WEBVTT - LIVE at Florida A&M University Homecoming 0:00:00.160 --> 0:00:03.440 Native Land Pod is a production of iHeart Radio in 0:00:03.560 --> 0:00:05.880 partnership with Reasoned Choice Media. 0:00:06.240 --> 0:00:09.400 Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome. 0:00:09.119 --> 0:00:13.000 Yes, yes, yes, Welcome home everybody. This is Andrew Gillim. 0:00:12.960 --> 0:00:18.520 I'm here with my beautiful hot hot literally hot co host. 0:00:19.360 --> 0:00:19.919 You are. 0:00:22.920 --> 0:00:23.680 I know, we host. 0:00:23.720 --> 0:00:26.040 We introduce you, Tiviny Crime and who are you? 0:00:26.280 --> 0:00:29.040 My name is Angela Rye. I'm live from the set 0:00:29.600 --> 0:00:31.040 and right woll. 0:00:33.240 --> 0:00:38.400 Technically we're just off the set. 0:00:36.600 --> 0:00:39.320 The Will Packer Amphitheater. We don't even have Will Packer 0:00:39.400 --> 0:00:40.080 with us today. 0:00:40.200 --> 0:00:40.559 I'm in. 0:00:42.040 --> 0:00:45.560 Also Florida and m But also you got a special 0:00:45.560 --> 0:00:47.040 relationship with Will. 0:00:47.800 --> 0:00:48.760 That's right, I tell you know. 0:00:48.800 --> 0:00:52.040 I text him a picture of the Will Packer and theater. 0:00:52.159 --> 0:00:53.880 Yeah, because he didn't have one proud of it. 0:00:54.720 --> 0:00:58.880 He's the. 0:00:59.000 --> 0:00:59.440 Anyway. 0:00:59.480 --> 0:01:02.319 Welcome, Welcome home, everybody. We got a special special show 0:01:02.360 --> 0:01:04.920 and we're actually gonna get right into it because you know, 0:01:05.000 --> 0:01:08.760 we started a little bit later. Angelia insisted that the 0:01:08.840 --> 0:01:11.479 stage not have any covering, So. 0:01:12.480 --> 0:01:16.040 I'm really sorry, sorry. 0:01:15.319 --> 0:01:18.120 For all of our guests. Will be coming forward throughout 0:01:18.240 --> 0:01:21.560 the day. Just as you start to feel the sweat 0:01:21.640 --> 0:01:24.280 drip down your face, and through your shirt. You can 0:01:24.360 --> 0:01:27.360 thank Angelou Raie for having selected again no. 0:01:27.480 --> 0:01:32.240 Covering for also did and that is put napkins under 0:01:32.240 --> 0:01:32.720 your boobs. 0:01:32.760 --> 0:01:33.679 It works very well. 0:01:34.880 --> 0:01:35.920 How women know about it? 0:01:35.959 --> 0:01:38.400 Okay, we just re from being a PG thirteen show. 0:01:38.880 --> 0:01:41.959 Now you know we're explicit, So everybody again explicit. 0:01:42.080 --> 0:01:43.760 It's not explicit either. 0:01:43.520 --> 0:01:45.400 Way, y'all. We're about to get ready. Welcome to the 0:01:45.480 --> 0:01:51.680 highest of seven heels, Florida Agriculture and Mechanical University, also 0:01:51.920 --> 0:01:53.559 known as BAMN. 0:01:54.440 --> 0:01:56.720 If you say for mood. 0:01:56.760 --> 0:01:59.080 We know that you are not related to any of us. 0:02:00.280 --> 0:02:02.480 If you say at a m you we know that 0:02:02.600 --> 0:02:05.080 you were a guest. Will treat you as a visitor. 0:02:05.720 --> 0:02:06.120 The king. 0:02:08.160 --> 0:02:10.079 I was not the King of Origin and Green, but 0:02:10.200 --> 0:02:11.120 you should have been. 0:02:13.840 --> 0:02:16.400 Stage Go put on your hand, go put on your hand. 0:02:16.600 --> 0:02:19.400 I know, but you're blocking, can't you. 0:02:18.120 --> 0:02:26.160 He's a politician, our friend, your friend and our leader 0:02:26.200 --> 0:02:28.760 here in the state of Florida from Florida Senate is 0:02:28.840 --> 0:02:33.280 about to be joined by our future leader Florida Senate. 0:02:34.360 --> 0:02:36.480 In fact, both are senators. I think, I said the 0:02:36.520 --> 0:02:40.079 Florida House of Florida Senate Shevard Jones, alumnus of Florida 0:02:40.120 --> 0:02:47.760 Agricul University, Sir and future senator, former SGA president here 0:02:48.360 --> 0:02:53.160 two times, SGA president at Florida A and M University president. 0:02:53.200 --> 0:02:55.000 I was, but he hit it two times. It was 0:02:55.040 --> 0:03:00.240 so nice he had to do it twice. Check when 0:03:00.280 --> 0:03:04.280 that comes from them. But importantly, gentlemen, we are so 0:03:04.440 --> 0:03:07.760 so so happy to have you. Actually, I'm happy to 0:03:07.840 --> 0:03:10.160 have you. This is home for me, but it is also, 0:03:10.200 --> 0:03:13.320 by extension, home for these ladies. Yes, Angela calls herself 0:03:13.360 --> 0:03:14.280 an honorary rattler. 0:03:14.360 --> 0:03:15.239 I consent. 0:03:15.480 --> 0:03:21.639 I agree, uh, and Tiffany is another you along. 0:03:23.639 --> 0:03:24.280 But happy to be. 0:03:24.360 --> 0:03:26.519 It's all one big family and they but happy to 0:03:26.600 --> 0:03:29.880 be here. But yeah, bring it, as they're saying, the 0:03:29.919 --> 0:03:37.280 church bringing greetings, university. 0:03:37.120 --> 0:03:37.600 Up the road. 0:03:42.080 --> 0:03:49.440 Send any sin go single money, Oh Lord, send any money. Okay, 0:03:49.720 --> 0:03:51.600 when you bring greetings, see one to know that they 0:03:51.680 --> 0:04:01.160 send it past package. Welcome anyway, Senator, Yes, sir, I 0:04:01.280 --> 0:04:04.000 hope that you're up here not only celebrating homecoming, but 0:04:04.160 --> 0:04:08.480 helping to recruit a new colleague into the state Senate. 0:04:08.640 --> 0:04:12.320 Listen, I sent him some some love yesterday and we 0:04:12.400 --> 0:04:13.680 got to sing him a little bit more to get 0:04:13.760 --> 0:04:14.800 him across the finishing line. 0:04:15.560 --> 0:04:18.840 All right, yeah, I sent him some money, yes, Aryl asked. 0:04:18.760 --> 0:04:22.560 Well, without question, Well, unfortunately the fundraising deadline was yesterday, 0:04:22.600 --> 0:04:23.640 but he did send money in time. 0:04:23.720 --> 0:04:24.400 I did. Yep. 0:04:24.720 --> 0:04:26.440 Maybe give me my props. Now, what's up? 0:04:26.640 --> 0:04:28.840 Daryl said, to be clear, as as an attorney, I 0:04:28.920 --> 0:04:29.679 did not violate. 0:04:29.720 --> 0:04:35.240 They're good, they're not, you know, but we're doing great. 0:04:36.440 --> 0:04:39.640 Senator Jones and his colleagues have done a great job 0:04:40.080 --> 0:04:45.400 of helping my campaign. Andrew saidate Democrats actually coming together 0:04:46.080 --> 0:04:48.840 to win a race, and I think on on Tuesday, 0:04:48.920 --> 0:04:51.040 we're gonna take back the Senate seat and flip it. 0:04:51.200 --> 0:04:53.000 Then we're gonna flip. 0:04:52.839 --> 0:04:54.880 The seat back right, and we're gonna This is the 0:04:55.000 --> 0:04:58.320 number one legislators race in the state, and we all 0:04:58.360 --> 0:04:59.880 have gotten behind it to win it. So it's been 0:05:00.040 --> 0:05:01.960 a very collective effort on our part. 0:05:02.320 --> 0:05:04.720 I've seen a lot of your commercials. They are like 0:05:05.040 --> 0:05:07.560 back to back in there, Yes, which is great. But 0:05:08.000 --> 0:05:10.160 a lot of our viewers are outside of Florida. So 0:05:10.240 --> 0:05:12.960 if people who don't live in Florida, what is the 0:05:13.040 --> 0:05:15.159 relevancy your race? Why should they care? Why should they 0:05:15.200 --> 0:05:17.000 pay attention? Or they if they're hearing they should be 0:05:17.040 --> 0:05:20.080 so moved to send a donation for the next tone, 0:05:20.360 --> 0:05:21.960 I know, but for the next line, when you ask 0:05:22.000 --> 0:05:24.440 for re election, tell the people why they should care. 0:05:24.560 --> 0:05:27.280 It's the significance of it. So the Republicans came a 0:05:27.320 --> 0:05:30.920 couple of years ago. They jeremeded this particular district and 0:05:31.200 --> 0:05:33.279 designed it so that the Republican would have a better 0:05:33.400 --> 0:05:36.960 chance of winning. And they created a super district, so 0:05:37.040 --> 0:05:40.799 it's thirteen counties, it covers twenty percent of the geographic 0:05:40.880 --> 0:05:43.520 area of the whole state. And then they went and 0:05:43.600 --> 0:05:48.119 got a former football player, gave him lots of money 0:05:48.600 --> 0:05:51.560 and flipped the seat. And you probably recall our governor 0:05:51.600 --> 0:05:54.839 when he was campaigning in Iowa, he would brag about 0:05:54.880 --> 0:05:57.360 that there was a state Senate seat that had been 0:05:57.480 --> 0:06:00.560 Democratic for one hundred years. They flipped it for Democrat 0:06:00.640 --> 0:06:05.000 to republic And so this particular seat also, though, is 0:06:05.080 --> 0:06:07.200 one of the seats that gave the republic As the supermajority. 0:06:07.680 --> 0:06:09.240 So now we need to flip two seats back to 0:06:09.520 --> 0:06:12.920 take that super majority away. But that's important to the seat, 0:06:13.440 --> 0:06:17.760 and so we thought it important, I mean really in 0:06:18.360 --> 0:06:22.000 philosophically and what it represents to flip the seat back 0:06:22.040 --> 0:06:25.960 to Democrat. So I was lucky enough one decided that 0:06:26.000 --> 0:06:27.760 I could. I was that one of the people that 0:06:27.839 --> 0:06:32.760 could make this happen. And two the Senate Democrats sheriving 0:06:32.839 --> 0:06:34.880 in his colleagues decided that they would invest in it. 0:06:35.320 --> 0:06:38.600 And so the cool thing about it is that I 0:06:38.760 --> 0:06:42.520 had two eight hundred donors in the primary. And so 0:06:42.680 --> 0:06:45.000 you've seen a whole bunch of folks around the country, 0:06:45.040 --> 0:06:47.440 around the state, and around the city come and help 0:06:47.520 --> 0:06:49.800 me and did as I city. Today we probably have 0:06:49.960 --> 0:06:54.200 over four thousand donors, so we've raised Collectively, they raised 0:06:54.200 --> 0:06:56.800 about three point one million. I raised about two point 0:06:56.880 --> 0:07:00.279 six million on my side of it, and we're taking 0:07:00.320 --> 0:07:00.840 the seat back. 0:07:01.000 --> 0:07:03.040 Can you just for the sound, folks, if you can 0:07:03.160 --> 0:07:04.880 keep our mics up so we can hear each other, 0:07:04.960 --> 0:07:06.320 especially with the music, that'd be great. 0:07:06.560 --> 0:07:10.120 I want to ask you, Darryl, like, what was the 0:07:10.240 --> 0:07:11.000 impetus for you? 0:07:11.200 --> 0:07:14.200 You've been a civil rights lawyer, you've been on the 0:07:14.240 --> 0:07:17.760 ethics committee with the Bar, You've really dedicated your life 0:07:17.840 --> 0:07:19.360 to advocacy and service. 0:07:19.720 --> 0:07:21.720 What made you want to run for public office? 0:07:22.240 --> 0:07:26.120 Well, Angela is normally, I mean when you live in 0:07:26.160 --> 0:07:29.000 a good life like most folks in America. You see 0:07:29.040 --> 0:07:32.640 what's going on, and as Andrew tell you, we're very close. 0:07:32.720 --> 0:07:36.160 So I was involved in when Andrew ran and been around. 0:07:36.440 --> 0:07:37.400 Florida is important. 0:07:37.800 --> 0:07:42.400 Florida represents a lot to my family, to everything that 0:07:42.480 --> 0:07:47.000 I belong, that I am. And when you see what 0:07:47.320 --> 0:07:49.840 the people in power are doing, how they're managing it, 0:07:50.560 --> 0:07:54.000 you have to ask yourself that somebody capable has to 0:07:54.120 --> 0:07:58.120 start the cycle the flip. You just can't keep giving up. 0:07:58.360 --> 0:08:01.840 And so, like you say, being and I did great 0:08:01.880 --> 0:08:04.320 civil rights work. I have a great name in this town. 0:08:05.040 --> 0:08:07.680 I knew and the Republicans knew that I was the 0:08:07.760 --> 0:08:10.720 type of person that could beat their guy. And we're 0:08:10.800 --> 0:08:13.920 beating their guy. And on Tuesday, he's going home back 0:08:13.960 --> 0:08:14.440 to the couch. 0:08:15.400 --> 0:08:15.560 You know. 0:08:15.680 --> 0:08:20.160 I know y'all are visiting Angela and Tiffany. But and 0:08:20.280 --> 0:08:23.880 the ads that his opponent is running and he's certainly 0:08:24.040 --> 0:08:28.120 an otherwise decent person, is spending most of this time 0:08:28.200 --> 0:08:32.559 talking biography, and we come together. Now he's the incumbent. 0:08:32.679 --> 0:08:35.160 When you the incumbent in the seat, everybody knows you 0:08:35.280 --> 0:08:38.240 talk about what you've done public policy wise, how you've 0:08:38.280 --> 0:08:41.439 improved the area in which you have been elected to 0:08:41.520 --> 0:08:45.880 represent And I found it interesting, Darryl that as between 0:08:45.920 --> 0:08:47.640 the two of you, you're the one talking about. 0:08:47.440 --> 0:08:50.880 Issues the incumbent that sound familiar. 0:08:50.640 --> 0:08:53.280 It's not talking about but that's what that's what the 0:08:53.360 --> 0:08:54.480 Republicans constantly run on. 0:08:54.640 --> 0:08:58.319 If you even look at Corey Senator Simon and what 0:08:58.480 --> 0:09:00.640 he has done since he's been in this I mean 0:09:00.720 --> 0:09:03.800 sending assignment, I mean he signed with the Republicans on 0:09:05.520 --> 0:09:07.840 all of the black history, elimination of black history, as 0:09:07.880 --> 0:09:10.880 far as ap African American studies. He ran the bill 0:09:10.960 --> 0:09:13.719 in the Education Committee, and we even when asked to 0:09:13.880 --> 0:09:16.439 him in committee like yo, dude, you you're a black 0:09:16.520 --> 0:09:20.640 man running a bill like this, and his justification of 0:09:20.760 --> 0:09:24.040 it was just mind blowing, not just to the Democrats, 0:09:24.400 --> 0:09:26.599 even to the people on his side and how he 0:09:27.600 --> 0:09:30.120 was able to convey a message of reasoning or why 0:09:30.200 --> 0:09:32.319 did he support this type of legislation. I also say 0:09:32.960 --> 0:09:36.080 why we need Daryl in the Senate is because we're deadlocked. 0:09:36.520 --> 0:09:37.920 We're gonna have a three fourth. 0:09:38.200 --> 0:09:40.040 So by the time we get into the legislator, whether 0:09:40.080 --> 0:09:42.319 we show up or not, they can start session or 0:09:42.320 --> 0:09:44.600 whether we're going to committee or not. We can't break nothing, 0:09:45.640 --> 0:09:48.040 but with this one, I know we can't because I 0:09:48.160 --> 0:09:50.439 believe there is an absolute pushback that's going to have 0:09:50.520 --> 0:09:52.520 to happen, because I think they are already setting up 0:09:52.520 --> 0:09:53.880 what they want to do for next session. 0:09:54.080 --> 0:09:55.640 They wanna make it harder for ballot. 0:09:55.480 --> 0:09:56.439 Initiatives next year. 0:09:56.480 --> 0:09:58.319 Of course, I know for a fact they're. 0:09:58.120 --> 0:10:00.679 Gonna go after local governments again, and we need to 0:10:00.720 --> 0:10:02.080 have the numbers to be able to block a lot 0:10:02.120 --> 0:10:04.480 of this stuff that's absolutely happening. I think they're going 0:10:04.520 --> 0:10:06.679 to continue to eat at our public education system. And 0:10:06.760 --> 0:10:10.000 it's not something that I am talking hypothetical. I'm talking 0:10:10.080 --> 0:10:12.920 something that I know what's happening, that absolutely brewing in 0:10:12.960 --> 0:10:13.480 the background. 0:10:13.679 --> 0:10:15.719 So could you explain to me why it is that 0:10:15.880 --> 0:10:20.280 Florida and the Florida Legislature is gifting the country so 0:10:20.400 --> 0:10:26.479 many black Republican elected officials. We got Byron Donaldson, Donalds. 0:10:26.559 --> 0:10:29.719 Donald donald disrespect on his name. 0:10:29.840 --> 0:10:30.640 I didn't know him. 0:10:31.200 --> 0:10:34.000 He ain't even finished here, Donaldson. 0:10:35.080 --> 0:10:39.200 Donald's. We got Simon, who we hopefully will be retiring soon. 0:10:39.320 --> 0:10:43.440 But what about the Florida Legislature keeps producing these. 0:10:45.040 --> 0:10:46.319 Byron Donaldson Toby. 0:10:52.000 --> 0:10:53.960 To stop making I have. 0:10:54.040 --> 0:10:56.920 Pledged and they have a new one too, called Grace Glass. 0:10:57.200 --> 0:11:00.760 She's running against Gallop right now. Oh really, Grace Glass 0:11:00.840 --> 0:11:04.520 is her name. She's from Bavard County. She came here 0:11:04.559 --> 0:11:08.280 to work for the say this real? And so I said, 0:11:08.440 --> 0:11:11.439 I was at a Ya politic with these people and 0:11:11.559 --> 0:11:14.319 that beautiful young lady and I was trying to understand 0:11:14.400 --> 0:11:17.360 her psyche. Yeah, and so so at lunch, I hope 0:11:17.400 --> 0:11:19.400 I didn't really disrespectful, I said, was you are a 0:11:19.480 --> 0:11:20.199 real Republican. 0:11:22.200 --> 0:11:23.160 I think I just I want to. 0:11:23.160 --> 0:11:26.440 Take a quick moment just to our viewers, because if 0:11:26.480 --> 0:11:29.160 you're tuning in and you don't live in Florida, you 0:11:29.400 --> 0:11:32.439 you might be, you know, maybe not as focused on 0:11:32.559 --> 0:11:35.520 Florida issues. So I think it's important for our viewers 0:11:35.559 --> 0:11:37.440 out there to know who are all across the country 0:11:37.880 --> 0:11:41.040 that a lot of these crappy policies bubble up from 0:11:41.120 --> 0:11:44.400 the state legislature. Right now, a majority of state legislatures 0:11:44.480 --> 0:11:47.880 are run by Republicans. So before you all ever heard 0:11:48.000 --> 0:11:52.040 about book bands, before you ever heard about the attacks 0:11:52.120 --> 0:11:56.600 on critical race theory that originated in Florida. It originated 0:11:56.640 --> 0:11:59.480 at a lot of school board meetings. It originated and 0:11:59.559 --> 0:12:02.319 then that bubled up to state legislature. So that's why 0:12:02.360 --> 0:12:05.040 we're talking the local elected officials. So I just want 0:12:05.080 --> 0:12:06.960 to make it make sense for the folks out there 0:12:07.000 --> 0:12:07.760 as much as you guys. 0:12:07.800 --> 0:12:10.280 Again, but it all starts from the twenty twenty five 0:12:10.440 --> 0:12:13.679 national policy. So what you really see is kind of 0:12:13.760 --> 0:12:15.719 like that alex model that we saw years ago. 0:12:16.000 --> 0:12:18.960 Yeah, Legislative Exchange councilor yeah. 0:12:19.000 --> 0:12:20.079 Yeah, it's the Republicans. 0:12:20.160 --> 0:12:23.000 That's tough Conference twenty twenty five in the sense right 0:12:23.520 --> 0:12:27.040 they go they pull these policies from that meeting and 0:12:27.120 --> 0:12:28.960 they started running in bills. 0:12:28.800 --> 0:12:32.040 Like in play yes, literally copy and paste. Well, we 0:12:32.160 --> 0:12:34.680 are so grateful that you all have joined us today. 0:12:34.800 --> 0:12:35.079 Thank you. 0:12:35.320 --> 0:12:37.559 We are thrilled to have you, and we know that 0:12:37.640 --> 0:12:39.720 we're going to see you around. Right off this set, 0:12:39.760 --> 0:12:40.679 we are Andrew. 0:12:43.400 --> 0:12:45.920 Before we let them go, they quickly give us their 0:12:46.760 --> 0:12:49.200 estimation of what will happen for Harris Wallas of Florida. 0:12:49.640 --> 0:12:54.200 I think that that Vice President Harris will do well 0:12:54.280 --> 0:12:57.720 in Florida, and I think plus one really wow. 0:12:57.800 --> 0:12:59.880 Yeah, I think Florida's gonna go blue. 0:13:00.040 --> 0:13:01.319 Yeah, I'm gonna tell you why. 0:13:01.880 --> 0:13:04.720 Because people are not paying attention to the independence Independences 0:13:04.720 --> 0:13:07.320 are leading Democrat. There are a third YEP, and we're 0:13:07.400 --> 0:13:10.040 learning that in Miami Dade County while Miami Dade County, 0:13:10.120 --> 0:13:12.160 I know, our numbers are looking pretty weird right now, 0:13:12.600 --> 0:13:15.360 but we have more independents who are leaning Democrat, and 0:13:15.400 --> 0:13:18.240 we're novging because we did track Poland and we're noticing 0:13:18.280 --> 0:13:19.920 that they are leaning towards Kamla Harris. 0:13:19.920 --> 0:13:21.840 So I think it's going to be a big upset. 0:13:22.000 --> 0:13:23.760 And the Republicans are they are running scared. 0:13:23.760 --> 0:13:25.760 They're running scared on three, they're running scared on four, 0:13:25.760 --> 0:13:29.160 They're running scared on candidates because it's unpredictable because it 0:13:29.320 --> 0:13:30.840 is that left leg. And we just saw some numbers 0:13:30.880 --> 0:13:33.400 while I was driving here today that showed that as 0:13:33.440 --> 0:13:35.840 far as where the independents are lining up in Miami 0:13:35.920 --> 0:13:38.920 Dade County, particularly in one one of them, and I say, 0:13:38.920 --> 0:13:41.920 this is gonna shut up that even in Miami Dade 0:13:41.920 --> 0:13:47.280 County in District one thirteen, the Independents have voted over 0:13:47.520 --> 0:13:52.200 the Republicans almost plus two point three percent in jj 0:13:52.440 --> 0:13:54.680 r's old district, which is wow, just democratic. 