00:50:17,799 Speaker 3: just something that just brought me pure joy. It was 749 00:50:17,920 --> 00:50:20,120 Speaker 3: how I could get my emotions out. 750 00:50:22,600 --> 00:50:25,000 Speaker 2: And your mom either she always wanted to sing or 751 00:50:25,040 --> 00:50:27,000 Speaker 2: she always wanted you to single, or is it both? 752 00:50:27,880 --> 00:50:32,759 Speaker 3: She couldn't hold a note, but she always said that 753 00:50:32,880 --> 00:50:36,960 Speaker 3: my daughter could sing, and I ended up singing. She 754 00:50:37,040 --> 00:50:42,359 Speaker 3: taught me the national anthem when I was like three, 755 00:50:42,480 --> 00:50:46,600 Speaker 3: so I knew the national anthem at like three years old, 756 00:50:47,560 --> 00:50:51,560 Speaker 3: and I ended up becoming like a national anthem singer 757 00:50:51,719 --> 00:50:56,640 Speaker 3: for different events. So again, everything just kind of came 758 00:50:56,719 --> 00:50:57,600 Speaker 3: full circle. 759 00:51:00,120 --> 00:51:02,040 Speaker 2: How did I feel this in the national anthem? I 760 00:51:02,080 --> 00:51:08,319 Speaker 2: think it was the Olympic trial, so that. 761 00:51:08,440 --> 00:51:13,600 Speaker 3: Was right after I I didn't make it through the 762 00:51:13,600 --> 00:51:21,520 Speaker 3: bootcamp brown at America's, so Howard Stern kind of said like, oh, 763 00:51:21,600 --> 00:51:24,040 Speaker 3: she can't really, you know, take it there. So I 764 00:51:24,040 --> 00:51:28,960 Speaker 3: had something to prove either way. And the fact that 765 00:51:29,280 --> 00:51:31,680 Speaker 3: I was like, hey, I might not be competing in 766 00:51:31,719 --> 00:51:34,759 Speaker 3: the Olympic trials, but I get to be a part 767 00:51:34,840 --> 00:51:38,600 Speaker 3: of the track and field Olympic Charles. I practiced a practice. 768 00:51:38,640 --> 00:51:42,040 Speaker 3: I was so nervous, and I did it a cappella 769 00:51:42,800 --> 00:51:48,880 Speaker 3: and I just got such an amazing response from the crowd. 770 00:51:49,280 --> 00:51:54,040 Speaker 3: It was an honor to have that moment. And little 771 00:51:54,080 --> 00:52:00,840 Speaker 3: did I know that my husband was somewhere beating So 772 00:52:01,520 --> 00:52:07,560 Speaker 3: I know the the negativity that's been brought upon the 773 00:52:07,640 --> 00:52:10,880 Speaker 3: national anthem, but it would always mean something different to 774 00:52:11,000 --> 00:52:15,840 Speaker 3: me because that was played in my mom's like greatest moment, 775 00:52:16,080 --> 00:52:19,880 Speaker 3: you know, and and it wasn't about anything else, it 776 00:52:19,960 --> 00:52:23,879 Speaker 3: was just that was the country. She did that for USA. 777 00:52:24,000 --> 00:52:24,600 Speaker 3: She did that. 778 00:52:25,640 --> 00:52:28,600 Speaker 2: M our listener wants to know what would you say 779 00:52:28,640 --> 00:52:34,080 Speaker 2: are some characteristics that you share with your mom baby. 780 00:52:34,000 --> 00:52:39,360 Speaker 3: Like, we're very emotional and I think it's because my 781 00:52:39,480 --> 00:52:42,760 Speaker 3: mom was an EmPATH. And I think like we're very 782 00:52:43,120 --> 00:52:48,439 Speaker 3: emotional women because we care, We genuinely give our heart. 783 00:52:49,360 --> 00:52:52,160 Speaker 3: That's one of the characteristics that it got from her. 784 00:52:52,320 --> 00:52:57,360 Speaker 3: And also creativity in my downtime, I love creating things, 785 00:52:57,640 --> 00:53:01,080 Speaker 3: and yeah, creativity for sure. 786 00:53:02,239 --> 00:53:04,399 Speaker 2: Another let's not wanted to know where do you see 787 00:53:04,440 --> 00:53:08,800 Speaker 2: yourself in the next five to ten years. 788 00:53:08,840 --> 00:53:15,280 Speaker 3: In the next five to ten years, I see myself 789 00:53:16,040 --> 00:53:19,839 Speaker 3: just being a great mother to my son and being 790 00:53:19,920 --> 00:53:23,279 Speaker 3: there for him every moment that I can, whether if 791 00:53:23,320 --> 00:53:27,000 Speaker 3: it's in school stuff or sports stuff or any activities. 