WEBVTT - Why You Should Care About Politics (w/ BLAYD) 0:00:00.880 --> 0:00:04.640 Good morning, good afternoon, good evening. You are tuned into 0:00:04.680 --> 0:00:07.000 the vitamin D with Dawn Day podcast and I am 0:00:07.040 --> 0:00:09.640 your host, Dawn Day, here to get you excited about 0:00:09.640 --> 0:00:11.600 your life so that you can live life on purpose 0:00:11.640 --> 0:00:13.680 and for a purpose, and this is your first time 0:00:13.760 --> 0:00:17.040 tuning in and welcome vitamin D. it's upon of my name. 0:00:17.280 --> 0:00:19.240 My Name is dawn and you get vitamin D from 0:00:19.280 --> 0:00:21.080 the Sun. So I'm here to shed light into your 0:00:21.120 --> 0:00:24.840 life and I do this with inspirational insights and conversations 0:00:24.880 --> 0:00:27.880 with celebrities and everyday people like you and me, because 0:00:27.920 --> 0:00:29.479 if you want to be better and you want to 0:00:29.480 --> 0:00:32.040 do better, then you're going to have to be able 0:00:32.080 --> 0:00:34.919 to see better. So join me on this journey of 0:00:35.000 --> 0:00:38.800 living our best lives and understanding and realizing how you 0:00:39.040 --> 0:00:42.400 are your greatest Assad I was on instagram and I 0:00:42.440 --> 0:00:46.599 came across this video of Mel Robbins. I'm not sure 0:00:46.600 --> 0:00:49.159 if you're familiar with her, but Um, she's a speaker, 0:00:49.840 --> 0:00:53.760 inspirational thought leader and she she made a comment and 0:00:53.760 --> 0:00:58.680 it really stuck with me. She said in life you 0:00:58.680 --> 0:01:02.520 either change your dreams or they'll haunt you, and I 0:01:02.600 --> 0:01:04.840 was like, well, what does she mean by that? Now 0:01:04.840 --> 0:01:07.399 I understand the whole process of having a dream and 0:01:07.440 --> 0:01:09.679 going after it, but she said that if you have 0:01:09.800 --> 0:01:11.800 something that was placed in your mind, in your heart, 0:01:12.600 --> 0:01:15.880 it will forever sit inside of this account. I'm using 0:01:15.880 --> 0:01:18.560 the word account. She said ahead and you'll be seventy 0:01:18.600 --> 0:01:20.840 something years old, or however up there in age. You 0:01:20.880 --> 0:01:25.280 are realizing that you've never done it, you never get 0:01:25.280 --> 0:01:28.600 the chance of yourself and you will always be left 0:01:28.640 --> 0:01:32.360 of what would have happened if I had done it, 0:01:33.240 --> 0:01:35.520 what would have happened if I had taken the chance? 0:01:36.000 --> 0:01:38.120 You know, always say that we all special offers, here 0:01:38.160 --> 0:01:41.039 for a limited time. We're here for a good time 0:01:41.040 --> 0:01:43.920 and not a long time. I don't know what it 0:01:44.000 --> 0:01:45.720 is that you want, I don't know what it is 0:01:45.760 --> 0:01:49.200 that you're going after, but, uh, I think you should 0:01:49.240 --> 0:01:52.480 do it. And if it's hard, it's uncomfortable, that's good. 0:01:53.080 --> 0:01:55.440 That means you're growing, that means that you're changing. Heck, 0:01:55.800 --> 0:01:57.960 I was thinking about it earlier this morning as I 0:01:58.000 --> 0:02:01.960 was at the quover city stairs and I said, God dog, 0:02:02.320 --> 0:02:05.560 I do not feel like doing this, but I made 0:02:05.560 --> 0:02:07.520 a promise to myself. I said, you know, when I 0:02:07.560 --> 0:02:09.520 go to the stairs, I'm gonna go up and down 0:02:09.560 --> 0:02:11.640 at least four times, but I did not want to 0:02:11.639 --> 0:02:13.840 do it. Why? Because I was like, oh my gosh, 0:02:13.880 --> 0:02:15.960 I'm gonna COMFORT AND BE TIRED. I just don't feel 0:02:15.960 --> 0:02:18.480 like being out of breath, I don't feel like sweating. 0:02:20.000 --> 0:02:22.959 But I said on do you want to be great? 