WEBVTT - Ask Angela Anything | Angela Rye SoloPod 0:00:00.160 --> 0:00:03.640 Native Land Pod is a production of iHeartRadio in partnership 0:00:03.640 --> 0:00:05.080 with Reason Choice Media. 0:00:05.600 --> 0:00:11.400 Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome home, everybody. 0:00:11.440 --> 0:00:14.680 This is Angela Rai, one of your hosts of Native Lamppod, 0:00:15.640 --> 0:00:18.120 thrilled to be with you today. As our producer Nick 0:00:18.160 --> 0:00:21.680 goes on mute since I can hear his television, and 0:00:21.760 --> 0:00:24.640 we are so excited that you all have joined us today. 0:00:24.680 --> 0:00:26.160 We have so much to get into. 0:00:26.760 --> 0:00:28.800 This is going to be one of my favorite solo 0:00:28.880 --> 0:00:31.320 pods because we are going to hear live from some 0:00:31.720 --> 0:00:34.360 folks just like you. As you know, we say welcome home, 0:00:34.680 --> 0:00:37.400 and that means that our Native Lamppod community has the 0:00:37.440 --> 0:00:41.199 opportunity to weigh in some with questions today. Before we 0:00:41.240 --> 0:00:43.320 get started, I want you all to know within about 0:00:43.320 --> 0:00:47.040 the next hour, the House Republicans will be bringing up 0:00:47.080 --> 0:00:50.280 a vote. We have somebody Okay, I was going to 0:00:50.320 --> 0:00:51.800 say we have somebody else who just joined us, when 0:00:51.800 --> 0:00:52.880 you's them to go backstage. 0:00:53.240 --> 0:00:55.440 The House Republicans will be voting on. 0:00:55.560 --> 0:00:58.680 What they call a stopgap measure or a continuing resolution 0:00:59.240 --> 0:01:02.920 to determine whether or not the government will continue to operate. 0:01:03.120 --> 0:01:04.840 I'm gonna argue with you all right here, and just 0:01:04.920 --> 0:01:08.279 let you know that the government has been shut down 0:01:08.720 --> 0:01:11.720 since Donald J. Trump was sworn into office on Martin 0:01:11.760 --> 0:01:14.600 Luther King Day this year. The government has been shut 0:01:14.640 --> 0:01:17.959 down since Elon Musk went into the Department of Treasury 0:01:18.000 --> 0:01:21.320 with doze and got access to our most secure information. 0:01:21.680 --> 0:01:25.240 The government shut down the day that they decided that 0:01:25.400 --> 0:01:29.240 USAID workers all over the world should no longer receive 0:01:29.319 --> 0:01:31.960 funding and should be fired. The government was shut down 0:01:32.319 --> 0:01:36.679 the day they began to fire inspectors general throughout the government. 0:01:36.920 --> 0:01:40.120 The government was shut down the day ethics no longer mattered, 0:01:40.480 --> 0:01:42.679 the day that the felon got into the White House 0:01:42.920 --> 0:01:45.920 and decided that there would be crime running rampant, except 0:01:45.920 --> 0:01:48.880 for for those of us who commit no crimes. So, y'all, 0:01:48.920 --> 0:01:51.360 the government has been shut down, and what the Republicans 0:01:51.360 --> 0:01:54.360 are going to vote on within the next hour will 0:01:54.440 --> 0:01:59.160 merely give Donald J. Trump and Elon Musk a rubber 0:01:59.200 --> 0:02:02.680 stamp to continue and engaging in waste, fraud, and abuse. 0:02:03.320 --> 0:02:06.360 And it gives them a rubber stamp to continue to 0:02:06.480 --> 0:02:12.079 shut down services most needed for the American people. This 0:02:12.280 --> 0:02:18.040 bill will decrease non defense spending by thirteen billion dollars. 0:02:18.320 --> 0:02:22.840 This bill will cut SNAP benefits, which again we talked 0:02:22.840 --> 0:02:26.480 about before. Our food stamps provide food benefits to the 0:02:26.480 --> 0:02:30.840 most vulnerable Americans among us. Two hundred and thirty billion 0:02:31.040 --> 0:02:34.320 dollars in cuts to SNAP. The cuts to Medicate are 0:02:34.360 --> 0:02:38.880 over eight hundred billion dollars. That provides healthcare to people 0:02:38.880 --> 0:02:42.680 all over the country and is named different things. In 0:02:42.720 --> 0:02:46.120 your state, it's something different. In Washington State, it's Apple. 