1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,400 Speaker 1: So if we're in an organizing space where we're organizing 2 00:00:03,560 --> 00:00:06,440 Speaker 1: for a community, say that you know, I may not 3 00:00:06,480 --> 00:00:09,240 Speaker 1: be a part of you know, making sure that I'm 4 00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:14,560 Speaker 1: not silencing anyone, making sure that you know those voices 5 00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:16,880 Speaker 1: do get amplified, because at the end of the day, 6 00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:18,720 Speaker 1: it's not about us. 7 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:27,440 Speaker 2: From Futuro Media, it's Latino USA. I'm Maria ino Josa. 8 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:38,680 Speaker 2: The uprising against systemic racism that was sparked by the 9 00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:42,080 Speaker 2: killing this past May of George Floyd, a black man 10 00:00:42,159 --> 00:00:45,640 Speaker 2: and father, by a group of police officers in Minneapolis, 11 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:48,920 Speaker 2: has that emotion a series of urgent conversations all over 12 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:52,080 Speaker 2: the country and the world. Here at Latino USA, we've 13 00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:55,880 Speaker 2: been talking about the concept of allyship, especially in the 14 00:00:55,960 --> 00:01:10,640 Speaker 2: movement against anti blackness within many LATINX commune. It's a 15 00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:14,399 Speaker 2: conversation that's been echoed in many other places, and often 16 00:01:14,440 --> 00:01:17,800 Speaker 2: these days it's being led by young people. So with 17 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:19,880 Speaker 2: that in mind, we reached out to our colleagues at 18 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:23,520 Speaker 2: Why Our Media. It's a national network of young journalists 19 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:26,880 Speaker 2: and artists based in Oakland, California. They put together a 20 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:30,959 Speaker 2: roundtable discussion about this topic for us, sharing their thoughts 21 00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:33,840 Speaker 2: on what it means to be an effective ally in 22 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:38,920 Speaker 2: the fight to end racism. The conversation was moderated by Emidianovilla. 23 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:42,280 Speaker 2: He's a contributor to Why Our Media, and it features 24 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:44,160 Speaker 2: three other young panelists. 25 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:46,920 Speaker 3: Let's dive in. Take it away Emidiano. 26 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:49,800 Speaker 4: Hi everyone, my name is Emilianovilla, and thank you for 27 00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:53,600 Speaker 4: joining me today to discuss allyship. Today's conversation is about 28 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:56,320 Speaker 4: non black allies, our privileges, and what we need to 29 00:01:56,320 --> 00:01:59,280 Speaker 4: be doing to support and uplift black people. We've put 30 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:02,560 Speaker 4: together a panel of young activists, reporters, and social media 31 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:05,280 Speaker 4: makers to talk about the diversity a Black Lives Matter 32 00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:08,520 Speaker 4: protests and the young people leading the movement. We'll also 33 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:10,480 Speaker 4: explore what it means to be an ally during this 34 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:14,000 Speaker 4: critical time of racial tension in our nation. To discuss this, 35 00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:17,120 Speaker 4: we're joined by twenty one year old of Johnny Torres. Johnny, 36 00:02:17,120 --> 00:02:18,200 Speaker 4: could you introduce yourself? 37 00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:23,560 Speaker 5: Yes, Hi, I live in Oakland, California, Raised in Oakland, California. 38 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:28,240 Speaker 5: I'm currently transferring to UC Davis this fall as a 39 00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:32,919 Speaker 5: plant biology major. I also identify as she her and 40 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:35,040 Speaker 5: Mexican Indigenous. 41 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:36,520 Speaker 6: And yeah, thanks for having me. 42 00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:39,480 Speaker 4: Thank you, Johnny. We're also joined by seventeen year old 43 00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:42,239 Speaker 4: Primo Legasso Goldberg. So, Primo, could you tell me a 44 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:43,240 Speaker 4: little bit about yourself? 