792 00:53:27,120 --> 00:53:34,640 Speaker 3: Just being present. I think over the next few years, 793 00:53:34,719 --> 00:53:38,680 Speaker 3: just because of what we've endured recently and what I 794 00:53:38,800 --> 00:53:42,720 Speaker 3: m crowded as a young child. The best, the best 795 00:53:42,800 --> 00:53:46,919 Speaker 3: even with friends or family, The best present you can give. 796 00:53:47,320 --> 00:53:51,280 Speaker 3: It ain't no money it ain't no gives. It's your presence. 797 00:53:51,640 --> 00:53:54,759 Speaker 3: That's the best present that you can give. So just 798 00:53:55,640 --> 00:53:59,520 Speaker 3: working on that and providing a very happy and healthy 799 00:53:59,560 --> 00:54:02,640 Speaker 3: life for me and my son, and loving on myself 800 00:54:02,760 --> 00:54:08,399 Speaker 3: more and growing my company. Yeah, growing my company. Yes, 801 00:54:09,600 --> 00:54:10,040 Speaker 3: now I know. 802 00:54:10,239 --> 00:54:15,040 Speaker 2: I gotta ask the million dollar question. Are you working 803 00:54:15,080 --> 00:54:18,279 Speaker 2: on a movie about your mom's life? Because everybody keeps 804 00:54:18,280 --> 00:54:21,440 Speaker 2: saying it Tiffany Hatters, she's gonna play her, So to 805 00:54:21,520 --> 00:54:24,480 Speaker 2: clear things up, that is not my project. 806 00:54:25,120 --> 00:54:28,080 Speaker 3: I am doing Flow Joe, A Daughter's Love, which is 807 00:54:28,160 --> 00:54:35,000 Speaker 3: my personal documentary from my personal point of view and 808 00:54:35,280 --> 00:54:40,400 Speaker 3: my family's point of view. So that project, no comment, 809 00:54:40,520 --> 00:54:42,920 Speaker 3: I guess because I just am not a part of it. 810 00:54:44,160 --> 00:54:44,520 Speaker 2: Did it not? 811 00:54:44,640 --> 00:54:50,840 Speaker 3: Ask you? No, it's pretty much. I think my dad's 812 00:54:50,840 --> 00:54:54,960 Speaker 3: involved with it. So, but that's not my project. I 813 00:54:55,040 --> 00:55:00,480 Speaker 3: do have a documentary series coming out about my mom. 814 00:55:01,040 --> 00:55:03,239 Speaker 2: I'm just curious, what do you want your legacy to be? 815 00:55:04,360 --> 00:55:11,880 Speaker 3: I want my legacy to leave a place on this 816 00:55:12,080 --> 00:55:19,759 Speaker 3: earth that shows who I was as a person and 817 00:55:20,840 --> 00:55:26,360 Speaker 3: what this world can do better of. And that's letting 818 00:55:26,400 --> 00:55:34,719 Speaker 3: people express themselves in their way, shape or form with 819 00:55:34,920 --> 00:55:42,600 Speaker 3: more support. And I'd say humbleness, telling my story because 820 00:55:42,600 --> 00:55:48,080 Speaker 3: I have different stories that all add up to mine, 821 00:55:48,440 --> 00:55:52,440 Speaker 3: and I think eventually telling my story of how I 822 00:55:52,520 --> 00:56:01,040 Speaker 3: overcame losing myself and how I came back, and how 823 00:56:01,080 --> 00:56:04,600 Speaker 3: I lost myself again and how I came back, and 824 00:56:04,640 --> 00:56:10,439 Speaker 3: I want my legacy to be letting people know that 825 00:56:10,680 --> 00:56:17,319 Speaker 3: in your hardest times, that is what your strengths is 826 00:56:17,360 --> 00:56:21,920 Speaker 3: going to make or break you. And to always just 827 00:56:22,080 --> 00:56:24,879 Speaker 3: know that no matter what, if you feel alone, you 828 00:56:25,000 --> 00:56:29,520 Speaker 3: always have yourself and you can do it. It doesn't 829 00:56:29,560 --> 00:56:34,880 Speaker 3: matter who you are, what you have, where you came from, 830 00:56:35,719 --> 00:56:38,960 Speaker 3: or you know what you've done. As long as you 831 00:56:39,080 --> 00:56:42,040 Speaker 3: keep going and keep getting better at whatever you want 832 00:56:42,080 --> 00:56:45,680 Speaker 3: to do. That's just what I want to inspire others 833 00:56:45,719 --> 00:56:50,080 Speaker 3: to do. And also just being a person, a person 834 00:56:50,120 --> 00:56:57,279 Speaker 3: of whether it's mistakes, a person of just things that 835 00:56:58,040 --> 00:57:00,480 Speaker 3: make you you. It doesn't have to be affect, it 836 00:57:00,520 --> 00:57:03,440 Speaker 3: doesn't have to be great, And just not judging people 837 00:57:03,480 --> 00:57:06,000 Speaker 3: for what they've been through. You don't know why they. 838 00:57:05,880 --> 00:57:07,799 Speaker 2: Had to do what they do, that's a fact. 839 00:57:08,600 --> 00:57:12,799 Speaker 3: So I think just being more more more realizing that 840 00:57:12,920 --> 00:57:16,480 Speaker 3: we're all human and we all make a way for 841 00:57:16,520 --> 00:57:21,960 Speaker 3: ourselves the way that we know how to because everybody's 842 00:57:22,000 --> 00:57:24,840 Speaker 3: not brought up the same way. Everybody doesn't have what 843 00:57:25,120 --> 00:57:29,000 Speaker 3: everybody else have. Everybody's not taught what people are taught. 