0:13:54.880 --> 0:13:57.080 Yes, yeah, that's six. 0:13:57.160 --> 0:14:00.320 What you got to say, without question, what we. 0:14:00.360 --> 0:14:01.640 Did as early as last week. 0:14:01.960 --> 0:14:04.160 We see we have an eight point advantage with independence, 0:14:04.240 --> 0:14:06.880 So independence are that edge. And you know, for example, 0:14:06.920 --> 0:14:08.760 you get these news reporters saying, well, the Republicans are 0:14:08.760 --> 0:14:09.360 really showing up. 0:14:09.760 --> 0:14:10.520 Yeah, it's showing up. 0:14:10.559 --> 0:14:13.480 But one, this is a fifture three percent Democratic district 0:14:13.520 --> 0:14:16.680 that I'm running in and we have an eight point advantage, 0:14:16.760 --> 0:14:20.200 which is outside the era of Roger Vera. 0:14:20.800 --> 0:14:21.240 Exactly. 0:14:21.760 --> 0:14:27.120 Well, we want to think again. Our guests one sitting 0:14:27.240 --> 0:14:30.920 Senator Chevyn Jones and the Florida Senator and in just 0:14:31.520 --> 0:14:35.520 five more days, our next four more day days, the 0:14:35.640 --> 0:14:41.000 next Senator for the State of Florida, Democrats Attorney. 0:15:00.120 --> 0:15:04.600 Next up, we have Melanie Campbell, who is the President 0:15:04.720 --> 0:15:08.520 and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation. 0:15:09.160 --> 0:15:11.560 We have our good sister shavon. 0:15:11.360 --> 0:15:13.960 Our Line Bradley, who is the President and CEO of 0:15:14.080 --> 0:15:18.120 the National Council of Negro Women. And we have doctor 0:15:18.240 --> 0:15:22.840 Stacy Grant, the international president for Zeta Phi Beta Sorority. 0:15:24.320 --> 0:15:29.840 Clap it up as they the state get, we get some, 0:15:30.040 --> 0:15:30.400 we get some. 0:15:32.440 --> 0:15:35.000 I can't take another piece of clothing on me. Are 0:15:35.040 --> 0:15:37.960 so hot, I'm I'm about to lose cling. 0:15:39.600 --> 0:15:45.920 Yeah, behind right behind you. 0:15:46.040 --> 0:15:48.120 So good to see you. Thank you, guys. 0:15:49.080 --> 0:15:50.160 Get those couches together. 0:15:50.200 --> 0:15:53.840 We don't want to Oh yeah, they has a careful yeah, 0:15:53.960 --> 0:15:54.880 why to get there there? 0:15:56.400 --> 0:15:58.200 I want you all to know. It's about one and 0:15:58.320 --> 0:15:58.960 thirty degrees. 0:15:59.080 --> 0:16:01.960 But I hear, I feel a fan and it's a 0:16:02.040 --> 0:16:06.360 lively environment here on famu's campus. I heard Black Street 0:16:06.480 --> 0:16:09.000 earlier and then at some point I hope we do 0:16:09.080 --> 0:16:14.400 the can we Talk challenge? Can we It's like when 0:16:14.440 --> 0:16:16.760 they start playing can We Talk? And then they goes 0:16:16.840 --> 0:16:18.520 out and the whole audience. 0:16:18.360 --> 0:16:22.240 Oh, the whole song. Yeah, that's a great idea. Till yeah, Well, 0:16:22.280 --> 0:16:26.200 we have some powers on the stage joining us. 0:16:26.560 --> 0:16:29.600 One thing that we know, and I think Andrew will attest, 0:16:29.640 --> 0:16:32.360 it's given the powerful black woman he's married to, and 0:16:32.440 --> 0:16:34.240 the powerful black mom and he raised. 0:16:34.080 --> 0:16:36.760 Him and his powerful black sister. And if we wile 0:16:36.960 --> 0:16:39.240 black co hosts, oh yes, oh yes. 0:16:40.880 --> 0:16:41.000 Now. 0:16:41.080 --> 0:16:44.240 The other thing I'm gonna say was what we know 0:16:44.840 --> 0:16:47.800 is that when black women are involved, we can get 0:16:48.080 --> 0:16:51.320 the thing done every time. So talk to us about 0:16:51.320 --> 0:16:52.880 the work you all are doing right now in a 0:16:53.040 --> 0:16:55.360 very nonpartisan way, because I know you are in your 0:16:55.880 --> 0:16:58.040 non pos yes, you got them on. 0:16:58.360 --> 0:17:01.360 But talk about the importance of the black vote this season. 0:17:01.480 --> 0:17:04.480 What you all are hearing you all are in battleground states, 0:17:05.040 --> 0:17:07.960 traveling the country making sure that we are getting out 0:17:08.000 --> 0:17:11.000 to exercise our franchise because we know democracy is fragile 0:17:11.040 --> 0:17:12.119 and it's hanging in the balance. 0:17:12.800 --> 0:17:15.640 Well, first of all, thank you all for so I'm 0:17:15.680 --> 0:17:20.320 so excited to hear yes, come to my home state exactly. 0:17:20.520 --> 0:17:22.240 You know, you know I went to Clark but you 0:17:22.320 --> 0:17:26.600 know HBC, you love and as we sit in our 0:17:26.680 --> 0:17:34.160 aka both delta but real quickly been on this tour. 0:17:34.280 --> 0:17:37.800 We started a year ago in Florida for thirty days, 0:17:37.920 --> 0:17:42.800 just going from community community, listening to the folks to 0:17:43.000 --> 0:17:45.440 let us know what was concerning them. And then we 0:17:45.520 --> 0:17:48.439 did it again in the spring. But since October twelfth, 0:17:48.440 --> 0:17:51.600 we've been in seven states with its Power to Ballot tour. 0:17:53.040 --> 0:17:55.720 That it's called Freedom and Joy. 0:17:56.000 --> 0:17:56.600 Yes, I love it. 0:17:56.840 --> 0:17:59.040 And our tagline is we won't be erased and we 0:17:59.080 --> 0:18:01.760 won't go back. Somehow that's become a part of some 0:18:01.880 --> 0:18:03.800 term but I don't know why, but you know, it 0:18:03.920 --> 0:18:06.800 is what it is. But what we've been, what I 0:18:06.920 --> 0:18:10.439 have seen and what we've seen is that black folks 0:18:10.640 --> 0:18:14.560 are fired up, that we are right. And also I 0:18:14.680 --> 0:18:19.040 was talking to uh Uh Shavan and telling them when 0:18:19.080 --> 0:18:21.440 I hit Pittsburgh, that's when you saw some of the 0:18:21.520 --> 0:18:22.760 other uglinesses out there. 0:18:23.359 --> 0:18:24.479 Is ugliness is out there now. 0:18:24.920 --> 0:18:29.720 But our people are clear that African drum beats beating 0:18:30.040 --> 0:18:32.159 that we know this is not the normal election. 0:18:32.520 --> 0:18:33.679 This is of our future. 0:18:34.200 --> 0:18:36.959 And uh and young people all over this campus. We've 0:18:36.960 --> 0:18:37.399 been over here. 0:18:37.440 --> 0:18:39.840 We've been here since yesterday, but we've been in Michigan 0:18:39.920 --> 0:18:44.960 and Ohio and Pennsylvania, Maryland, Georgia, Alabama. We're not gonna 0:18:44.960 --> 0:18:47.680 forget the South, and that's why we're in Florida as well. 0:18:48.920 --> 0:18:50.080 But it's it's it's something. 0:18:50.160 --> 0:18:53.280 It's been something, and it's also been exciting and evailorating 0:18:54.119 --> 0:18:55.399 because we're not going nowhere. 0:18:56.160 --> 0:18:59.200 We built this country, as Angela says, for free. 0:19:01.119 --> 0:19:02.160 It's data five Beta. 0:19:02.240 --> 0:19:04.320 I will be remiss if I did not say my 0:19:04.400 --> 0:19:06.400 brother is a proud member of five Beta siblings. 0:19:06.440 --> 0:19:07.080 So love it. 0:19:08.480 --> 0:19:11.719 Yes, my father was a signal. 0:19:12.680 --> 0:19:13.199 That's why we live. 0:19:14.280 --> 0:19:15.320 We love the blue and white. 0:19:15.359 --> 0:19:16.560 I mean, we are under. 0:19:17.920 --> 0:19:24.520 But seriously though the power in being here, I too 0:19:24.600 --> 0:19:27.240 want to thank you for this conversation because everyone's paying 0:19:27.280 --> 0:19:29.639 attention to the D nine. So not only am I 0:19:29.760 --> 0:19:32.560 here as international President of Zata Phi Beta, I'm also 0:19:32.640 --> 0:19:35.439 proud to be the vice chairwoman of our councilor president. 0:19:35.520 --> 0:19:37.600 So I want to shout out the Honorable Chris Ray 0:19:38.560 --> 0:19:40.800 j D who is our chairman, and all of the 0:19:40.880 --> 0:19:43.400 presidents of the D nine. We work together as a unit. 0:19:43.520 --> 0:19:47.240 It's not just a hashtag D nine Stronger together. It's 0:19:47.359 --> 0:19:50.080 understanding that outside of the Black Church, one of the 0:19:50.280 --> 0:19:53.679 largest institutions of our people overre two point five million. 0:19:54.040 --> 0:19:57.119 So as we come together to educate our communities on 0:19:57.200 --> 0:20:00.719 what's on the ballot, that's the important part of this conversation. 0:20:01.040 --> 0:20:03.800 No stone can be left unturned. We can't take for 0:20:03.920 --> 0:20:06.440 granted that everyone is going to go to vote. So 0:20:06.600 --> 0:20:09.320 we have been intentional on our work and as our 0:20:09.359 --> 0:20:11.879 chairman would say, unless you're exhausted on November sixth, you 0:20:11.920 --> 0:20:14.320 didn't do your black job. So our job is to 0:20:14.440 --> 0:20:17.040 make sure that all of our members are not only 0:20:17.160 --> 0:20:20.879 mobilizing and educating the electorate, but they too are bringing 0:20:21.000 --> 0:20:22.080 people to the polls. 0:20:22.400 --> 0:20:24.040 They're understanding this. 0:20:24.280 --> 0:20:26.959 Is not just about the White House, it's the down ballot, right, 0:20:27.000 --> 0:20:30.639 it's to understand that every single election counts. It's working 0:20:30.680 --> 0:20:34.280 and collaborating with organizations like you see here today and 0:20:34.480 --> 0:20:37.280 being for the sororities. We're a part of NCNW, an 0:20:37.359 --> 0:20:41.480 organization of organization leaders, so we're bringing everybody to the 0:20:41.560 --> 0:20:44.680 table because our lives are on the ballots. So the 0:20:44.760 --> 0:20:46.879 power and knowing that as a D nine is more 0:20:46.960 --> 0:20:50.440 than a sorority party, as some person trying to our proclaim, 0:20:51.080 --> 0:20:54.400 but that we have been in the community for over 0:20:54.480 --> 0:20:58.080 one hundred years plus doing this work every day because 0:20:58.119 --> 0:21:00.639 our founders charged us to make the world better than 0:21:00.680 --> 0:21:03.040 how we found it through scholarships, sisterhood, and brotherhood. 0:21:03.359 --> 0:21:06.760 I have a quick question for the Reverend SHVN. I 0:21:06.840 --> 0:21:07.440 gotta ask you. 0:21:07.520 --> 0:21:10.920 We had Jamal Harrison Brian join us on our podcast 0:21:11.320 --> 0:21:13.280 and is killing it Like we're starting to see so 0:21:13.400 --> 0:21:17.040 many numbers because I think that black folks really feel torn. 0:21:17.160 --> 0:21:19.280 And I'm generalizing here, but some of us who grew 0:21:19.359 --> 0:21:21.879 up in the church feel really torn about some of 0:21:22.000 --> 0:21:24.160 the social values that we were taught that were kind 0:21:24.200 --> 0:21:26.680 of drilled into our minds. And then what is on 0:21:26.800 --> 0:21:29.480 the ballot this time? I gotta ask you says, when 0:21:29.520 --> 0:21:34.200 you're talking to folks about reproductive justice and the number 0:21:34.240 --> 0:21:36.040 of lives that hang in the balance because of what's 0:21:36.080 --> 0:21:38.639 on the ballot via initiatives, and of course with who's 0:21:38.760 --> 0:21:40.800 at the top of the ticket, how do you thread 0:21:40.880 --> 0:21:41.320 that needle. 0:21:41.400 --> 0:21:43.160 You're powerful, you are anointed. 0:21:43.280 --> 0:21:44.760 Like, let me just be very clear, this is what 0:21:45.160 --> 0:21:47.119 talks to the most time, So I want to be 0:21:47.200 --> 0:21:49.399 clear about that. I just want to know what do 0:21:49.480 --> 0:21:51.080 you say to the church folks that are like, I 0:21:51.200 --> 0:21:53.560 need to know how I'm making this point to folks 0:21:53.600 --> 0:21:54.960 who are like completely like. 0:21:55.480 --> 0:21:57.840 You know, the anti crisis at that top, you know, 0:21:58.160 --> 0:21:58.840 like nonsense. 0:21:59.160 --> 0:22:01.439 First of all, I love it. I'm so excited to hear. 0:22:02.520 --> 0:22:04.440 And I think one of the things I have to 0:22:04.480 --> 0:22:07.440 do with is called I call it moral mischief because 0:22:07.440 --> 0:22:10.399 it's context. But people have been taught, it's been ingrained 0:22:10.440 --> 0:22:14.479 in us to other people in the church, and an 0:22:14.560 --> 0:22:16.959 issue like reproductive justice for me is personal and Angeley 0:22:17.040 --> 0:22:21.280 knows this. I mean, I struggle intensely with conceiving and 0:22:21.320 --> 0:22:25.440 have lost children, and the condition that I had, I 0:22:25.520 --> 0:22:29.120 actually would have lost care under the current DoD's decision. 0:22:29.720 --> 0:22:32.200 So the children that I lost, I could have been 0:22:32.359 --> 0:22:34.000 arrested for some of the procedures that I had to 0:22:34.040 --> 0:22:38.200 actually have. And I've birthed one son, and I tell 0:22:38.280 --> 0:22:40.720 people all the time in the church, this is not 0:22:41.200 --> 0:22:46.200 about your conviction. This is about constitutional freedom. You can 0:22:46.359 --> 0:22:49.320 have your belief. No one's ever tried to change your belief. 0:22:49.359 --> 0:22:51.719 But what we are saying is if they can come 0:22:51.760 --> 0:22:52.960 in and tell you what to do with your body, 0:22:53.520 --> 0:22:55.080 what happens when they come in and say you can't 0:22:55.119 --> 0:22:57.199 go to this church anymore. What happens when they take 0:22:57.240 --> 0:22:59.360 you Jesus away from you? What happens when they tell 0:22:59.400 --> 0:23:01.159 you you can't go to that school, you can't go 0:23:01.240 --> 0:23:04.840 to this school? And the moral mischief, it is so 0:23:05.480 --> 0:23:08.040 consuming of us because we feel like we're gonna go 0:23:08.080 --> 0:23:10.720 to hell if we say these steps, and it scares 0:23:10.760 --> 0:23:11.840 people even. 0:23:11.640 --> 0:23:12.479 Away from the polls. 0:23:13.040 --> 0:23:15.920 So you'll see black preachers saying things like I can't 0:23:15.960 --> 0:23:19.080 vote for ex party right and playing it plays a 0:23:19.200 --> 0:23:21.920 game that confuses the mind. And I'm gonna tell you something. 0:23:22.000 --> 0:23:25.120 It is a concerted effort. It is a coordinated plan. 0:23:25.800 --> 0:23:28.199 And to the evangelizic evangelical Christians that are out there, 0:23:28.280 --> 0:23:31.320 let me tell you something. Evangelical just means to evangelize. 0:23:31.680 --> 0:23:34.280 They have their word, and it is wrong. 0:23:35.240 --> 0:23:37.880 Black people are actually evangelical because we tell good news, 0:23:38.320 --> 0:23:41.600 we evangelize. But what the political pundits have done is 0:23:41.760 --> 0:23:46.960 use that word, kidnapped it, misconstrued and confused minds to 0:23:47.040 --> 0:23:49.080 make you think that that if I now am evangelical, 0:23:49.160 --> 0:23:51.320 if I am pro life, well, if you're pro life, 0:23:51.720 --> 0:23:54.119 then that means you're pro all life. That means your 0:23:54.119 --> 0:23:57.440 pro Black life, your pro Brown life, you're pro all 0:23:57.560 --> 0:24:01.440 life for all the stages, in all ages and spaces. 0:24:01.800 --> 0:24:03.440 Let me close with this around the church and the 0:24:03.480 --> 0:24:06.160 faith piece, because Black people are a people of resilience 0:24:06.600 --> 0:24:08.920 and we are a people of faith, whatever your faith is. 0:24:09.720 --> 0:24:12.520 But we are still the largest number of Americans that 0:24:12.680 --> 0:24:17.640 attend the church. Now as that's still decreasing, our population 0:24:17.800 --> 0:24:21.320 still engages in fellowship. And this is why I call 0:24:21.440 --> 0:24:24.679 on black preachers, want to advance your black women clergy, 0:24:25.640 --> 0:24:28.679 the ones that can give life, so we can speak. 0:24:28.400 --> 0:24:30.600 About the life that we are affecting. 0:24:30.680 --> 0:24:33.520 But also I tell my brothers and sisters behind the claw, 0:24:34.440 --> 0:24:41.399 do not misconstrue the Gospel for your own plan. Do 0:24:41.720 --> 0:24:44.120 not do that, because that's not what Jesus does. Jesus 0:24:44.160 --> 0:24:46.920 is justice. It's an alignment. And if we're talking about 0:24:46.960 --> 0:24:50.280 this social justice space voting, this is of God. It 0:24:50.400 --> 0:24:52.280 is of God for you to go to vote. Why 0:24:52.359 --> 0:24:56.040 because he calls on us to engage in the governor's work. 0:24:56.040 --> 0:24:57.920 That's what we talked about in the world. So we 0:24:58.040 --> 0:25:01.680 are really seeing a the real challenge in the body 0:25:01.720 --> 0:25:04.920 of Christ where black and white and Hispanic and Asian 0:25:05.000 --> 0:25:08.600 are all in this molthy pot of confusion. But the 0:25:08.680 --> 0:25:10.520 Black Church is being called out in a way that 0:25:10.680 --> 0:25:13.920 is just so disgusting, but it is so racist, and 0:25:14.040 --> 0:25:16.840 that's what that's actually how this institution started. 0:25:17.119 --> 0:25:18.080 An I want to. 0:25:18.720 --> 0:25:21.080 Just say really quickly because there are so many people 0:25:21.119 --> 0:25:24.840 I know being weaned on the teachings of Washington, DC 0:25:25.119 --> 0:25:26.960 that you all are common knowledge to us, But there 0:25:27.000 --> 0:25:29.520 are so many young people, unfortunately, who are not familiar 0:25:29.560 --> 0:25:32.160 with the work of NCNW National Council of Negro Women 0:25:32.400 --> 0:25:34.960 founded by doctor Dorothy Hyde. I was vice president of 0:25:35.000 --> 0:25:39.280 the Millennial section that was forever ago, twenty four years ago. Yeah, 0:25:39.359 --> 0:25:42.760 I learned how to organized through National Council of Negro Women, 0:25:43.600 --> 0:25:47.160 and that was meant to carry the message for younger people, 0:25:47.280 --> 0:25:50.159 and it's time for another generation of younger people to 0:25:50.240 --> 0:25:51.760 carry forward the mission of NC ANDW. 0:25:52.119 --> 0:25:53.800 So I wanted to offer our viewers that background. 0:25:53.840 --> 0:25:55.159 But I also want to point out I met a 0:25:55.200 --> 0:25:58.920 woman in the audience who is an advocate for Amendment 0:25:58.960 --> 0:26:02.480 for Right here in floor Florida, which essentially codifies abortion 0:26:02.840 --> 0:26:07.199 rights here in the state. Something shocking is that they 0:26:07.240 --> 0:26:09.840 were told they could not tent or table here at 0:26:09.920 --> 0:26:12.360 fam you. Unfortunately, I haven't had time to look into 0:26:12.400 --> 0:26:16.640 the background of it, but my surmise perhaps because it may. 0:26:16.560 --> 0:26:18.680 Be an issue with state funded schools. 0:26:18.960 --> 0:26:28.359 Yeah, Republicans leadership Ron DeSantis, who has invested interest in 0:26:28.680 --> 0:26:32.520 silencing these voices and making sure that this amendment doesn't pass, 0:26:32.920 --> 0:26:36.040 And our previous guests talked about how important ballid initiatives are. 0:26:36.440 --> 0:26:40.479 So this is where why we have local elected officials here, 0:26:40.640 --> 0:26:44.080 This is where the local government meets the federal government 0:26:44.320 --> 0:26:47.080 and Republicans at one point in time, we're all about 0:26:47.200 --> 0:26:50.840 small government except when it comes to our bodies, except 0:26:51.160 --> 0:26:53.760 our choice, productive rights, and our choices exactly, except when 0:26:53.800 --> 0:26:56.040 it comes to anything that they want to have control over. 0:26:56.280 --> 0:26:58.000 So I just wanted to make sure that we highlight 0:26:58.040 --> 0:27:01.520 Amendment for right here in Florida. Please, if you are 0:27:01.560 --> 0:27:03.800 a resident of Florida, I'll look into it. 0:27:04.000 --> 0:27:04.600 Do the right thing. 0:27:04.680 --> 0:27:07.280 And I want to thank the woman in the audience 0:27:07.800 --> 0:27:10.240 who told me about amendment for it. Thank you for 0:27:10.320 --> 0:27:11.199 being here with us. 0:27:11.480 --> 0:27:15.280 Yeah, I and the we need to keep allies like 0:27:15.359 --> 0:27:17.760 you all at the national level close to states like Florida. 0:27:18.000 --> 0:27:20.800 For sure, as we laid out previous to your arrival, 0:27:21.040 --> 0:27:25.280 that these states oftentimes are the play field for much 0:27:25.320 --> 0:27:27.840 of what ultimately happens at the federal level. They tested 0:27:28.240 --> 0:27:30.720 with the guinea pigs. For sure. Ron de Santis is 0:27:30.760 --> 0:27:35.080 the biggest of the of the perpetrators of making Florida 0:27:35.080 --> 0:27:39.359 the guinea pig of the new extreme right. You talked 0:27:39.359 --> 0:27:41.520 about the suspension of these rights on campuses, but he's 0:27:41.520 --> 0:27:44.160 spent over I think the estimate is over fifty million 0:27:44.240 --> 0:27:46.960 in public taxpayer dollars against. 0:27:46.800 --> 0:27:49.120 Well, that's why we came a year ago. 0:27:49.600 --> 0:27:49.959 That's right. 0:27:50.720 --> 0:27:52.000 We know what the state would have. 0:27:52.000 --> 0:28:03.240 Been like had you That's happening in our home state, 0:28:03.840 --> 0:28:05.879 which is why we wanted to make sure we stayed 0:28:05.960 --> 0:28:06.640 a whole month. 