0:02:24.160 --> 0:02:26.239 Because I said, well, if you want to be great, 0:02:27.240 --> 0:02:29.280 you're gonna have to do things that great people do, 0:02:30.160 --> 0:02:33.760 and great people do things that everyday people don't do. Now, 0:02:33.840 --> 0:02:35.440 in order to be great, in order to change in 0:02:35.440 --> 0:02:39.480 this process, I literally have to contort my body, move 0:02:39.600 --> 0:02:43.440 my body in a way that it transforms. And I 0:02:43.440 --> 0:02:46.040 said to myself, I said, well, if I can keep 0:02:46.080 --> 0:02:49.560 this promise to myself, if I can go against my 0:02:49.680 --> 0:02:54.640 greatest opponent, which is me, what can I not do? 0:02:55.560 --> 0:02:58.280 So I say to you, what can you not do? 0:02:59.720 --> 0:03:03.960 You are your greatest competition. You know your strengths and 0:03:04.040 --> 0:03:07.799 your weaknesses. So when you're looking at whatever it is 0:03:07.919 --> 0:03:10.760 that you want, how to like, that dream, that aspiration, 0:03:10.800 --> 0:03:13.760 that things that seems insurmountable, I'm here to tell you 0:03:13.800 --> 0:03:16.040 that you're worth it. I'm here to tell you that 0:03:16.120 --> 0:03:19.840 you're worth taking a chance on, because it may seem 0:03:19.840 --> 0:03:24.920 a challenging to go after it now, but imagine the 0:03:25.000 --> 0:03:28.840 day that it has to come after you. Just food 0:03:29.000 --> 0:03:33.639 for thought. Go out there and drink big and then 0:03:33.880 --> 0:03:37.720 get after it. Dreams don't work unless you do. Get 0:03:37.760 --> 0:03:42.120 your right in Mandy, right with me and get excited 0:03:42.360 --> 0:03:48.080 about my mic's on Jeremia. How do we sound? Do 0:03:48.160 --> 0:03:50.880 we sound good? I know we're looking good because I'm 0:03:50.880 --> 0:03:54.560 looking at Y'all and I'm like, Jeez, just this beautiful 0:03:54.600 --> 0:04:01.120 meling it all around me. You all like what I 0:04:01.120 --> 0:04:03.440 would come on and be like just talk girl, just 0:04:03.640 --> 0:04:07.080 say something, say something. You know I love when people affirming, 0:04:07.480 --> 0:04:09.120 affirm me and feed me. So this is giving me 0:04:09.200 --> 0:04:13.480 everything I need right now. I got you on the 0:04:13.520 --> 0:04:25.280 second Oh man, listen, Hey, it's vitamin D with the 0:04:25.320 --> 0:04:28.960 one day. You know, I'm all about in the business 0:04:28.960 --> 0:04:31.799 and making dreams come true, and I have a special 0:04:31.880 --> 0:04:35.560 group of individuals in here with me. Have you heard 0:04:35.560 --> 0:04:39.880 of the organization blade? It's entitled the Black Los Angeles 0:04:40.040 --> 0:04:43.840 Young Democrats and, uh, they're here because they're talking about 0:04:43.880 --> 0:04:45.960 what they're doing in the city, how we're talking about 0:04:45.960 --> 0:04:49.400 making change and also we have a very important election 0:04:49.440 --> 0:04:53.000 coming up. Congresswoman Karen Bass is running and we need 0:04:53.040 --> 0:04:55.520 not to talk about anyone else because we need to 0:04:55.520 --> 0:04:57.920 get her elected. So we're gonna talk about this organization, 0:04:58.320 --> 0:05:00.880 what they're doing, and also this all some event that's 0:05:00.920 --> 0:05:06.360 coming around and tied the sneaker ball. So, without further ado, Jeremy, 0:05:06.440 --> 0:05:08.840 do you have a round of applause? Just give a 0:05:08.920 --> 0:05:13.760 round of a fause for these beautiful people. Yes, it's 0:05:13.760 --> 0:05:21.479 an applause. Um. So the people are hearing laughter and 0:05:21.520 --> 0:05:24.000 those who are watching and send your beautiful faces. Can you, guys, 0:05:24.040 --> 0:05:27.120 just go around and introduce and tell us who you are? 0:05:29.480 --> 0:05:32.920 We need you to get you in your face. You'RE 0:05:32.920 --> 0:05:38.000 gonna have to pass it. Jar Mike, can you hear him? Okay, alright, cool. 0:05:38.000 --> 0:05:43.120 I'm Jelanni Hendricks, president of Blade. Thanks for having me. Okay, 0:05:43.320 --> 0:05:47.440 L Hawaari, treasurer of Blade. All about that money? Okay, 0:05:47.480 --> 0:05:52.080 what a cash set. Hi Everybody, my name is Cheyenne 0:05:52.120 --> 0:05:57.200 Smith and I'm the vice president. Vice Vice President, Dr 0:05:57.279 --> 0:05:59.320 d and