WEBVTT - Ep 314: My Body, My Choice! 0:00:06.480 --> 0:00:14.160 Hey, hey, Hey, we're back. We're black, we're mad, we're 0:00:14.160 --> 0:00:17.400 going to talk, pissed off. Yes, but we're also Brown Ambition. 0:00:17.800 --> 0:00:20.599 Welcome Brown Ambition, Welcome back, y'all. 0:00:20.960 --> 0:00:21.160 Hey. 0:00:21.239 --> 0:00:24.600 Special shout out to Brown Ambition listener Yolanda yo Yo 0:00:24.760 --> 0:00:27.560 who is from where did she say Harlem or the Bronx? 0:00:27.600 --> 0:00:29.960 I forget, but I ran into her this weekend was 0:00:30.080 --> 0:00:34.240 African American Heritage Day and Westchester County where I live, 0:00:34.360 --> 0:00:39.520 and she was Weststa west Chester, and yeah, she was working. 0:00:39.520 --> 0:00:41.239 She was helping her friend out at her booth. Her 0:00:41.240 --> 0:00:44.000 friend has like a I forget the name now, I'm sorry. 0:00:44.240 --> 0:00:45.839 I'm so sorry to her friend. Her name is her 0:00:45.840 --> 0:00:47.600 friends name is Tiffany. But she was like I know 0:00:47.720 --> 0:00:50.080 you and then there's like the in a good way 0:00:50.200 --> 0:00:52.000 or like did I'm out step on your foot at 0:00:52.000 --> 0:00:56.320 the grocery store last week? Kind of but she says that. 0:00:56.400 --> 0:00:58.640 And when she said I watch your podcast, I was like, 0:00:58.840 --> 0:01:02.960 you watch it? And she's a YouTube subscriber, so yeah, 0:01:03.080 --> 0:01:05.160 she's like, I like to I like to watch. My 0:01:05.200 --> 0:01:06.880 friends like to listen. But I love that you guys 0:01:06.880 --> 0:01:08.880 are on YouTube. So it's a good reminder too that 0:01:09.440 --> 0:01:11.559 you can find us and see our faces. 0:01:11.760 --> 0:01:15.640 You want to see lady's girls steadily popping, am I 0:01:15.760 --> 0:01:18.280 skin glowing? You know you do head out over the 0:01:18.600 --> 0:01:20.680 Just type in brown amission in the search but bar 0:01:21.120 --> 0:01:24.080 and you'll find this. I feel like that's gonna be 0:01:24.080 --> 0:01:25.880 the last little gig we half a little while, y'all know, 0:01:25.920 --> 0:01:26.759 we got to talk about it. 0:01:27.959 --> 0:01:31.160 Yeah, I was trying to avoid it. Yeah, it's uh, well, 0:01:31.240 --> 0:01:33.640 I guess the question is like, how did you feel 0:01:33.640 --> 0:01:36.760 when you got the news Friday morning that we are 0:01:36.800 --> 0:01:39.120 gonna undo fifty years of president? 0:01:40.240 --> 0:01:40.480 You know? 0:01:40.840 --> 0:01:44.759 I you ever, like like when I used to get 0:01:44.760 --> 0:01:47.039 spanked as a kid, which was all the time, because 0:01:48.080 --> 0:01:50.240 wild if I knew I was getting a spanking, you 0:01:50.280 --> 0:01:54.760 know how you brace yourself You're like, okay, right, And 0:01:54.800 --> 0:01:57.400 that's how it kind of felt that, Like, you know, 0:01:57.560 --> 0:02:00.120 as soon as I saw Roe versus way, I I 0:02:00.640 --> 0:02:04.200 knew and I kind of like braced myself for the impact. 0:02:04.320 --> 0:02:06.680 But it doesn't actually help, you know, just like when 0:02:06.680 --> 0:02:08.680 I was going to spanking as a kid, that doesn't 0:02:08.720 --> 0:02:09.239 actually help. 0:02:09.919 --> 0:02:12.720 You mean, like when the when the when the opinion 0:02:12.800 --> 0:02:15.919 leaked before? Yeah, so we had like this warning time. 0:02:16.120 --> 0:02:16.640 That warning. 