0:02:47.000 --> 0:02:50.320 There are tax cuts for people with incomes in the 0:02:50.360 --> 0:02:54.840 top one percent in the country one point one trillion dollars, 0:02:55.080 --> 0:02:58.120 so they can afford to give tax cuts to wealthy 0:02:58.160 --> 0:03:03.680 billionaires but starve out and cause harm to healthcare for 0:03:03.760 --> 0:03:06.040 the most vulnerable among us. That is what we are 0:03:06.160 --> 0:03:08.600 up against. UH. And I want to just call out 0:03:08.639 --> 0:03:12.680 the fact that there are House Republicans who are vulnerable. 0:03:12.720 --> 0:03:17.040 They live in districts, some of them with large black populations. 0:03:17.760 --> 0:03:19.560 I want to name some of those folks, and then 0:03:19.600 --> 0:03:23.679 we are going to get into the conversation, UH with 0:03:23.680 --> 0:03:26.480 with people in the community who have questions. But I 0:03:26.560 --> 0:03:29.520 just want to take a moment, UH, to name some 0:03:29.560 --> 0:03:31.160 of those folks. Hold on, I'm trying to find the 0:03:31.160 --> 0:03:33.760 post where we lifted up all the names of these workers. 0:03:35.800 --> 0:03:38.000 Hold on one moment, I just oh, here it is. 0:03:38.440 --> 0:03:40.720 So this is These are the Republicans who you need 0:03:40.760 --> 0:03:44.360 to be paying attention to because they may vote against 0:03:44.400 --> 0:03:46.600 your interests and you still have called time to call 0:03:46.640 --> 0:03:49.119 them at two zero two two two four. 0:03:49.320 --> 0:03:50.520 Three one two one. 0:03:51.040 --> 0:03:55.080 These are Republicans who were elected in districts that have 0:03:55.240 --> 0:03:59.480 large Democratic populations and large populations of people of color. 0:03:59.800 --> 0:04:04.680 That is Nick Beggach in Alaska. That is David Sweikert 0:04:04.760 --> 0:04:09.880 in Arizona. That is Eli Crane in Arizona. That's Juan 0:04:10.080 --> 0:04:12.680 Ciscomanni in Arizona. It's a lot of Arizona. 0:04:12.760 --> 0:04:13.000 Huh. 0:04:13.400 --> 0:04:20.119 Kevin Kylie in California, David Valadeo in California, Young Kim. 0:04:20.600 --> 0:04:22.360 Are we sure it's not Kim Young? I just want 0:04:22.400 --> 0:04:25.200 to make sure we checked that Young Kim in California. 0:04:25.520 --> 0:04:31.760 Kevin Calvert in California, Jeff Heard of Colorado, Gabe Evans 0:04:31.880 --> 0:04:39.360 of Colorado, Anna Paulina Luna in Florida. Representative Marinette Marionette 0:04:39.400 --> 0:04:45.280 Miller Meeks. Marionette Miller Meeks in Iowa, Zach Nunn in Iowa, 0:04:45.880 --> 0:04:49.400 Bill Huayzenga Jesus help. I don't know if his last 0:04:49.480 --> 0:04:52.640 name is h u I z e n g A, Michigan. 0:04:53.480 --> 0:04:57.120 Tom Barrett in Michigan, John y'all. John James got the 0:04:57.120 --> 0:04:59.359 nerve to be a black man in Michigan, voting against 0:04:59.360 --> 0:05:04.120 snapped in medicaid in Michigan, John James, somebody run against 0:05:04.160 --> 0:05:04.479 his brother. 0:05:04.520 --> 0:05:06.160 Now, I'm sorry, you gyall should run against these white 0:05:06.200 --> 0:05:06.880 folks too. 0:05:07.080 --> 0:05:09.919 But I'm just saying, this is a black man voting 0:05:09.960 --> 0:05:14.880 against snap and medicaid, Okay, John James. Ron zinc in 0:05:14.960 --> 0:05:18.160 Montana might be zinkey. I'm not sure. We've got to 0:05:18.160 --> 0:05:20.000 get pronunciations of these I'm not gonna mess these up. 0:05:20.000 --> 0:05:21.840 I'm gonna keep naming these folks. So let's make sure 0:05:21.880 --> 0:05:24.040 we get this done. Little lot, help me out. Don 0:05:24.080 --> 0:05:29.280 Bacon and Nebraska, Tom Keen Junior, New Jersey, Nick Lalatta. 0:05:29.160 --> 0:05:32.040 In New York. Mike Lawler, New York. 0:05:32.200 --> 0:05:39.560 Ryan McKenzie Pennsylvania, Rob bress Child, Rob Brestman in Pennsylvania, 0:05:39.680 --> 0:05:45.680 Scott Perry, Pennsylvania, Monica Dela Cruz in Texas. Bob Whitman, Virginia. 