45 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:44,320 Speaker 6: Yeah, for sure. 46 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:48,280 Speaker 7: I am a senior at Loclimbardin High School in Saracuca, California. 47 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:51,320 Speaker 6: Grew up in Onawa. Who have I me? 48 00:02:52,240 --> 00:02:57,840 Speaker 7: I identify as Black, Filipino, Irish, Jewish, lots of different 49 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:02,200 Speaker 7: things mixed in there. I'm also queer, non binary. I 50 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:05,400 Speaker 7: you see him and they then pronouns, and I'm just 51 00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:07,600 Speaker 7: very happy to be here with all of you today. 52 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:11,360 Speaker 4: Thank you. And then Johnny and Femo are both contributors 53 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:13,800 Speaker 4: to why our media. And we also have nineteen year 54 00:03:13,840 --> 00:03:16,040 Speaker 4: old Nadia Brooks. Nadia, could you tell us a little 55 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:17,519 Speaker 4: bit about yourself and how you identify? 56 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:18,320 Speaker 6: Sure? 57 00:03:18,440 --> 00:03:21,320 Speaker 1: So my name is Nadia Brooks. Our pronouns are she 58 00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:26,800 Speaker 1: or hers currently organizing in my community again, which is 59 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:30,880 Speaker 1: Oakland born and raised. I'm currently a student at UCLA, 60 00:03:31,320 --> 00:03:34,760 Speaker 1: so I'll be entering my third year this fall, majoring 61 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:40,280 Speaker 1: in public Affairs and minoring in Environmental Systems in Society. Oh, 62 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:45,040 Speaker 1: I identify as African, American, Puerto Rican, and Mexican. 63 00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:48,800 Speaker 4: So yeah, thank you. So as you can tell this 64 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:51,320 Speaker 4: group that we have on our panel today is very diverse, 65 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:55,200 Speaker 4: and we all have our own lived experiences and you 66 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:57,440 Speaker 4: know we're going to get into that today with our discussion. 67 00:03:58,040 --> 00:04:01,120 Speaker 4: So I'll just get on with my first question. So 68 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:03,360 Speaker 4: this one goes out to a Johnny and Primo, because 69 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:05,600 Speaker 4: I know you guys have been out protesting right What 70 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:08,080 Speaker 4: were your interactions like with the people in the crowd. 71 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:12,280 Speaker 5: My interactions everybody there was really positive. Like you just 72 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:15,920 Speaker 5: feel like good about seeing all those people there and 73 00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:19,760 Speaker 5: just like knowing that people still care about what's going 74 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:22,000 Speaker 5: on right now in this country because there are a 75 00:04:22,040 --> 00:04:25,840 Speaker 5: lot of people that are coming out that are, you know, 76 00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:28,760 Speaker 5: doing a lot of bad things. So it's really nice 77 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:31,600 Speaker 5: to just kind of be reassured. I think you can 78 00:04:31,640 --> 00:04:33,279 Speaker 5: look to the person next to you and like you 79 00:04:33,279 --> 00:04:35,839 Speaker 5: can just know that they're just as passionate about the 80 00:04:35,880 --> 00:04:38,599 Speaker 5: movement as you. I think our generation is just so 81 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:42,000 Speaker 5: tired of what's going on that we have a lot 82 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:45,480 Speaker 5: of more passion about it, and we're so young that 83 00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:48,080 Speaker 5: we just I think we have the energy to be 84 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:51,279 Speaker 5: like we can't let our lives be like this forever. 85 00:04:51,960 --> 00:04:55,760 Speaker 7: I really agree with the Johnny, depending on like where 86 00:04:55,760 --> 00:05:00,400 Speaker 7: it is, what the circumstances are protests can really be 87 00:05:00,440 --> 00:05:05,120 Speaker 7: a really like safe feeling and really empowering thing, or 88 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:09,279 Speaker 7: sometimes it can feel almost the opposite of what it's 89 00:05:09,279 --> 00:05:12,200 Speaker 7: supposed to do, like especially like as a black person. 