0:02:16.720 --> 0:02:18.520 It's almost like, you know, the teacher tells you, like, 0:02:18.680 --> 0:02:21.120 so I'm telling your parents, your your dad that you 0:02:21.120 --> 0:02:23.720 were acting up today. You're like, oh, gosh, I'm pretty 0:02:23.720 --> 0:02:25.600 sure this is not gonna end well. And then you 0:02:25.639 --> 0:02:28.679 finally come home and you brace yourself. But as soon 0:02:28.720 --> 0:02:30.400 as the headline came up, I had not even fully 0:02:30.440 --> 0:02:33.160 read the headline, but I knew already and it was 0:02:33.360 --> 0:02:37.040 just like it just was this punch in the gut. 0:02:37.080 --> 0:02:39.840 But then instantly I feel like now, especially I do 0:02:39.960 --> 0:02:43.640 this thing where it's like it's too much. So you know, 0:02:43.840 --> 0:02:46.520 I put up like this like wall because it's too much, 0:02:46.639 --> 0:02:48.560 which I mean my therapist will say it's not good 0:02:48.560 --> 0:02:50.600 because you're supposed to feel things, but it's like it's 0:02:50.639 --> 0:02:55.519 too much to feel, and so yeah, I just it's 0:02:55.560 --> 0:02:58.320 too much. Honestly, it's all. 0:02:58.200 --> 0:03:03.760 Too much much in all directions. Yeah, it's it's it's 0:03:03.760 --> 0:03:06.119 so hard to just be a human and go through 0:03:06.120 --> 0:03:10.400 your day and stay positive and put one foot in front. 0:03:10.200 --> 0:03:10.640 Of the other. 0:03:11.120 --> 0:03:13.679 It's too much. Like on top of having our own 0:03:13.720 --> 0:03:18.240 personal everyone has their own personal challenges and then and 0:03:18.280 --> 0:03:20.080 it's hard enough to deal with that, but then you 0:03:20.120 --> 0:03:23.120 put on top of it these outside forces it's it's 0:03:23.200 --> 0:03:26.440 so much. But I think, I mean, isn't it. Everyone 0:03:26.440 --> 0:03:28.239 has their own way of like coping with things. I 0:03:28.240 --> 0:03:29.720 don't feel like there's a wrong way to do it. 0:03:30.200 --> 0:03:32.560 I've just felt like an open wound all weekend, Like 0:03:33.120 --> 0:03:35.240 you know that feeling where you're just like emotionally raw. 0:03:36.080 --> 0:03:38.720 Anything will start me off, like even the movies like 0:03:38.800 --> 0:03:41.400 I started to watch. One of my favorite comfort movies 0:03:41.480 --> 0:03:46.160 is like Hope Floats so dumb. Yes, I love Sandra Bullock. 0:03:46.560 --> 0:03:51.040 Who doesn't know that Forrest Whitaker. Forest Whitaker directed that movie. 0:03:51.040 --> 0:03:51.400 Did you know? 0:03:51.520 --> 0:03:51.600 No? 0:03:52.040 --> 0:03:53.280 Really, I did not know that. 0:03:53.400 --> 0:03:55.480 Oh man, let's how you know. I was raised by 0:03:55.480 --> 0:03:58.720 a white woman. 0:03:58.840 --> 0:04:00.800 I was worried about to africas. Oh my girl, I 0:04:00.880 --> 0:04:02.040 loved it. 0:04:02.200 --> 0:04:07.600 I know it's universal, universal, fine, but I wanted to 0:04:07.600 --> 0:04:09.640 watch that and feel better. So I paid my little 0:04:09.680 --> 0:04:12.240 three ninety nine on Amazon Prime to watch that movie. 0:04:12.840 --> 0:04:15.680 Everything made me cry, like it was just some things 0:04:15.720 --> 0:04:18.719 were sad. I started thinking about whatever, but just like 0:04:18.720 --> 0:04:20.760 an open wound. And I think I had just come 0:04:20.800 --> 0:04:23.560 out of therapy that morning, and I, you know, I 0:04:23.640 --> 0:04:25.160 go to the park, I did my little therapy call 0:04:25.200 --> 0:04:27.159 and then I just rolling through my phone, and I 0:04:27.200 --> 0:04:29.080 was already kind of like emotional from that, but when 0:04:29.080 --> 0:04:32.520 I got the news, it just just overcame with like 0:04:33.960 --> 0:04:41.520 deep deep sadness in fear, and I immediately felt like talking, 0:04:41.560 --> 0:04:44.120 so I didn't like necessarily post right away. I ended 0:04:44.160 --> 0:04:45.919 up just like recording a video on my phone just 0:04:45.960 --> 0:04:49.000 with my thoughts, and I didn't. I mean, the anger 0:04:49.040 --> 0:04:51.400 was there, but it was like the fear and the 0:04:52.560 --> 0:04:57.880 rage and the inner need to do something, you know. 0:04:58.680 --> 0:05:01.680 And what I'm great for is that I feel like 0:05:01.720 --> 0:05:03.320 I did have those couple how long has it been 0:05:03.360 --> 0:05:07.119 since