0:05:45.839 --> 0:05:51.240 Jump I'm sorry, Jen Keegan's Virginia. Brian Steell Wisconsin. Derreck 0:05:51.480 --> 0:05:55.919 van Orden, Wisconsin. Y'all called them today at two zero 0:05:56.000 --> 0:05:58.719 two two two four three one two one while you're 0:05:58.760 --> 0:06:02.000 watching me, pick up the phone, record a video of 0:06:02.080 --> 0:06:05.080 your call to their office and let them know they 0:06:05.160 --> 0:06:09.799 better not vote against this continuing Resolution that is merely 0:06:10.680 --> 0:06:14.240 a perpetuation of a government shutdown that has been happening 0:06:14.480 --> 0:06:17.000 since Donald Trump got in office. Call them and let 0:06:17.000 --> 0:06:18.919 them know that you don't want to be a rubber 0:06:18.960 --> 0:06:21.240 stant for Donald Trump. Call them and let them know 0:06:21.520 --> 0:06:24.080 that you want to fund snap benefits, and you want 0:06:24.080 --> 0:06:27.000 to fund Medicaid, and you want to fund Medicare, and 0:06:27.040 --> 0:06:30.120 you want to fund Social Security. Let them know they 0:06:30.200 --> 0:06:33.120 plan with the wrong ones. Okay, let them know two 0:06:33.240 --> 0:06:36.120 zero two two two four three one two one. You 0:06:36.160 --> 0:06:39.960 can find this post about the Republican members who are 0:06:40.400 --> 0:06:44.479 in vulnerable districts and who are likely to vote to 0:06:44.600 --> 0:06:49.680 support this continuing resolution. Tell them to vote no because 0:06:49.760 --> 0:06:53.039 our lives depend on it. Okay, So now we're going 0:06:53.080 --> 0:06:54.720 to get into these questions. I just wanted to make 0:06:54.760 --> 0:06:56.480 sure we do that because we have about an hour 0:06:56.960 --> 0:06:59.440 before they vote, maybe a little less before they vote 0:06:59.440 --> 0:07:02.039 on this continue Resolution on the House floor, and then 0:07:02.120 --> 0:07:04.560 y'all call these Senate Democrats that think they going that 0:07:04.600 --> 0:07:07.160 they have an obligation to support this No, they do 0:07:07.240 --> 0:07:09.720 not tell them what they have an obligation to support, 0:07:09.760 --> 0:07:12.920 and that is making sure that the American people can 0:07:13.000 --> 0:07:15.920 live and thrive under this administration. 0:07:16.040 --> 0:07:18.240 That means you got to vote to tell a fascist, No, 0:07:18.840 --> 0:07:21.080 what are we talking about. This is not up for grabs. 0:07:21.120 --> 0:07:22.280 It's not up for discussion. 0:07:22.720 --> 0:07:25.720 We have to make sure that our voices are heard 0:07:25.760 --> 0:07:28.000 and we tell these folks what we really need to 0:07:28.000 --> 0:07:30.800 see done. That's our obligation. Where the taxpayers you know 0:07:30.840 --> 0:07:32.960 what that means. We pay their salaries. You know what 0:07:33.000 --> 0:07:35.440 that means they work for us. All right, we're gonna 0:07:35.440 --> 0:07:39.320 open up for questions. I think Brittany is up first. 0:07:40.320 --> 0:07:42.760 I can't hear you, Brittany. I'm so sorry. I don't 0:07:42.760 --> 0:07:44.480 know if it's on mute, but I can't hear you 0:07:44.600 --> 0:07:45.040 right now. 0:07:46.240 --> 0:07:47.200 Can you hear me now? 0:07:47.560 --> 0:07:50.400 I can, Hi, Brittany, how are you tell us your name? 0:07:50.480 --> 0:07:51.760 Your full name, and where you're from. 0:07:52.280 --> 0:07:55.040 My name is Brittany Scott and I'm from Durham, North Carolina. 0:07:55.760 --> 0:07:57.080 All right, tell me your question. 0:07:57.720 --> 0:08:00.280 Okay, So my question is as we most recent so 0:08:00.400 --> 0:08:03.600 there were ten Democrats that voted to censor Al Green. 0:08:03.960 --> 0:08:05.120 They are the opposition. 