844 00:57:29,680 --> 00:57:33,440 Speaker 3: Me and my husband had very different upbringings and different 845 00:57:33,480 --> 00:57:40,760 Speaker 3: lifestyles and and we made an amazing kid and he's 846 00:57:40,800 --> 00:57:46,760 Speaker 3: going to be our legacy. So it's just being yourself 847 00:57:47,240 --> 00:57:51,680 Speaker 3: and getting back up, not just one time. It's okay 848 00:57:51,680 --> 00:57:53,840 Speaker 3: if you fall a bunch of times, just get back 849 00:57:53,920 --> 00:57:56,919 Speaker 3: up and keep going. And Margaret give up. 850 00:57:57,360 --> 00:58:00,160 Speaker 2: Well, before we leave, I know you have a birthday 851 00:58:00,160 --> 00:58:01,960 Speaker 2: coming up, so happy early birthday. 852 00:58:02,800 --> 00:58:03,600 Speaker 3: Who told you? 853 00:58:03,760 --> 00:58:04,960 Speaker 2: Since I did my research? 854 00:58:05,320 --> 00:58:09,000 Speaker 3: You have me plans? Honestly, Like, my son just celebrated 855 00:58:09,040 --> 00:58:12,560 Speaker 3: his fifth birthday, and now what's a good birthday present 856 00:58:12,600 --> 00:58:17,480 Speaker 3: for me? To see him happy? And you know, this 857 00:58:17,520 --> 00:58:20,400 Speaker 3: is his first birthday without his dad. This is my 858 00:58:20,560 --> 00:58:25,520 Speaker 3: first birthday without him. So I have no expectations, no plans, 859 00:58:25,640 --> 00:58:30,240 Speaker 3: but just to see another birthday, you know. It's that's 860 00:58:30,280 --> 00:58:31,400 Speaker 3: all that I'm thankful for. 861 00:58:33,080 --> 00:58:34,960 Speaker 2: Well, I just want to say I'm so happy that 862 00:58:35,000 --> 00:58:36,920 Speaker 2: we connected. I keep telling you this like every day 863 00:58:36,960 --> 00:58:40,080 Speaker 2: since we've been talking, and I really appreciate you doing 864 00:58:40,120 --> 00:58:42,520 Speaker 2: this interview with me, and I just wanted to. 865 00:58:42,400 --> 00:58:44,880 Speaker 3: Know that your mom was and still is my hero. 866 00:58:45,440 --> 00:58:47,640 Speaker 2: However, I can help you with flow, Joe forever, with 867 00:58:47,680 --> 00:58:48,320 Speaker 2: your business. 868 00:58:48,400 --> 00:58:52,280 Speaker 3: I'm always a ball callway. Thank you so much. Thank 869 00:58:52,320 --> 00:58:55,400 Speaker 3: you so much for having me, thank you for just 870 00:58:55,440 --> 00:58:57,440 Speaker 3: getting me the break out of my shelf for a 871 00:58:57,440 --> 00:58:58,120 Speaker 3: little bit. 872 00:58:58,240 --> 00:59:00,880 Speaker 2: Of course, no, thank you, thank you, And do I 873 00:59:00,880 --> 00:59:03,560 Speaker 2: have any questions poll us concerns, please wait for the 874 00:59:03,600 --> 00:59:06,440 Speaker 2: email me at hello at the psgpodcast dot com and 875 00:59:06,560 --> 00:59:09,959 Speaker 2: until nextop everyone later did your mom feel like a saying? 876 00:59:10,040 --> 00:59:13,440 Speaker 3: She used to say, believe, achieve, succeed. 877 00:59:14,080 --> 00:59:16,120 Speaker 2: Okay, that's how we're going to end the show. 878 00:59:18,240 --> 00:59:24,920 Speaker 3: Latera bye. 879 00:59:26,200 --> 00:59:29,320 Speaker 2: The Professional Homegirl Podcast is a production of the Black 880 00:59:29,320 --> 00:59:33,320 Speaker 2: Effect podcast Network. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the 881 00:59:33,360 --> 00:59:36,400 Speaker 2: iHeartRadio app, app a podcasts, or wherever you listen to 882 00:59:36,440 --> 00:59:39,640 Speaker 2: your favorite shows. Don't forget to subscribe and rate the show, 883 00:59:39,960 --> 00:59:42,400 Speaker 2: and you can connect with me on social media at 884 00:59:42,400 --> 00:59:43,680 Speaker 2: the page Podcast