the opinion leaked, I've had a couple of months 0:05:07.160 --> 0:05:11.919 or a month or how long, like think about my 0:05:12.279 --> 0:05:16.520 feelings about the bigger picture, and immediately what I wanted 0:05:16.560 --> 0:05:19.960 to talk about was how and I and I, you know, 0:05:20.000 --> 0:05:22.640 when I was talking just to my phone at that point, 0:05:23.000 --> 0:05:25.000 I would realize, like I want to speak to black 0:05:25.040 --> 0:05:27.640 and brown women first and foremost. You know, that's my heart, 0:05:27.800 --> 0:05:30.599 that's what we're here to do. And I wanted the 0:05:30.640 --> 0:05:36.040 message to be clear that this this action like reversing 0:05:36.200 --> 0:05:39.520 Roe v. Wade, it's an assault on all women's rights 0:05:39.520 --> 0:05:42.560 and honestly on everyone's rights because it's not just a 0:05:42.600 --> 0:05:45.159 women's issue and people who have uteruses. It's not just 0:05:45.279 --> 0:05:48.599 our issue. It's men as well. But I wanted to 0:05:49.040 --> 0:05:52.000 specifically speak to black and brown women because we are 0:05:52.040 --> 0:05:55.280 the ones who are going to be disproportionately impacted by 0:05:55.279 --> 0:05:58.320 this lack of fundamental health care, you know what I mean. 0:05:58.360 --> 0:06:02.679 And if it wasn't even that long ago. But I 0:06:03.040 --> 0:06:06.200 sometimes I think about my younger self and I'll never 0:06:06.279 --> 0:06:08.600 forget the day when I found out I was pregnant 0:06:08.600 --> 0:06:12.440 and I was twenty six going on twenty seven, and 0:06:13.720 --> 0:06:16.560 the world dropped from underneath me. But I was so 0:06:16.800 --> 0:06:20.479 lucky to have the option to choose a different path 0:06:20.480 --> 0:06:23.000 for myself. And I haven't really talked about it on 0:06:23.040 --> 0:06:25.560 Brown Ambition, I mean, that doesn't really come up that often, 0:06:26.520 --> 0:06:29.320 but I've mentioned it on social media, and honestly, I 0:06:29.360 --> 0:06:32.240 feel very much about my story, how I feel about 0:06:32.240 --> 0:06:36.000 everyone's stories is our stories, and no one has the 0:06:36.080 --> 0:06:38.120 right to it doesn't. I didn't even want to tell 0:06:38.120 --> 0:06:42.640 people necessarily because the decision is so deeply personal until 0:06:42.680 --> 0:06:45.360 you have been in that position to make that kind 0:06:45.400 --> 0:06:48.160 of decision. It's in that moment when I was twenty six, 0:06:48.240 --> 0:06:50.279 twenty seven when I was making that decision with my 0:06:50.440 --> 0:06:53.440 partner at the time, who's not my husband, Like I 0:06:53.480 --> 0:06:58.680 remember feeling, why tell anyone? Literally, it's no one's choice 0:06:58.680 --> 0:07:00.920 but my own, but ours, you know what I mean. 0:07:01.640 --> 0:07:05.680 And even then, I didn't even think it'd be a 0:07:05.680 --> 0:07:09.800 possibility that there'd come a time when a woman wouldn't 0:07:09.840 --> 0:07:12.280 be able to make the same choice that I did. 0:07:13.080 --> 0:07:17.000 And what would my life look like if I had 0:07:17.040 --> 0:07:18.679 not been able to get the care that I needed 0:07:18.680 --> 0:07:21.360 in that moment. I would not be sitting where I 0:07:21.400 --> 0:07:24.120 am today, I would not have this business that I 0:07:24.160 --> 0:07:29.960 have now. My life would have been blown up, you know, 0:07:30.440 --> 0:07:32.160 and I still would have been one of the lucky ones. 0:07:32.240 --> 0:07:35.320 I would have been quote unquote fine. But there are 0:07:35.360 --> 0:07:37.960 women who found out Friday morning, who went there to 0:07:37.960 --> 0:07:40.240 make the same choice I did, just how many years ago, 0:07:40.480 --> 0:07:43.360 eight years ago, and they couldn't make that choice. They 0:07:43.400 --> 0:07:47.080 were turned away, And that fucking breaks my heart. It 0:07:47.120 --> 0:07:50.000 breaks my heart. And so when I hopped on to 0:07:50.080 --> 0:07:54.360 start talking about it and I posted it, finally, you know, 0:07:54.400 --> 0:07:58.040 I realized in that moment, it's actually I'm glad that 0:07:58.080 --> 0:08:00.080 I I'm glad that I spoke out, and just you know, 0:08:00.160 --> 0:08:02.640 reminded everyone that, like the impact is going to happen 0:08:02.680 --> 0:08:05.600 black and brown women, but also reminded my followers, like 0:08:05.600 --> 0:08:09.000 who the fuck you're you're walking, who you're following, who 0:08:09.040 --> 0:08:13.520 I am, because some people I realized when I posted that, 0:08:14.160 --> 0:08:17.280 had another idea about who Mandy money is, and. 0:08:19.000 --> 0:08:20.400 That's a Southern lady R. 0:08:22.400 --> 0:08:23.960 I don't know how they found my page, but you 0:08:23.960 --> 0:08:26.680 know what, I was just talking to my Mandy money 0:08:26.680 --> 0:08:30.840 makers about authenticity on social media and sharing your stories 0:08:30.840 --> 0:08:33.760 so that you're sharing your stories in a way to 0:08:33.920 --> 0:08:37.720 bring people to you who need to find you, yes, 0:08:38.040 --> 0:08:40.839 but also sharing it to tell the people who need 0:08:40.880 --> 0:08:44.800 to lose you where the exit door is, you know 0:08:44.840 --> 0:08:48.960 what I mean. And it was interesting to me to 0:08:49.080 --> 0:08:51.760 have that moment and also feel like, Okay, maybe I 0:08:51.760 --> 0:08:53.920 should do this like once a year just to remind 0:08:53.920 --> 0:08:56.360 people where I stand. Like a healthy you know, they 0:08:56.559 --> 0:08:59.760 burn forest down to like have the next trees coming stronger. 0:09:00.440 --> 0:09:03.200 I feel like, as social media influencers or any like 0:09:03.240 --> 0:09:05.840 public figure or anyone in general, just remind people who 0:09:05.880 --> 0:09:08.840 you are consistently so that the people who can find 0:09:08.880 --> 0:09:09.679 you can find you. 0:09:10.040 --> 0:09:12.880 A cleansing of sorts, a cleanse yes. 0:09:13.280 --> 0:09:16.319 A cleans of sort. Anyway, it's been Yeah, it's been 0:09:16.480 --> 0:09:19.880 very raw, and I'm I don't know, Tiff. I feel 0:09:19.880 --> 0:09:23.960 like usually there's this feeling of speechlessness and like, well, 0:09:23.960 --> 0:09:25.880 there's not much we can do, but I know exactly 0:09:25.880 --> 0:09:27.959 what we can do, So I want to talk about that, 0:09:28.320 --> 0:09:34.520 like first and foremost, I think one obviously donating to causes, 0:09:35.360 --> 0:09:37.920 donating to organizations that are helping women who now can 0:09:37.960 --> 0:09:41.840 no longer get the health care they need find alternative 0:09:41.840 --> 0:09:43.760 options in other states. So if you can donate to 0:09:43.800 --> 0:09:47.200 Planned Parenthood. I've also seen people starting funds to cover 0:09:47.280 --> 0:09:50.880 travel expenses for women and people with uteruses who want 0:09:50.920 --> 0:09:53.679 to who have to travel far, you know, to get 0:09:53.679 --> 0:09:56.720 the care they need. And midterm elections are coming up, y'all. 0:09:57.200 --> 0:09:59.839 November is coming, and we mentioned that before, but I 0:10:00.000 --> 0:10:02.480 want to remind y'all. In some states they make sure 0:10:02.520 --> 0:10:04.600 you have to register far, far far in advance. So 0:10:04.600 --> 0:10:07.040 if you're not registered right now, register go to vote 0:10:07.040 --> 0:10:11.160 dot org, vote dot gov, register to vote. And I'm 0:10:11.360 --> 0:10:13.680 my husband and I we sat down and we talked 0:10:13.679 --> 0:10:17.800 about like which causes, which political candidates we want to 0:10:17.960 --> 0:10:20.760 donate to, and living in a state like New York 0:10:20.840 --> 0:10:23.880 where things are pretty progressive already, and I'm so grateful 