they just let me come along with him, 0:06:00.640 --> 0:06:03.719 is the chair of the host committee of the Black 0:06:03.800 --> 0:06:06.960 Los Angeles Sneaker Ball. Don't let her play, you Damn Loq, 0:06:07.279 --> 0:06:12.320 like you like the mayor of like l a mass 0:06:12.360 --> 0:06:18.880 about to be the next. I want to let you 0:06:18.920 --> 0:06:25.440 out of time. That's best part of me. But M guys, 0:06:25.680 --> 0:06:27.800 thank you so much for being here. I have been 0:06:27.839 --> 0:06:29.960 saying for the longest. I was telling D for like 0:06:30.279 --> 0:06:32.560 wow month. I was like, Yo, I want to get involved. 0:06:32.560 --> 0:06:34.080 I was like, I want to get involved with Congress. 0:06:34.080 --> 0:06:35.960 From Karen Bass, I was like, I just need to 0:06:36.320 --> 0:06:38.160 how do I do it? Like, what's the first step? 0:06:38.200 --> 0:06:41.200 So she started peeling off information and talking about Blake. 0:06:41.279 --> 0:06:44.400 But for anyone that doesn't know, who wants to talk 0:06:44.440 --> 0:06:50.320 about what your organization is? Yeah, alright, the president is here. 0:06:50.440 --> 0:06:53.240 Put the MIC up. Got You. So we at l 0:06:53.320 --> 0:06:57.640 a County Wide Dem club. We're the Premier Young Democratic 0:06:57.640 --> 0:07:00.440 Club in the State of California. Majority the of us 0:07:00.440 --> 0:07:02.880 are activists, organizers and what we aim to do is 0:07:02.920 --> 0:07:06.719 a bridge the gap between grassroots initiatives and politics. We 0:07:06.760 --> 0:07:09.520 want to make sure young folks are engaged into into 0:07:09.520 --> 0:07:13.720 the political system and also build leadership development pipeline for 0:07:13.800 --> 0:07:16.720 young Black Angelinos to get into politics, whether they want 0:07:16.720 --> 0:07:19.600 to run for office one day. Being Chief of staff, 0:07:19.920 --> 0:07:24.040 communications fundraised a lot of elements of politics that young 0:07:24.080 --> 0:07:26.760 black folks should tap into, but they don't really have 0:07:26.880 --> 0:07:30.840 that platform. So that's why I wanted to become a 0:07:30.840 --> 0:07:33.360 board member. I became a board member about three years ago. 0:07:33.880 --> 0:07:37.280 I've been a president for almost two years and on 0:07:37.360 --> 0:07:40.680 October seven we have in our first annual sneaker ball 0:07:41.520 --> 0:07:43.480 and it's going to be the political event of a year. 0:07:43.720 --> 0:07:46.240 So make sure you're there with your fly sneakers. But 0:07:49.320 --> 0:07:54.280 I'm talking about this. We gotta go. We gotta keep 0:07:54.280 --> 0:07:55.440 in the state of the second Hald because that's we're 0:07:55.440 --> 0:07:57.240 gonna talk about the first. Okay, so that's what we 0:07:57.240 --> 0:07:58.960 have blade about, and I think it's so important because 0:07:58.960 --> 0:08:01.680 I think sometimes I feel like some people look at 0:08:01.680 --> 0:08:03.640 politics and I'm like, oh, that's not for me or Oh, 0:08:03.680 --> 0:08:06.160 I don't understand, but not realize and how it affects 0:08:06.160 --> 0:08:09.480 our every day life and how something you may say 0:08:09.560 --> 0:08:11.880 I don't care about the law or the law is 0:08:11.920 --> 0:08:13.800 not on my side, but not realizing some of your 0:08:13.840 --> 0:08:16.640 basic rights can be affected whether or not you choose 0:08:16.680 --> 0:08:20.400 to vote or not to vote. What was that? Now? 0:08:20.480 --> 0:08:23.560 Blade started in twelve right, so we're going on the 0:08:23.600 --> 0:08:32.720 tenth anniversary. Is Anybody here from the inception? No. Why 0:08:32.760 --> 0:08:36.880 did you guys get involved? Like what what attracted you, 0:08:37.000 --> 0:08:38.959 because I feel like this. If you we're gonna talk 0:08:38.960 --> 0:08:40.800 to the people, I need to know about you, because 0:08:40.840 --> 0:08:43.400 if you're interested, what made you get into it, I 0:08:43.440 --> 0:08:49.600 can just keep it real. Come Onenne, madam VP, let's 0:08:49.600 --> 0:08:55.480 