0:08:05.240 --> 0:08:07.880 I want to know in times like this, what do 0:08:07.960 --> 0:08:11.320 we do to appeal to the opposition? Can we appeal 0:08:11.360 --> 0:08:14.400 to them? And if we can't, does that mean that 0:08:14.440 --> 0:08:17.880 black people now need to do basically fubu for us 0:08:17.960 --> 0:08:18.600 by us? 0:08:20.120 --> 0:08:23.480 Yes, I love this question, Brittany. First of all, let's 0:08:23.480 --> 0:08:26.520 shout out Congressman Al Green. For those of us who 0:08:26.560 --> 0:08:29.000 were watching the State of the Union, what we know 0:08:29.600 --> 0:08:33.040 is that there was one sole member who stood up 0:08:33.080 --> 0:08:36.840 and challenged Donald Trump face to face. Congressman Green pointed 0:08:36.880 --> 0:08:41.040 that cane to Donald Trump and said, you do not have. 0:08:40.920 --> 0:08:44.720 A mandate to cut Medicaid. He stood up boldly. 0:08:45.280 --> 0:08:48.920 He said he didn't intend to protest verbally, he just 0:08:48.960 --> 0:08:52.160 intended to walk out. Several other members walked out of 0:08:52.200 --> 0:08:56.680 the chamber after Al Green, Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, Ayana Presley, 0:08:57.720 --> 0:09:02.320 Sydney Komliger, Dove Maxwell Frost. There were so many members 0:09:02.320 --> 0:09:05.560 who walked out after Congressman Green, but with Al Green 0:09:05.679 --> 0:09:08.320 standing up in the way that he did and specifically 0:09:08.440 --> 0:09:12.720 naming what they call an entitlement program medicate he was saying, 0:09:12.760 --> 0:09:14.880 I'm going to stand up for the most vulnerable in 0:09:14.960 --> 0:09:18.400 my district. Well, I want to name the ten because 0:09:18.440 --> 0:09:20.720 they stood on the wrong side of history by voting 0:09:20.960 --> 0:09:24.400 with the Republicans to censure Congressman Green. Some of you 0:09:24.440 --> 0:09:26.640 may be saying, what does it mean to censure a 0:09:26.679 --> 0:09:29.760 member of Congress. It is a formal reprimand where they 0:09:29.800 --> 0:09:31.680 go into the well of the House. That's when, if 0:09:31.720 --> 0:09:35.200 you're ever watching the house floor on C Span or 0:09:35.200 --> 0:09:37.680 somewhere else where the members go down to speak and 0:09:37.679 --> 0:09:41.120 they're facing outward, that's called the well. So he had 0:09:41.160 --> 0:09:44.400 to stand in the well and essentially receive a reprimand 0:09:44.640 --> 0:09:46.880 when they voted to censure him and he stood in 0:09:46.920 --> 0:09:49.880 the well of the House, many members came and stood 0:09:49.920 --> 0:09:52.319 with them, and they began to saying, we shall overcome. 0:09:52.760 --> 0:09:55.239 The purpose for that is we know that the punishment 0:09:55.320 --> 0:09:58.320 did not meet the crime. There's no reason, there's no 0:09:58.440 --> 0:10:02.480 rhyme or reason why Congressman Green should have been censured 0:10:02.720 --> 0:10:05.079 when all he did was stand up for the vulnerable 0:10:05.200 --> 0:10:08.280 amongst us. He wanted to ensure that they had a voice, 0:10:08.320 --> 0:10:10.360 and they knew that there was someone who would speak 0:10:10.440 --> 0:10:13.680 up on their behalf and protect something as critical to 0:10:13.720 --> 0:10:17.400 our survival as medicaid. Well, there are members of Congress 0:10:17.440 --> 0:10:20.600 who have historically said they support medicaid, but they voted 0:10:20.600 --> 0:10:24.000 to Center al Green despite him sure violating the rules 0:10:24.000 --> 0:10:26.600 of decorn. But when somebody's lying to your face before 0:10:26.640 --> 0:10:28.960 the American people, somebody got to call him out on it. 0:10:29.480 --> 0:10:32.600 So these are the members that voted to Center al Green. 