0:10:24.120 --> 0:10:27.199 that immediately the governor and the mayor both said abortion 0:10:27.280 --> 0:10:29.920 will stay legal here. Okay, but there are states where 0:10:29.960 --> 0:10:32.240 they're much more on the fringe. And in those states 0:10:32.240 --> 0:10:36.640 where there's campaigns where the there's a possibility of shift 0:10:36.640 --> 0:10:38.800 and power. You know, if people who don't believe in 0:10:38.840 --> 0:10:41.240 a woman's right to choose could be taking over, I 0:10:41.240 --> 0:10:44.559 think it's important to donate to those campaigns. Those are 0:10:44.640 --> 0:10:47.720 two I think meaningful things to do. And then thirdly, 0:10:48.720 --> 0:10:52.520 get more financial empowerment for black and brown women, like 0:10:52.600 --> 0:10:57.200 we have to the more power we have, financial power, 0:10:57.760 --> 0:11:03.760 power as leaders, influence. This won't happen like we can 0:11:03.800 --> 0:11:07.559 save ourselves, but we have to keep fighting. We have 0:11:07.679 --> 0:11:11.199 to keep wanting more for ourselves, reaching for for the 0:11:11.280 --> 0:11:14.760 financial gains, reaching for seats at the table, and when 0:11:14.760 --> 0:11:16.719 we get there, making room for more of us to 0:11:16.760 --> 0:11:18.920 get to the table, that's when we're going to see 0:11:18.920 --> 0:11:20.840 real change. I think we're just living in this like 0:11:22.000 --> 0:11:25.160 this diseased world where we have been held back for 0:11:25.200 --> 0:11:28.400 so so long, and until we get to a position 0:11:28.440 --> 0:11:31.400 of power more of us, this is going to keep happening. 0:11:31.440 --> 0:11:34.280 And that's petrifying, but it also gives me hope because 0:11:34.320 --> 0:11:36.440 I can, like, through brown ambition, through the work that 0:11:36.480 --> 0:11:39.680 we're doing, I see it every day, black women reaching 0:11:39.720 --> 0:11:42.319 for that Black and brown women reaching for that empowerment, 0:11:42.360 --> 0:11:45.520 feeling empowered. We just need more, more more. 0:11:46.800 --> 0:11:49.120 It's like a real shift, you know. I think in 0:11:49.200 --> 0:11:53.480 times like this, that's the only thing that I guess, 0:11:53.559 --> 0:11:56.800 if there is a glimmer of hope, is that those 0:11:56.880 --> 0:12:02.080 who thought that voting for Voldemore wouldn't be so bad, 0:12:02.800 --> 0:12:06.120 those women who were like, oh, he can't get into 0:12:06.160 --> 0:12:08.319 but so much trouble and now here we are. I 0:12:08.400 --> 0:12:11.920 read an article. It was a CNN I believe it 0:12:11.960 --> 0:12:18.440 was CNN where you know the Voldemort are former president. 0:12:18.640 --> 0:12:22.080 He you know, he's been a little KOI, which is 0:12:22.080 --> 0:12:26.480 not like him not wanting to claim full credit saying 0:12:26.480 --> 0:12:28.480 it's not just me. I'm like, that seems odd because 0:12:28.480 --> 0:12:31.640 behind the scenes, here's the thing about Boldemort. He's, as 0:12:31.720 --> 0:12:34.560 much as he is an idiot, he's not dumb. He 0:12:34.760 --> 0:12:39.320 recognizes that suburban women are what put him over the 0:12:39.440 --> 0:12:43.080 edge to become president, and he recognizes that this is 0:12:43.320 --> 0:12:47.240 a direct attack on those very same women for those 0:12:47.280 --> 0:12:51.599 who you know, are are open enough to realize that 0:12:51.600 --> 0:12:54.360 that women. It's like, sure, we don't mind this, we 0:12:54.400 --> 0:12:57.040 don't mind that, we don't wait what and so he 0:12:57.120 --> 0:13:00.920 recognizes that this is way further. There were a lot 0:13:00.920 --> 0:13:03.160 of folks this is like okay, now here's where I 0:13:03.280 --> 0:13:06.000 draw the line, you know, And and know this that 0:13:06.000 --> 0:13:09.520 the current those who sit on the bench the are 0:13:09.520 --> 0:13:12.520 currently looking for more, Like Clarence Thomas had said, like, okay, 0:13:12.600 --> 0:13:14.800 now that we've done this, they're looking at gay rights, 0:13:14.800 --> 0:13:20.040 they're looking at contraception, birth control, and. 0:13:20.000 --> 0:13:23.000 So interracial marriage. 