say like what's super okay, but but I think that 0:08:55.600 --> 0:08:58.200 was super dope about the Black Lass Angeles Young Democrats, 0:08:58.240 --> 0:09:01.520 and particularly answering your question. It's just that, like you 0:09:01.679 --> 0:09:05.800 realize once you're involved, you realize like you could make 0:09:05.800 --> 0:09:08.839 the decisions, and I think for so long African Americans 0:09:09.040 --> 0:09:11.560 have been siloed into this one space, like, oh, we 0:09:11.600 --> 0:09:14.160 can only be used for our vote. But it's more 0:09:14.200 --> 0:09:16.720 than just voting. Like you see, people actually will power, 0:09:16.920 --> 0:09:20.959 build power and use that power black people. And so 0:09:21.040 --> 0:09:23.959 I think that what's important about getting involved with the 0:09:23.960 --> 0:09:26.199 black loss and its young Democrats are even just getting 0:09:26.200 --> 0:09:28.640 involved in the politics is like you're no longer just 0:09:28.679 --> 0:09:31.440 an outsider being affected by the decisions being made, like 0:09:31.480 --> 0:09:34.240 you're a key player in the decisions being made. And 0:09:34.320 --> 0:09:36.560 I believe that if more of US continue to be 0:09:36.679 --> 0:09:38.920 involved in our own way, like everybody doesn't have to 0:09:38.920 --> 0:09:41.080 be the president, everybody don't have to join blade, but 0:09:41.120 --> 0:09:44.439 it's really about finding where you engage in moth engage 0:09:44.440 --> 0:09:46.640 the most. Where us an art you know, in the 0:09:46.760 --> 0:09:49.880 art space, in the political organizing space and the volunteer 0:09:49.960 --> 0:09:53.240 community base space, wherever. It's just like you have to 0:09:53.280 --> 0:09:55.800 show up. It's not even like people like, Oh yeah, 0:09:55.800 --> 0:09:57.280 show up for your community. But some people like what 0:09:57.360 --> 0:09:59.280 community like, if you really want to be honest, like 0:09:59.440 --> 0:10:01.920 some people don't feel a sense of community, but when 0:10:01.960 --> 0:10:04.400 you start being around people who do, who look like you, 0:10:04.480 --> 0:10:08.760 like I have one, we look like ourselves, actually debating, 0:10:08.840 --> 0:10:10.079 like what of us are gonna wear? I was like 0:10:10.280 --> 0:10:12.880 my car. So I was like, no, I pull up 0:10:12.920 --> 0:10:15.320 to these meetings with the baby hares to let them 0:10:15.320 --> 0:10:19.640 know you. Sometimes I intentionally put them just so you 0:10:19.679 --> 0:10:22.840 can know, and I think that you know it's just 0:10:22.880 --> 0:10:25.480 Hella important for us to continue to take up space, 0:10:25.480 --> 0:10:27.480 like we talked about that, like in a mental health space. 0:10:27.520 --> 0:10:30.000 You talk about it like you know entertainment a lot, 0:10:30.120 --> 0:10:33.319 but like people don't have to make the rules for you, 0:10:33.520 --> 0:10:35.400 because people always talking about they want to be saying, 0:10:35.400 --> 0:10:37.480 but hello, are you gonna have to show up and 0:10:37.480 --> 0:10:39.320 you gotta actually pull up, like we can't just be 0:10:39.360 --> 0:10:43.240 twitter fingers. We can't be social media advocates like that works. 0:10:43.760 --> 0:10:46.640 If something is about to get canceled, somebody responds. But like, 0:10:46.720 --> 0:10:49.680 imagine all the people who send or like the tweet 0:10:49.760 --> 0:10:51.920 or shared it, you know, share to their story. Imagine 0:10:51.920 --> 0:10:53.920 if that same amount of people sent, you know, sign 0:10:54.000 --> 0:10:56.400 the petition or sent the you know, sent the emails 0:10:56.520 --> 0:10:59.680 like Oh, we're flooding staffer's office. Is, you know, two 0:10:59.720 --> 0:11:02.360 thou and emails coming through like what, what's what's up? 0:11:02.400 --> 0:11:03.800 Like what do we need to change? And I feel 0:11:03.840 --> 0:11:06.680 like what's dope about blade is like we like I'm 0:11:06.720 --> 0:11:10.480 from here, like I'm from Um, I can't, you almost 0:11:10.480 --> 