0:28:06.880 --> 0:28:07.600 When we started. 0:28:07.640 --> 0:28:11.160 This was because so many things and what we wanted 0:28:11.160 --> 0:28:13.399 to point out about Florida was if you want to 0:28:13.440 --> 0:28:16.480 know what fascism looks like, come to this of Florida. 0:28:17.000 --> 0:28:21.760 And so what I'm seeing though, is a resurgence of 0:28:22.000 --> 0:28:25.600 organizing in this state. And because the numbers have always 0:28:25.720 --> 0:28:29.040 been there, right, And so he came run a second time, right, 0:28:29.280 --> 0:28:32.520 And I was glad to see them, just speaking as a. 0:28:32.680 --> 0:28:33.439 Native of Florida. 0:28:33.560 --> 0:28:37.119 Yes, and see Darren Parks up here and I ran 0:28:37.200 --> 0:28:40.640 into it earlier home. And how important it is that 0:28:40.960 --> 0:28:43.520 we don't turn this state over because the numbers are there. 0:28:43.840 --> 0:28:47.680 Florida has a young demographic. People still see Florida, you 0:28:47.760 --> 0:28:50.720 see Mickey Mouse and all that. But when it comes 0:28:50.760 --> 0:28:53.040 and then they say retirement. The truth of the matter, 0:28:53.160 --> 0:28:56.040 you know this that a lot of young people the 0:28:56.120 --> 0:28:58.840 state has changed, and the numbers are there that I 0:28:58.960 --> 0:29:01.720 believe that there's gonna be surgeon. And the reason we're 0:29:01.760 --> 0:29:04.240 in the South too, is because if sixty percent of 0:29:04.240 --> 0:29:06.080 black people live in the South, if we want to 0:29:06.240 --> 0:29:08.280 see this country change, we have to make sure the 0:29:08.400 --> 0:29:09.160 South changes. 0:29:09.440 --> 0:29:14.600 In Alabama, but take them, that's such. 0:29:14.440 --> 0:29:18.560 A it's such a common understanding. Like the racism and 0:29:18.600 --> 0:29:21.120 the suppression is almost baked in and how the media 0:29:21.280 --> 0:29:24.360 covers the electoral map. What would it take given that 0:29:24.480 --> 0:29:26.960 a majority of us either currently live in the South 0:29:27.240 --> 0:29:30.480 or we originate from the South, and there are small 0:29:31.120 --> 0:29:34.800 pockets of evidence of a remigration, you know, where people 0:29:34.800 --> 0:29:38.760 are the South right, So what does it take to 0:29:38.960 --> 0:29:41.600 actually change those numbers? And I asked Mellie, because you 0:29:41.680 --> 0:29:45.560 know this, when we were in Atlanta, Atlanta in the 0:29:45.720 --> 0:29:49.000 nineties was a different city. Today I look at Atlanta 0:29:49.080 --> 0:29:50.920 and this is no shade. I grew up in Atlanta. 0:29:51.000 --> 0:29:53.640 I love Atlanta, but there are so many transplants who 0:29:53.680 --> 0:29:56.640 do not appreciate what the magic is of having that 0:29:56.840 --> 0:30:01.800 black ass city run by black officials, creating black wealth 0:30:02.040 --> 0:30:06.400 with black homeowners, black college graduates taught by black people. 0:30:06.720 --> 0:30:08.920 And I think when transplants come and they like the 0:30:09.240 --> 0:30:12.120 city of Oz, everything is gold. And I run a 0:30:12.200 --> 0:30:15.080 studio in my baseman and I got a hair salon 0:30:15.240 --> 0:30:18.440 or whatever. But it takes responsibility to hold on to that. 0:30:18.640 --> 0:30:20.680 So what does it take to change the South? 0:30:21.160 --> 0:30:21.800 Vote next year? 0:30:22.840 --> 0:30:24.920 Vote in these state legislative races. 0:30:24.880 --> 0:30:30.080 That has stated trouble. 0:30:34.480 --> 0:30:38.400 The power dynamic in these states because of state like Mississippi, 0:30:38.600 --> 0:30:40.760 we saw try to move up now. 0:30:40.800 --> 0:30:42.320 The reality is when they. 0:30:42.240 --> 0:30:44.960 Control the legislature, they those who don't believe in inclusion, 0:30:45.280 --> 0:30:47.840 take over the state legislation, take over the governors races, 0:30:48.040 --> 0:30:49.360 and then they take over the census. 0:30:49.720 --> 0:30:52.520 Then you end up with this like reversal. 0:30:52.720 --> 0:30:54.480 And you're trying to come back to it, but we 0:30:54.640 --> 0:30:57.840 have to really find a way, uh, to to continue 0:30:58.480 --> 0:31:01.640 next year, to keep it's going, because. 0:31:01.440 --> 0:31:03.320 That's the only way going otherwise, you know. 0:31:03.480 --> 0:31:03.880 And then. 0:31:05.640 --> 0:31:07.880 That's what I'm gonna say, because you can be the 0:31:08.040 --> 0:31:11.560 blackest state in the Union and still not have power 0:31:12.000 --> 0:31:12.800 in the state legislature. 0:31:12.800 --> 0:31:14.080 That's which makes no sense. 0:31:14.320 --> 0:31:16.120 So the real question will it becomes is one who's 0:31:16.160 --> 0:31:21.080 running to who's mobilizing? And then three where where does 0:31:21.120 --> 0:31:22.760 real power line? Because that's the real question we have 0:31:22.840 --> 0:31:26.320 to start answering. This question about power has been the challenge. 0:31:26.360 --> 0:31:29.240 The dynamics won't shift until the people see themselves as 0:31:29.280 --> 0:31:32.440 the power. So that's that that comes from us mobilizing, 0:31:32.520 --> 0:31:35.280 that comes from these the Native Land podcast is power 0:31:35.920 --> 0:31:37.320 because you get to own the message, you get to 0:31:37.400 --> 0:31:41.200 own the content, the context. But if we're raising young 0:31:41.320 --> 0:31:44.040 generations to not see themselves as the power, then they're 0:31:44.080 --> 0:31:44.640 not gonna run. 0:31:44.800 --> 0:31:45.640 They're not gonna see. 0:31:45.560 --> 0:31:46.120 Value in this. 0:31:46.440 --> 0:31:48.600 So there's no way we can say that we're and 0:31:48.840 --> 0:31:50.720 we always see I'm I'm a Jersey girl, so I'm 0:31:50.720 --> 0:31:54.720 a by way of Florida planned city. And I feel 0:31:54.760 --> 0:31:57.600 I think about why we say the South has something 0:31:57.640 --> 0:32:00.840 to say. The South already has said it, but has 0:32:00.880 --> 0:32:04.080 the South mobilized to get it? And what I'm saying 0:32:04.360 --> 0:32:07.440 is that this black excellence about Atlanta is real. Manard 0:32:07.480 --> 0:32:09.200 Jackson was a whole phenomenon in. 0:32:09.200 --> 0:32:09.840 And of itself. 0:32:10.240 --> 0:32:12.680 We're not even having that conversation about who do we 0:32:12.800 --> 0:32:19.640 train the contracts to prepare the next generation of power seekers. 0:32:20.240 --> 0:32:21.200 It's about power. 0:32:21.440 --> 0:32:22.280 It's not just money. 0:32:22.560 --> 0:32:25.800 It's power, position money access. 0:32:26.280 --> 0:32:29.280 Right, that's position money access. 0:32:29.360 --> 0:32:32.560 That's not a president you're close to. We're closing. 0:32:32.640 --> 0:32:34.200 No, no, we're not, We're not yet. Hold on. 0:32:34.360 --> 0:32:36.560 I was just gonna say, if you all see Lolo 0:32:36.640 --> 0:32:39.280 Lolo Wavier your mic in the air. We didn't say 0:32:39.280 --> 0:32:41.600 at the beginning of the show that our shows are 0:32:41.720 --> 0:32:44.160 our live shows in particular. One you all know when 0:32:44.160 --> 0:32:46.239 we send in videos to get videos from you all 0:32:46.280 --> 0:32:48.760 every week to the podcast, but when we come to you, 0:32:48.920 --> 0:32:50.920 we want to make sure that it's an active and 0:32:50.960 --> 0:32:54.360 engaged conversation, because it is so much more than just voting. 0:32:54.440 --> 0:32:57.000 It's also utilizing your voice. So we have a mic 0:32:57.040 --> 0:32:59.440 here if you have a comment or a question while 0:32:59.480 --> 0:33:01.440 we have these incredible queen's up here. Andrew, I know 0:33:01.480 --> 0:33:02.000 you had a question. 0:33:02.160 --> 0:33:04.200 Well matter first of all, impressed with you every time 0:33:04.280 --> 0:33:05.840 I say you. I was doing the dishes. 0:33:05.920 --> 0:33:06.720 My wife was at her. 0:33:06.680 --> 0:33:09.280 Work station and we heard a voice in this interview 0:33:09.360 --> 0:33:14.240 responding to Donald Trump's whole party as he neglected the 0:33:14.280 --> 0:33:17.560 work of these CERTs and sororities. And there's this voice 0:33:17.600 --> 0:33:19.880 coming over speaking powerful truth. 0:33:20.000 --> 0:33:20.960 And I put the dish. 0:33:21.480 --> 0:33:21.760 Who was. 0:33:23.320 --> 0:33:24.040 She is good? 0:33:26.800 --> 0:33:30.160 So thank you for your representation not only of obviously 0:33:30.800 --> 0:33:35.160 your illustrious organization, but more broadly for black folks, including 0:33:35.200 --> 0:33:37.400 black Greeks. I did want to ask you your your 0:33:37.480 --> 0:33:42.960 organization obviously engages with alumni, adults, folks who are fully working, 0:33:43.000 --> 0:33:46.320 but also you're closest to young people, the folks who 0:33:46.320 --> 0:33:49.000 are your training to become your future alumni. I'm curious 0:33:49.000 --> 0:33:51.239 it's just what reed you've been getting as you all 0:33:51.240 --> 0:33:53.400 have moved around the country. As a relate said, this election, 0:33:54.280 --> 0:33:57.200 the potential of Harris as the next president. 0:33:57.280 --> 0:33:58.000 Absolutely so. 0:33:58.600 --> 0:34:01.200 For us as an organization, where proud that we did 0:34:01.400 --> 0:34:04.000 establish youth auxiliaries, the first to do that, and all 0:34:04.080 --> 0:34:06.560 of us have our youth auxiliaries now that we're working 0:34:06.640 --> 0:34:09.439 with because what we're allowing them to say and giving 0:34:09.480 --> 0:34:12.399 them platform. When we vote, we're voting for them. We're 0:34:12.440 --> 0:34:16.239 voting for their future. We have our young mikaz and 0:34:16.320 --> 0:34:20.640 our arcdents. They're making policy papers, they're talking to their teachers, 0:34:20.680 --> 0:34:23.719 they're holding their own forums on why it's important for 0:34:23.800 --> 0:34:26.960 their parents to vote, their relatives to vote, because we 0:34:27.080 --> 0:34:30.200 are preparing them for what it looks like to advocate 0:34:30.280 --> 0:34:32.600 for the rights of everybody. And thank you for your 0:34:32.680 --> 0:34:35.000 kind words. What I tell everyone is when you see me, 0:34:35.200 --> 0:34:37.800 you see every other black woman in this room and 0:34:37.840 --> 0:34:40.600 on this planet. I'm not here by myself, but because 0:34:40.640 --> 0:34:43.040 so many thousand came before me whose names will never 0:34:43.120 --> 0:34:45.759 be heard. And we are drinking from wells we did 0:34:45.840 --> 0:34:48.520 not dig. So we cannot take this for granted that 0:34:48.680 --> 0:34:52.040 we are sitting here advocating as a D nine stronger together. 0:34:52.120 --> 0:34:55.320 They see our colors, they see our shields. Everyone gets excited, 0:34:55.480 --> 0:34:58.400 but it's deeper. Than the surface. It's about the mission 0:34:58.440 --> 0:35:00.600 that our founders put us on so that we can 0:35:00.760 --> 0:35:01.760 uplift the community. 0:35:01.840 --> 0:35:04.200 We can't just get and keep, we get to give. 0:35:04.680 --> 0:35:08.799 So through our service and through elevating conversations, we are 0:35:08.880 --> 0:35:11.120 able to get out of this pocket of knowing where 0:35:11.160 --> 0:35:13.800 the Black state? But how do we now prepare with 0:35:13.960 --> 0:35:17.960 strategy around how we not only keep it but advance 0:35:18.040 --> 0:35:21.359 it for the future. So when you talked about reproductive rights, 0:35:21.600 --> 0:35:24.480 I didn't share until today publicly on Alive. I could 0:35:24.480 --> 0:35:27.200 have been arrested under these rules because I lost my 0:35:27.719 --> 0:35:30.680 child in between my two sons. This is serious and 0:35:30.840 --> 0:35:33.600 I love the Lord. I'm unapologetic about it. Anybody that 0:35:33.760 --> 0:35:35.040 knows me knows I don't. 0:35:34.880 --> 0:35:35.760 Play with my Jesus. 0:35:36.080 --> 0:35:38.920 But what we cannot do is allow other people to 0:35:39.040 --> 0:35:42.040 tell our story. We can't allow other people to shift 0:35:42.080 --> 0:35:45.360 the narrative of the truth. These alternate realities. 0:35:44.880 --> 0:35:45.520 That we're hearing. 0:35:45.719 --> 0:35:50.440 It's unreal and people are confused about the truth. 0:35:50.840 --> 0:35:54.560 And I think it was John Howard Wesley. I was 0:35:54.640 --> 0:36:01.000 John where he talked about true and truth. 0:36:02.440 --> 0:36:05.440 So if you believe something to be true, right, you 0:36:05.560 --> 0:36:08.560 believe that it's okay for in this state to tell 0:36:08.719 --> 0:36:12.120 children that slavery was good for them. Then it becomes 0:36:12.520 --> 0:36:15.800 your reality and you try to convince other people to 0:36:16.000 --> 0:36:20.400 join in. This election is about setting the record straight right, 0:36:20.520 --> 0:36:23.319 It's about making sure our young people understand that when 0:36:23.360 --> 0:36:26.280 we walk into that ballot box, it's for their future. 0:36:26.640 --> 0:36:29.600 So all of our organizations have been on the ground 0:36:30.000 --> 0:36:33.959 every single state, every single community, having these conversations. 0:36:34.239 --> 0:36:37.360 Shout out to this podcast for the work. 0:36:37.239 --> 0:36:41.000 That you do, because what I'm finding is that we 0:36:41.239 --> 0:36:45.760 are suffering an necessarily in silence because we're not elevating 0:36:45.800 --> 0:36:48.759 our voices. And when we elevate our voices, then we 0:36:48.840 --> 0:36:52.279 can talk about the truth of the small margins that 0:36:52.400 --> 0:36:55.960 win these elections. Many of people stay home and get 0:36:56.040 --> 0:36:58.200 frustrated and say, well, I'm not gonna be bothered. It's 0:36:58.200 --> 0:37:01.680 too much, I'm confused, I'm stressed out. Don't get stressed out. 0:37:02.000 --> 0:37:02.680 Do something. 0:37:02.800 --> 0:37:06.760 That's what Michelle Obama says, do something, and something means voting. 0:37:06.840 --> 0:37:08.440 So when you look into the eyes of a five 0:37:08.560 --> 0:37:11.960 year old who doesn't understand politics, but understands that they 0:37:12.000 --> 0:37:14.600 want their mother to live God forbid, something goes wrong. 0:37:15.000 --> 0:37:16.799 When you look at a teenage boy and my mother 0:37:16.840 --> 0:37:19.160 of two black men who I can say to them, 0:37:19.200 --> 0:37:21.840 do you understand what immunity means. 0:37:22.239 --> 0:37:22.880 On the ballot? 0:37:22.920 --> 0:37:25.640 Do you understand that if God forbid something happens, there's 0:37:25.719 --> 0:37:28.919 no recourse. These are the issues we need to talk about, 0:37:29.000 --> 0:37:32.080 and our young people are getting it. Yeah, they're understanding it. 0:37:32.239 --> 0:37:35.640 And because they see other peers coming together to have 0:37:35.800 --> 0:37:37.400 the conversations, it makes. 0:37:37.239 --> 0:37:41.279 It easier for us to move forward and. 0:37:41.440 --> 0:37:45.520 Not turn back the hands of time in twenty twenty four. 0:37:45.920 --> 0:37:50.080 That the blood that was shed on this country's ground 0:37:50.520 --> 0:37:52.880 has to be screaming from the grave if we allow 0:37:53.040 --> 0:37:55.839 us to go back to what they thought for us 0:37:55.920 --> 0:37:56.520 to walk through. 0:37:58.960 --> 0:38:02.080 We don't get to keep. We get to give. 0:38:02.280 --> 0:38:03.840 And I want you to know when I say that 0:38:04.000 --> 0:38:05.879 next week on the podcast, I'm giving you credit. 0:38:06.800 --> 0:38:09.480 I'm giving you credit, but I'm stealing it. 0:38:09.800 --> 0:38:12.319 I know we have to let you because y'all are 0:38:12.360 --> 0:38:14.040 going to your brunch and we've kept you long. But 0:38:14.120 --> 0:38:16.920 I do want to just say one thing. In addition 0:38:17.080 --> 0:38:20.680 to voting, we have to mobilize, and we do really appreciate, 0:38:20.760 --> 0:38:22.719 we're so grateful for the support that we've gotten from 0:38:22.719 --> 0:38:25.719 the community for the podcast. My ask of you all 0:38:25.960 --> 0:38:28.759 is to make sure that you share this segment that 0:38:28.840 --> 0:38:30.200 you're on with your membership. 0:38:30.280 --> 0:38:30.960 We're on right now. 0:38:31.200 --> 0:38:33.239 I make sure that you make sure that you share 0:38:33.320 --> 0:38:35.480 and tell them to tell a friend, because what this 0:38:35.800 --> 0:38:38.000 is is a convening of a safe space for all 0:38:38.080 --> 0:38:40.160 of us. We are your hosts, but we are merely 0:38:40.360 --> 0:38:43.120 the vessels and the facilitators for this space, so that 0:38:43.280 --> 0:38:46.840 everyone feels like they have an opportunity to share their opinions, 0:38:46.880 --> 0:38:48.920 to ask a question that they may have been too 0:38:48.960 --> 0:38:49.719 a shame to share. 0:38:50.120 --> 0:38:52.080 So continue to do that, and thank y'all so much 0:38:52.120 --> 0:38:52.400 for what you. 0:38:56.520 --> 0:38:59.840 Post all were put to do this for this moment. 0:39:02.600 --> 0:39:05.680 This is the binde of us are connected for a reason, right, 0:39:06.360 --> 0:39:10.360 Thank you all, and keep doing what you're doing and. 0:39:11.640 --> 0:39:12.800 Come getting the boat. 0:39:20.840 --> 0:39:26.120 Conditioning y'all, blessing over you, showing the black man's voice, 0:39:26.160 --> 0:39:32.160 black woman's voice, working together everyone, we'reparated. 0:39:33.760 --> 0:39:34.239 Love y'all. 0:39:40.480 --> 0:39:44.160 Thank thank you, love y'all, Thank you, thank you for everything. 0:39:44.400 --> 0:39:44.719 Thank you. 0:39:54.760 --> 0:40:00.440 Get towels, sweat town, listen you were I tell y'all, 0:40:00.440 --> 0:40:01.000 I'm doing good. 0:40:01.040 --> 0:40:03.040 I got my napkins up under my boobs. I'm all right. 0:40:03.200 --> 0:40:05.520 Are we doing the sneak next man this way. 0:40:05.600 --> 0:40:08.640 Next we have the fox. Is there any questions? Are 0:40:08.680 --> 0:40:10.799 comments from the audience? If now we're gonna move along 0:40:10.880 --> 0:40:13.359 to our next man. All right, y'all are feeling quiet, 0:40:13.400 --> 0:40:18.000 you must be on one of them. We have Jasmine 0:40:18.080 --> 0:40:21.640 Bernie Clark, who is the Harris for President Florida State director. 0:40:25.800 --> 0:40:27.880 Y'all, sorry, we got we just gotta. 0:40:27.840 --> 0:40:28.840 Take the kind of forever. 0:40:29.320 --> 0:40:32.960 We have Lauren May who's the university trustee and holds 0:40:33.040 --> 0:40:34.359 the position that Andrew wants. 0:40:34.360 --> 0:40:35.720 Hell, she's the student body president. 0:40:36.680 --> 0:40:37.680 I was the first trustee. 0:40:38.280 --> 0:40:40.359 Okay, first trustee said get the history right. 0:40:40.440 --> 0:40:42.840 And then we have Christopher Matthews who's the president of 0:40:42.960 --> 0:40:44.879 Family's Chapter of Helping. 0:40:44.719 --> 0:40:47.200 Black Communities Unite. Thank you all for being here. 0:40:47.600 --> 0:40:51.719 Happy to see you, ja Don Lauren, I said, jazzmin Sorry, 0:40:51.800 --> 0:40:52.719 this is Jasmine Lauren. 0:40:52.760 --> 0:40:55.480 It's good to see you. We were handled together recent Jazz. 0:40:55.280 --> 0:40:58.520 Boss, Lauren and the young man in the middle. But 0:40:58.600 --> 0:41:00.880 we can make sure Christopher's mike is work and please. 0:41:00.880 --> 0:41:07.880 And put it a little closer. Thank you coming to 0:41:07.960 --> 0:41:08.520 you as well. 0:41:08.960 --> 0:41:11.480 How has it been so far? Tell us what we 0:41:11.680 --> 0:41:15.719 have to look forward to, and especially how voter registration 0:41:15.880 --> 0:41:18.160 and turnout is going for students, Yes, definitely. 0:41:18.200 --> 0:41:20.600 So it has been going great so far. My vice president, 0:41:20.680 --> 0:41:23.799 Decree Williams, has been doing a great job with planning homecoming. 0:41:24.280 --> 0:41:26.200 We've had some different things this year. A lot of 0:41:26.239 --> 0:41:28.440 our events have been at the Willpacker Amphitheater and I 0:41:28.480 --> 0:41:33.120 think that's and it has made the student engagement go 0:41:33.280 --> 0:41:36.520 up a lot. Tonight we have the n PhD Step 0:41:36.640 --> 0:41:39.080 Show tomorrow is the game. I know everybody is looking 0:41:39.120 --> 0:41:41.600 forward to that. And as far as voters registration, we 0:41:41.719 --> 0:41:43.799 have been doing a lot of things, you know, get 0:41:43.880 --> 0:41:45.800 the students out there. We just had a stroll to 0:41:45.880 --> 0:41:48.879 the polls. We had all the Divine nine organizations out 0:41:48.960 --> 0:41:51.480 with Campus Vote Project and it was a great turnout. 0:41:51.520 --> 0:41:54.000 And I think the students they're very geared up to 0:41:54.080 --> 0:41:54.600 vote this year. 0:41:55.360 --> 0:41:56.560 And I see you're pink and green. 