0:13:23.160 --> 0:13:24.560 Well I thought that was just a joke. 0:13:24.720 --> 0:13:27.720 But you never know, honestly, so it could be it 0:13:27.760 --> 0:13:28.640 could be anything. 0:13:28.920 --> 0:13:32.920 Mm hmm. Yeah. These are the very same justices that 0:13:33.120 --> 0:13:35.120 it was three of them that when they were being 0:13:35.200 --> 0:13:37.200 you know, because you have to be grilled before you're appointed, 0:13:37.960 --> 0:13:41.120 that three of them stated that like, no, no, I 0:13:41.160 --> 0:13:44.160 believe that that that Roe versus raised way is settled, 0:13:44.240 --> 0:13:46.160 meaning I'm not going to do anything about it. 0:13:46.160 --> 0:13:47.679 Obviously that was a lie. 0:13:47.720 --> 0:13:51.160 And so if there is anything that I have seen 0:13:51.520 --> 0:13:54.880 is then when something swings to the extremes, it's met 0:13:54.920 --> 0:13:58.960 with extremes, meaning that this is such a far swing 0:13:59.160 --> 0:14:01.720 to the right that there are people who might not 0:14:01.920 --> 0:14:04.480 normally go up against the right that are going to 0:14:04.520 --> 0:14:07.520 be like, Okay, you know this is too much. And 0:14:07.600 --> 0:14:09.400 I mean, I don't believe in extremes anyway. I don't 0:14:09.440 --> 0:14:11.840 like fast drinks to the left either. I believe that 0:14:11.840 --> 0:14:14.400 there has to be something in the middle of something 0:14:14.640 --> 0:14:18.320 in the center where everyone doesn't get everything they want, 0:14:18.320 --> 0:14:20.800 but everyone doesn't get anything that they don't want. So yeah, 0:14:20.840 --> 0:14:24.720 it's just it's a lot. I don't honestly. I mean, 0:14:24.760 --> 0:14:26.240 I try to look back in history and I think 0:14:26.280 --> 0:14:28.400 to myself, you know, there was the Black Plague, and 0:14:28.720 --> 0:14:30.840 there are these other things that happen, and I'm like, 0:14:31.520 --> 0:14:34.000 it just seems like so much. I don't remember being 0:14:34.080 --> 0:14:37.440 like so crazy. But I guess it's because I'm an adult, 0:14:38.040 --> 0:14:40.320 you know, I get to live it through an adult lens. 0:14:40.400 --> 0:14:42.800 But it just seems like the last few years have 0:14:42.880 --> 0:14:43.680 been so heavy. 0:14:44.240 --> 0:14:46.880 They have, and I mean, I think there's definitely opportunities 0:14:46.880 --> 0:14:50.040 for self care. I feel like, you know, something you 0:14:50.080 --> 0:14:53.320 mentioned is so important. The white suburban women who voted 0:14:53.320 --> 0:14:55.640 Trump into office. I'm sorry, he who must not be 0:14:55.760 --> 0:15:00.040 named into office in twenty sixteen, that it's important and 0:15:00.120 --> 0:15:02.560 that yes, this very much impacts them as well. And 0:15:02.600 --> 0:15:06.520 when I'm saying that this impacts black environ women disproportionately, 0:15:06.520 --> 0:15:09.040 what I mean is by that is not that we're 0:15:09.040 --> 0:15:11.200 more likely to want an abortion, but that we are 0:15:11.240 --> 0:15:13.160 more likely to not have the financial means to get 0:15:13.160 --> 0:15:16.000 it when it's in a different freaking state and potentially 0:15:16.040 --> 0:15:18.520 I don't know who knows intend how long it could 0:15:18.520 --> 0:15:21.400 take and who takes over, you know, in our states 0:15:21.480 --> 0:15:24.720 now that it's at the state level that's deciding whether 0:15:24.800 --> 0:15:26.840 or not a woman and people who have uterses have 0:15:26.880 --> 0:15:29.440 the right to choose, you know, who are elect officials 0:15:29.440 --> 0:15:31.760 in these states