90 00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:14,520 Speaker 4: It kind of reminds me of this subject that's been 91 00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:18,760 Speaker 4: on my radar recently that has to do with like 92 00:05:18,920 --> 00:05:23,039 Speaker 4: non black folk using this Black Lives matter attention to 93 00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:26,279 Speaker 4: shift attention to other issues. Have you guys been keeping 94 00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:28,600 Speaker 4: up with that or seen that that is a very. 95 00:05:28,440 --> 00:05:32,520 Speaker 5: Good topic to bring up, because as someone that's LATINX 96 00:05:32,640 --> 00:05:38,120 Speaker 5: Mexican indigenous, that is a very huge problem specifically in 97 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:44,120 Speaker 5: the community that I come from. I have family in Stockton, California, 98 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:47,880 Speaker 5: and they really don't believe that black lives matter, Like 99 00:05:47,960 --> 00:05:51,960 Speaker 5: they really believe everything Trump's telling them, like they believe 100 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:55,440 Speaker 5: the media they believe. Basically, they don't really have their 101 00:05:55,440 --> 00:05:57,960 Speaker 5: own thought to think for themselves, and so I've kind 102 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:01,359 Speaker 5: of I've had these conversations with them, like other families 103 00:06:01,400 --> 00:06:04,839 Speaker 5: have these conversations. A lot of it is misinformation. I 104 00:06:04,880 --> 00:06:08,400 Speaker 5: think in times like this, we have to remember who's 105 00:06:08,440 --> 00:06:11,320 Speaker 5: being affected right now, and right now, black lives are 106 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:15,120 Speaker 5: being lost extremely at a high rate, and so even 107 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:19,680 Speaker 5: though other lives are affected in other ways, Latinos need 108 00:06:19,720 --> 00:06:23,000 Speaker 5: to be educated on the ways that they oppress black 109 00:06:23,040 --> 00:06:24,000 Speaker 5: people themselves. 110 00:06:24,560 --> 00:06:27,480 Speaker 4: And sadly, anti blackness is very ingrained in a lot 111 00:06:27,480 --> 00:06:30,120 Speaker 4: of our cultures. So I think as allies, we have 112 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:33,279 Speaker 4: to tackle it and address it. So, Primo and Nadia, 113 00:06:33,440 --> 00:06:36,359 Speaker 4: how do you guys address anti blackness in your families 114 00:06:36,440 --> 00:06:37,240 Speaker 4: or social groups. 115 00:06:37,880 --> 00:06:43,640 Speaker 7: It's definitely difficult, like obviously, but I think that it's 116 00:06:43,680 --> 00:06:47,400 Speaker 7: difficult because a lot of the ways in which anti 117 00:06:47,440 --> 00:06:51,080 Speaker 7: blackness manifests or like really subtle, at least like in 118 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:54,240 Speaker 7: my experience. And one of the things that I don't 119 00:06:54,279 --> 00:06:59,200 Speaker 7: necessarily really support about our generation is how often, like 120 00:06:59,279 --> 00:07:03,839 Speaker 7: memes that go viral are made humorous at the expense 121 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:06,880 Speaker 7: of a black person in that meme, Like the way 122 00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:09,600 Speaker 7: that someone might be talking, the things they might be saying, 123 00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:12,800 Speaker 7: the way they're walking, the way they're dressing, and like 124 00:07:12,840 --> 00:07:16,760 Speaker 7: all of that is rooted in like really deep traditions 125 00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:19,240 Speaker 7: of racism in like media, like going back to like 126 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:22,560 Speaker 7: the Jim Crow era. People who I know, like in 127 00:07:22,600 --> 00:07:25,320 Speaker 7: my school, who are like sending around these memes and 128 00:07:25,440 --> 00:07:27,600 Speaker 7: laughing at them, and even just like non black people 129 00:07:27,640 --> 00:07:28,440 Speaker 7: saying the N word. 130 00:07:28,480 --> 00:07:31,080 Speaker 6: That's been a really big issue at my high school. 131 00:07:31,440 --> 00:07:34,880 Speaker 7: Those little things that people do, like really regularly and 132 00:07:34,920 --> 00:07:39,680 Speaker 7: really often that are anti black and are really racist, 133 00:07:39,720 --> 00:07:43,360 Speaker 7: but people might not necessarily treat them with the same 134 00:07:43,440 --> 00:07:47,000 Speaker 7: severity as they do something like George Floyd's death. 135 00:07:47,840 --> 00:07:50,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, so I feel like when we talk about anti blackness, 136 00:07:50,960 --> 00:07:55,440 Speaker 1: especially like in the LATINX community, as someone who does 137 00:07:55,560 --> 00:07:59,400 Speaker 1: benefit from, you know, light skin privilege, I feel like 138 00:07:59,440 --> 00:08:02,200 Speaker 1: it's important for me to be very vocal on colorism. 