0:41:58.440 --> 0:42:00.480 Yes, definitely, Yes, I love that. 0:42:00.719 --> 0:42:02.759 One of the things I remember, Lauren, we did a 0:42:02.840 --> 0:42:05.880 panel together recently in Bringingham. You talked about being raised 0:42:05.880 --> 0:42:07.800 in a family of politicians. 0:42:07.880 --> 0:42:10.800 Yes, definitely. How has that mattered for you in this 0:42:11.000 --> 0:42:11.760 election cycle? 0:42:11.800 --> 0:42:14.799 In particular, how have you used that history within your 0:42:14.800 --> 0:42:16.440 own family to motivate folks to go. 0:42:16.480 --> 0:42:17.120 Out and vote. 0:42:17.160 --> 0:42:20.359 There's literally an early voting station across the street from 0:42:20.400 --> 0:42:24.320 where we are, right across set. Yes, sorry, right across 0:42:24.360 --> 0:42:27.120 the set from where we are, across from will Packer Amphitheater. 0:42:27.360 --> 0:42:27.920 Yes, definitely. 0:42:28.000 --> 0:42:31.040 I think as student body president, it's not only important 0:42:31.120 --> 0:42:34.240 for me to advocate and put out information about voters, 0:42:34.360 --> 0:42:37.160 education and registration, but for me to actually be doing 0:42:37.239 --> 0:42:39.839 the things that we're talking about, Because if the representation 0:42:40.160 --> 0:42:42.680 of the student body isn't getting out there, voting and 0:42:43.120 --> 0:42:45.480 getting my hands dirty, how can I encourage the rest 0:42:45.520 --> 0:42:46.839 of the student body to do the same. 0:42:47.080 --> 0:42:50.759 I love it, Jasmine. I know your hands are full here. Yes, 0:42:52.120 --> 0:42:55.719 it has been and is an organizer, continuing organizer, but 0:42:55.880 --> 0:42:58.560 right now is leading the Harris Wallas campaign here in 0:42:58.680 --> 0:43:01.600 the state of Florida. Yes, how has it been. I 0:43:01.680 --> 0:43:03.239 know we're at the top of the state, but I 0:43:03.320 --> 0:43:06.480 know energy has been on full display for the South. 0:43:06.719 --> 0:43:08.200 Energy has been electric. 0:43:08.640 --> 0:43:10.920 Since the transition has occurred here in the state of Florida, 0:43:10.960 --> 0:43:13.640 we have seen the highest number of voter participation we 0:43:13.760 --> 0:43:17.000 have ever seen in our state's history. And actually just 0:43:17.160 --> 0:43:22.360 recently this campaign has received more participation by way of 0:43:22.480 --> 0:43:26.600 volunteers and voter contact than the last four presidential elections 0:43:26.719 --> 0:43:29.600 in history. So that is a testament to the amount 0:43:29.640 --> 0:43:33.400 of people who are feeling this campaign, not only you know, 0:43:33.520 --> 0:43:35.880 through thoughts, prayers, and support, but they're actually digging in 0:43:36.000 --> 0:43:39.919 and getting engaged. We have county parties who are trying 0:43:39.920 --> 0:43:41.520 to figure out where to put all of these people 0:43:41.640 --> 0:43:45.279 in their offices because they're so full of enthusiasm across 0:43:45.400 --> 0:43:45.640 the state. 0:43:45.920 --> 0:43:48.040 So what's your projection. I know you've got to be 0:43:48.120 --> 0:43:49.520 optimistic as a director, but. 0:43:49.840 --> 0:43:52.960 We're incredibly wantimistic. We are excited about what we're seeing. 0:43:53.080 --> 0:43:55.439 Here's the thing. We know that Republicans have a million 0:43:55.600 --> 0:43:57.279 vote margin here in the state of Florida, but we 0:43:57.360 --> 0:43:59.880 are not seeing that actually show up in early vote numbers. 0:44:00.239 --> 0:44:02.640 We're not seeing that be represented. So you may have 0:44:02.719 --> 0:44:05.120 registered them, but you never engage them. You're not talking 0:44:05.200 --> 0:44:07.719 to them. We are bringing folks over to our side. 0:44:07.760 --> 0:44:10.640 We're bringing as many Republicans and independence into the fold 0:44:10.719 --> 0:44:13.759 as we possibly can, and they're showing up and they're 0:44:13.800 --> 0:44:15.000 bringing other folks with them. 0:44:15.400 --> 0:44:19.000 Christopher, I love having you on the panel because one 0:44:19.040 --> 0:44:20.880 thing that we do on this show is tried as 0:44:20.960 --> 0:44:24.120 often as possible to center the voices of everybody, especially 0:44:24.239 --> 0:44:27.200 black men. If our viewers would call our past few shows, 0:44:27.239 --> 0:44:31.560 we've had an i say, asymmetric number of black male guests. 0:44:31.880 --> 0:44:33.600 Now I know my peer group. 0:44:33.680 --> 0:44:36.360 And my seniors and the people right below me, and 0:44:36.440 --> 0:44:40.280 they are enthusiastic to vote for Vice President Harris despite 0:44:40.360 --> 0:44:43.520 this false media narrative perpetuated by folks who don't look 0:44:43.640 --> 0:44:45.920 like us. I'm curious from your peer group, who I 0:44:46.000 --> 0:44:49.239 don't have the privilege of talking to as much, how 0:44:49.320 --> 0:44:51.320 confident are you that young black men are going to 0:44:51.360 --> 0:44:54.040 show up to these polls enthusiastically on Tuesday. 0:44:55.120 --> 0:44:58.680 I'm pretty enthusiastic about it. I think most black men 0:44:58.719 --> 0:45:00.680 are supporting Harris at this point in time, and I 0:45:00.760 --> 0:45:03.319 think that's never kind of been an issue amongst us. 0:45:03.400 --> 0:45:07.480 We've always kind of demonstrated our support for her. I 0:45:07.600 --> 0:45:09.879 do think there may be a slight turnout for Trump 0:45:10.000 --> 0:45:12.520 or for the other side and the replica Republican Party, 0:45:13.160 --> 0:45:16.040 but I don't think that's gonna negate the fact that 0:45:16.160 --> 0:45:20.240 black men have an overwhelming support for Kamala Harris. 0:45:20.320 --> 0:45:22.439 Do you hear people saying that in your peer group? 0:45:22.560 --> 0:45:26.080 Do you hear people talking to you about okay, and 0:45:26.160 --> 0:45:30.640 what is the what is their I guess attraction, like 0:45:30.760 --> 0:45:33.560 what attracts them to the other side of this divide. 0:45:33.960 --> 0:45:37.239 Honestly, I wouldn't say it's attracting to the other side. 0:45:37.320 --> 0:45:39.680 I think a lot of them feel like their versus 0:45:39.760 --> 0:45:44.279 voices haven't been heard. They feel like this, well, a 0:45:44.320 --> 0:45:46.120 lot of us are. A lot of them are looking 0:45:46.200 --> 0:45:48.640 at the state of the community and just thinking about 0:45:48.680 --> 0:45:51.400 what's you know, changing over these last four years, or 0:45:51.400 --> 0:45:54.120 what's over the last eight years. And most people are 0:45:54.600 --> 0:45:57.080 opting not to vote. That's what I kind of hear 0:45:57.200 --> 0:45:59.600 more so than like voting for Trump. I see most 0:45:59.600 --> 0:46:01.560 people saying I'm just not going to vote at all. 0:46:02.280 --> 0:46:05.040 And that's honestly where a lot of people are at 0:46:05.120 --> 0:46:08.080 nowadays in terms of like just seeing a political system 0:46:08.120 --> 0:46:09.319 in the government and. 0:46:10.200 --> 0:46:11.319 Yeah, what do you say to them? 0:46:13.440 --> 0:46:17.040 Yeah, I respond to them. So the way we do 0:46:17.120 --> 0:46:20.480 it with our organization HBCU, Inc. So we try to 0:46:20.520 --> 0:46:23.960 get the students engaged in different ways. So one method 0:46:24.120 --> 0:46:27.759 was just doing postcarding where they write postcards and put 0:46:28.000 --> 0:46:30.400 express their own ideas of what they want change to 0:46:30.520 --> 0:46:33.920 those people, and the postcards go out to Florida Virginia 0:46:34.400 --> 0:46:37.800 and other states around the nation. And this makes the 0:46:37.880 --> 0:46:40.400 students feel like they're engaged in actually doing something and 0:46:40.440 --> 0:46:43.520 getting their voice across instead of just you know, I'm 0:46:43.560 --> 0:46:45.840 gonna go to the selection and hope that they do 0:46:45.960 --> 0:46:47.000 something for me after it. 0:46:47.600 --> 0:46:49.600 So can I want to ask a follow up? And 0:46:49.840 --> 0:46:51.400 this is a straight up We try to keep it 0:46:51.440 --> 0:46:55.240 a buck on this show. So I am really curious when. 0:46:56.560 --> 0:46:59.480 Like you in the dorm with your people, you. 0:47:02.320 --> 0:47:06.480 He ain't do yeah, I'm fourth you or not, You're 0:47:06.520 --> 0:47:06.959 with your. 0:47:06.880 --> 0:47:07.600 Friends wherever you. 0:47:09.560 --> 0:47:13.279 Right, whatever is appropriate, and you hear somebody saying, yeah, man, 0:47:13.320 --> 0:47:14.200 I ain't even voting. 0:47:14.560 --> 0:47:15.960 Like, what's your straight up answer? 0:47:16.120 --> 0:47:18.759 Not the I'm on a podium answer, but like, straight up, 0:47:18.920 --> 0:47:22.000 how are you talking to your peers saying, my g 0:47:22.360 --> 0:47:22.840 that ain't it? 0:47:23.320 --> 0:47:24.120 What do you say? 0:47:24.600 --> 0:47:26.759 Well, first off, I do give them that answer. Okay, 0:47:27.000 --> 0:47:28.640 if you are going to go vote, make sure you 0:47:28.760 --> 0:47:32.239 educate yourself and give them incentive of powering them with 0:47:32.360 --> 0:47:35.640 that knowledge and not just like going again studying with 0:47:35.760 --> 0:47:40.040 these bills and amendments actually mean read the language of it, but. 0:47:42.040 --> 0:47:42.400 You're right. 0:47:42.480 --> 0:47:44.960 But when you educate them on what is actually on 0:47:45.040 --> 0:47:47.600 the ballot, like homestead and what does homestead actually mean 0:47:47.719 --> 0:47:50.600 if you're looking to potentially be a homeowner eventually, what 0:47:50.680 --> 0:47:53.960 does this mean to you? And actually connecting the amendments 0:47:54.040 --> 0:47:57.680 to them and their actual reality. And if honestly, if 0:47:57.680 --> 0:47:59.239 they say I'm not going to vote, then I say, 0:47:59.320 --> 0:48:02.160 check out my organ and our organization. We have a 0:48:02.280 --> 0:48:06.120 garden here on Family's campus. We're mentoring at Family DRS. 0:48:06.920 --> 0:48:08.680 This is weekly, so tomorrow we're going to be at 0:48:08.719 --> 0:48:11.200 the garden and everything like that. So there's also proactive 0:48:11.320 --> 0:48:14.759 ways besides just voting to change your community. And I 0:48:14.800 --> 0:48:17.279 think that's what is more appealing to people at this hour, 0:48:17.800 --> 0:48:20.520 is just self determination and self help and actually like 0:48:20.600 --> 0:48:23.359 building for themselves. We have a lot of I don't 0:48:23.400 --> 0:48:26.279 mean to go on around or anything, but we have 0:48:26.760 --> 0:48:29.759 a couple businesses within our organization. We have about ten 0:48:29.800 --> 0:48:32.680 businesses within our organization, and one of them is right there. 0:48:32.800 --> 0:48:38.080 She has a crochet clothing company called Noble Treasures. We 0:48:38.200 --> 0:48:41.880 have another another member on the side, he has a 0:48:42.000 --> 0:48:46.759 holistic healing company. So just yeah, teaching these students not 0:48:46.880 --> 0:48:50.360 only just voting is a method, but going out and 0:48:50.440 --> 0:48:53.279 doing something for yourself, creating a new reality shifting your 0:48:53.360 --> 0:48:56.799 lifestyle so you can shift the entire paradigm in which we. 0:48:56.920 --> 0:48:59.880 Live and how policy impacts small business owners. 0:49:00.080 --> 0:49:00.480 That's ma'am. 0:49:00.600 --> 0:49:01.960 Yes, ma'am, I love it. 0:49:03.120 --> 0:49:05.200 I want to just quickly and I know we have 0:49:05.280 --> 0:49:07.640 to let you go, Lauren. I know you're running today. 0:49:07.760 --> 0:49:10.120 You have to squeeze us in, so we're grateful. I 0:49:10.200 --> 0:49:15.640 want to just ask you really quickly, Jasmine. You talked 0:49:15.640 --> 0:49:19.200 about a million vote different like a basically like a 0:49:19.239 --> 0:49:23.279 gulf between progressives or Democratic leaning voters and Republicans. 0:49:23.920 --> 0:49:27.320 What do you think it will take for that margin 0:49:27.440 --> 0:49:28.600 to shift for Tuesday? 0:49:29.760 --> 0:49:33.560 So we are in a state where I think you 0:49:33.719 --> 0:49:39.680 already know project existence far before this document did, and 0:49:40.040 --> 0:49:42.520 we have been living under a governorship for the past 0:49:42.600 --> 0:49:45.640 five or six years where the reality is so bleak. 0:49:46.080 --> 0:49:49.400 We have experienced multiple hurricanes, where insurance is an issue, 0:49:49.520 --> 0:49:53.280 housing is an issue. When this campaign talks about price gouging, 0:49:53.360 --> 0:49:56.040 we're experiencing it as people are trying to escape to safety. 0:49:56.640 --> 0:49:59.520 So this isn't something that they're reading in a document. 0:49:59.560 --> 0:49:59.919 We're living. 0:50:00.280 --> 0:50:02.759 We've been experiencing it for a really long time, and 0:50:02.920 --> 0:50:05.439 I think people are finally connecting the dots they see 0:50:05.480 --> 0:50:07.640 who's in charge and who can make those decisions, and 0:50:07.719 --> 0:50:10.560 they see that in our governor, who takes his decisions 0:50:10.640 --> 0:50:15.000 from a mega party extremist boss, which is you know, 0:50:15.160 --> 0:50:18.359 Donald Trump, and folks are making that connection and saying, 0:50:18.400 --> 0:50:20.640 this does not work for me anymore. This does not 0:50:20.800 --> 0:50:23.680 serve me, It does not serve my family. Unfortunately. It 0:50:23.760 --> 0:50:26.800 takes natural disasters like that to impact people's lives in 0:50:26.840 --> 0:50:29.480 a real way. And it also takes ripping books out 0:50:29.520 --> 0:50:32.640 of schools, taking black history off of the curriculum, you know, 0:50:33.080 --> 0:50:37.359 attacking trans children, fighting immigration issues in other states where 0:50:37.360 --> 0:50:38.359 people have issues here. 0:50:38.400 --> 0:50:39.440 We can't talk about. 0:50:39.360 --> 0:50:42.359 Where money is going in other countries when we see 0:50:42.400 --> 0:50:44.440 the example of what our governor is doing by sending 0:50:44.480 --> 0:50:46.799 resources to other states when people can't escape here. 0:50:47.320 --> 0:50:48.680 And so that's what it takes. 0:50:49.000 --> 0:50:51.600 And I think folks again are seeing the difference with 0:50:52.040 --> 0:50:53.480 the levels of government and how. 0:50:53.440 --> 0:50:54.480 They are interconnected. 0:50:54.760 --> 0:50:57.080 And when you go to your ballot, this fall take 0:50:57.120 --> 0:50:59.400 into consideration that every single person that is on that 0:50:59.480 --> 0:51:02.359 ballot us to work together from local all the way 0:51:02.440 --> 0:51:03.319 up to federal. 0:51:03.280 --> 0:51:04.720 To get what we need in this community. 0:51:04.920 --> 0:51:07.520 Thank you so much, and honestly, I want to give 0:51:07.560 --> 0:51:09.839 Lauren her flowers as well, or we brought the mayor 0:51:09.840 --> 0:51:13.040 of Tallahassee uh this semester, and you know, this is 0:51:13.080 --> 0:51:15.200 our second year doing it, and just continue to having 0:51:15.239 --> 0:51:17.440 that engagement from the local level. I think that's a 0:51:17.480 --> 0:51:20.239 great point in just you know, making sure they understand, Uh, 0:51:20.360 --> 0:51:23.400 this is a bottom up situation where it starts locally 0:51:23.520 --> 0:51:24.680 and it works its way up. 0:51:24.960 --> 0:51:26.880 Absolutely absolutely no shade. 0:51:26.920 --> 0:51:28.719 But I only know one mayor of Tallahassee. 0:51:31.960 --> 0:51:32.120 Bring. 0:51:34.960 --> 0:51:35.960 I don't know a man. 0:51:37.160 --> 0:51:37.920 Thank you so much. 0:51:38.239 --> 0:51:39.400 Get enjoy homecoming. 0:51:39.600 --> 0:52:00.240 Jes Oh, the Lord is mild on us with some clouds. 0:52:03.719 --> 0:52:05.200 Because it's all them all over the country. 0:52:05.360 --> 0:52:07.080 Shout out to the small business. 0:52:08.440 --> 0:52:09.560 Hundred degrees out here. 0:52:09.920 --> 0:52:11.399 We got Disney meeting, y'all. 0:52:11.719 --> 0:52:13.400 You know what I'm saying that my I'm most excited 0:52:13.400 --> 0:52:14.279 about Desmond meeting. 0:52:14.280 --> 0:52:15.640 Oh just forget everybody else. 0:52:15.840 --> 0:52:19.000 I'm happy about everybody else, but but Desmond Meat has 0:52:19.080 --> 0:52:21.880 done the Lord's work. So this this year in Florida, 0:52:21.920 --> 0:52:24.600 Amendment four is about abortion. But you all will recall 0:52:25.239 --> 0:52:29.160 uh years ago twenty eighteen, Amendment Florida was about restoring 0:52:29.640 --> 0:52:34.800 voting rights for formerly incarcerated people who are returning citizens, 0:52:35.200 --> 0:52:38.120 and desneh mean led that work for the state of Florida, 0:52:38.160 --> 0:52:40.200 but also the work that he did here cast a 0:52:40.280 --> 0:52:43.800 wide net influence across the country and even today, millions 0:52:43.880 --> 0:52:46.759 of people remained disenfranchised because of the time. And not 0:52:46.880 --> 0:52:48.759 only were you leading that work, but you became an 0:52:48.840 --> 0:52:50.600 attorney while incarcerated. 0:52:50.680 --> 0:52:51.719 So brother, you know we love you. 0:52:52.600 --> 0:52:56.839 We thank y'all so much for having me. I missed 0:52:56.880 --> 0:52:58.319 this for the world. I drove three and a half 0:52:58.480 --> 0:53:02.439 hours forget yeah, hang out with y'all for a couple 0:53:02.480 --> 0:53:02.880 of minutes. 0:53:04.520 --> 0:53:06.239 I wanted him to have his own time for a 0:53:06.280 --> 0:53:06.560 little bit. 0:53:06.600 --> 0:53:08.640 We're gonna bring him some panelists too, but I wanted 0:53:09.239 --> 0:53:14.040 there's a special, unique spiritual connection between these two because 0:53:14.080 --> 0:53:16.319 of the time on the ballot together and. 0:53:16.360 --> 0:53:17.399 I us one. 0:53:19.160 --> 0:53:19.719 I'm gonna make it. 0:53:20.800 --> 0:53:23.560 But in truth, I would love for you to just 0:53:23.719 --> 0:53:28.240 update our viewers nationally on since the passage of Amendment 0:53:28.400 --> 0:53:32.560 for Desmond. They know that they heard some wrangling in 0:53:32.640 --> 0:53:35.759 the legislature and the governor around its interpretation. Where do 0:53:35.880 --> 0:53:38.080 we sit today as a result of that, And obviously 0:53:38.160 --> 0:53:41.160 that goes without saying how proud we are of you, 0:53:41.360 --> 0:53:44.320 the amendment and the voters of Florida who tried to 0:53:44.560 --> 0:53:46.400 you know, who tried to change the law make it right. 0:53:46.760 --> 0:53:49.400 Well, Andrew, I'm glad you used that word nationally. 0:53:49.560 --> 0:53:49.680 Right. 0:53:49.840 --> 0:53:52.160 So, first of all, you know, since the passages of 0:53:52.200 --> 0:53:55.160 Amendment for we know, the Florida legislature had implemented the 0:53:55.239 --> 0:53:58.120 law that basically made people have to pay outstanding legal 0:53:58.200 --> 0:53:59.160 financial obligations. 0:53:59.280 --> 0:53:59.400 Right. 0:53:59.560 --> 0:54:01.520 But the problem was was that when people would go 0:54:01.600 --> 0:54:02.960 to the state and say, well how much I owe, 0:54:03.040 --> 0:54:05.200 the state was like, well, I don't know, right, And 0:54:05.360 --> 0:54:08.880 that has been a consistent problem. And you know, over 0:54:08.920 --> 0:54:11.600 the last couple of years you've even seen people getting arrested, 0:54:11.920 --> 0:54:15.040 which was problematic because everyone that got arrested, even the 0:54:15.120 --> 0:54:19.320 women in Texas, they all had one thing in common. 0:54:19.440 --> 0:54:20.040 You know what it was? 0:54:20.400 --> 0:54:23.680 They were all issued a voter identification card by the state. 0:54:24.000 --> 0:54:26.120 And if you can't rely on the state to determine 0:54:26.160 --> 0:54:28.000 for the eligibility, then who can. 0:54:27.920 --> 0:54:28.440 You rely on? 0:54:28.600 --> 0:54:30.880 And so we end up having to file a lawsuit 0:54:30.920 --> 0:54:34.040 against the entire state of Florida, and I'm talking about 0:54:34.080 --> 0:54:37.280 the entire state over two hundred and sixty seven plaintiffs, 0:54:37.360 --> 0:54:40.320 I mean defendants. We have wow, right, and as a 0:54:40.360 --> 0:54:43.800 result of their lawsuit, the state is now finalizing some 0:54:44.000 --> 0:54:47.680 policy changes that would allow anyone, if they have any 0:54:47.880 --> 0:54:51.480 doubts about their voter eligibility to actually find out within 0:54:51.520 --> 0:54:52.640 a certain amount of time. 0:54:52.680 --> 0:54:55.160 Or it is presumed that they're eligible to vote. So 0:54:55.320 --> 0:54:57.680 we're keeping our fingers crossed on this. 0:54:58.000 --> 0:55:00.600 But why I like what you said about the national 0:55:00.960 --> 0:55:03.000 because one of the reasons I was excited to come 0:55:03.040 --> 0:55:05.040 on this show because I know you guys have a 0:55:05.120 --> 0:55:08.640 reach that is nationwide. Right, is that what I'm excited 0:55:08.680 --> 0:55:13.800 about is related to Amendment. For because in every battleground state, 0:55:14.280 --> 0:55:18.000 key states right now, in this election, impacted people like 0:55:18.080 --> 0:55:21.359 me are returning. Citizens like me are four to ten 0:55:21.600 --> 0:55:25.120 times the margin of victory in the last presidential election. 