going to be down the line? Could 0:15:31.800 --> 0:15:34.560 there be a time when the whole country looks very 0:15:34.600 --> 0:15:36.360 different than what it is right now. I think it's 0:15:36.360 --> 0:15:39.040 about half the country does and half the country doesn't 0:15:39.040 --> 0:15:41.520 allow it. But that financial then, the reason it's so 0:15:41.560 --> 0:15:44.800 important to have that financial empowerment is because when you 0:15:44.880 --> 0:15:47.600 have the financial empowerment, you can make choices. You know, 0:15:47.720 --> 0:15:49.880 you can go other places where they do welcome the 0:15:49.880 --> 0:15:53.000 decisions that you make. We don't get to make those choices, 0:15:53.000 --> 0:15:54.680 We don't get to have those options when we're not 0:15:54.720 --> 0:15:58.000 financially empowered, it's not as easy. You know, waiting for 0:15:58.080 --> 0:16:00.320 someone to help you get there is fine, and that's 0:16:00.360 --> 0:16:02.080 those options for maybe be out there. But when we 0:16:02.120 --> 0:16:05.440 can make our own choices, that is what real empowerment is. 0:16:05.960 --> 0:16:10.480 And for white suburban moms, white women in general, they 0:16:10.840 --> 0:16:12.920 and I know that there's plenty who have struggled and 0:16:13.000 --> 0:16:14.400 all of that. And believe me, you're all over my 0:16:14.400 --> 0:16:16.440 page being like, I struggle too, and I've been you know, 0:16:16.480 --> 0:16:18.360 I grew up poor blah blah blah. Great, that's good, 0:16:18.520 --> 0:16:21.120 and the majority of you don't. Okay, majority of black 0:16:21.160 --> 0:16:23.880 and white, black and brown women very different circumstances, and 0:16:23.880 --> 0:16:25.920 that's why it's important that we talk to them specifically 0:16:26.000 --> 0:16:29.480 and center them and everything that we do center those voices, 0:16:29.560 --> 0:16:32.520 enter those stories. Because if we can make sure that 0:16:32.560 --> 0:16:35.480 black and brown women succeed financially to the point where 0:16:35.520 --> 0:16:37.440 they can make their own choices, then believe me, everyone, 0:16:37.480 --> 0:16:41.479 you're gonna be fine like us. Being more empowered financially 0:16:41.640 --> 0:16:45.360 does not you know, does not threaten you in any way, 0:16:45.560 --> 0:16:49.120 shape or form, you know what I mean. And those women, 0:16:50.120 --> 0:16:52.960 I feel like it's an opportunity for them. Will you 0:16:53.040 --> 0:16:56.800 stand with us now and will you stand for not 0:16:56.840 --> 0:16:59.640 just your rights, but everyone's, you know, people who don't 0:16:59.640 --> 0:17:02.640 look like you as well. We'll see how things shake out. 0:17:02.680 --> 0:17:05.840 I'm very I'm very, very concerned about November. I'll tell 0:17:05.840 --> 0:17:08.919 you that right damn Now. So much is writing on 0:17:09.000 --> 0:17:11.160 who we elect in at our state level, and people 0:17:11.160 --> 0:17:13.480 pay so much attention to the presidential election, and I 0:17:13.480 --> 0:17:17.320 don't think far enough to the state level. You know, 0:17:17.359 --> 0:17:21.439 elections like pay attention, y'all, wake up, pay attention, vote 0:17:23.040 --> 0:17:26.639 support candidates who stand for things that you care about. 0:17:27.080 --> 0:17:30.800 Every election counts. I mean, it's it's freaking scary. I 0:17:30.840 --> 0:17:33.040 know it's a lot, but it's it's like we can't 0:17:33.040 --> 0:17:34.920 turn away from that fear and that stress. I don't 0:17:34.920 --> 0:17:36.399 think in this moment. I don't think this is a 0:17:36.440 --> 0:17:38.919 moment to put our heads in the stand to pretend 0:17:38.920 --> 0:17:40.320 like it's not happening. We got to go there, We 0:17:40.359 --> 0:17:42.159 got to have uncomfortable conversations. 