0:11:26.240 said again. Check. I'm like, okay, but now I'm from 0:11:26.320 --> 0:11:29.240 south central and born the raising. My grandfather was born 0:11:29.480 --> 0:11:32.320 in south they say south L A, but like in 0:11:32.360 --> 0:11:35.319 south central. So I think it's important to let people 0:11:35.360 --> 0:11:38.520 know like you could be from here and and have 0:11:38.679 --> 0:11:41.480 influence but still look like yourself. Like if I need 0:11:41.559 --> 0:11:43.240 to put on the full stool, I will, and I 0:11:43.280 --> 0:11:45.559 love it. It It looks good, but I'm mostly gonna pull 0:11:45.640 --> 0:11:49.040 up how I look. And I think that's super dope 0:11:49.080 --> 0:11:51.320 about blade and that's why people are attracted to blade, 0:11:51.360 --> 0:11:55.640 because we just like fly, fly as hell. We like 0:11:55.760 --> 0:11:58.560 we are full selves, but like when we we're gonna 0:11:58.600 --> 0:12:01.360 hit you with the all the information. We're gonna tell 0:12:01.360 --> 0:12:03.960 you which bill it is, who's WHO's gonna vote for, 0:12:04.040 --> 0:12:05.920 who's not gonna vote for, it, votes we need, just wing, 0:12:05.960 --> 0:12:08.040 how much money we need to get behind this candidate. 0:12:08.280 --> 0:12:10.400 We're gonna do all of that. Yeah, that's why I 0:12:10.679 --> 0:12:13.679 feel like blade, especially under Gilanies leadership, we've really been 0:12:13.760 --> 0:12:16.559 changing the game. Like what you've been doing. Tell me 0:12:16.679 --> 0:12:17.959 some of the ghost stuff you've been doing. One of 0:12:18.000 --> 0:12:21.760 the accomplishments. Let's go brag on it, man, we've done 0:12:21.800 --> 0:12:24.080 a lot. Put that money to your mode, if I 0:12:24.160 --> 0:12:27.000 got you so. I think one of one of the 0:12:27.080 --> 0:12:29.960 things that, you know, I envisioned for blade was to 0:12:30.000 --> 0:12:34.400 be different from other dim clubs. Do Events, not necessarily meetings, 0:12:34.400 --> 0:12:36.559 but things that are going to actually draw young people 0:12:36.600 --> 0:12:38.959 to come, because a lot of the folks that I, 0:12:39.120 --> 0:12:42.000 you know, came, came across to that we're in these 0:12:42.040 --> 0:12:44.800 dim clubs and these circles. Right, they want to be politicians. 0:12:44.840 --> 0:12:48.240 They they they majored in political science. Right. I wanted 0:12:48.280 --> 0:12:51.760 to bring regular folks from crishawn Slawson to get connected 0:12:51.760 --> 0:12:53.800 to what we were doing because I knew their voices 0:12:54.360 --> 0:12:56.640 and what they brought to the table actually change the 0:12:56.640 --> 0:12:59.040 way we do politics. It's a new day. We're in 0:13:00.520 --> 0:13:04.440 young people, Young Progressive Folks, are getting elected like Isaac Brian, 0:13:04.800 --> 0:13:08.079 our former board member. You look at someone like eunieces Hernandez, 0:13:08.120 --> 0:13:11.800 who just got elected in the city council Um. You know, 0:13:11.800 --> 0:13:14.040 it's definitely a shift in politics and I wanted to 0:13:14.040 --> 0:13:17.280 play a role in leading that shift. So everything that 0:13:17.400 --> 0:13:20.800 we do is for the people. Were a community driven 0:13:20.840 --> 0:13:24.320 them club. I think that Um gives us a different 0:13:24.360 --> 0:13:27.360 flavor Um. We've had a lot of events. We actually 0:13:27.400 --> 0:13:30.640 had a friends giving event in November where we honored 0:13:30.640 --> 0:13:34.080 and recognized young folks doing the work. Young activists write 0:13:34.080 --> 0:13:38.319 a lot of these events. You know they they're promoting 0:13:38.520 --> 0:13:41.280 or celebrating folks that are in the grasstops. Right, but 0:13:41.320 --> 0:13:43.600 what about the folks in the grassroots, with the kids, 0:13:44.040 --> 0:13:45.760 you know, on the front lines of the movement doing 0:13:45.760 --> 0:13:47.760 the work? Let's highlight their work. So who are some 0:13:47.800 --> 0:13:49.800 of the people that you awarded? Like what kind of 0:13:49.800 --> 0:13:53.839 