0:10:32.640 --> 0:10:35.080 And I think it's important because we're living in times 0:10:35.120 --> 0:10:39.160 where there should be no agreement with Republicans on a 0:10:39.240 --> 0:10:43.040 disciplinary procedure for someone who's challenging someone who's lying to us. 0:10:43.160 --> 0:10:44.840 When you stand up for truth, you should not be 0:10:44.880 --> 0:10:49.280 reprimanded for standing up for facts. So ed Case voted 0:10:49.280 --> 0:10:53.920 to cinchor al Green, Chrissy Hulahan, James Hines or Jim 0:10:54.000 --> 0:10:57.520 Hins as we know him, Mary, I'm sorry. Marie Glusen, 0:10:57.559 --> 0:11:06.520 caamp Perez Beara, Jared Moskowitz, Jim Costa, Laura Gillen, Thomas Suosi, 0:11:07.240 --> 0:11:12.199 Marcy Captor are the members who voted to censure Congressman Green. 0:11:13.000 --> 0:11:15.240 And I think that it needs to be called out 0:11:15.320 --> 0:11:22.000 because even someone like Ami Bea said that he supports 0:11:22.200 --> 0:11:27.280 civil disobedience, and to me, that's saying that what mister 0:11:27.360 --> 0:11:30.839 Green did was not civil. Well, if you can remember 0:11:31.480 --> 0:11:34.800 that all of these folks have a significant population in 0:11:34.840 --> 0:11:38.840 their district who are on Medicaid. He told the President 0:11:39.160 --> 0:11:43.839 you do not have a mandate to cut medicaid. They 0:11:43.840 --> 0:11:46.240 should at least be able to align on that point, 0:11:46.320 --> 0:11:48.040 even if you disagree with how. 0:11:47.880 --> 0:11:50.480 He did it. At least someone set up to the president. 0:11:50.520 --> 0:11:53.080 And the last time that I checked, Nipsey Hustle, they 0:11:53.080 --> 0:11:57.320 were all elected to make sure that Donald Trump is 0:11:57.400 --> 0:12:01.040 accountable to their constituents, to the American people. 0:12:01.520 --> 0:12:02.480 He's not following. 0:12:02.840 --> 0:12:06.360 Nobody voted for Donald Trump to cut Medicaid except for 0:12:06.400 --> 0:12:08.440 maybe the richest among us. And I think that is 0:12:08.480 --> 0:12:12.800 what is remarkably dangerous. So we have to remember that 0:12:13.120 --> 0:12:16.840 these folks are to be accountable to the collective. They 0:12:16.840 --> 0:12:19.840 should be voting in alignment with what Congressman Jeffries, who 0:12:19.920 --> 0:12:23.160 is the Democratic leader we've been calling him the opposition leader, says, 0:12:23.600 --> 0:12:26.800 and that means not voting to harm black or brown people, 0:12:26.840 --> 0:12:29.079 but also not poor white folks, some of whom live 0:12:29.120 --> 0:12:31.480 in their districts. So I think that is what we 0:12:31.520 --> 0:12:34.360 need to remember in this moment. Call them and let 0:12:34.360 --> 0:12:36.280 them know they better not fall out of line anymore. 0:12:36.320 --> 0:12:39.800 Because they did that. There was a whole robust conversation 0:12:40.200 --> 0:12:42.640 about whether or not the Democrats who stood or all 0:12:42.679 --> 0:12:44.840 the members who stood with Congressman Green in the well 0:12:44.880 --> 0:12:48.240 of the House while he was reprimanded post censure, whether 0:12:48.280 --> 0:12:50.920 they should be stripped of their committees. We can't afford 0:12:50.960 --> 0:12:53.440 to lose their voices on key committees. They are the 0:12:53.440 --> 0:12:57.559 folks who are challenging Trump appointees and others on facts. 0:12:57.679 --> 0:13:00.720 If we lose their voices in those committee, we're really 0:13:00.760 --> 0:13:04.040 in trouble. And that is how fascism continues to grow. 0:13:04.320 --> 0:13:07.520 So they at least should be voting against fascism. When 0:13:07.520 --> 0:13:12.880 you look historically in the House, there's a history point, 0:13:13.559 --> 0:13:15.680 a site on the House that talks about how many 0:13:15.679 --> 0:13:17.680 members of Congress have been centered in history. 0:13:17.880 --> 0:13:19.240 We're talking about twenty seven. 0:13:19.480 --> 0:13:21.720 Congressman Green became the twenty eighth, and when you look 0:13:21.760 --> 0:13:24.920 at the reasons why most of them, until Republicans got 0:13:25.000 --> 0:13:28.480 in charge a couple of years ago, we're censure because 0:13:28.480 --> 0:13:31.959 they broke the law. Please tell me what law Congressman 0:13:32.000 --> 0:13:34.800 Green broke. And that's the point. So Brittany I Thank 0:13:34.800 --> 0:13:37.959 you so much for your question. I will see you soon. 0:13:38.240 --> 0:13:51.640 All right, thank you, welcome home. All right? Hello, Please 0:13:51.679 --> 0:13:52.920 say your name and where you're from. 0:13:53.320 --> 0:13:56.680 Hey, Angela. My name is Tanya Lobo and I'm from Taunton, Massachusetts. 