0:17:42.760 --> 0:17:45.560 No, Like, so I'm actually like an upstate New York 0:17:46.000 --> 0:17:47.920 I said, I'd like, I saw one of my friends 0:17:47.920 --> 0:17:49.639 and say she was in the cat Skills. I was like, 0:17:49.840 --> 0:17:51.800 why don't I go to upstate New York just to like, 0:17:51.840 --> 0:17:54.720 you know, so y'all know I live in Newark and 0:17:54.760 --> 0:17:56.640 it's about an hour and a half hour and forty 0:17:56.680 --> 0:17:58.520 five minute drive, but it's like it might as well 0:17:58.560 --> 0:18:02.080 be in another country for how different it is. It's 0:18:02.160 --> 0:18:05.480 so slow, but so beautiful. I set man dry some pictures. 0:18:05.520 --> 0:18:07.480 It's so pretty you. 0:18:07.520 --> 0:18:09.439 Out there by yourself. There's some nice pictures there. You 0:18:09.440 --> 0:18:09.760 got a. 0:18:09.680 --> 0:18:12.240 Tripod, no, I just you know, you put on the 0:18:12.280 --> 0:18:13.600 timer and you put it against a rock. 0:18:13.680 --> 0:18:15.240 That's what the nature's tripod? 0:18:16.520 --> 0:18:22.200 Gorgeous. Yeah, it's up to in the stream. 0:18:22.560 --> 0:18:22.919 I know. 0:18:25.760 --> 0:18:28.040 But when I was out here like walking and just 0:18:28.040 --> 0:18:32.080 like you know, just thinking about what I wanted and 0:18:32.480 --> 0:18:34.480 who I am, one of the things that came to me. 0:18:34.520 --> 0:18:36.920 I was like, you know, one of my core values 0:18:37.040 --> 0:18:39.879 is safety and security, because how could it not be 0:18:39.960 --> 0:18:42.440 as a as a black woman, And because I thought 0:18:42.480 --> 0:18:45.159 to myself, you know, as I was thinking about what 0:18:45.200 --> 0:18:47.240 are some of my financial goals? But I really wanted 0:18:47.280 --> 0:18:48.280 to know, why is that your goal? 0:18:48.320 --> 0:18:48.600 To me? 0:18:49.200 --> 0:18:51.120 It's not just for the money's sake, and it's for 0:18:51.680 --> 0:18:55.280 what we're talking about now. I want to have enough that, 0:18:55.960 --> 0:18:59.440 you know, barring anything super crazy, that I can handle it. 0:18:59.680 --> 0:19:02.879 Because I know no one's coming for me. I know 0:19:03.000 --> 0:19:05.439 no one's going to save me, that it's going to 0:19:05.480 --> 0:19:09.919 be on me to financially save myself and like oftentimes 0:19:09.920 --> 0:19:13.639 save my sisters, you know. And by sisters I mean friends, 0:19:13.680 --> 0:19:17.960 I mean family, you know. And so to Manager's point, 0:19:18.080 --> 0:19:20.440 that's why we do what we do right. Certainly we're 0:19:20.480 --> 0:19:23.800 sharing this difficult topic, but we talk here about your 0:19:23.880 --> 0:19:29.080 economic empowerment because you know, if you have enough to 0:19:29.160 --> 0:19:33.040 take care of yourself and your family to provide safety 0:19:33.040 --> 0:19:36.920 and security for yourself. Also too, money talks at the 0:19:37.000 --> 0:19:39.200 end of the day, you know, that's what politics and 0:19:39.240 --> 0:19:41.679 all that, it really comes down to who has the 0:19:41.720 --> 0:19:45.679 money to make the decisions. And so I'm committed. Yeah, 0:19:45.760 --> 0:19:49.600 I'm committed to like my economic growth, but also to yours. 0:19:49.640 --> 0:19:52.720 You know. That's why we're here. You know, it's for us. 0:19:52.800 --> 0:19:55.840 It's not just money for money's sake, It's it allows 0:19:55.880 --> 0:19:59.520 you to have choices when you have access to money, 0:19:59.680 --> 0:20:01.800 you know, at least in the US of A. You know, 0:20:01.840 --> 0:20:04.520 other places might be different, but here, you know, you 0:20:04.840 --> 0:20:08.520 are are offered a wider range of choices, you know, 0:20:08.560 --> 0:20:09.480 when you have money. 0:20:10.320 --> 0:20:12.280 Yeah, hell yeah, And there's something that you said, you 0:20:12.320 --> 0:20:14.480 said it like I don't remember, I don't know. I 0:20:14.480 --> 0:20:15.919