work were they doing? Um Ahead, I would say, I 0:13:53.880 --> 0:13:57.160 would just say somebody Um really dope, Latania Ward, who's 0:13:57.160 --> 0:13:59.920 doing healing circles with gang members in Los Angeles, kind 0:14:00.040 --> 0:14:03.200 like she um. She's somebody who spent a lot of 0:14:03.200 --> 0:14:05.240 her life in prison and really wanted to come back 0:14:05.280 --> 0:14:07.640 and really think about how to utilize a lot of 0:14:07.679 --> 0:14:11.440 these um kind of like healing modalities that are usually 0:14:11.520 --> 0:14:13.440 used from a perspective of white folks. She was like no, 0:14:13.480 --> 0:14:15.760 we're gonna WE'RE gonna turn that into black folks like. 0:14:15.760 --> 0:14:18.120 We're gonna make it really about what black people really 0:14:18.160 --> 0:14:20.160 need to be able to heal, because we have so 0:14:20.200 --> 0:14:22.440 much trauma from the moment that we've stopped here exactly. 0:14:22.560 --> 0:14:24.480 And and it was dope, because that friends giving Deepa 0:14:24.560 --> 0:14:27.320 together these beautiful flowers. So we really honored like in 0:14:27.320 --> 0:14:29.360 a way that you know, like you give people flowers 0:14:29.360 --> 0:14:31.360 while they here. We talked about that a line. So 0:14:31.440 --> 0:14:33.400 all these young people who are doing this great work, 0:14:33.440 --> 0:14:35.080 a lot of times they're just doing it, they're grinding, 0:14:35.120 --> 0:14:37.760 they're not necessarily doing it for the recognition, and for us, 0:14:37.800 --> 0:14:40.040 we were like no, we're recognizing our folks. Were really 0:14:40.080 --> 0:14:42.680 bringing them to the table. We're gonna show them off 0:14:43.200 --> 0:14:45.200 Um and really get them involved and we're l a county. 0:14:45.280 --> 0:14:48.000 So we wasn't just showing off the folks in South Central, 0:14:48.080 --> 0:14:50.480 which is important, and we was in Pasadena. We have 0:14:50.560 --> 0:14:53.040 folks from Long Beach, we have folks from Compton Um, 0:14:53.080 --> 0:14:55.920 from everywhere to like really showcase like these are aren't 0:14:55.920 --> 0:14:57.760 people doing this work and we gotta make sure that 0:14:57.760 --> 0:15:00.800 they're uplifted in a real way, and that's a beautiful thing, 0:15:00.880 --> 0:15:02.920 like just to be seen and to know that you 0:15:03.000 --> 0:15:05.800 are heard. And I feel like, no matter in any space, 0:15:05.840 --> 0:15:08.840 no matter what we're doing, that's the key. I mean 0:15:08.840 --> 0:15:11.400 that's why we are making sure that we get congressman, 0:15:11.480 --> 0:15:14.800 Congresswoman Caring Bat's elected, because she's somebody that can see us, 0:15:15.680 --> 0:15:18.440 that looks like us, who can understand us. That's one 0:15:18.440 --> 0:15:20.400 thing that I feel when we talk about diversity, because 0:15:20.560 --> 0:15:23.400 all these companies right now are talking about the diversity inclusion. 0:15:23.800 --> 0:15:27.040 They want to talk about real stories and things that matter. Well, hello, 0:15:27.240 --> 0:15:29.760 who are the people behind there telling the stories? Can 0:15:29.760 --> 0:15:32.440 I understand you, because there are things that I cannot 0:15:32.440 --> 0:15:34.840 be said, that just are felt. You know, it's just 0:15:34.880 --> 0:15:36.280 like a rhythm and which you move to. And if 0:15:36.280 --> 0:15:40.720 we're dancing to a different tune, what are we doing? Yeah, 0:15:40.720 --> 0:15:43.040 and that's why I think it's important that we infiltrate 0:15:43.080 --> 0:15:45.440 these spaces. And so one thing that I learned that 0:15:45.480 --> 0:15:47.880 the power is just like the black L A young Democrats. 0:15:48.000 --> 0:15:50.200 Will we do specifically is, like we take up space 0:15:50.200 --> 0:15:53.800 in different areas. Like I'm in comms like these, gonna fundraise. 0:15:54.640 --> 0:15:58.600 Is gonna be Treasury, but also a deep organizers. Glyn 0:15:58.720 --> 0:16:02.400 does everything, so breaking out comes, you're doing all the communication. 