139 00:08:02,640 --> 00:08:06,120 Speaker 1: It's ingrained from just like funny names to call people 140 00:08:06,640 --> 00:08:09,960 Speaker 1: all these different little phrases and things that people don't 141 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:13,320 Speaker 1: really think twice about saying before they say them, but 142 00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:19,120 Speaker 1: they can be very harmful. I've had to add multiple 143 00:08:19,760 --> 00:08:25,280 Speaker 1: just a plethora of conversations with family members about think before. 144 00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:31,480 Speaker 3: You speak coming up on Latino USA. 145 00:08:31,960 --> 00:08:35,760 Speaker 7: Allyship shouldn't be performative, it shouldn't be for other people. Like, 146 00:08:35,800 --> 00:08:37,840 Speaker 7: as long as we know that you are our ally 147 00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:40,200 Speaker 7: and that you are supporting us, that's the only need. 148 00:08:40,679 --> 00:09:35,120 Speaker 8: Stay with us. Yes, hey, we're back. And before the break, 149 00:09:35,120 --> 00:09:37,600 Speaker 8: we were listening to a panel of young journalists and 150 00:09:37,679 --> 00:09:41,920 Speaker 8: activists from Why Are media as they talked about allyship 151 00:09:42,040 --> 00:09:45,120 Speaker 8: in the Black Lives Matter movement. In the next part 152 00:09:45,160 --> 00:09:49,000 Speaker 8: of this conversation, the panelists talk about the importance of listening, 153 00:09:49,320 --> 00:09:53,760 Speaker 8: the process of unlearning cultural behaviors, and the shooting of 154 00:09:53,880 --> 00:09:57,520 Speaker 8: Brionna Taylor, a black young woman shot and killed by 155 00:09:57,559 --> 00:10:01,840 Speaker 8: police in her own apartment in Hoevelt, Kentucky, back in March. 156 00:10:02,360 --> 00:10:04,800 Speaker 3: She was an emergency medical technician. 157 00:10:05,360 --> 00:10:09,080 Speaker 8: Emilian Robilla is the host of this roundtable discussion, and 158 00:10:09,120 --> 00:10:10,320 Speaker 8: he's going to pick it up from here. 159 00:10:10,920 --> 00:10:14,120 Speaker 4: This movement has been very intersectional, and it's fighting for 160 00:10:14,240 --> 00:10:16,760 Speaker 4: the people who are the most vulnerable. So I just 161 00:10:16,760 --> 00:10:18,480 Speaker 4: want to hear a little bit about what you guys 162 00:10:18,520 --> 00:10:21,520 Speaker 4: think about intersectionality and how you see it in the 163 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:22,360 Speaker 4: movement around you. 164 00:10:22,640 --> 00:10:24,120 Speaker 6: I can jump on this one first. 165 00:10:24,280 --> 00:10:26,280 Speaker 7: In my experience, what I've seen, like a lot of 166 00:10:26,840 --> 00:10:31,640 Speaker 7: pride celebrations might have been toned down during Black Lives Matter, 167 00:10:32,160 --> 00:10:36,360 Speaker 7: because like the queer community knows what it's like for 168 00:10:36,440 --> 00:10:38,960 Speaker 7: our people to be killed, we know what it's like 169 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:42,360 Speaker 7: for like violence to take place against us from the police, 170 00:10:42,840 --> 00:10:45,280 Speaker 7: and so because we know that, we can empathize with 171 00:10:45,320 --> 00:10:50,199 Speaker 7: the black community even if we aren't black, and give 172 00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:53,840 Speaker 7: the Black Lives Matter movement that space. So like that's 173 00:10:53,880 --> 00:10:57,960 Speaker 7: one really beautiful and really positive aspect of intersectionality, I think, 174 00:10:58,559 --> 00:11:02,880 Speaker 7: especially like me being able to reconcile, like I can 175 00:11:02,960 --> 00:11:07,360 Speaker 7: be queer and black, because both of those communities and 176 00:11:07,400 --> 00:11:10,720 Speaker 7: both of those identities can relate to this aspect of 177 00:11:10,720 --> 00:11:13,959 Speaker 7: police brutality. On the more negative side, I guess, or 178 00:11:14,440 --> 00:11:17,360 Speaker 7: challenging side is that like when you do have an 179 00:11:17,440 --> 00:11:21,560 Speaker 7: identity that is intersectional, like oftentimes society forces you to 180 00:11:21,640 --> 00:11:25,080 Speaker 7: prioritize one or the other, like you can only be 181 00:11:25,200 --> 00:11:27,160 Speaker 7: black or you can only be queer, and you can 182 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:29,880 Speaker 7: only like represent that identity and fight for one of 183 00:11:29,880 --> 00:11:32,000 Speaker 7: those things at a time, Like it's one at a 184 00:11:32,040 --> 00:11:34,040 Speaker 7: time when I think that we have to remember that, 185 00:11:34,120 --> 00:11:37,280 Speaker 7: Like intersectionality is being able to be all of it 186 00:11:37,320 --> 00:11:40,280 Speaker 7: at once, Like you can be who you are and 187 00:11:40,360 --> 00:11:44,199 Speaker 7: who you are can be many many different things. 188 00:11:44,679 --> 00:11:48,120 Speaker 4: I completely agree with you, Nadia, that you have something 189 00:11:48,160 --> 00:11:50,080 Speaker 4: to add about intersectionality in your movement. 