0:55:25.440 --> 0:55:28.000 For instance, in Georgia, which was won by a little 0:55:28.000 --> 0:55:31.760 over eleven thousand votes, they're over eight hundred thousand people 0:55:31.920 --> 0:55:34.560 in Georgia where the previous felony conviction who are elgib 0:55:34.600 --> 0:55:37.200 with the vote. Wow, right, same thing in North Carolina. 0:55:37.560 --> 0:55:40.439 In North Carolina it was won by seventy thousand votes. 0:55:40.560 --> 0:55:44.040 There's four hundred and eighty one thousand eligible people right now, 0:55:44.280 --> 0:55:46.839 and they can register the vote all the way up 0:55:46.880 --> 0:55:51.680 to tomorrow. And yeah, same thing in Wisconsin, in Michigan, 0:55:51.880 --> 0:55:54.839 in Philadelphia, it's the same thing. Hundreds of thousands more 0:55:55.239 --> 0:55:58.480 people who've been impacted by the criminal justice system can 0:55:58.800 --> 0:56:01.480 have a significant role in this election. 0:56:01.640 --> 0:56:03.600 And it's not too late for people. 0:56:03.400 --> 0:56:08.680 In Wisconsin, in Michigan, in Arizona, in Nevada, and even 0:56:08.719 --> 0:56:12.120 in Minnesota and in Virginia, because people can register the 0:56:12.200 --> 0:56:14.680 vote all the way up to the election day. Yes, 0:56:14.840 --> 0:56:17.839 and so we definitely, I definitely want to be able 0:56:17.880 --> 0:56:19.680 to get the word out to let people know that 0:56:19.840 --> 0:56:22.800 just because you've been impacted, just because you've been arrested 0:56:22.920 --> 0:56:25.520 or have a felony conviction, that doesn't mean that you 0:56:25.680 --> 0:56:28.360 can't have a say in the direction that this country 0:56:28.480 --> 0:56:31.880 go in after November fifth, Right, and folks need to 0:56:31.920 --> 0:56:34.400 know that because there's over nineteen million people across the 0:56:34.480 --> 0:56:35.480 country who. 0:56:35.440 --> 0:56:37.399 Are else with the vote, they think they can't vote, 0:56:37.440 --> 0:56:38.520 are too scared to vote. 0:56:38.680 --> 0:56:41.680 Well, this is just the first first step really in 0:56:42.000 --> 0:56:45.000 restoring a very punishing criminal justice system, particularly when it 0:56:45.040 --> 0:56:46.919 comes to black men. I'm not leaving out black women, 0:56:47.560 --> 0:56:50.480 but people of color are disproportionately harmed by the current 0:56:51.480 --> 0:56:54.640 criminal justice system. What is your ass once Vice President 0:56:54.719 --> 0:56:57.440 Harris becomes President elect. Harris, what is your ask of 0:56:57.560 --> 0:57:00.560 this administration to really remap I. 0:57:00.680 --> 0:57:02.919 Love your positive and forward things. 0:57:04.640 --> 0:57:08.120 First of all, if I were to give an ask, 0:57:08.200 --> 0:57:11.640 I would get rid of this first, right, and I 0:57:11.760 --> 0:57:12.279 put this on. 0:57:14.120 --> 0:57:17.120 And basically what that say is f the F word, right, 0:57:17.200 --> 0:57:20.160 because for too long that F word is just like 0:57:20.240 --> 0:57:21.160 the N word. Right. 0:57:21.520 --> 0:57:26.080 For too long we've used that word to marginalize people, right, 0:57:26.200 --> 0:57:28.000 and it is stuck with them as a scholar, that 0:57:28.080 --> 0:57:30.360 of shame for all of their lives. Somebody may have 0:57:30.480 --> 0:57:33.959 done something twenty thirty years ago. I mean, look, last 0:57:34.040 --> 0:57:37.840 year my organization was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Right, 0:57:37.920 --> 0:57:40.920 so now I'm a Nobel Peace Prize nominee. I am 0:57:41.120 --> 0:57:44.920 time one hundred most influential. I'm MacArthur genius for the really. 0:57:44.760 --> 0:57:46.880 Another year, and I still have to go by that 0:57:47.120 --> 0:57:49.280 F work with people fur me and. 0:57:49.360 --> 0:57:50.640 So we have to start there. 0:57:50.760 --> 0:57:52.600 So that would be one of the things is that 0:57:52.800 --> 0:57:55.400 do not you have to take a more humane approach 0:57:55.720 --> 0:57:59.040 to criminal justice and people who've been impacted by the 0:57:59.080 --> 0:57:59.960 criminal justice. 0:58:00.400 --> 0:58:02.800 Yeah, So I just I want our viewers to know 0:58:02.880 --> 0:58:06.800 because they probably can't hear and the music isn't coming 0:58:06.840 --> 0:58:09.440 through the mic. But if you're listening to us or 0:58:09.480 --> 0:58:11.720 watching at home, it's very loud here on the ground. 0:58:11.760 --> 0:58:13.160 I know you guys hear us at home. 0:58:16.400 --> 0:58:20.480 Trying to speak loud, but I really appreciate it anyway, 0:58:20.720 --> 0:58:22.800 I really appreciate what you said, because that's such an 0:58:22.840 --> 0:58:26.880 important issue around reframing. A lot of people don't even 0:58:27.000 --> 0:58:29.360 know how to talk about it themselves. So we hear 0:58:29.520 --> 0:58:32.920 our own people saying felon or for former felon. So 0:58:33.040 --> 0:58:36.640 we try to reintroduce language returning citizens formally. 0:58:36.400 --> 0:58:39.480 In justice impact of people, you know what. A lot 0:58:39.560 --> 0:58:42.320 of people can normalize the end word as well, like yo, 0:58:42.560 --> 0:58:43.360 my end, what's up? 0:58:43.440 --> 0:58:43.600 You know? 0:58:43.680 --> 0:58:46.000 Yeah, we even turned it into a term of endearment. 0:58:46.040 --> 0:58:48.560 But the reality is is that the origin of that 0:58:48.680 --> 0:58:51.920 word is meant to be dehumanizing to someone else, right 0:58:52.320 --> 0:58:55.800 and and and here's the catch that if we if 0:58:55.880 --> 0:58:59.040 we understand the the human nation aspect of it, the 0:58:59.120 --> 0:59:02.400 humanizing aspect of it, then that means that we should 0:59:02.640 --> 0:59:04.640 not use that word, even for our enemies. To be 0:59:04.720 --> 0:59:10.880 totally honest with you, Well, so hire was a problem. 0:59:10.960 --> 0:59:13.080 Let me tell you what the problem was they jumped 0:59:13.120 --> 0:59:16.000 the gun because technically, at the time when they started 0:59:16.120 --> 0:59:17.960 using the F word on him, he was not that 0:59:18.640 --> 0:59:21.640 he was found guilty of a couple of charges. Now 0:59:21.680 --> 0:59:23.880 here's the thing that he have a ton of other 0:59:24.240 --> 0:59:25.600 outstanding charges out there. 0:59:25.800 --> 0:59:28.080 So he's currently under criminal investigation. 0:59:28.640 --> 0:59:31.480 Right at the time that the jury filed them guilty, 0:59:31.760 --> 0:59:33.840 they found him guilty of a couple of charges, but 0:59:34.280 --> 0:59:38.200 there wasn't an adjudication of guilt, right, and there wasn't 0:59:38.240 --> 0:59:41.000 a finding of guilt yet, you know, And so until 0:59:41.120 --> 0:59:45.120 that happens, technically he's not He is just a person 0:59:45.200 --> 0:59:48.000 that was convicted by a jury, but that has not 0:59:48.200 --> 0:59:50.960 finalized yet, and so we kind of like jumped the 0:59:51.000 --> 0:59:54.400 gun on that. That was unfortunate because even when I 0:59:54.680 --> 0:59:57.640 was looking at the first debate with President Biden, when 0:59:57.680 --> 1:00:01.160 he used that F word, it had much vendom behind it. 1:00:01.280 --> 1:00:02.560 I felt like he was talking to me. 1:00:02.840 --> 1:00:03.640 Yeah, I felt it. 1:00:03.960 --> 1:00:06.080 And it's just like having that white friend that's cool 1:00:06.120 --> 1:00:08.479 with you all these years and one day somebody black 1:00:08.520 --> 1:00:10.000 pists them off and that it worked come out of 1:00:10.000 --> 1:00:10.360 his mouth. 1:00:11.000 --> 1:00:13.160 Start, man, I'm wonder how many times he said that 1:00:13.280 --> 1:00:14.919 about Yeah, another ed word. 1:00:14.960 --> 1:00:16.240 We can use to describe him. 1:00:16.280 --> 1:00:17.120 It's called fraud. 1:00:18.200 --> 1:00:18.520 Fraud. 1:00:19.040 --> 1:00:21.200 So I know that we have some other guests that 1:00:21.240 --> 1:00:22.680 are joining us to state place Dans. 1:00:23.320 --> 1:00:25.480 But you gotta give your stuff. Okay, I want you. 1:00:25.600 --> 1:00:28.840 You'll be joined now by two Uh yeah, go ahead, 1:00:28.920 --> 1:00:32.040 other individuals who are one important in this state but 1:00:32.120 --> 1:00:34.440 also important in this election cycle. I want to invite 1:00:34.720 --> 1:00:35.960 Shawn and kimber come on up. 1:00:36.640 --> 1:00:36.760 Uh. 1:00:36.960 --> 1:00:42.200 And approaching the podium now is u Kim Rivers who 1:00:43.200 --> 1:00:48.200 owns truly did you see those signs to leave medical 1:00:48.280 --> 1:00:53.080 marijuana distributor distributorships here in town and around the state, 1:00:53.240 --> 1:00:56.160 really around the country. This is its owner and chair 1:00:56.280 --> 1:01:00.520 of the board. Also former SGA president of Florida State University. 1:01:02.160 --> 1:01:03.200 That is this poetic? 1:01:03.320 --> 1:01:07.080 Or what right? Everybody's been impacted? 1:01:11.360 --> 1:01:13.200 How many people are finding bars? 1:01:13.840 --> 1:01:21.400 That's right? Yes? And next to Kim is is political strategist, lobbyist, lawyer, uh, 1:01:21.800 --> 1:01:25.600 my former finance chairman and my race for governor of 1:01:25.680 --> 1:01:26.360 the State of Florida. 1:01:26.440 --> 1:01:26.880 Good friend. 1:01:27.240 --> 1:01:30.840 And now we add to it author Sean Pittman, who 1:01:31.000 --> 1:01:33.680 is face here at Tallahassee but a great supporter of 1:01:33.800 --> 1:01:37.960 the show and and awesome, awesome, strategist. You want them 1:01:37.960 --> 1:01:38.479 on your side. 1:01:39.320 --> 1:01:41.440 Thank you for introducing me, my new mess friends in 1:01:41.520 --> 1:01:41.920 the middle. 1:01:42.080 --> 1:01:45.120 Okay, yes, right. 1:01:45.040 --> 1:01:46.200 We'll talk after this show. 1:01:46.200 --> 1:01:46.680 I love that. 1:01:48.200 --> 1:01:50.800 You champion the issue I care very deeply about. So 1:01:50.960 --> 1:01:54.280 welcome home, y'all, thanks for being here. I hope the 1:01:54.400 --> 1:01:56.760 audience can hear. Can you guys here okay? Okay, good, 1:01:56.840 --> 1:01:58.880 So they're good. You guys are good. The audience at 1:01:58.920 --> 1:01:59.880 home can here because we're. 1:01:59.800 --> 1:02:02.040 In the you can't hear, I can't hear you? 1:02:02.240 --> 1:02:05.400 Okay, can you hear the guest? Okay, yes, yes, okay, 1:02:05.440 --> 1:02:07.480 so everybody can hear. So we're good with the with 1:02:07.680 --> 1:02:08.600 with this. But it's it is. 1:02:08.960 --> 1:02:11.320 I want the viewers and know it is popping live 1:02:11.400 --> 1:02:14.400 and popping here on campus and so much music. But 1:02:14.560 --> 1:02:17.240 let's let's get into this because I'm really I do 1:02:17.360 --> 1:02:21.400 want to talk kickoff with the issue of marijuana. One, 1:02:21.600 --> 1:02:23.960 why is that your issue? And too, how are you 1:02:24.160 --> 1:02:28.600 connecting accessibility and a lot of the legalizations. We see 1:02:28.640 --> 1:02:30.680 who's making money off of it and who's not, and 1:02:30.760 --> 1:02:34.000 the people who are most impacted by the criminal justices 1:02:34.040 --> 1:02:37.560 inside of marijuana are not making money from it. But 1:02:37.960 --> 1:02:41.440 BC's venture capitalists private equity. These are the people who 1:02:41.440 --> 1:02:43.600 are profiting. So would love your thoughts on that. Yeah, 1:02:44.000 --> 1:02:44.680 thanks for having me. 1:02:45.200 --> 1:02:49.040 And Amendment three is really about, first and foremost, we've 1:02:49.040 --> 1:02:51.120 got to stop the madness. It is time that we 1:02:51.280 --> 1:02:55.560 stop putting people in jail and and targeting and profiling 1:02:55.680 --> 1:02:58.120 and arresting thoks for marijuana. And here in the state 1:02:58.160 --> 1:03:00.720 of Florida, we have got in Florida, and I know 1:03:01.200 --> 1:03:03.680 Andrew can talk about this at length, but we've got 1:03:03.760 --> 1:03:07.520 a checkerboard of enforcement regimes across the state. And so 1:03:07.800 --> 1:03:09.400 you know, you could be in one place and maybe 1:03:09.440 --> 1:03:11.960 it's a civil citation, but you cross that border into 1:03:12.000 --> 1:03:14.400 the next county and not only are you getting arrested, 1:03:14.480 --> 1:03:16.800 but you're going to jail. And so we've got we've 1:03:16.800 --> 1:03:18.880 got to even the playing field here and create a 1:03:18.920 --> 1:03:23.040 bright line so that we stop again arresting people ruining 1:03:23.080 --> 1:03:26.280 people's lives over a plant. So that's that's number one, 1:03:26.320 --> 1:03:29.520 and that's really I'm very very passionate about that. We've 1:03:29.560 --> 1:03:32.800 done spongement clinics across the state of Florida and across 1:03:32.840 --> 1:03:35.800 the country, and we know and we see firsthand that 1:03:36.280 --> 1:03:40.120 it's very difficult to recover and they've done that intentionally, 1:03:40.240 --> 1:03:42.600 candidly to make it really hard for people to come 1:03:42.680 --> 1:03:45.800 back from just a possession charge. Right, you can't get 1:03:45.840 --> 1:03:48.600 a job, you can't get employed. So number one, number two, 1:03:49.160 --> 1:03:50.960 we need to create an environment. 1:03:50.600 --> 1:03:53.560 Where adults, responsible adults. 1:03:53.160 --> 1:03:55.000 Over the age of twenty one have the freedom to 1:03:55.040 --> 1:03:58.280 make a personal choice on a product that's safer than 1:03:58.320 --> 1:03:59.960 alcohol in the privacy of their own home. 1:04:00.160 --> 1:04:03.439 So it's a personal freedom, you know amendment as well. 1:04:03.680 --> 1:04:05.240 And what we know is that there are. 1:04:05.200 --> 1:04:08.160 Products right now that are in our communities that are dangerous, 1:04:08.600 --> 1:04:11.120 that are laced with a lot of different substances. In 1:04:11.240 --> 1:04:14.160 some cases, in gats In County, we had nine individuals 1:04:14.320 --> 1:04:15.960 die over a weekend over a. 1:04:16.000 --> 1:04:18.200 Bad batch of weed. It's ridiculous. 1:04:18.320 --> 1:04:20.320 And we have an opportunity now to make sure that 1:04:20.360 --> 1:04:24.600 people and adults have access to smart, safe, regulated product 1:04:25.000 --> 1:04:25.280 here in. 1:04:25.280 --> 1:04:25.960 The state of Florida. 1:04:26.280 --> 1:04:28.680 Now, to answer your question directly, you know, the state 1:04:28.720 --> 1:04:31.760 of Florida has been It is an interesting landscape right now, 1:04:31.880 --> 1:04:33.480 right and I'm not here to tell you any differently. 1:04:33.840 --> 1:04:36.960 There's twenty five companies currently that are licensed. 1:04:37.400 --> 1:04:38.920 Sitting on the Governor's desk. 1:04:38.840 --> 1:04:41.600 Is another twenty Two, we fought really really hard to 1:04:41.720 --> 1:04:45.280 make sure that in those licenses that there's a class 1:04:45.560 --> 1:04:49.200 of farmers here called the Pigford licenses that are our 1:04:49.240 --> 1:04:53.960 African American farm owners who were initially not able to 1:04:54.000 --> 1:04:57.360 participate in the licensing arena. We have fought really really 1:04:57.400 --> 1:05:00.160 hard to make sure that there is licenses now that 1:05:00.360 --> 1:05:03.160 have been and are being issued for that class's five. 1:05:03.600 --> 1:05:07.720 So of those current licenses, five specifically are allocated for 1:05:08.360 --> 1:05:12.920 for you know, black businesses that have had agriculture and candidly, 1:05:13.000 --> 1:05:15.720 we're you know, disenfranchised a long time ago, and I 1:05:15.760 --> 1:05:17.600 think that's the right thing to do here, and that's 1:05:17.640 --> 1:05:18.160 what we've done. 1:05:18.600 --> 1:05:20.040 Now, they're still room for improvement. 1:05:20.360 --> 1:05:22.840 So we also give the legislature and ability to issue 1:05:22.880 --> 1:05:25.160 new licenses and so there can be a whole new 1:05:25.240 --> 1:05:27.720 licensing regime. So the idea here is that this is 1:05:27.760 --> 1:05:30.280 a market expander to bring more opportunity to the state. 1:05:30.720 --> 1:05:32.720 In addition the tax revenue, this is going to. 1:05:32.760 --> 1:05:35.440 Generate four hundred million dollars every year that we can 1:05:35.520 --> 1:05:37.680 generate back into our communities to make sure that we're 1:05:37.720 --> 1:05:40.680 doing right by those communities that have been the most 1:05:40.760 --> 1:05:43.680 impacted by this crazy war on drugs that candidly has 1:05:43.680 --> 1:05:44.480 gone on way too long. 1:05:44.640 --> 1:05:48.080 Yeah, But the savings that the system will experience by 1:05:48.200 --> 1:05:51.560 not Desmond you know as well, Yeah, I prosecuting in 1:05:51.640 --> 1:05:52.600 the dial system. 1:05:52.960 --> 1:05:55.120 You're talking about over two hundred million dollars a loan, 1:05:55.320 --> 1:05:57.080 say save to tax visions. 1:05:57.200 --> 1:05:59.640 Well, absolutely, I think it's it's I think it's far 1:05:59.720 --> 1:06:01.640 more than that, right. And the reason why I've say 1:06:01.720 --> 1:06:02.880 that is that you're. 1:06:02.760 --> 1:06:05.920 Talking about to You're talking about two hundred million that 1:06:06.080 --> 1:06:08.760 the state will saved just from prosecuting. But the state 1:06:08.920 --> 1:06:13.400 loses over forty billion dollars a year and lost income 1:06:13.840 --> 1:06:16.920 from people that get these type of convictions, and so 1:06:17.440 --> 1:06:20.280 that the cost goes on and on. But listen, I 1:06:20.480 --> 1:06:22.960 like that question, and I have to say that traditionally, 1:06:23.560 --> 1:06:25.840 you know, one of the challenges that we've had nationally 1:06:26.200 --> 1:06:29.480 is that the people who have been getting arrested and 1:06:29.560 --> 1:06:34.960 getting these convictions, right, they are barred from profiting from 1:06:35.640 --> 1:06:39.600 you know, recreational marijuana. However, there is a glimmer of hope, 1:06:40.200 --> 1:06:42.640 right because I remember not too long ago when our 1:06:42.720 --> 1:06:45.840 current governor had raised his hand on the debate stage 1:06:45.880 --> 1:06:49.600 and said that he would support voting for someone for 1:06:49.680 --> 1:06:51.720 the office of president of the United States with a 1:06:51.720 --> 1:06:54.960 felony conviction. And so what I'm thinking that if you 1:06:55.000 --> 1:06:58.640 would support someone with a felty conviction being president of 1:06:58.800 --> 1:07:02.400 the United States, then you shouldn't have any problem supporting 1:07:02.480 --> 1:07:05.120 someone with the felony convictions who's turned their life around 1:07:05.480 --> 1:07:06.480 being able to. 1:07:06.600 --> 1:07:09.280 Profit off of this in the past. Yeah, point blank. 1:07:09.880 --> 1:07:12.120 You're able to get jobs and housing the same thing. 1:07:12.560 --> 1:07:16.560 Because it makes economic sense, it makes community, I think, 1:07:16.720 --> 1:07:22.000 value sense, and the regulatory regime, however restricted now as 1:07:22.080 --> 1:07:24.920 it expands, can be inclusive of the communities who have 1:07:25.000 --> 1:07:28.480 sat at the epicenter of the worst impacts from the 1:07:28.560 --> 1:07:31.840 War on drugs at this country has waged against them. Sean, 1:07:31.920 --> 1:07:36.320 You've obviously been in the state through democratic regimes as 1:07:36.360 --> 1:07:40.080 well as Republican regimes, which has been you know, frankly, 1:07:40.160 --> 1:07:43.440 the majority of your professional career has been under that one. 1:07:43.640 --> 1:07:47.720 I'm just curious, as we raise voters and turn voters 1:07:47.760 --> 1:07:50.440 out in this upcoming election, what hope do people have 1:07:50.680 --> 1:07:53.360 around the change that they can experience at the state 1:07:53.480 --> 1:07:55.600 level here, Because regardless of who we elect for president, 1:07:55.640 --> 1:07:58.480 which is eminently important, we still live in the state 1:07:58.520 --> 1:08:02.080 of Florida. Under what already fe like Donald Trump's America. 