0:16:02.760 --> 0:16:05.480 That's just my thing, like personally, like when my personal 0:16:05.640 --> 0:16:08.800 like my personal life is like stories matter and that, 0:16:08.960 --> 0:16:13.960 like we have been all under the influence that people 0:16:14.000 --> 0:16:17.240 who are wider or richer have the are like get 0:16:17.280 --> 0:16:19.800 to lead and frame the narrative and we have the 0:16:20.080 --> 0:16:23.320 we have the benefit and we just respond to that. 0:16:23.560 --> 0:16:25.200 But I feel like if you put the people who 0:16:25.200 --> 0:16:29.600 are experiencing the issue closest to the solution, those voices, 0:16:29.680 --> 0:16:33.440 those narratives, those stories, then people starts feeling seen and heard. 0:16:33.800 --> 0:16:37.200 And so my thing, Cheyenne thing, is always in the message, 0:16:37.200 --> 0:16:40.760 the talking points, the look, the brand of politics, because 0:16:40.920 --> 0:16:43.760 when people were not politics but of community organizing or 0:16:43.760 --> 0:16:45.960 base building or whatever it is that we're trying to change, 0:16:46.600 --> 0:16:49.960 because if people could see themselves in the marketing and 0:16:50.000 --> 0:16:52.160 the advertising, even when you talk to them like Oh, 0:16:52.200 --> 0:16:54.040 why you want to come to the sneaker balls, like 0:16:54.120 --> 0:16:58.240 that's the biggest blackest political social event, and because you 0:16:58.320 --> 0:17:01.400 have to see yourselves matter. I don't mean to like 0:17:01.480 --> 0:17:05.160 go backwards in the conversation, but when you asked like why, 0:17:05.359 --> 0:17:09.080 why I joined blade, it was that simple. Blade was black, 0:17:09.760 --> 0:17:15.479 Um and I work in political spaces statewide, academia, and 0:17:15.640 --> 0:17:20.040 everybody's white or everybody's old, and here you have black 0:17:20.119 --> 0:17:25.800 young people doing dope things and mobilizing, uh political, doing 0:17:25.800 --> 0:17:27.600 the work, you know what I'm saying, and that's not 0:17:27.640 --> 0:17:30.560 happening uh anywhere that I am so once you day 0:17:30.600 --> 0:17:32.280 hit me up, it was easy, like Oh, yeah, we're 0:17:32.280 --> 0:17:35.439 the black Los Angeles Young Democrats. I didn't know what 0:17:35.480 --> 0:17:37.359 that meant, but it was some black young folks and 0:17:37.920 --> 0:17:40.280 I was with it and here we are. So what 0:17:40.480 --> 0:17:42.720 do you think? You think people are scared? Why don't? 0:17:42.720 --> 0:17:45.040 Why don't you think more people of Color, minorities, are 0:17:45.080 --> 0:17:47.840 involved in politics for real? Like, what what do you 0:17:47.840 --> 0:17:50.400 think it is? They don't feel like nothing's gonna Change. 0:17:50.760 --> 0:17:53.720 But you know, are things changing? Because I think, because 0:17:53.720 --> 0:17:55.320 I mean we'll look at things, we'll vote on things, 0:17:55.400 --> 0:17:57.400 people talk about things and they'll say, hey, we're gonna 0:17:57.440 --> 0:17:59.840 do this, and sometimes they'll say, well, such and such 0:17:59.880 --> 0:18:01.840 as an office and nothing happened. Then another person get 0:18:01.880 --> 0:18:04.960 offers and then all that happens. But things take time, right. Yeah, 0:18:05.000 --> 0:18:06.719 and I think that one thing that we like the 0:18:06.760 --> 0:18:09.679 big misses that like no one took civics classes, like 0:18:09.760 --> 0:18:11.480 and growing up in L A U S D, like, 0:18:11.480 --> 0:18:13.800 if I didn't take AP government and politics, I wouldn't 0:18:13.800 --> 0:18:16.639 have known like sort of like how things work, you know, 0:18:16.640 --> 0:18:19.000 and I think that a lot of people don't believe 0:18:19.320 --> 0:18:21.800 in the system because the system wasn't meant to for 0:18:21.880 --> 0:18:24.320 us to thrive, right, and so even politics, we have 0:18:24.440 --> 0:18:26.240 to fight our way into that system. You know, we 0:18:26.280 --> 0:18:27.800 have to fight for the right to vote, we have 0:18:27.880 --> 0:18:30.080 to fight to be the