190 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:53,480 Speaker 1: It's necessary, you know, when we're about to go out 191 00:11:53,520 --> 00:11:55,800 Speaker 1: and try and organize and tackle these issues, that we 192 00:11:55,920 --> 00:11:59,720 Speaker 1: look at them through an intersectional lens. I can't stress 193 00:11:59,760 --> 00:12:03,680 Speaker 1: it anymore than that it's just black trends. Voices have 194 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:08,680 Speaker 1: been silenced for so long, and that's something that we 195 00:12:08,840 --> 00:12:12,240 Speaker 1: incorporate into our discussions as organizers every day because it's 196 00:12:12,280 --> 00:12:16,480 Speaker 1: necessary no one to step back, because especially when you 197 00:12:16,520 --> 00:12:18,160 Speaker 1: have a lot of people that you want to do 198 00:12:18,240 --> 00:12:21,720 Speaker 1: good and want to create a positive social change in 199 00:12:21,720 --> 00:12:25,600 Speaker 1: their communities and can sometimes get lost and lost in 200 00:12:25,640 --> 00:12:27,480 Speaker 1: the saughs kind of as far as like making sure 201 00:12:27,520 --> 00:12:29,920 Speaker 1: that certain people's voices are heard. 202 00:12:29,960 --> 00:12:32,000 Speaker 4: You mentioned the idea of step up, step back, which 203 00:12:32,040 --> 00:12:34,040 Speaker 4: is something that I really agree with and it's something 204 00:12:34,080 --> 00:12:37,600 Speaker 4: that I implement into my activism and just into my life. 205 00:12:37,760 --> 00:12:39,600 Speaker 4: Another topic that I kind of wanted to go in 206 00:12:39,720 --> 00:12:43,640 Speaker 4: on was unlearning things. Since we've talked about like the 207 00:12:43,679 --> 00:12:46,520 Speaker 4: anti blackness and our own communities and our own cultures. 208 00:12:47,679 --> 00:12:50,640 Speaker 4: That's something that I've had to unlearn myself, and it's 209 00:12:50,679 --> 00:12:52,800 Speaker 4: something that is a lot of work you don't ever 210 00:12:53,080 --> 00:12:55,760 Speaker 4: finish on learning because the world around us is very 211 00:12:55,840 --> 00:12:58,320 Speaker 4: racist and very anti black. So I wanted to hear 212 00:12:58,360 --> 00:13:00,000 Speaker 4: a little bit about what you guys do to unlearned 213 00:13:00,080 --> 00:13:03,839 Speaker 4: things in your environment and examples of things that you've 214 00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:04,440 Speaker 4: had to unlearn. 215 00:13:05,160 --> 00:13:08,080 Speaker 5: Yeah, I definitely feel like when it comes to unlearning. 216 00:13:08,200 --> 00:13:10,800 Speaker 5: Like there's a certain mindset I feel like you need 217 00:13:10,840 --> 00:13:14,400 Speaker 5: to have when it comes to unlearning things. And I 218 00:13:14,440 --> 00:13:17,760 Speaker 5: think that mindset is, like you have to be willing 219 00:13:17,920 --> 00:13:21,599 Speaker 5: to accept that on this journey, you're not going to 220 00:13:21,679 --> 00:13:24,319 Speaker 5: be happy. You know, you're going to find out things 221 00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:27,360 Speaker 5: that are going to go completely against some things you've 222 00:13:27,400 --> 00:13:30,320 Speaker 5: known your whole life, and so you have to be 223 00:13:30,600 --> 00:13:35,160 Speaker 5: really willing to just kind of detach yourself from basically 224 00:13:35,200 --> 00:13:37,880 Speaker 5: everything you've known and be able to look at the 225 00:13:37,960 --> 00:13:42,520 Speaker 5: perspectives that those like certain topics have, you know, like 226 00:13:42,600 --> 00:13:45,560 Speaker 5: you really have to kind of just forget that you 227 00:13:45,640 --> 00:13:47,920 Speaker 5: have an opinion and kind of just listen. 228 00:13:48,080 --> 00:13:50,800 Speaker 7: Oh, this is this one kind of hits home for 229 00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:55,280 Speaker 7: me because I grew up here in Hawaii, and like 230 00:13:55,320 --> 00:13:57,280 Speaker 7: I don't know how much just people in general know 231 00:13:57,360 --> 00:14:00,200 Speaker 7: about like the people in Hawaii, but there are not 232 00:14:00,280 --> 00:14:03,360 Speaker 7: a lot of black people here, like at all. There's 233 00:14:03,520 --> 00:14:06,240 Speaker 7: more now, I guess sort of, but like when I 234 00:14:06,320 --> 00:14:08,360 Speaker 7: was growing up and like when my parents were growing up, 235 00:14:08,880 --> 00:14:11,000 Speaker 7: they're like not a lot of black people here. And 236 00:14:11,040 --> 00:14:13,800 Speaker 7: the black people that are here are like here for military, 237 00:14:14,240 --> 00:14:17,120 Speaker 7: so they're not here very long. And so like growing up, 238 00:14:17,600 --> 00:14:20,360 Speaker 7: like the idea of like blackness, like what does it 239 00:14:20,400 --> 00:14:22,480 Speaker 7: mean to be black? Was like very foreign for me. 240 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:26,520 Speaker 7: It wasn't something that I thought about at all. I 241 00:14:26,680 --> 00:14:29,080 Speaker 7: was like the only black kid in a lot of situations. 