1:08:02.640 --> 1:08:04.800 He lives here one, but he's got a sycophant in 1:08:04.880 --> 1:08:07.440 the current governor who is attempting every day to outdo 1:08:08.200 --> 1:08:11.360 his right lead. Those are my words, not yours. You 1:08:11.400 --> 1:08:13.360 got to do business in this state tomorrow. Yeah, But 1:08:13.480 --> 1:08:16.080 my question is is what do Florida voters have by 1:08:16.120 --> 1:08:17.760 way of a motivation of turning out? 1:08:18.080 --> 1:08:20.680 Listen, you just talked about one and Amendment three, right, 1:08:20.760 --> 1:08:22.960 I mean, And one of the things I talk about 1:08:23.000 --> 1:08:25.280 in my book This Affected is you know, what are 1:08:25.320 --> 1:08:28.880 we pretending not to know as folks that are stakeholders 1:08:28.960 --> 1:08:31.960 involved in government and politics and all of that. And 1:08:32.320 --> 1:08:34.080 one of the things we pretend not to know is 1:08:34.560 --> 1:08:37.519 when there are issues like Amendment three and Amendment four 1:08:37.960 --> 1:08:42.240 that we have an opportunity to make like revolutionary change. 1:08:42.840 --> 1:08:44.960 We got to lead with those things, and we got 1:08:45.080 --> 1:08:47.880 to give people the opportunity to show up for them, right. 1:08:48.400 --> 1:08:50.360 And the other thing we got to do is manage 1:08:50.400 --> 1:08:52.559 the expectations of our elector. 1:08:52.680 --> 1:08:52.800 Right. 1:08:53.200 --> 1:08:55.920 Too many times they think if I do this, it 1:08:56.080 --> 1:08:56.479 means this. 1:08:56.680 --> 1:09:01.960 Tomorrow doesn't always mean that we would make voting today 1:09:02.200 --> 1:09:06.960 our modern day bus boycott where we sacrifice, knowing that 1:09:07.479 --> 1:09:10.560 it may take some time. We would, we would, we 1:09:10.600 --> 1:09:13.960 would make the kind of change not just nationally, but 1:09:14.120 --> 1:09:15.800 locally where it hits home. 1:09:15.920 --> 1:09:16.519 You are a mayor. 1:09:16.640 --> 1:09:18.599 You know the kind of things you can do as 1:09:18.640 --> 1:09:22.960 a mayor statewide. We can't make them think that if 1:09:23.320 --> 1:09:26.080 this person gets in office tomorrow, that's going to change 1:09:26.120 --> 1:09:28.479 their lives. What we have to do is make them 1:09:28.560 --> 1:09:31.479 realize that you're not just doing it for yourself. You're 1:09:31.479 --> 1:09:33.640 doing it for your kids and your grandkids. And we 1:09:33.760 --> 1:09:37.800 got to create that muscle memory, that voting sacred right. 1:09:38.680 --> 1:09:40.519 But at the end of the day, it is the 1:09:40.640 --> 1:09:43.360 modern day bus boycott, and it is the thing, the 1:09:43.520 --> 1:09:46.439 only thing that's going to get us down the road 1:09:46.880 --> 1:09:49.920 in a position where we really feel that change. We 1:09:50.040 --> 1:09:51.280 got to manage that expectation. 1:09:51.479 --> 1:09:53.559 Sorry, I'm doing this because I can't hear on my headphones, 1:09:53.600 --> 1:09:55.000 but we're about to adjust that. As soon as this 1:09:55.080 --> 1:09:58.080 panel's over, Desmond, I want to ask you if you 1:09:58.240 --> 1:10:02.720 can share any best practices for these lovely folks who 1:10:02.760 --> 1:10:05.160 have an initiative on the ballot and other folks throughout 1:10:05.560 --> 1:10:08.160 states all over the country that are thinking about what 1:10:08.320 --> 1:10:10.840 they can do to change their communities their states to 1:10:11.040 --> 1:10:12.719 ensure that ballot initiatives pass. 1:10:12.800 --> 1:10:14.679 You're a victor, so what do you recommend? 1:10:14.920 --> 1:10:23.320 What's the game? It's still a lot of people that 1:10:25.200 --> 1:10:26.479 So there's two things. 1:10:27.200 --> 1:10:30.800 One is Behindsight twenty twenty that you know what we've seen, 1:10:30.920 --> 1:10:34.080 especially in the state of Florida. Right is typically the 1:10:34.240 --> 1:10:39.559 second greatest display of democracy. Right, it's actually a citizens 1:10:39.640 --> 1:10:43.120 and the first is voting. The second is when the citizens, 1:10:43.200 --> 1:10:47.439 who all power belong to to begin with, right, decides 1:10:47.520 --> 1:10:49.400 to take matters in their own hand in the form 1:10:49.479 --> 1:10:52.360 of a citizen's initiative, to say this is what we 1:10:52.880 --> 1:10:56.120 as citizens want. What's troubling in the state of Florida 1:10:56.200 --> 1:10:59.280 is that they have a history of disregarding what the 1:10:59.360 --> 1:11:04.440 citizens want and they feel that, well, we are the politician, 1:11:04.760 --> 1:11:06.519 we know what's best for you, so we just need 1:11:06.600 --> 1:11:09.040 you to shut up and just do what we tell 1:11:09.040 --> 1:11:11.320 you to do. And it's gotten so bad that now 1:11:11.960 --> 1:11:16.479 you have tax payers dollars being used to fight against 1:11:16.520 --> 1:11:19.640 what the citizens wanted. I was fortunate enough that no 1:11:19.720 --> 1:11:21.840 one fought against it, maybe because I ran a great 1:11:21.880 --> 1:11:24.519 campaign right, which I do believe I did. You did 1:11:24.720 --> 1:11:29.560 right to actually preempt that kind of actually, but what 1:11:29.720 --> 1:11:32.120 I didn't or wasn't able to prey up was the 1:11:32.200 --> 1:11:36.360 backlash that came afterwards. And so my advice is is that, yes, 1:11:36.520 --> 1:11:39.040 you need to be strategic to win, but you also 1:11:39.160 --> 1:11:42.080 have to be more strategic to protect the win. 1:11:42.600 --> 1:11:44.640 That's going to be extremely important. 1:11:45.400 --> 1:11:46.479 So important though. 1:11:48.720 --> 1:11:49.760 I agree, I. 1:11:49.800 --> 1:11:51.360 Wanted to ask you all giving you an expense on 1:11:51.439 --> 1:11:52.840 these initiatives that I know We've got to move to 1:11:52.880 --> 1:11:55.639 the next panel is what do you fear for access 1:11:55.720 --> 1:12:00.400 to the ballot following your amendments through citizen initiated process. 1:12:00.560 --> 1:12:02.960 You anticipate that there's gonna be a clap back and 1:12:03.840 --> 1:12:07.320 really directly because you still got one that needs to 1:12:07.400 --> 1:12:10.680 be passed. Is how it is that you can'tpaign for 1:12:10.720 --> 1:12:13.400 an initiative that may be more effective than how you 1:12:13.520 --> 1:12:16.759 might for a candidate, or are there similarities that could. 1:12:17.520 --> 1:12:21.519 Listen candidates is entirely different than in this entirely different, 1:12:21.920 --> 1:12:24.679 you know, I think the candidates is more narrowly focused. 1:12:25.080 --> 1:12:28.839 And unfortunately, because of just who we are as a society, 1:12:28.960 --> 1:12:31.880 we have gotten to the point of where we are 1:12:32.000 --> 1:12:34.880 where we are with our candidates and and let's be real, 1:12:35.000 --> 1:12:38.479 you know, not everybody is excited about the candidates. They're 1:12:38.479 --> 1:12:42.360 excited about the moment, right, but not necessarily about the candidates. 1:12:42.560 --> 1:12:45.240 But when you're talking about an initiative, you're talking about 1:12:45.320 --> 1:12:49.280 something that speaks directly the people's heart in regardless of 1:12:49.360 --> 1:12:55.840 their political affiliation, regardless of their ethnic background or economic status. 1:12:55.920 --> 1:12:58.800 They were speaking to everyone, and that makes it a 1:12:58.840 --> 1:12:59.879 little bit more powerful. 1:13:00.240 --> 1:13:01.639 Dani. If a candidate whether we're. 1:13:01.600 --> 1:13:02.800 Yeah, I would just add right that. 1:13:03.000 --> 1:13:04.920 I mean, what we tell folks is, look, I mean 1:13:04.960 --> 1:13:07.800 it certainly, you know it's our it's our civic responsibility 1:13:07.840 --> 1:13:10.200 and our privilege right to be able to exercise our 1:13:10.320 --> 1:13:12.519 voice and to vote. And you vote for candidates, but 1:13:12.640 --> 1:13:14.439 you just kind of you hope that the candidate is 1:13:14.479 --> 1:13:16.360 going to do what you what you want them to do. 1:13:16.560 --> 1:13:16.720 Right. 1:13:17.360 --> 1:13:22.200 A citizen ballot initiative is our most direct way that 1:13:22.360 --> 1:13:25.680 we can we can impact our communities, right, and so 1:13:25.800 --> 1:13:27.800 we are talking about the citizens in the state of Florida, 1:13:27.800 --> 1:13:30.320 as an example, have an opportunity to mark a mark 1:13:30.360 --> 1:13:32.479 a bubble on their ballot sheet that is going to 1:13:32.680 --> 1:13:36.479 directly stop people from going to jail. Like that is 1:13:36.560 --> 1:13:39.080 what we're talking about in a very literal way here. 1:13:39.400 --> 1:13:41.720 And that's why I think that right it is. It 1:13:41.840 --> 1:13:44.959 is different because it is our opportunity to directly influence 1:13:45.040 --> 1:13:48.200 the process and demand that something gets done that the 1:13:48.280 --> 1:13:51.240 citizens are behind and that we're we're and we're advocating for. 1:13:51.520 --> 1:13:55.040 And you position it also right for the next step, right, 1:13:55.080 --> 1:13:58.160 you give incentive to our lawmakers to then do that 1:13:58.320 --> 1:14:01.200 right thing about folks who have all already been uh 1:14:01.680 --> 1:14:05.000 in trouble, have it on their record. Expungement becomes a 1:14:05.080 --> 1:14:08.439 word that everybody understands after the point that Amendment three 1:14:08.640 --> 1:14:12.799 gets passed, Because if I'm a lawmaker, my next thing is, Okay, 1:14:13.080 --> 1:14:14.599 how do we deal with these people who have been 1:14:14.680 --> 1:14:15.560 in trouble. 1:14:15.680 --> 1:14:16.920 For small amounts a week? 1:14:17.400 --> 1:14:17.519 Right? 1:14:17.760 --> 1:14:19.519 We got to get that stuff off their record and 1:14:19.640 --> 1:14:21.400 and help them help them with their lives. 1:14:21.520 --> 1:14:23.879 Can I asked us a quick closing question. 1:14:25.840 --> 1:14:30.240 For for somebody who's visiting Florida and you want to 1:14:30.479 --> 1:14:33.920 sample Florida's offerings, what might you. 1:14:36.120 --> 1:14:37.120 You know talk about it? 1:14:37.160 --> 1:14:41.160 After that? 1:14:41.320 --> 1:14:43.080 Was that was a set up question there? 1:14:56.200 --> 1:15:14.840 Thank you, we have Frederick Ingram and then come on 1:15:15.040 --> 1:15:20.160 up man, I'm sorry, really quick, we need to come 1:15:20.240 --> 1:15:24.160 on up and make your way up here. We lie brother, 1:15:26.120 --> 1:15:29.840 all right, Fan makes his way up here. Frederick Ingram 1:15:29.920 --> 1:15:31.799 is the president, the Florida President. 1:15:33.200 --> 1:15:34.680 Hi, you pled me. 1:15:35.600 --> 1:15:38.760 He's telling you maybe you can't use a certain title. Man, 1:15:38.800 --> 1:15:42.160 We don't introduce you with your title. Former president of 1:15:42.240 --> 1:15:45.919 the Teachers Union in Miami Dade. He got elected president 1:15:46.160 --> 1:15:49.800 twenty eighteen of the state wide Teachers. 1:15:49.560 --> 1:15:54.360 Association Federation of Teachers, No in Florida Teachers and. 1:15:56.400 --> 1:15:58.120 Any right in Florida when. 1:15:58.040 --> 1:15:59.920 He almost got fired because I saw it, this hot 1:16:00.080 --> 1:16:00.640 had a head on. 1:16:00.760 --> 1:16:01.120 At first. 1:16:01.120 --> 1:16:04.880 I didn't see make America normal rally. 1:16:05.320 --> 1:16:06.240 You had the wrong. 1:16:06.200 --> 1:16:07.559 Rally, got the right share. 1:16:07.640 --> 1:16:07.960 There you go. 1:16:10.600 --> 1:16:14.880 Of course, Nicky Free who is the chairwoman of the 1:16:14.880 --> 1:16:17.400 Florida Democratic Party here in Florida. 1:16:17.680 --> 1:16:20.320 And you're at this point, well that. 1:16:20.400 --> 1:16:24.000 Too, just on the map quite often. But she's also 1:16:24.080 --> 1:16:26.960 been fighting fiercely in a state that has tried to 1:16:27.080 --> 1:16:31.360 not only silence Democrats but have us to disappear and 1:16:31.479 --> 1:16:33.880 every way in the society. And so I think you 1:16:33.960 --> 1:16:36.679 want to give it up to you for the thankless 1:16:37.240 --> 1:16:39.280 and hard for work you all do every day. 1:16:39.439 --> 1:16:41.400 Thank you and thank you so much for having me 1:16:41.640 --> 1:16:41.880 up here. 1:16:42.080 --> 1:16:43.360 And first I got to do a shout out. 1:16:43.640 --> 1:16:46.560 There's no other post fam you student body president that 1:16:46.680 --> 1:16:49.080 can get a cat student body president. 1:16:51.040 --> 1:16:52.120 All to be on here on stage. 1:16:52.360 --> 1:16:58.000 There it issident University of Florida where I graduated high school. 1:16:58.160 --> 1:16:58.400 Nikki. 1:16:58.439 --> 1:17:04.280 I feel like every time your governor here, Governor Ron's. 1:17:03.920 --> 1:17:04.519 Not my governor. 1:17:04.840 --> 1:17:05.439 Rand is stupid? 1:17:05.560 --> 1:17:05.720 Is that. 1:17:07.280 --> 1:17:08.960 Every time he does something, I feel like you're the 1:17:09.000 --> 1:17:11.040 first person we hear from on a national Stage's like, 1:17:11.080 --> 1:17:12.680 you come out and you're really good at being on 1:17:12.760 --> 1:17:16.240 the front lines. What is keeping you up at night 1:17:16.479 --> 1:17:19.080 when it comes to this Tuesday as it relates to 1:17:19.160 --> 1:17:19.920 the state of Florida. 1:17:20.280 --> 1:17:22.000 There's a lot of things actually that keep me up 1:17:22.080 --> 1:17:24.120 and also get me up in the morning. A lot 1:17:24.240 --> 1:17:28.120 is voter suppression. A voter suppression that we've seen consistently 1:17:28.280 --> 1:17:32.200 since he became governor for six years. Everything between access 1:17:32.240 --> 1:17:35.799 to the ballot box, the drop boxes you all remember 1:17:35.960 --> 1:17:40.439 last last Yeah, the machetes, Yeah, the people that are 1:17:40.520 --> 1:17:43.519 coming out with the big trucks, and the intimidation at 1:17:43.560 --> 1:17:44.799 the polls that are making. 1:17:44.640 --> 1:17:45.800 People scared to be there. 1:17:46.080 --> 1:17:46.280 Yeah. 1:17:46.439 --> 1:17:49.240 But it's also you're just talking about it with Desmond 1:17:49.800 --> 1:17:53.600 fifty million dollars that the governor has stolen from the 1:17:53.680 --> 1:17:56.760 people to put out there against the citizens' initiatives. 1:17:56.960 --> 1:18:00.559 That is miskeueuing information that is going out people. 1:18:01.000 --> 1:18:02.760 So that's what's keeping me up and making sure that 1:18:03.320 --> 1:18:05.479 you know, what I've said consistently for the last few 1:18:05.520 --> 1:18:07.720 months is that we have seen that we have been 1:18:07.760 --> 1:18:09.600 the lab racks of Project twenty twenty five for the 1:18:09.720 --> 1:18:13.640 last six years. And if we don't vote, then we 1:18:13.760 --> 1:18:16.719 say that's okay, and that keep going for another two years. 1:18:17.120 --> 1:18:19.600 So we got to make sure that we are doing everything. 1:18:19.360 --> 1:18:21.080 Possible to turn out our vote in this election. 1:18:21.640 --> 1:18:25.160 Questioning prediction, fed oh, my prediction, Kamala Harris is gonna 1:18:25.160 --> 1:18:25.880 be our next president. 1:18:26.000 --> 1:18:27.240 It is help. 1:18:27.240 --> 1:18:28.160 It's Florida gonna be blue. 1:18:28.200 --> 1:18:30.760 This same absolutely gonna help. Florida is not dead. 1:18:30.840 --> 1:18:32.639 We got a lot of people who care about everything 1:18:32.680 --> 1:18:35.160 that's going on, and listen. Shout out to my colleagues, 1:18:35.240 --> 1:18:38.200 the teachers, the teachers that are doing God's work every day. 1:18:38.360 --> 1:18:41.320 They're taken care of two million children in this state 1:18:41.560 --> 1:18:45.560 and fifty million children nationwide. In spite of being defunded, 1:18:45.640 --> 1:18:48.360 in spite of being villainized, in spite of having librarians 1:18:48.400 --> 1:18:51.400 taken away from us, in spite of having fewer resources 1:18:51.439 --> 1:18:54.280 in our classrooms, we are still going to teach. We're 1:18:54.320 --> 1:18:57.719 gonna teach honest history. We're gonna teach the good culture 1:18:57.800 --> 1:19:00.920 that we see at this HBCU, at fans. That's what 1:19:01.040 --> 1:19:03.639 we need to be teaching black excellence because we've always 1:19:03.720 --> 1:19:03.960 had it. 1:19:04.200 --> 1:19:07.360 And so I am eternally optimistic, like every teacher is. 1:19:07.439 --> 1:19:09.639 At beginning in the school year. We think we can teach. 1:19:09.479 --> 1:19:11.439 Every kid how to read and every kid how to 1:19:11.479 --> 1:19:13.880 do math, because that's what we do that And if 1:19:13.960 --> 1:19:16.120 you give us the right resources, get out of our way, 1:19:16.320 --> 1:19:19.160 protect us through public policy, we will continue to do 1:19:19.240 --> 1:19:20.960 the magic that we need in our public schools. 1:19:22.000 --> 1:19:25.040 Policy that doesn't impact the classrooms. Every piece of policy, 1:19:25.240 --> 1:19:26.360 every policy that's. 1:19:26.280 --> 1:19:28.120 Right, you know, and if we want to continue to 1:19:28.160 --> 1:19:30.600 see stuff like FAM you and FAM Youth's homecoming, you know, 1:19:30.680 --> 1:19:32.720 we can't make light of this kind of stuff, right 1:19:32.840 --> 1:19:34.920 These kids come from K twelve public schools. 1:19:35.160 --> 1:19:36.800 These are the best purprisers. 1:19:36.360 --> 1:19:36.680 That we have. 1:19:36.800 --> 1:19:38.840 And we need more of these folks, and we need 1:19:39.000 --> 1:19:40.439 more public policy that's. 1:19:40.280 --> 1:19:43.080 Going to protect what we have in our classrooms and 1:19:43.280 --> 1:19:45.519 our teachers, and we need to get more about black 1:19:45.600 --> 1:19:49.080 men in our classrooms because they're not going into the 1:19:49.160 --> 1:19:51.880 classroom because they don't pay well. They're not going into 1:19:51.920 --> 1:19:53.800 the classroom because why would you go back to a 1:19:53.840 --> 1:19:55.880 place that treated you in the wrong way? 1:19:56.080 --> 1:19:57.280 Why would you go back to that. 1:19:57.560 --> 1:19:59.519 So we need to change our system so that we 1:19:59.600 --> 1:20:01.719 can change our people and we can help our families 1:20:01.760 --> 1:20:02.599 in this next generation. 1:20:02.880 --> 1:20:05.240 That's why voting is important. It's gonna happen with or 1:20:05.280 --> 1:20:05.640 without you. 1:20:05.880 --> 1:20:07.360 So you can choose not to vote, but that's a 1:20:07.439 --> 1:20:10.160 vote for somebody else, and it's a vote against your children. 1:20:10.240 --> 1:20:12.400 And our children should not be for sale. That's not 1:20:12.520 --> 1:20:14.120 what we should be doing. In the state of Florida, 1:20:14.280 --> 1:20:16.880 we've had double trouble, Desanta's and Trump in the same 1:20:17.000 --> 1:20:20.200 zip code. That's crazy, you know, And so listen, we're 1:20:20.280 --> 1:20:22.479 not crazy. We got to understand where this has make 1:20:22.520 --> 1:20:25.840 America normal again. Not because I want normal, because I 1:20:25.920 --> 1:20:27.320 want the abnormal to be gone. 1:20:27.720 --> 1:20:29.479 I want stuff that Donald Trump. 1:20:29.400 --> 1:20:33.400 Is saying about my people, about people like me, about Haitians, 1:20:33.760 --> 1:20:37.320 about you know, villainizing our teachers, villainizing our children. 1:20:37.520 --> 1:20:39.960 This man doesn't know anything from anything, and the. 1:20:40.080 --> 1:20:41.880 Only way we can get rid of that kind of 1:20:42.040 --> 1:20:45.040 hate and disdain and divisiveness is to vote. 1:20:45.240 --> 1:20:47.040 It's the only game in town. You can like it 1:20:47.400 --> 1:20:48.800 or not like it, but you better get at it. 1:20:48.960 --> 1:20:52.160 Yeah, and that's why Florida isn't play because what DeSantis 1:20:52.200 --> 1:20:54.920 has done to this state for six years, that the 1:20:55.479 --> 1:20:57.880 banning of books. I saw an article today that says 1:20:57.920 --> 1:20:59.840 we're still the number one state in the nation for 1:21:00.040 --> 1:21:03.240 banning books, you know, everything from black history to slaves, 1:21:03.280 --> 1:21:05.639 that there was a benefit to slavery, the six week 1:21:05.720 --> 1:21:08.800 abortion ban. That's not who we are as Floridians. And 1:21:08.880 --> 1:21:11.840 he's taken us into such a dangerous direction. That's why 1:21:11.880 --> 1:21:14.040 I think you're seeing the backlash here in our state. 1:21:14.360 --> 1:21:16.560 And no offense to the men on this stage, but 1:21:16.640 --> 1:21:17.800 the women are going to save the day in this 1:21:17.880 --> 1:21:18.559 election cycle. 1:21:18.680 --> 1:21:19.280 I always do. 1:21:20.800 --> 1:21:23.720 By the men. But I will say this question for 1:21:24.360 --> 1:21:26.280 national audience. There are a lot of folks who have 1:21:26.439 --> 1:21:30.120 written Florida off by and large, that we constantly is 1:21:30.160 --> 1:21:32.519 not a purple state Nymore. People keep saying a red state. 