0:13:56.679 --> 0:13:57.439 Are you today? 0:13:57.880 --> 0:14:00.000 I am great. Thank you so much for joining us. 0:14:00.120 --> 0:14:00.880 Tell me your question. 0:14:01.240 --> 0:14:05.839 Thank you for having me. So my question is how 0:14:05.840 --> 0:14:08.240 do we so obviously we know, when you've said it 0:14:08.280 --> 0:14:10.199 so many times, we're fighting for our lives right now, 0:14:10.280 --> 0:14:14.200 right but on the local level, we're wanting to run 0:14:14.240 --> 0:14:18.280 for elections, make sure that we're involved effect change in 0:14:18.320 --> 0:14:21.040 our own little area of the world. How do we 0:14:21.640 --> 0:14:25.040 motivate those who are saying I'm not worried about all that, right, 0:14:25.080 --> 0:14:27.920 I'm just here to survive. I'm trying to figure this 0:14:28.040 --> 0:14:31.400 all out. What is our message when we're knocking on doors, 0:14:31.560 --> 0:14:33.800 you know, how do we get our national and state 0:14:33.880 --> 0:14:39.960 leaders to help community activists, you know, local organizations to 0:14:40.280 --> 0:14:44.480 actually be able to do this. We're not thinking about 0:14:44.560 --> 0:14:46.800 at least right now here. This is our year for 0:14:46.880 --> 0:14:49.640 local election. We're not thinking about twenty twenty six. We're 0:14:49.680 --> 0:14:51.880 thinking about what are we going to do right now 0:14:52.160 --> 0:14:56.280 to make sure that the fifteen to twenty percent that 0:14:56.400 --> 0:15:00.520 come out, like we can have more percentage come out 0:15:00.520 --> 0:15:04.040 and vote. Then you know, the low numbers that we 0:15:04.080 --> 0:15:08.000 normally get during a local election. That really is a 0:15:08.080 --> 0:15:10.680 concern as we're sitting here trying to figure out what 0:15:10.760 --> 0:15:14.120 our message is because when we when we look nationally, 0:15:14.240 --> 0:15:17.480 we don't even know what our messages in the Democratic 0:15:17.520 --> 0:15:20.080 Party at the moment, which you are you say it 0:15:20.120 --> 0:15:23.200 all the time, so that that's really just my question, 0:15:23.240 --> 0:15:24.560 what do we do locally? 0:15:25.320 --> 0:15:26.960 Well, let me turn this back on you. 0:15:26.960 --> 0:15:29.080 You said a key thing you said when we knock 0:15:29.120 --> 0:15:31.720 on doors, So I take it and means Sonanya, that 0:15:31.760 --> 0:15:33.800 you're knocking doors about the election? 0:15:33.960 --> 0:15:34.800 Is that true? 0:15:35.600 --> 0:15:37.520 Yeah? Yeah, go ahead. 0:15:37.880 --> 0:15:40.560 What organization are you a part of or did you start? 0:15:41.240 --> 0:15:43.560 So? I'm the founder and executive director of the True 0:15:43.600 --> 0:15:47.360 Collective and it's a local organization and we've been doing 0:15:47.400 --> 0:15:50.000 the thing we are currently, you know, opening our own 0:15:50.040 --> 0:15:53.320 community center. We've gotten lots of grants whatever. But I 0:15:53.680 --> 0:15:57.600 guess it's the frustration on my end is I'm only 0:15:57.640 --> 0:16:00.280 one person. I don't have the army, the backup, I 0:16:00.280 --> 0:16:03.520 don't have the national accolades, you know, but I'm doing 0:16:03.560 --> 0:16:06.440 the work, and I have grassroots individuals who are like, 0:16:06.480 --> 0:16:07.960 we want to do what we want to do it right, 0:16:07.960 --> 0:16:11.120 But there's usually like five to twenty of us at 0:16:11.120 --> 0:16:13.720 the most, you know, at these protests are different things 0:16:13.760 --> 0:16:17.520 going on, but that's not what's that's not what's working. Right, 0:16:17.600 --> 0:16:20.240 Going going in the streets and holding up a sign 0:16:20.320 --> 0:16:22.560 isn't what's working. We need to knock on doors. We 0:16:22.640 --> 0:16:25.480 need to start talking to people. I have a State 0:16:25.480 --> 0:16:29.320 of the Community coming up. I've invited all our federal, state, local, 0:16:29.760 --> 0:16:33.640 you know, elected officials to come and talk to us. 0:16:33.680 --> 0:16:36.120 We need to talk to you. They keep having these 0:16:36.160 --> 0:16:39.560 town halls, but I don't know something is off because 0:16:39.560 --> 0:16:43.320 we aren't there, and I don't think they really understand 0:16:43.360 --> 0:16:46.080 what's going on. So I'm in Massachusetts and obviously not 0:16:46.240 --> 0:16:51.600 really in re Presley's district. But who we have here 0:16:51.840 --> 0:16:54.360 they don't have. They don't understand what and I always 0:16:54.360 --> 0:16:57.400 say our community within the larger community because they don't 0:16:57.480 --> 0:17:01.480 understand what's really going on. So how do we talk 0:17:01.520 --> 0:17:04.080 to us right? Because we're the ones who sat back, 0:17:04.119 --> 0:17:06.159 We're the ones who said we weren't voting for Kamala. 0:17:06.240 --> 0:17:08.600 We were the ones who said that we weren't. We 0:17:08.800 --> 0:17:13.160 We've been disenfranchised for so long and you know they 0:17:13.160 --> 0:17:16.840 don't do anything for us. But in actuality, politics is 0:17:16.880 --> 0:17:19.040 paying attention to you, even though you're not paying attention 0:17:19.080 --> 0:17:21.639 to politics. What are we doing to make sure that 0:17:21.720 --> 0:17:25.840 they know we care? And we need to figure out 0:17:25.920 --> 0:17:27.960 what to do together, because like you always say, we 0:17:28.000 --> 0:17:28.320 all we. 0:17:28.320 --> 0:17:31.159 Got so when you say we are the ones who 0:17:31.240 --> 0:17:34.240 didn't vote for Kamala Harris, you're saying your organization or 0:17:34.240 --> 0:17:36.679 were there other folks in the community who didn't. 0:17:36.720 --> 0:17:39.160 Other folks in the community. It was so many arguments 0:17:39.200 --> 0:17:41.520 that we've had and I don't want to say arguments, 0:17:41.520 --> 0:17:43.679 but back and forth with do you mean you're not 0:17:43.760 --> 0:17:46.080 coming out to vote? You know, as we're knocking on doors, 0:17:46.080 --> 0:17:50.199 as we're just having conversation. It was very shocking to 0:17:50.280 --> 0:17:52.959 me to see how many of us and I mean 0:17:53.000 --> 0:17:56.800 black people who were just like completely disengaged and saying 0:17:56.840 --> 0:17:58.880 they're going to do what they want anyway. And now 0:17:58.920 --> 0:18:01.720 we're here and now you want to do something. But 0:18:01.800 --> 0:18:04.199 where were you when we were saying, just, you know, 0:18:04.800 --> 0:18:06.679 take a couple of minutes to go and vote. 0:18:07.119 --> 0:18:08.359 Yeah, Well, I will tell you this. 0:18:08.560 --> 0:18:10.840 One of the things that I'm trying to do in 0:18:10.880 --> 0:18:14.960 the shift. In my own posture is what asking myself? 0:18:15.000 --> 0:18:17.400 What good does it do to tell someone I told 0:18:17.400 --> 0:18:19.840 you so? At this point, like I told you so, 0:18:19.960 --> 0:18:22.080 as not a motivator to get someone out of the 0:18:22.119 --> 0:18:24.720 house to help you knocked doors to help you organize. 0:18:25.160 --> 0:18:28.320 So really, the unifying factor has to be what is 0:18:28.440 --> 0:18:33.480 necessary for our survival. Even if congress Woman Pressley is 0:18:33.520 --> 0:18:36.159 not your Remember, I'm confident that she would love to 0:18:36.200 --> 0:18:38.560 know about the work you're doing if she doesn't already, 0:18:38.560 --> 0:18:41.320 and I'm sure she would want you engaged in the 0:18:41.359 --> 0:18:44.720 stuff they're doing. Who is your member of Congress based 0:18:44.720 --> 0:18:47.200 on where your organs position in Massachusetts? 