242 00:14:29,120 --> 00:14:32,160 Speaker 7: And then I moved to San Francisco a couple of 243 00:14:32,200 --> 00:14:36,920 Speaker 7: years ago and so obviously very different place from Hawaii, 244 00:14:37,760 --> 00:14:41,160 Speaker 7: a lot more black people, and I realized that like 245 00:14:41,800 --> 00:14:44,600 Speaker 7: the way that I talk, the words that I used, 246 00:14:44,680 --> 00:14:45,360 Speaker 7: I guess, like the. 247 00:14:45,400 --> 00:14:47,080 Speaker 6: Accent that I had, you could call it. 248 00:14:47,760 --> 00:14:52,560 Speaker 7: I sort of had to unlearn this idea that to 249 00:14:52,680 --> 00:14:55,640 Speaker 7: be black and to be and to identify as black, 250 00:14:55,720 --> 00:14:58,160 Speaker 7: I had to like talk a certain way or dress 251 00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:00,440 Speaker 7: a certain way because like that that's what I was 252 00:15:00,440 --> 00:15:03,040 Speaker 7: seeing around me. And so I had to sort of 253 00:15:03,080 --> 00:15:07,120 Speaker 7: realize that blackness can't be pinned down by like how 254 00:15:07,160 --> 00:15:11,000 Speaker 7: you speak or how you wear your clothes or where 255 00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:14,600 Speaker 7: you live, Like blackness can be whatever you want. I 256 00:15:14,640 --> 00:15:16,960 Speaker 7: guess that's like a different side of unlearning that I 257 00:15:17,040 --> 00:15:19,760 Speaker 7: had to do just about like my own identity. 258 00:15:20,200 --> 00:15:23,240 Speaker 4: So that ties kind of to the overall reason why 259 00:15:23,240 --> 00:15:26,640 Speaker 4: we're having this conversation today, which is allyship. So I 260 00:15:26,640 --> 00:15:31,640 Speaker 4: identify as indigenous LATINX Indigenous Mexican. I also like I 261 00:15:31,720 --> 00:15:34,560 Speaker 4: keep up with the protests, I've signed petitions. You know, 262 00:15:34,680 --> 00:15:37,600 Speaker 4: I do the work that I consider to make me 263 00:15:37,640 --> 00:15:40,640 Speaker 4: a good ally. Right, But that's the thing, a lot 264 00:15:40,640 --> 00:15:43,360 Speaker 4: of people don't know what makes up a good ally. 265 00:15:43,600 --> 00:15:45,440 Speaker 6: What do you consider a good ally? 266 00:15:45,480 --> 00:15:47,920 Speaker 4: And what are they doing right now? Maybe primo you can. 267 00:15:47,800 --> 00:15:51,840 Speaker 7: Start, Yeah, definitely, because like a lot of this movement 268 00:15:51,920 --> 00:15:55,200 Speaker 7: like started on social media, and like a lot of 269 00:15:55,200 --> 00:15:57,680 Speaker 7: this movement has also like taken place on social media. 270 00:15:58,080 --> 00:16:01,040 Speaker 7: It's sort of like changed what it means to be 271 00:16:01,080 --> 00:16:04,120 Speaker 7: an ally or like what people think it means to 272 00:16:04,160 --> 00:16:04,760 Speaker 7: be an ally. 273 00:16:05,040 --> 00:16:07,440 Speaker 6: I guess a good example would be like blackout Tuesday. 274 00:16:07,720 --> 00:16:11,040 Speaker 7: I think that a lot of people feel like, oh, 275 00:16:11,200 --> 00:16:14,160 Speaker 7: I posted a black square, I hashtag black Lives Matter, 276 00:16:14,240 --> 00:16:18,200 Speaker 7: I've signed one petition that makes me an ally, and 277 00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:21,000 Speaker 7: so like that's one person and another person might say, like, 278 00:16:21,400 --> 00:16:23,520 Speaker 7: oh my god, I'm attending all of the protests, I've 279 00:16:23,520 --> 00:16:26,880 Speaker 7: signed all of the petitions, I'm posting every day constantly 280 00:16:26,880 --> 00:16:28,400 Speaker 7: twenty four to seven on my story. 281 00:16:28,680 --> 00:16:29,680 Speaker 6: I'm also an ally. 282 00:16:30,200 --> 00:16:35,280 Speaker 7: I personally feel like you don't have to be attending 283 00:16:35,320 --> 00:16:37,480 Speaker 7: all the protests and posting twenty four to seven on 284 00:16:37,520 --> 00:16:42,040 Speaker 7: your story and signing all these petitions, if you are 285 00:16:42,160 --> 00:16:44,600 Speaker 7: like a person who I know that I can like 286 00:16:45,160 --> 00:16:49,400 Speaker 7: turn to and like talk to. Everyone can see allyship differently, 287 00:16:49,440 --> 00:16:53,400 Speaker 7: But for me, you don't necessarily have to be amazingly 288 00:16:53,600 --> 00:16:57,880 Speaker 7: aggressively overpoweringly outspoken about your support for the Black Lives 289 00:16:57,880 --> 00:17:02,960 Speaker 7: Matter movement. If you are like actually supporting black people 290 00:17:03,080 --> 00:17:07,320 Speaker 7: and black individuals on like a personal level, allyship shouldn't 291 00:17:07,320 --> 00:17:10,320 Speaker 7: be performative. It shouldn't be for other people. Like, as 292 00:17:10,359 --> 00:17:12,359 Speaker 7: long as we know that you are our ally and 293 00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:15,359 Speaker 7: that you are supporting us, that's all we need. We're 294 00:17:15,359 --> 00:17:25,280 Speaker 7: so chill, like we're good with that, or like I am. 295 00:17:25,320 --> 00:17:28,720 Speaker 4: You said performative activism, which is something that I've been 296 00:17:28,760 --> 00:17:33,600 Speaker 4: seeing everywhere really, and I guess I just want to 297 00:17:33,640 --> 00:17:36,359 Speaker 4: dig deeper into that topic and I just want to 298 00:17:36,400 --> 00:17:38,680 Speaker 4: know how have you guys tackled that. I guess first, 299 00:17:38,760 --> 00:17:42,359 Speaker 4: could you explain to me, Nadia, what performative activism means 300 00:17:42,560 --> 00:17:45,199 Speaker 4: and how have you had to tackle it in your 301 00:17:45,280 --> 00:17:47,320 Speaker 4: own friend group or when you come across it. 302 00:17:47,640 --> 00:17:50,560 Speaker 1: When I think of performative allyship, I just think of 303 00:17:50,600 --> 00:17:55,640 Speaker 1: that first word performative performing performance. I feel like performative 304 00:17:55,720 --> 00:17:59,480 Speaker 1: allyship honestly, just it is more damage than it does good. 305 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:02,880 Speaker 1: It's really important to listen at the end of the day, 306 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:05,119 Speaker 1: you know, like an ally is someone who can listen 307 00:18:05,840 --> 00:18:08,280 Speaker 1: and who can hold folks accountable. 308 00:18:08,920 --> 00:18:09,600 Speaker 6: It's it's so. 309 00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:12,040 Speaker 1: Much more than social media, and so I think that's 310 00:18:12,040 --> 00:18:15,000 Speaker 1: something that a lot of people are still trying to 311 00:18:15,080 --> 00:18:19,080 Speaker 1: learn and understand. But cute graphics are dope, you know 312 00:18:19,119 --> 00:18:22,480 Speaker 1: what I mean, And they're helpful in catching people's attention 313 00:18:22,800 --> 00:18:28,080 Speaker 1: and spreading info and news and knowledge. But the root 314 00:18:28,080 --> 00:18:30,239 Speaker 1: of it is that people tend to forget that, you know, 315 00:18:30,320 --> 00:18:33,680 Speaker 1: Breonna Taylor is a person. It just it gets really 316 00:18:33,720 --> 00:18:36,159 Speaker 1: uncomfortable to see people turn her into a meme like that. 317 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:38,640 Speaker 1: And so I feel like that's what it really comes 318 00:18:38,640 --> 00:18:40,560 Speaker 1: down to. Are you really doing the work? 319 00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:44,760 Speaker 5: Yeah, definitely, what Nadia mp mart is saying, I completely, 320 00:18:45,040 --> 00:18:47,800 Speaker 5: oh my god agree with you know means specifically, as 321 00:18:47,840 --> 00:18:51,640 Speaker 5: a non black person, I think being a good ally 322 00:18:51,960 --> 00:18:55,520 Speaker 5: is listening, you know, listening to what the community, the 323 00:18:55,520 --> 00:18:58,879 Speaker 5: black community wants for me. Because it's not my job 324 00:18:58,960 --> 00:19:00,800 Speaker 5: to tell them what I want to give them. They 325 00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:02,800 Speaker 5: need to tell me what they want from me because 326 00:19:02,880 --> 00:19:06,280 Speaker 5: I'm an ally to them, and essentially, I think that's 327 00:19:06,280 --> 00:19:09,520 Speaker 5: what it means to be an ally. If you hear 328 00:19:09,680 --> 00:19:12,960 Speaker 5: something being said around you like step in, Like if 329 00:19:12,960 --> 00:19:15,320 Speaker 5: you have that privilege to check somebody, like do it. 330 00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:15,600 Speaker 5: You know. 331 00:19:16,119 --> 00:19:18,240 Speaker 4: I know that I've been having a lot of conversations 332 00:19:18,320 --> 00:19:22,320 Speaker 4: with older people, and sometimes it can get a little confrontational. 333 00:19:22,840 --> 00:19:26,480 Speaker 4: So I wanted to ask you guys, when you guys 334 00:19:26,560 --> 00:19:29,680 Speaker 4: talk to older generations about what's going on right now 335 00:19:29,720 --> 00:19:32,440 Speaker 4: and the protests and how people are reacting, what kind 336 00:19:32,440 --> 00:19:33,800 Speaker 4: of reactions do you get from them? 337 00:19:34,600 --> 00:19:38,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, so I feel like I've been receiving a lot 338 00:19:38,200 --> 00:19:41,680 Speaker 1: of love for my own like familiar elders. 339 00:19:43,880 --> 00:19:44,320 Speaker 3: I will. 340 00:19:44,359 --> 00:19:46,200 Speaker 1: I was very like, oh, I want to go march 341 00:19:46,280 --> 00:19:49,679 Speaker 1: with you. But because of COVID, you know, she's been inside. 342 00:19:50,440 --> 00:19:52,760 Speaker 1: Just on both sides of my family, on my mom's 343 00:19:52,760 --> 00:19:56,160 Speaker 1: side and my dad's side. There's this very long history 344 00:19:56,200 --> 00:19:59,720 Speaker 1: of like you know, revolutionaries and folks who have been 345 00:20:00,280 --> 00:20:04,440 Speaker 1: you know, heavily involved in activism and movements like the 346 00:20:04,560 --> 00:20:10,679 Speaker 1: United farm Workers movement. There has been some disconnect, you know, 347 00:20:10,680 --> 00:20:14,280 Speaker 1: maybe some of our parents' ages, like generations, you feel 348 00:20:14,320 --> 00:20:16,640 Speaker 1: me and so you know, folks are thinking, oh, you're 349 00:20:16,680 --> 00:20:20,520 Speaker 1: too radical, you guys are dreaming too big. There's this 350 00:20:20,600 --> 00:20:23,080 Speaker 1: idea that we don't know what we're talking about. The 351 00:20:23,119 --> 00:20:25,840 Speaker 1: biggest conversation piece