1:21:32.960 --> 1:21:35.240 A lot of folks neglect that a third of the 1:21:35.320 --> 1:21:39.360 electorate maybe second and running now are independent registrants in 1:21:39.439 --> 1:21:42.439 this Florida. If you had to make the audience more broadly, 1:21:42.600 --> 1:21:44.840 make the case more broadly, and I'd like to hear 1:21:44.880 --> 1:21:48.599 from both of you on it, both Floridians. Is how 1:21:48.680 --> 1:21:51.400 do you convince folks that Florida is a state that 1:21:51.720 --> 1:21:55.840 politically can still vote for a Democrat at a statewide level. 1:21:56.200 --> 1:21:59.120 Easy, look at our election in twenty eighteen, Andrew, you 1:21:59.360 --> 1:22:02.599 lost by thirty four thousand votes. I bet you probably 1:22:02.680 --> 1:22:06.840 know that number by yeah, And I won and I 1:22:06.960 --> 1:22:09.759 won by five thousand, six hundred and seventy three votes. 1:22:09.920 --> 1:22:11.760 That was just six years ago. 1:22:12.240 --> 1:22:15.519 And then in twenty twenty and we saw Desmond's You know, 1:22:15.560 --> 1:22:18.439 in twenty eighteen, we saw a restoration of civil rights 1:22:18.560 --> 1:22:22.559 passing by over seventy percent, legalization of medical marijuana by 1:22:22.640 --> 1:22:26.200 seventy two percent. These initiatives that you're talking about earlier 1:22:26.680 --> 1:22:30.560 are are progressive, and the people of this state consistently 1:22:30.640 --> 1:22:33.960 are voting way over the sixty percent threshold. And the 1:22:34.040 --> 1:22:35.720 fact of the matter is a third of our state 1:22:35.800 --> 1:22:38.320 is independent at this point. And so when you take 1:22:38.400 --> 1:22:41.000 the independence who have been breaking for Democrats since the 1:22:41.000 --> 1:22:43.479 beginning of twenty twenty three in the numbers of sixty 1:22:43.600 --> 1:22:46.120 five to seventy percent, that's how We were able to 1:22:46.200 --> 1:22:49.360 flip the du Bal mayor's race last year, Donna Digan 1:22:49.439 --> 1:22:51.519 the first female ever elected as mayor. 1:22:51.880 --> 1:22:53.400 She won with independence. 1:22:53.479 --> 1:22:55.080 We flipped a House seat this year. 1:22:55.439 --> 1:22:57.720 The last time that House seat was blue was when 1:22:58.200 --> 1:23:01.000 Senator Nelson was a House member, and we flipped it 1:23:01.120 --> 1:23:04.360 with seventy percent independence. So right now we've got a 1:23:04.439 --> 1:23:09.160 demographic that Democrats are voting, Independents are voting and breaking 1:23:09.240 --> 1:23:12.920 for Democrats, and I am not convinced that more than 1:23:13.040 --> 1:23:16.839 ten percent of the Republican voters are voting for Kamala 1:23:16.880 --> 1:23:20.160 Harrison Democrats because they're tired of this nonsense and they 1:23:20.240 --> 1:23:21.599 want normality again. 1:23:21.960 --> 1:23:25.360 Well, and speaking of normal, we got to get back 1:23:25.439 --> 1:23:28.920 on schedule. So we so appreciate you with us today. 1:23:29.040 --> 1:23:30.400 We're so so great voting. 1:23:30.400 --> 1:23:31.960 Thank you all the work that you're doing is help 1:23:32.040 --> 1:23:34.479 save democracy. So thank you so much, Nikki Freed and 1:23:34.600 --> 1:23:35.559 better ingram. 1:23:38.520 --> 1:23:39.759 Y'all keep doing for the black community. 1:23:41.600 --> 1:23:45.960 Vote November fifth, because we have. 1:23:47.680 --> 1:23:58.799 Awesome welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome. 1:24:01.320 --> 1:24:03.720 This breeze is so appreciated. As we bring up the 1:24:03.840 --> 1:24:04.639 next guest. 1:24:04.600 --> 1:24:07.719 Praise the Lord. Yes, okay, So now what we're gonna 1:24:07.720 --> 1:24:10.240 do is. We're gonna bring up a very very special guest. 1:24:10.680 --> 1:24:14.280 She is our defacto producer of today's show. She is 1:24:14.439 --> 1:24:17.280 Andrews not just better, but the best half. 1:24:17.680 --> 1:24:18.040 She is. 1:24:18.760 --> 1:24:22.960 I guess it is, yes, shaking her head. 1:24:26.640 --> 1:24:29.479 He's doing. Genesis Robinson is also going to join us 1:24:29.760 --> 1:24:31.000 on ground. 1:24:32.560 --> 1:24:33.240 Shaking her head. 1:24:34.760 --> 1:24:37.479 She's still producing. Come on, Jay, and where is uh? 1:24:39.360 --> 1:24:40.599 I'm not sure he's. 1:24:40.640 --> 1:24:46.840 Okay, okay anyway, Southern Girl Desserts, don't worry about it. 1:24:51.280 --> 1:24:57.080 Are so happy to have you, our de facto producer 1:24:57.920 --> 1:25:00.880 making it happen. Yeah, she really, We're happy to have you, 1:25:02.120 --> 1:25:04.880 have you as well, happy to have yell in Tallahassee. 1:25:05.240 --> 1:25:06.200 Thank you so much. 1:25:06.280 --> 1:25:08.439 So real quick, Jay, before we get to you, Genesis, 1:25:08.479 --> 1:25:11.000 tell us about the Equal Ground Fund and what you're doing. 1:25:11.320 --> 1:25:12.920 Yes, so, thank y'all for having me. 1:25:13.360 --> 1:25:16.639 Equal Ground As a black led voting rights organization, we're 1:25:16.680 --> 1:25:19.439 working throughout the entire state of Florida with the goal 1:25:19.479 --> 1:25:22.960 of educating our community, getting them prepared for elections, and 1:25:23.040 --> 1:25:26.960 getting them more involved in the civic engagement process. Too often, 1:25:27.920 --> 1:25:30.759 election after election, we don't see the type of engagement 1:25:30.800 --> 1:25:33.400 in our community, and so we made the commitment to 1:25:33.479 --> 1:25:34.799 have a year round investment. 1:25:35.200 --> 1:25:35.320 Right. 1:25:35.360 --> 1:25:37.639 We're not just coming into communities right before an election 1:25:37.760 --> 1:25:38.440 and disappearing. 1:25:38.920 --> 1:25:39.680 We're staying in. 1:25:39.920 --> 1:25:43.519 We're mobilizing, We're educating and providing all of the resources 1:25:43.560 --> 1:25:45.559 for people to get more involved in the political process. 1:25:46.120 --> 1:25:48.880 I love that Genesis was a young organizer as a 1:25:48.920 --> 1:25:53.840 student on campuses here. He's given all of his time 1:25:53.960 --> 1:25:57.560 since leaving Catlin to continue organizing around the state. We 1:25:57.680 --> 1:26:00.120 appreciate it. We're gonna come back to Egle ground. I 1:26:00.200 --> 1:26:03.960 want to give a quick shout out to my best friend, 1:26:04.080 --> 1:26:08.080 my wife, my chosen life partner r J who home 1:26:08.280 --> 1:26:10.720 and for whom I couldn't I couldn't do give it 1:26:10.840 --> 1:26:15.320 up for Jay, y'all, and then and then she also 1:26:15.439 --> 1:26:17.120 so the produces on other shows. 1:26:17.200 --> 1:26:18.920 Y'all, you don't get to hear about it, but. 1:26:19.280 --> 1:26:19.880 We hear about it. 1:26:21.000 --> 1:26:21.919 What's on Instagram? 1:26:22.640 --> 1:26:24.080 Why Why do I know that? 1:26:24.360 --> 1:26:26.600 I don't know because you don't know what's going on. 1:26:28.439 --> 1:26:31.080 Which most people figure out what they listen to the. 1:26:31.120 --> 1:26:34.320 Show it's We're at the highest of seven Hill. 1:26:34.400 --> 1:26:34.960 That's why I. 1:26:35.040 --> 1:26:37.640 Said it, right, I feel like we should hear this 1:26:37.880 --> 1:26:39.960 love story that began in politics. 1:26:40.200 --> 1:26:42.840 We have two different versions, and therefore we don't j. 1:26:42.960 --> 1:26:45.599 You're gonna tell it blaming her time. 1:26:45.800 --> 1:26:47.840 Let's jay, I want you to tell this story because 1:26:47.880 --> 1:26:50.439 we want to get the young people motivated, and sometimes 1:26:50.479 --> 1:26:52.680 the best way to do that is to know that 1:26:52.800 --> 1:26:54.439 they can meet in the city chamber. 1:26:56.479 --> 1:26:58.559 WHOA, yes, the microphones are defect. 1:26:58.840 --> 1:27:00.880 Yes, Jesus you're mad that. 1:27:03.080 --> 1:27:05.200 I am so proud of you and what all young 1:27:05.280 --> 1:27:08.560 people are doing being active. This young man was a 1:27:08.880 --> 1:27:12.439 very active student leader. We were both in student government 1:27:12.560 --> 1:27:13.160 the year before. 1:27:13.280 --> 1:27:17.080 He was SGA president, I was SGA vice president, and 1:27:17.320 --> 1:27:22.920 we didn't get along at all. We thought about everything 1:27:23.120 --> 1:27:25.639 because Andrew was ready to march to the capitol. 1:27:25.840 --> 1:27:28.519 He was ready to protest, and I just had a. 1:27:28.560 --> 1:27:30.479 More because do we always have to march? 1:27:30.560 --> 1:27:35.200 Well, no, my boy was what are we asking for? 1:27:35.720 --> 1:27:41.880 And what is the exit strategy? So need let's to 1:27:42.000 --> 1:27:45.840 say we did not date in college at all. We 1:27:46.040 --> 1:27:51.360 reconnected years later. It was our student government advisors that 1:27:51.520 --> 1:27:55.360 put us together and here we are all these years later. 1:27:56.200 --> 1:27:58.479 But I will say one thing he says a lot 1:27:58.640 --> 1:28:01.320 is life partner, and that is that's true. No matter 1:28:01.400 --> 1:28:03.720 how we started, where we are now and all the 1:28:03.800 --> 1:28:07.600 in between. This is my friend, my best friend. I 1:28:07.640 --> 1:28:09.000 can talk about him, y'all came. 1:28:11.040 --> 1:28:13.120 But this is home for us. 1:28:13.360 --> 1:28:16.160 It's where we started, it's where our love started. 1:28:16.280 --> 1:28:17.200 But like this is. 1:28:17.200 --> 1:28:20.120 Spiritual, right, and you don't just have to be a rattler. 1:28:20.400 --> 1:28:24.040 All of these people supporting you, all this show. When 1:28:24.200 --> 1:28:26.640 we have been through the highs and the lows, it 1:28:26.840 --> 1:28:29.120 was our rattler family that was right there. 1:28:29.320 --> 1:28:30.519 They didn't care what was going on. 1:28:30.680 --> 1:28:32.080 They said, you are one of us, and. 1:28:32.120 --> 1:28:34.519 We've got y'all. So I hope that wherever you are, 1:28:35.160 --> 1:28:35.680 you have that. 1:28:35.920 --> 1:28:38.160 You have that home, you have that community, you have 1:28:38.320 --> 1:28:42.040 that love, that kinship, because there's nothing like it. So 1:28:42.520 --> 1:28:45.400 I won't tell the full story because we disagree. 1:28:45.600 --> 1:28:48.520 I wanted to hear that. I think the whole tremendously. 1:28:48.840 --> 1:28:50.960 On how the story goes, I'll tell you. 1:28:51.200 --> 1:28:53.679 Listen, this is the quickest part. When I first moved 1:28:53.760 --> 1:28:56.439 back to Tallahasseee after graduating, I ran. 1:28:56.400 --> 1:28:59.640 Into Andrew and the mall and he was a city commissioner. 1:28:59.760 --> 1:29:04.720 So I was proud of him, and he gave me 1:29:04.880 --> 1:29:07.040 his number. I'm gonna try to find it so I 1:29:07.120 --> 1:29:08.519 could take a picture to show y'all. 1:29:09.520 --> 1:29:10.799 He wrote it down because. 1:29:10.560 --> 1:29:12.760 I still had a paper calendar in my purse, and 1:29:12.920 --> 1:29:17.320 he wrote down three phone numbers on this piece of paper. Now, 1:29:17.360 --> 1:29:19.280 when I saw the young man in the mall, he 1:29:19.400 --> 1:29:20.280 looked really nice. 1:29:20.360 --> 1:29:21.439 He was shopping, but. 1:29:21.560 --> 1:29:23.599 He had two phones on his hip. 1:29:24.520 --> 1:29:27.080 None of those three numbers was a cell phone number, 1:29:27.200 --> 1:29:29.479 so I just assumed he didn't want me to call him. 1:29:29.520 --> 1:29:29.840 For real. 1:29:29.960 --> 1:29:31.519 He gave me like a word number. 1:29:34.120 --> 1:29:38.080 And anybody with two cell phones is probably never home. 1:29:38.120 --> 1:29:39.759 Why are you giving me your home number? 1:29:40.479 --> 1:29:41.920 You see j What was you doing? 1:29:42.040 --> 1:29:44.360 You shouting to the genesis. 1:29:49.360 --> 1:29:54.160 Right here in this love story? Did we connected? 1:29:54.320 --> 1:29:54.920 It was fine. 1:29:57.439 --> 1:29:59.800 I never called him because I just assumed I was. 1:29:59.800 --> 1:30:01.439 Like need meet with calling it. 1:30:01.560 --> 1:30:06.040 What happened the pond day our student government advisors. I 1:30:06.160 --> 1:30:08.080 had come back and actually worked on campus. 1:30:08.240 --> 1:30:08.559 I had a. 1:30:08.600 --> 1:30:13.000 Graduate student job and I was in charge of the court, 1:30:13.120 --> 1:30:16.240 the Royal Court, and I was at a football tailgate 1:30:16.520 --> 1:30:20.000 and Miss Doing, Miss Lamb, miss Dupon, is no longer 1:30:20.080 --> 1:30:22.360 with us, but everybody that was in student government in 1:30:22.479 --> 1:30:25.639 the nineties and two thousands remembers her and Miss Lamb, 1:30:25.720 --> 1:30:28.240 who doesn't work on campus, but it's still here, said 1:30:28.280 --> 1:30:30.400 they had somebody that wanted me to meet, and I 1:30:30.520 --> 1:30:33.600 got very excited and we made plans and it was. 1:30:33.680 --> 1:30:36.400 Him, and I was like, why y'all could just tell 1:30:36.520 --> 1:30:36.960 it was him. 1:30:37.520 --> 1:30:42.160 So we went to dinner to Bennigan, which is no longer. 1:30:45.240 --> 1:30:49.080 The restaurant closed, they had to put us out, and 1:30:49.200 --> 1:30:51.479 we sat and talked for another two or three hours 1:30:51.560 --> 1:30:54.719 in the parking lot on Saturday night, and he invited 1:30:54.760 --> 1:30:56.400 me to go to church with him the West day. 1:30:57.720 --> 1:30:58.720 I wasn't. 1:31:05.960 --> 1:31:08.439 One more second before we go to tennis. 1:31:09.560 --> 1:31:15.880 Sometimes love stories don't always have happy endings, and they should, 1:31:16.560 --> 1:31:20.840 but sometimes love stories brush you into another part of 1:31:20.920 --> 1:31:21.559 your destiny. 1:31:21.720 --> 1:31:28.360 We're joined today by Charles Johnson said here for moms, 1:31:29.320 --> 1:31:36.920 and we're gonna get it right with four moms. 1:31:38.479 --> 1:31:38.839 Moms. 1:31:40.400 --> 1:31:42.560 Charles, thank you so much for joining us and for 1:31:42.680 --> 1:31:46.880 the work you're doing. We want to hunt you, but 1:31:47.000 --> 1:31:48.840 we didn't throw it off and ran off the set. 1:31:48.880 --> 1:31:50.320 Today we're just gonna be be good and. 1:31:52.320 --> 1:31:52.920 And that too. 1:31:53.280 --> 1:31:55.479 I feel like we've been shouting at church, so we 1:31:55.640 --> 1:31:58.200 really really thank God for your work. I first learned 1:31:58.360 --> 1:32:01.839 of what you were doing, uh at Elaine Walter Ross's 1:32:02.000 --> 1:32:05.120 Firth Fund event in la so thank you so much. 1:32:05.200 --> 1:32:08.080 Please tell the audience about for here, for moms and 1:32:08.160 --> 1:32:09.759 the reason for the work, which is sure. 1:32:09.600 --> 1:32:10.000 Sure, sure. 1:32:10.040 --> 1:32:12.040 So first of all, it's an honor to be here, right, 1:32:12.120 --> 1:32:15.479 And I have to say to my brother Andrews, to RJ. Right, 1:32:15.680 --> 1:32:18.559 like y'all have to understand, like on behalf of all 1:32:18.680 --> 1:32:21.519 of us, man, we love you, bro, we really love you. 1:32:22.280 --> 1:32:24.800 And I want to tell my story, but I have 1:32:24.880 --> 1:32:27.680 to start and center this and the fact that when 1:32:27.720 --> 1:32:29.800 I touched down here twenty five years ago in the 1:32:29.880 --> 1:32:33.680 fall of nineteen ninety nine, my first time voting ever 1:32:33.920 --> 1:32:37.800 was in ninety nine, right, and I had a front 1:32:37.920 --> 1:32:41.840 row seats to two things, to a historical steal of 1:32:41.880 --> 1:32:44.040 an election. But I had a front row seat to 1:32:44.080 --> 1:32:48.400 Andrew Gilliam's leadership, right because he was our student president 1:32:48.400 --> 1:32:50.280 and he led us to march up the street to 1:32:50.360 --> 1:32:52.920 the capitol. He led to sit in right and to 1:32:53.040 --> 1:32:56.559 watch where you have been, what you have meant to us, brothers, 1:32:56.800 --> 1:32:58.120 we love you, We love RJ. 1:32:58.280 --> 1:33:00.240 And there's nothing you can do of it. Did you 1:33:00.320 --> 1:33:01.720 understand me? We love you? 1:33:02.600 --> 1:33:04.120 So this is an honor to being here. So with 1:33:04.200 --> 1:33:06.160 that being said, I apologized, had I had to say 1:33:06.200 --> 1:33:09.720 that Andrew so and so this story starts, and how 1:33:09.800 --> 1:33:11.599 I got this work. I was fortunate enough to meet 1:33:11.600 --> 1:33:14.040 a woman that absolutely changed my life. As we talked 1:33:14.040 --> 1:33:16.920 about my wife, Kira, we're talking about Sunshine per signing. 1:33:16.920 --> 1:33:19.080 We're talking about Sunshine Per signed by the woman. 1:33:19.000 --> 1:33:22.320 That raced cars, who had her pilot's license, who spoke 1:33:22.400 --> 1:33:25.240 five languages, and I always wanted to be a dad, 1:33:25.680 --> 1:33:27.000 always wanted to be a dad. 1:33:26.880 --> 1:33:28.280 And socome. 1:33:28.320 --> 1:33:30.960 We welcomed our first son, Charles the fifth, in twenty 1:33:31.120 --> 1:33:33.000 and fourteen, and we begin to talk about how cool 1:33:33.000 --> 1:33:35.280 we would be to have back to back boys, and 1:33:35.360 --> 1:33:37.280 so we found out we were welcomed our second sons 1:33:37.920 --> 1:33:39.280 in twenty and sixteen. 1:33:39.840 --> 1:33:41.919 We were ecstatic, and so on April. 1:33:41.720 --> 1:33:44.040 Twelfth of twenty sixteen, we walked in the Cedar Sinai 1:33:44.080 --> 1:33:46.639 in Los Angeles for we expected to be the happiest 1:33:46.720 --> 1:33:49.200 day of our lives and walk straight into a nightmare. 1:33:49.680 --> 1:33:51.240 It's important to stand that Kira was not only in 1:33:51.320 --> 1:33:55.840 good health, she was an exceptional help and no pre 1:33:55.960 --> 1:33:58.640 existing conditions, no signs of distress. And we went and 1:33:58.640 --> 1:34:01.200 it was supposed to be a weird seeing scheduled sea section. 1:34:02.360 --> 1:34:06.759 Our son was born perfectly healthy, ten fingers, ten toes, 1:34:06.960 --> 1:34:07.720 super handsome, and. 1:34:07.760 --> 1:34:09.800 You're looking just like me, like, this is it, right, 1:34:10.000 --> 1:34:11.519 this is it? This is the dream. 1:34:11.880 --> 1:34:14.760 And they take us back to recovery. And that's when 1:34:15.120 --> 1:34:16.880 things took a turn for the worst. And as I'm 1:34:16.920 --> 1:34:19.599 sitting there watching cure rest and watching the baby rest, 1:34:20.000 --> 1:34:23.320 I see blood and the casseeter bring it to the attention. 1:34:23.439 --> 1:34:26.040 And the doctors been nurses at CEDARS. They come in, 1:34:26.160 --> 1:34:28.559 they examine her, they examine her, they take her vitals, 1:34:30.080 --> 1:34:30.920 they ordered tests. 1:34:31.160 --> 1:34:33.800 Keep in mind, this is around. We went into the 1:34:33.800 --> 1:34:36.080 delivery at two and it's about four and. 1:34:36.120 --> 1:34:38.799 They ordered that CT scan that's supposed to be performed 1:34:38.960 --> 1:34:40.680 STAT and so STAT what does that mean? 1:34:41.360 --> 1:34:41.760 Right now? 1:34:42.000 --> 1:34:42.160 Right? 1:34:43.520 --> 1:34:46.280 Like, okay, I'm concerned, but my wife is healthy, my 1:34:46.320 --> 1:34:47.880 baby is healthy, and we're supposed to be a seat 1:34:47.920 --> 1:34:52.320 of sign. Now five o'clock comes, no CC scam, and 1:34:52.360 --> 1:34:55.160 I'm asking, hey, y'all, where's the where's the scam that's coming? 1:34:55.240 --> 1:35:00.800 Sir? Six o'clock, no skin? Hey, what's going on? Ah, sir, 1:35:00.880 --> 1:35:02.479 it's coming. We'll see seven o'clock. 1:35:02.479 --> 1:35:06.880 And now by seven o'clock she's shivering uncontrollable, right, And 1:35:06.960 --> 1:35:08.320 they said, well, maybe we may have to take her 1:35:08.360 --> 1:35:09.000 back to surgery. 1:35:09.240 --> 1:35:10.920 I'm like, what about to say it, skin that you 1:35:10.960 --> 1:35:11.519 said in. 1:35:11.560 --> 1:35:15.679 This game of dismissal, denial, and deprioritization of my wife's 1:35:16.600 --> 1:35:20.200 pain and our concerns continues to escalate. 1:35:20.240 --> 1:35:22.000 Eight o'clock, nine o'clock, and. 1:35:22.000 --> 1:35:23.960 Around nine o'clock the nurse came in the only thing 1:35:24.000 --> 1:35:25.640 that they had done at this point is get her 1:35:25.680 --> 1:35:28.800 IV through it. So around nine o'clock, though, nurse comes 1:35:28.840 --> 1:35:31.600 in to change her IV bags and just out of decoration, 1:35:32.200 --> 1:35:33.479 I just stopped her. 1:35:33.880 --> 1:35:38.479 I said, look, my wife isn't doing good. She's pale. 1:35:39.200 --> 1:35:41.200 They said that they were gonna take her for surgery. 1:35:41.240 --> 1:35:42.880 Nobody's coming. They said they were gonna take her for 1:35:42.960 --> 1:35:44.840 a CDC. And that was five hours ago. Can you 1:35:44.920 --> 1:35:46.080 please just help us? 1:35:47.560 --> 1:35:49.400 At which point this woman looked me dead in my 1:35:49.520 --> 1:35:52.880 eyes and lund she said to me, sir, your wife 1:35:53.120 --> 1:35:57.240 just isn't a priority right now, Your wife just isn't 1:35:57.280 --> 1:35:57.839 a priority. 