0:18:47.280 --> 0:18:49.440 Jake Falking Class, I don't. 0:18:49.240 --> 0:18:53.520 Even know who that is, but call call Jake. Now. 0:18:54.119 --> 0:18:57.560 I've spoken to Jake. I've invited him. You know, his 0:18:58.040 --> 0:19:00.520 scheduler is working to see if he can come out. 0:19:00.600 --> 0:19:04.080 But it's always that, right, you get the go between 0:19:04.240 --> 0:19:06.960 and let's see if we can fit it in the schedule. 0:19:07.080 --> 0:19:10.680 But you know, we're not a major whatever, So will 0:19:10.720 --> 0:19:13.080 they come out. We're waiting to see. We're still you know, 0:19:13.119 --> 0:19:15.119 they're they're very active in our community. 0:19:15.160 --> 0:19:20.080 But I would ask Ayana to apply pressure to him. 0:19:20.200 --> 0:19:23.600 I would ask I did hear what? I think her 0:19:23.680 --> 0:19:26.440 name is miss Edie or something. But we emailed, and 0:19:26.480 --> 0:19:31.159 we've emailed everyone, everyone who represents federal and state, Warren Markey, 0:19:31.280 --> 0:19:32.879 all of them. We've emailed everybody. 0:19:32.960 --> 0:19:36.359 But I think what I'm trying to suggest, Tanya is 0:19:36.400 --> 0:19:38.640 it might be a different approach than an email. 0:19:39.040 --> 0:19:40.040 It may be a call. 0:19:40.280 --> 0:19:43.840 It may be an email's open copying some people that 0:19:43.960 --> 0:19:45.920 you know may be helpful. 0:19:46.760 --> 0:19:47.119 It may be. 0:19:47.200 --> 0:19:49.480 I'm glad that we had a conversation because if there's 0:19:49.480 --> 0:19:51.480 something that you can give to Lolo that I can 0:19:51.520 --> 0:19:54.720 put on Ayana's radar, I will. One of the things 0:19:54.760 --> 0:19:57.320 that we've seen in the last few weeks is that 0:19:57.400 --> 0:20:01.439 coalition matters. We're not trying to go alone anymore. So 0:20:01.840 --> 0:20:06.680 who is the NAACP president or the state the NAACP 0:20:06.840 --> 0:20:10.200 chair in your area that can help? Can you guys 0:20:10.240 --> 0:20:15.040 have a collaborative convening with a multi racial coalition of 0:20:15.080 --> 0:20:18.800 folks who are engaged in this process right now? Can 0:20:18.840 --> 0:20:21.640 you all have a candidates form where people are hearing 0:20:21.960 --> 0:20:24.800 from their candidates. You know, when you're knocking on doors, 0:20:25.119 --> 0:20:28.399 are you listening or are you just talking at people. 0:20:28.720 --> 0:20:31.720 That also makes a really big difference, because, yeah, we 0:20:31.800 --> 0:20:35.000 can get mad that they didn't participate, but the reason 0:20:35.080 --> 0:20:37.960 people didn't participate is because they didn't see themselves in 0:20:38.000 --> 0:20:40.560 the process. And the reason why they don't see themselves 0:20:40.600 --> 0:20:43.159 in the process is because they didn't go vote. So 0:20:43.240 --> 0:20:46.359 who's going to break the cycle? Like That's a conversation 0:20:46.440 --> 0:20:47.080 that needs. 0:20:46.840 --> 0:20:47.320 To be had. 0:20:47.359 --> 0:20:50.400 The other thing that we have been doing is deepening 0:20:50.440 --> 0:20:54.719 into listening a lot more. The tactics that we tried 0:20:54.880 --> 0:20:58.640 for the last several decades did not yield the results 0:20:58.680 --> 0:20:59.879 we desperately need. 0:21:00.160 --> 0:21:00.760 That means a. 0:21:00.720 --> 0:21:03.919 Paradigm shift has to happen, you know, And so I 0:21:03.960 --> 0:21:07.320 think that's another piece of it as well. Again, even 0:21:07.320 --> 0:21:09.840 when we just plan the State of the People twenty 0:21:09.840 --> 0:21:12.280 four hour marathon, if you go back and look at it, 0:21:12.560 --> 0:21:15.720 you will see people from a bunch of different organizations, 0:21:16.200 --> 0:21:19.320 a bunch of different voices, some who don't even like 0:21:19.400 --> 0:21:22.160 each other, but know that it's more important. 0:21:22.200 --> 0:21:25.800