that I've always used with my elders 352 00:20:25,880 --> 00:20:28,320 Speaker 1: has always been like, you know, what age were you 353 00:20:28,480 --> 00:20:31,439 Speaker 1: when you were involved in these movements? You know, and 354 00:20:31,520 --> 00:20:35,320 Speaker 1: so just kind of reminding them that y'all were young too, 355 00:20:35,600 --> 00:20:39,359 Speaker 1: you know what I mean, y'all were out there being criticized, 356 00:20:39,680 --> 00:20:42,240 Speaker 1: being told you can't do things too, so you know, 357 00:20:42,480 --> 00:20:46,639 Speaker 1: just remember that. And so yeah, that's that's typically the 358 00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:48,080 Speaker 1: angle that I like to take. 359 00:20:48,280 --> 00:20:50,800 Speaker 4: On that note. I guess if any of you have 360 00:20:50,920 --> 00:20:54,560 Speaker 4: any last words that you'd like to say, any like 361 00:20:54,640 --> 00:20:57,760 Speaker 4: partying words, parting message, I. 362 00:20:57,760 --> 00:21:00,600 Speaker 7: Would add one thing just as like the one thing 363 00:21:00,760 --> 00:21:04,000 Speaker 7: that I want someone listening to this specifically like a 364 00:21:04,040 --> 00:21:06,560 Speaker 7: non black person to take away from. And I think 365 00:21:06,560 --> 00:21:09,400 Speaker 7: that something Johnny and Nadia and I have all said 366 00:21:09,400 --> 00:21:12,879 Speaker 7: at like one point or another throughout this conversation is 367 00:21:12,920 --> 00:21:15,720 Speaker 7: that like, to be a good ally if you do 368 00:21:15,800 --> 00:21:19,080 Speaker 7: not do anything else, if you do nothing else, please 369 00:21:19,520 --> 00:21:23,919 Speaker 7: listen listen to what we as not only black people, 370 00:21:23,960 --> 00:21:27,320 Speaker 7: but like also queer people and people of color and 371 00:21:27,400 --> 00:21:31,240 Speaker 7: trans folk and differently abled folk and immigrant folks, like 372 00:21:31,440 --> 00:21:35,719 Speaker 7: listen to what we need because no one has listened 373 00:21:35,720 --> 00:21:40,480 Speaker 7: to us for hundreds of years. So if you listen 374 00:21:40,520 --> 00:21:43,480 Speaker 7: to us now, that is the bare minimum for what 375 00:21:43,760 --> 00:21:46,639 Speaker 7: at least I feel I would want in an ally 376 00:21:46,960 --> 00:21:50,159 Speaker 7: like listen, listen, listen. 377 00:21:54,680 --> 00:21:57,960 Speaker 4: Well, I think that's a wrap. Thank you Johnny Primo 378 00:21:58,119 --> 00:22:00,360 Speaker 4: and Nadia for joining me in this conversation. 379 00:22:01,480 --> 00:22:20,760 Speaker 8: And thank you Emilian Novilla for leading that conversation. This 380 00:22:20,840 --> 00:22:23,800 Speaker 8: episode was produced by Denis Tejada and our friends at 381 00:22:23,840 --> 00:22:26,760 Speaker 8: why Are Media, and it was edited by Luis Rees. 382 00:22:27,160 --> 00:22:30,520 Speaker 8: We want to thank our four panelists, Johnny Torres, Primo, 383 00:22:30,640 --> 00:22:35,240 Speaker 8: Lagaso Goldberg, and Nadia Brooks. The Latino USA team includes 384 00:22:35,400 --> 00:22:41,359 Speaker 8: Niel Macias, Sophia Palisa Kama, Julieta Martinelli, Montalo, Alisas Carse, 385 00:22:41,600 --> 00:22:45,399 Speaker 8: and Alejandra Salasad, with help from Raoul Perez. Our engineers 386 00:22:45,400 --> 00:22:49,160 Speaker 8: are Stephanie Lebo and Julia Caruso. Additional engineering this week 387 00:22:49,240 --> 00:22:52,520 Speaker 8: by Lia Shan. Our director of programming and Operations is 388 00:22:52,600 --> 00:22:56,600 Speaker 8: Nataria Fidelholz. Our digital editor is Amandel Cantra. Our New 389 00:22:56,680 --> 00:23:00,560 Speaker 8: York Women's Foundation Ignite fellow is Julia Rocha. Our interns 390 00:23:00,600 --> 00:23:04,159 Speaker 8: are Sophia Sanchez and Marie Mendosa. Our theme music was 391 00:23:04,200 --> 00:23:06,919 Speaker 8: composed by Zena Ronos. If you like the music you 392 00:23:06,960 --> 00:23:10,000 Speaker 8: heard on this episode, stop buying Likenousa dot org and 393 00:23:10,119 --> 00:23:13,040 Speaker 8: check out our weekly Spotify playlist. I'm your host and 394 00:23:13,080 --> 00:23:15,800 Speaker 8: executive producer Maria noo Fosa. Join us again on our 395 00:23:15,800 --> 00:23:17,720 Speaker 8: next episode, and in the meantime, look for us on 396 00:23:17,760 --> 00:23:19,000 Speaker 8: all of your social media. 397 00:23:19,119 --> 00:23:22,000 Speaker 3: I'll see you there and remember stay safe. 398 00:23:22,200 --> 00:23:29,680 Speaker 9: Pasta approxima Joe Latino USA is made possible in part 399 00:23:29,760 --> 00:23:32,280 Speaker 9: by the Annie Casey Foundation. 400 00:23:32,600 --> 00:23:36,720 Speaker 5: Creates a brighter future for the nation's children by strengthening families, 401 00:23:36,920 --> 00:23:40,560 Speaker 5: building greater economic opportunity, and transforming communities. 402 00:23:41,080 --> 00:23:44,880 Speaker 9: California Endowment building a strong state by improving the health 403 00:23:44,880 --> 00:23:51,760 Speaker 9: of all Californians, and the Heising Simons Foundation unlocking knowledge, opportunity, 404 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:56,080 Speaker 9: and possibilities. 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