1:36:01.439 --> 1:36:05.240 Nine ten o'clock and for the instant time. 1:36:05.280 --> 1:36:10.160 It wasn't until midnight, twelve thirty am that they finally 1:36:10.200 --> 1:36:12.120 made the decision to take my wife back of surgery, 1:36:12.840 --> 1:36:15.280 after allowing her to bleed and suffer needlesly for more 1:36:15.320 --> 1:36:19.160 than ten hours, while myself and my family begged and 1:36:19.320 --> 1:36:21.000 pleaded for them to just. 1:36:21.080 --> 1:36:22.719 See her validate our concerns. 1:36:23.479 --> 1:36:26.000 So finally they take her back to surgery, go down 1:36:26.080 --> 1:36:29.280 to make the walk down this long corridor, and I'm 1:36:29.320 --> 1:36:30.920 holding her hand and I'm just doing once. 1:36:30.720 --> 1:36:32.160 Again, the only thing I know to do is a 1:36:32.240 --> 1:36:33.960 husband and to say they everything will be okay. 1:36:35.200 --> 1:36:36.920 And the last thing she said to me before those 1:36:37.000 --> 1:36:40.519 double doors opened up and they closed behind her, and baby, 1:36:40.560 --> 1:36:44.200 I'm scared. And we're talking about women as fearless. A 1:36:44.240 --> 1:36:47.400 woman that went skydiving like some of us went for jobs. 1:36:48.680 --> 1:36:50.559 And when they took her back in their operating room 1:36:50.600 --> 1:36:52.519 and they opened her up there with three leaders of 1:36:52.560 --> 1:36:55.840 blood in her abdoinence from where she had been able 1:36:55.880 --> 1:37:00.639 to bleed and suffer for all those hours. And I'm 1:37:00.680 --> 1:37:04.760 always transparent about the fact that although this has become 1:37:04.840 --> 1:37:07.200 my life, when I walked into that hospital that afternom 1:37:07.240 --> 1:37:09.200 the thought that my wife would not walk out to 1:37:09.280 --> 1:37:12.400 raise her voice, it never crossed my mind, right, I 1:37:12.439 --> 1:37:13.880 thought that this is a walk in the park, like 1:37:14.000 --> 1:37:17.360 we had done everything right. I never missed a prenatal visit. 1:37:18.000 --> 1:37:19.680 I read all his books, I held her hands through 1:37:19.720 --> 1:37:23.720 la mine right, and it still wasn't enough in today's 1:37:23.760 --> 1:37:26.400 America to make sure that she walked out to raise 1:37:26.439 --> 1:37:28.920 her boys. So although there's nothing that I can do 1:37:29.040 --> 1:37:33.160 to bring fear back, I'm dedicated, and we're dedicated to 1:37:33.240 --> 1:37:35.280 do with everything we can. The highest honor we can 1:37:35.360 --> 1:37:37.000 pay her is to do everything we can to make 1:37:37.000 --> 1:37:39.599 sure we send other mothers home with their precious babies. 1:37:41.280 --> 1:37:43.679 That's such a heartbreaking story, and let me just say 1:37:44.360 --> 1:37:47.720 I'm so sorry, and when we offer our condolences for 1:37:47.840 --> 1:37:51.679 your loss and the strength it must take you every 1:37:51.800 --> 1:37:55.160 day to carry your wife's memory and create this legacy 1:37:55.720 --> 1:37:57.880 not only on behalf of her, but the work you're 1:37:57.920 --> 1:38:01.360 doing will impact thousands, if it's not millions of black 1:38:01.439 --> 1:38:03.080 women across the country. 1:38:03.160 --> 1:38:05.240 So I don't even have a question. I just have 1:38:05.360 --> 1:38:07.840 gratitude for you and to you, so thank you. 1:38:10.560 --> 1:38:15.400 I've heard your story, Charles. Obviously, I don't know. Today 1:38:15.400 --> 1:38:17.880 I feel particularly moved as I think about my wife 1:38:17.960 --> 1:38:20.040 sitting there, and I think about our three children and 1:38:20.800 --> 1:38:24.720 think about the miscarriages that happened in between them, and 1:38:24.840 --> 1:38:30.559 I just have nothing but gratitude for as a husband 1:38:30.920 --> 1:38:36.600 and father, your willingness to stand when I imagine you 1:38:36.680 --> 1:38:39.639 didn't have the strength to get up and to stand 1:38:39.680 --> 1:38:42.640 in the gap for so many other families, other husbands 1:38:42.920 --> 1:38:48.880 and their wives and partners who deserved to walk out 1:38:49.560 --> 1:38:53.320 of the hospital just as your wife did, and the health. 1:38:54.680 --> 1:38:59.040 Earlier this week, Charles hosted here on campus of Eternal Health, 1:38:59.479 --> 1:39:06.000 simposing and through for Kira, for moms. They're being able 1:39:06.040 --> 1:39:08.320 to get this word out, this message out across the 1:39:08.400 --> 1:39:13.640 country to not only folks in Washington and here at 1:39:13.680 --> 1:39:17.639 fam you and and and across the country, but hopefully 1:39:17.760 --> 1:39:22.200 to medical professionals who too often don't believe women, don't 1:39:22.280 --> 1:39:26.160 trust black women, don't validate or hear or believe our pain. 1:39:26.880 --> 1:39:29.920 They sum it up to they just want drugs, and 1:39:30.960 --> 1:39:35.519 life perishes in the balance of that. And so uh again, 1:39:35.560 --> 1:39:38.519 I can't imagine the everyday walk, but I thank you 1:39:38.640 --> 1:39:41.760 for it anyway, thank you, thank you great, thank you 1:39:41.840 --> 1:39:45.400 for it. And Genesis you've had to see. You've sat 1:39:45.479 --> 1:39:51.400 through one slight, fabricated story the other heart wrenching one. 1:39:52.080 --> 1:39:53.840 But I'd love for you to talk a little bit 1:39:53.880 --> 1:39:58.799 about what youth engagement and engaging youth particularly and advance 1:39:58.880 --> 1:40:01.920 of this election has felt like has been like and 1:40:02.040 --> 1:40:05.880 if there's any learning that we can take from your 1:40:05.960 --> 1:40:09.000 organizing experience in this election as relates to black men 1:40:09.600 --> 1:40:13.800 and what the system out to be doing to better hear, validate, 1:40:13.920 --> 1:40:16.400 and advocate on behalf of us, what would that advice be? 1:40:16.880 --> 1:40:18.960 You know, I think you know, youth are certainly excited 1:40:19.080 --> 1:40:21.960 to get engaged to hear me. Yeah, okay, I think 1:40:22.040 --> 1:40:24.479 youth are certainly excited to get engaged this election. Many 1:40:24.520 --> 1:40:27.479 of them who are having the first opportunity to pass 1:40:27.520 --> 1:40:31.800 a vote, they've watched for four years, They've watched for 1:40:31.880 --> 1:40:35.919 eight years, right, Donald Trump and the type of leadership 1:40:36.000 --> 1:40:38.240 that he has had. They've seen here in the state 1:40:38.280 --> 1:40:40.479 of Florida that they have books that are being banned, 1:40:40.880 --> 1:40:44.400 a curriculum that is being whitewashed and really stripped of 1:40:44.479 --> 1:40:45.360 truth and validity. 1:40:45.800 --> 1:40:49.800 Right, They're seeing where they're prevented. 1:40:49.479 --> 1:40:53.439 From calling their peers by pronouns of their chosen right, 1:40:53.560 --> 1:40:55.960 and so they have an opportunity to do something about it. 1:40:56.320 --> 1:40:57.600 And so we're excited about that. 1:40:58.520 --> 1:41:00.679 We know that this is sort of the first test 1:41:01.400 --> 1:41:05.160 of what their engagement and participation will look like not 1:41:05.320 --> 1:41:07.000 only on the national level, but here in the state 1:41:07.040 --> 1:41:11.400 of Florida. You talk about Black Men as an organization 1:41:11.520 --> 1:41:14.920 that organizes the black community in the state of Florida. 1:41:15.280 --> 1:41:17.280 We know that the black community has a lot to say. 1:41:17.760 --> 1:41:20.160 We're a little concerned right now about the black turnout 1:41:20.200 --> 1:41:22.479 here in the state of Florida, and so that's why 1:41:22.520 --> 1:41:26.200 our organization is committed from now until Tuesday to continue 1:41:26.240 --> 1:41:28.960 the work of getting people out to vote, providing the 1:41:29.040 --> 1:41:33.360 resources necessary for them to make educated, informed decisions, because 1:41:33.400 --> 1:41:37.000 we know that the voter suppression laws. 1:41:36.760 --> 1:41:39.519 That have been passed here in Florida are having an impact. 1:41:40.800 --> 1:41:44.320 In twenty twenty three, they removed four point two million 1:41:44.760 --> 1:41:47.559 Floridians from the vote by mail roles. Why did they 1:41:47.680 --> 1:41:50.799 do that because they knew in twenty twenty our community 1:41:50.880 --> 1:41:53.400 led the way and voting by mail and parenting, and 1:41:53.479 --> 1:41:56.440 they wanted to prevent us from being able to participate 1:41:56.520 --> 1:41:56.920 in that way. 1:41:57.000 --> 1:42:01.439 And so you know, we're hopeful, we know that, you know, 1:42:02.240 --> 1:42:05.240 Thomas winding up. We encourage everyone who's out there to 1:42:05.360 --> 1:42:06.360 make a plan to vote. 1:42:06.400 --> 1:42:09.920 If you have not voted yet, make sure you're vote 1:42:09.960 --> 1:42:13.760 by mail ballots received by seven pm on election day. 1:42:14.040 --> 1:42:15.880 It's not enough to have it dropped in the mail 1:42:15.960 --> 1:42:19.560 by that time, it must be received by your supervisor. 1:42:20.320 --> 1:42:22.040 And so make a plan to vote and make sure 1:42:22.080 --> 1:42:23.120 you participated in. 1:42:23.120 --> 1:42:23.880 This upcoming election. 1:42:24.200 --> 1:42:27.320 I love it, and angela activity for your awareness. The 1:42:27.479 --> 1:42:30.880 greatness about Equal Ground is that it's a group that 1:42:31.000 --> 1:42:34.160 doesn't work just in an election cycle. It's one of 1:42:34.240 --> 1:42:37.160 the few groups that you'll find year in year out, 1:42:37.640 --> 1:42:41.160 inside of gubernatorial or presidential or outside of those races, 1:42:41.800 --> 1:42:45.880 organizing and meeting people at their need. So, Genesis, we 1:42:45.960 --> 1:42:46.519 thank you for it. 1:42:46.760 --> 1:42:47.679 Yes to that point. 1:42:47.800 --> 1:42:50.479 To Charles and Jay, I know you all have both 1:42:50.520 --> 1:42:54.639 been personally impacted by what happens with black mothers. 1:42:55.320 --> 1:42:58.880 I'm curious to know, as so much is on. 1:42:59.160 --> 1:43:03.679 The balloting our very bodies, what do you encourage people 1:43:03.800 --> 1:43:06.839 to do and how do they stay engaged around issues 1:43:06.960 --> 1:43:09.240 like this beyond election day? 1:43:10.280 --> 1:43:12.759 Yeah, so, I think you know, when we think about 1:43:13.520 --> 1:43:16.280 reproductive justice, when we think about maternal health, particularly black 1:43:16.320 --> 1:43:18.080 maternal health, and it's important to speak to this and 1:43:18.200 --> 1:43:21.800 black maternal health. I know that stories like mine, when 1:43:21.800 --> 1:43:24.719 we look at the statistics, their heart brainsfuls. 1:43:24.760 --> 1:43:27.040 But here's the realt of this situation. We talk about data. 1:43:27.439 --> 1:43:30.120 The CDC is determined that eighty four percent of the 1:43:30.200 --> 1:43:33.200 maternal deaths in this country are classified as preventable, right, 1:43:33.760 --> 1:43:36.000 eighty four percent. That means those of mothers that should 1:43:36.000 --> 1:43:38.439 be at the first day of kindergarten, that should be 1:43:38.640 --> 1:43:41.240 dancing at weddings, they should be streaming at soccer games 1:43:41.280 --> 1:43:43.160 on Saturday mornings at the top of their lungs, and 1:43:43.200 --> 1:43:45.559 they're being taken for us. But that eighty four percent 1:43:45.720 --> 1:43:48.559 is where the opportunity lies, right, And so we've set 1:43:48.600 --> 1:43:50.240 a goal, as you heard me share in Los Angeles, 1:43:50.560 --> 1:43:53.120 that the United States needs to have a goal of 1:43:53.400 --> 1:43:57.479 zero preventable deaths from pregnancy and pregnancy related complications by. 1:43:57.439 --> 1:43:58.360 The year twenty thirty. 1:43:58.439 --> 1:44:01.439 Yeah, and how do we do that Fundamentally, we talk 1:44:01.479 --> 1:44:04.840 about a climate right now, As you well know that 1:44:04.920 --> 1:44:09.920 it's so politically divisive, this issue around maternal wellness and 1:44:10.040 --> 1:44:14.280 mothers being having the human right, not the women's health right, 1:44:14.560 --> 1:44:17.840 not the black the human right to get birth to 1:44:17.920 --> 1:44:20.080 a healthy child and live to raise that child is 1:44:20.240 --> 1:44:24.640 uniquely bipartisan right, whether your approach and suppose this is 1:44:24.640 --> 1:44:28.280 something we can reigar on So regardless of how you affiliate, 1:44:28.360 --> 1:44:31.600 which your zip code is, who you love, how you 1:44:31.680 --> 1:44:35.439 identify politically, make sure that your candidate has a clear, 1:44:35.520 --> 1:44:38.200 concise plan to make our country a better safe of 1:44:38.240 --> 1:44:39.320 place for mothers and babies. 1:44:39.439 --> 1:44:39.559 Right. 1:44:39.800 --> 1:44:42.240 But at the same time, while policy is important, we 1:44:42.400 --> 1:44:46.360 are done asking other people's permission to save our own lives. 1:44:46.680 --> 1:44:48.760 So it's important that we as a community get back 1:44:48.800 --> 1:44:51.160 to what we do well, which is community, making sure 1:44:51.439 --> 1:44:54.160 that we're informed and empowered, knowing what questions to ask, 1:44:54.640 --> 1:44:58.120 knowing making sure that we are elevating and sharing information 1:44:58.320 --> 1:45:01.080 about the providers that are doing it right, that are 1:45:01.120 --> 1:45:04.280 approaching it with cultural sensitivity, that are approaching that are 1:45:04.400 --> 1:45:08.320 leading with compassion, supporting organizations like the birth Guard. 1:45:08.400 --> 1:45:09.360 And supporting the doers. 1:45:09.400 --> 1:45:11.519 The re out of this situation is there's a lot 1:45:11.560 --> 1:45:15.120 of people that like to stand around and admire the problem. No, 1:45:15.560 --> 1:45:17.280 and when we talk about policy too, And I could 1:45:17.280 --> 1:45:18.559 go on all day, but one of the things I'll say, 1:45:18.560 --> 1:45:19.760 we talk about policy. 1:45:19.520 --> 1:45:23.360 We're making sure that the dollars. This year we passed. 1:45:24.800 --> 1:45:28.200 And a budget appropriation of one hundred million dollars specifically 1:45:28.640 --> 1:45:33.320 to fund community based black women led organizations It's an 1:45:33.360 --> 1:45:36.519 important distinction, right, So these funds are not just going 1:45:36.600 --> 1:45:39.680 to the legacy organizations that are making the sisters in 1:45:39.720 --> 1:45:42.840 the community sing for their sufferers, right and tap dance 1:45:42.920 --> 1:45:44.599 to get the funding. So we're making sure that funding 1:45:44.680 --> 1:45:46.200 is going to the people that need it, that have 1:45:46.360 --> 1:45:48.640 boots on the ground and are having their hands on 1:45:48.760 --> 1:45:51.439 the bellies. But the great news is that we can 1:45:51.520 --> 1:45:54.720 fix this, and so making sure that you're holding people accountables, 1:45:55.080 --> 1:45:57.479 choosing the right provider, and making sure that the people 1:45:57.520 --> 1:46:00.760 that you are generously giving your votes to have a 1:46:00.880 --> 1:46:03.880 plan to make sure that that's product. 1:46:04.160 --> 1:46:07.240 I think it's personal. It goes from personal to policy. 1:46:08.000 --> 1:46:12.519 Advocate for yourself. Yes, black women, black men, we gotta 1:46:12.560 --> 1:46:15.639 go to the doctor at least once a year, right. 1:46:15.720 --> 1:46:17.679 We got to get our mammograms, We got to get our. 1:46:17.600 --> 1:46:18.240 Paths, nears. 1:46:18.800 --> 1:46:21.400 We have to take control of our health, take back 1:46:21.479 --> 1:46:22.799 our power for our bodies. 1:46:22.880 --> 1:46:25.200 And then we have to understand the power of our vote. 1:46:25.600 --> 1:46:30.080 Because there are people out here politicizing IVF. I wouldn't 1:46:30.080 --> 1:46:33.280 have my children if it weren't by IVF. There are 1:46:33.360 --> 1:46:36.479 people politicizing what we do with our bodies and the 1:46:36.560 --> 1:46:38.960 decisions we have to make so I just asked everybody, 1:46:39.280 --> 1:46:42.839 you don't have to be into politics, but politics is personal. 1:46:43.280 --> 1:46:47.320 It's very important, and that is how people decide the policy. 1:46:46.960 --> 1:46:50.679 That affects all of our lives. So I just asked 1:46:50.760 --> 1:46:53.559 that people take back that power. Like Charles said, there 1:46:53.560 --> 1:46:56.400 are a lot of policies at place, so support the 1:46:56.479 --> 1:46:58.960 people that support the power things that support us. 1:46:59.439 --> 1:47:01.120 Yeah, and you know, that's one of the things that 1:47:01.200 --> 1:47:03.600 I think we're seeing here in the state of Florida's 1:47:03.640 --> 1:47:07.800 people to start to recognize the electoral power associated with 1:47:07.880 --> 1:47:10.519 the issues that they care about. Andrew, I often talk 1:47:10.560 --> 1:47:13.640 about that your election was perhaps the most consequential in 1:47:13.680 --> 1:47:14.599 the history of our state. 1:47:15.120 --> 1:47:16.280 Right. We went on to have. 1:47:18.040 --> 1:47:21.400 A Supreme Court that allowed unconstitutional. 1:47:20.880 --> 1:47:24.200 Maps to move forward and jimp Jerrymander. We have a 1:47:24.320 --> 1:47:26.880 state Board of Education that has allowed there to be 1:47:29.479 --> 1:47:33.160 to be taught that there's educational and benefit to slavery, right. 1:47:33.720 --> 1:47:36.320 And so I think when people look around and are 1:47:36.439 --> 1:47:40.160 able to tie their electoral power to the issues that 1:47:40.280 --> 1:47:42.160 matter to them, that we can use that as a 1:47:42.240 --> 1:47:43.400 motivator to get them to vote. 1:47:43.560 --> 1:47:46.760 It's not just about the presidential race, right, It's about voting. 1:47:46.600 --> 1:47:48.879 Up and down the ballot at all levels of government 1:47:49.160 --> 1:47:51.040 to ensure that we're getting the results that we need 1:47:51.080 --> 1:47:51.680 for documentedy. 1:47:52.200 --> 1:47:54.160 It's so grateful for it is. 1:47:58.880 --> 1:48:00.360 All your. 1:48:04.000 --> 1:48:08.400 Thank right back. I shout out to my co hosts. 1:48:08.439 --> 1:48:10.760 I should keep up, I should keep us here for 1:48:10.840 --> 1:48:13.840 thirty more minutes. Just the torture them. You got one 1:48:13.920 --> 1:48:16.599 over from Seattle the other way from the northeast. They 1:48:16.640 --> 1:48:17.680 about to die of here. 1:48:18.200 --> 1:48:21.160 Me too, though, shout out you did, good seed. I 1:48:21.320 --> 1:48:23.080 was real worried about you, so you did good. 1:48:23.360 --> 1:48:25.920 Y'all get up for this final panels. Thank you for 1:48:26.040 --> 1:48:30.120 their growth, their energy, and her female of applause. 1:48:29.800 --> 1:48:30.280 To you all. 1:48:30.680 --> 1:48:32.200 You guys can ask no questions. 1:48:32.320 --> 1:48:34.840 Y'all probably Tom raise the Lord. We'll come down and 1:48:34.880 --> 1:48:35.880 answer Mama's stage. 1:48:36.000 --> 1:48:38.320 Well, I want to say to our viewing audience, thank 1:48:38.360 --> 1:48:42.160 you very much for joining us for the fiftieth episode 1:48:43.040 --> 1:48:46.160 of Data Lampard. Welcome home, forty flight. 1:48:48.000 --> 1:48:49.360 We'll be at Philly on Monday. 1:48:49.479 --> 1:48:52.080 We'll be at Howard University with the next President of 1:48:52.120 --> 1:48:52.840 the United. 1:48:52.600 --> 1:48:54.160 States on Tuesdays. 1:48:55.960 --> 1:48:59.640 Sorry, that's break news. We'll be in DC night. We 1:48:59.760 --> 1:49:04.639 got thank you ourselves, but it would be that Moran see. 1:49:04.720 --> 1:49:07.240 Thank you for joining the Natives attention of with the 1:49:07.360 --> 1:49:10.120 info and all of the latest rock Gulim and cross 1:49:10.200 --> 1:49:11.680 connected to the statements that. 1:49:11.800 --> 1:49:13.200 You leave on our so shows. 1:49:13.240 --> 1:49:16.479 Thank you, sincerely for the patients reason for your choice 1:49:16.560 --> 1:49:19.240 is clear, so grateful it took the OA to execute 1:49:19.360 --> 1:49:22.400 roles than for serve, defend and protect the truth even 1:49:22.479 --> 1:49:22.760 in pain. 1:49:22.920 --> 1:49:24.120 For Welcome home to all. 1:49:24.080 --> 1:49:24.759 Of the natives. 1:49:24.880 --> 1:49:27.599 Wait, thank you, Welcome y'all. 1:49:28.000 --> 1:49:40.040 Welcomes Native Land pod is the production of iHeartRadio in 1:49:40.160 --> 1:49:43.480 partnership with Reason Choice Media. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, 1:49:43.600 --> 1:49:46.800 visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen 1:49:46.840 --> 1:49:47.759 to your favorite shows.