first thing. We continue, you know, 0:18:30.160 --> 0:18:31.880 to be the first, and so I feel like, when 0:18:32.160 --> 0:18:34.720 Gilanni mentions, one of our ways is to build platforms 0:18:34.760 --> 0:18:38.240 where people who wouldn't traditionally engage in the politics, you know, 0:18:38.400 --> 0:18:41.040 are engaged because when you break things down to the 0:18:41.080 --> 0:18:44.920 most like basic level and say, like, if you do this, 0:18:44.920 --> 0:18:47.199 this can happen, you know, but you don't have to 0:18:47.240 --> 0:18:49.679 do it by yourself. Other people are here, and so 0:18:49.720 --> 0:18:51.720 I think that a lot of people aren't in the 0:18:51.800 --> 0:18:56.080 politics because right now we're just in a very polarized world, 0:18:56.119 --> 0:18:59.040 like politics like it. You know, we're gonna be reading 0:18:59.080 --> 0:19:01.960 think pieces for the next twenty years on, like the 0:19:02.400 --> 0:19:05.640 twenties right, like just around between like the political, social 0:19:06.200 --> 0:19:09.440 you know, instagram, like all these things that have affected 0:19:09.480 --> 0:19:13.280 people's decision making, and I think people are you know, 0:19:13.320 --> 0:19:15.880 you have two different sides. Some people this is inspiring 0:19:15.920 --> 0:19:18.439 them to get into politics because they're like, what the 0:19:18.920 --> 0:19:22.159 I don't know if I curse, but what's happening? Yeah, like, 0:19:22.520 --> 0:19:25.080 you know, it's like they're like what the Hell is 0:19:25.119 --> 0:19:27.479 going on? And then other people are like man, fun that, 0:19:27.600 --> 0:19:29.600 like that's too much. These things don't care about us, 0:19:29.600 --> 0:19:31.439 these white people just want our money. You know, you 0:19:31.480 --> 0:19:34.000 have some people who are even black people, don't understand 0:19:34.040 --> 0:19:36.760 the process. Like just because I voted for something in 0:19:37.840 --> 0:19:40.920 one doesn't mean that the problem is gonna get solved 0:19:40.920 --> 0:19:42.600 in one. So now you gotta have it like, I 0:19:42.640 --> 0:19:44.240 don't know, making this up like a task for you. 0:19:44.280 --> 0:19:46.480 Gotta get the money has to be allocated. Then they 0:19:46.600 --> 0:19:49.000 got to hire the group of people to implement it 0:19:49.000 --> 0:19:50.520 and then they got to do a first phase of 0:19:50.560 --> 0:19:53.280 listening rounds and it's gonna take about three years. Like 0:19:53.440 --> 0:19:55.720 the Metro is just not coming down cur that's just 0:19:55.800 --> 0:19:58.680 been happening for four years and people like when is 0:19:58.720 --> 0:20:00.920 it ever gonna be over? But you know, folks don't 0:20:00.920 --> 0:20:03.840 know that l a county is invested into transportation. So 0:20:03.920 --> 0:20:06.160 for the next time I want to talk about because 0:20:06.320 --> 0:20:08.439 I didn't realize, like eve been talking about the public 0:20:08.480 --> 0:20:11.080 like with the bus there, the employees are down eight 0:20:11.119 --> 0:20:13.600 hundred or whatever. So the guy was explaining to me, 0:20:13.600 --> 0:20:15.439 because I'm like so the bus just may come and 0:20:15.440 --> 0:20:18.360 may not come. He's like, well, depending on if anyone's sick, 0:20:18.400 --> 0:20:20.880 they usually have pi five people, you know, on deck. 0:20:21.240 --> 0:20:23.359 No one's there. So if someone calls in sick or 0:20:23.400 --> 0:20:27.440 can't show up, that's a whole other forty five minutes. 0:20:27.640 --> 0:20:29.240 So if we're talking about up level in L A 0:20:29.320 --> 0:20:31.159 and making sure that people have jobs, how can they 0:20:31.200 --> 0:20:33.440 get to the point where they can have jobs? Then, furthermore, 0:20:33.600 --> 0:20:37.360 if we're raising taxes, where's the money going? Where's it going? That? 0:20:37.359 --> 0:20:41.119 That's the question. People people in power to make the 0:20:41.160 --> 0:20:45.880 decisions right. If change is hired, she's gonna hire people 0:20:45.920 --> 0:20:48.600