WEBVTT - IDKMYDE: Grace Wisher 

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<v Speaker 1>On today's episode. If I didn't know, maybe you didn't either.

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<v Speaker 1>Let's discuss the American flag. Whenever I'm quizing folks on

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<v Speaker 1>the American flag, I asked three questions. How many stars

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<v Speaker 1>on the flag, how many stripes on the flag, and

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<v Speaker 1>who created the flag. Now, if your answer was fifty

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<v Speaker 1>thirteen and Betsy Ross, you got two out of three,

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<v Speaker 1>I'll explain I didn't know.

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<v Speaker 2>Maybe I didn't know. I didn't know. Maybe I didn't know.

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<v Speaker 2>I didn't know. I didn't know.

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<v Speaker 1>Now, when folks talk about the American flag, all you

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<v Speaker 1>ever hear is bet See Ross this and bet See

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<v Speaker 1>Ross that, But Betsy don't know ish because Betsy came

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<v Speaker 1>round out like that Bo Jackson commercial.

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<v Speaker 2>Keep up.

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<v Speaker 1>Look, the point is folks is always talking about Betsy

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<v Speaker 1>Ross in that flag, like she the Beyonce in the

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<v Speaker 1>so On World or something. But what they don't tell

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<v Speaker 1>you is that there was someone else putting in the work,

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<v Speaker 1>a young black woman named Grace Wisher. Now Grace wasn't

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<v Speaker 1>a prentcess right there with Betsy Ross helping stitch that

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<v Speaker 1>flag together. But you think Betsy ever gave her as

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<v Speaker 1>much as a shout out. Nope, that Joe, don't say

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<v Speaker 1>the flag was created by Betsy Ross featuring Grace Wisher

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<v Speaker 1>at the bottom of it.

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<v Speaker 2>Nothing. It's like Grace was the AZ to Betsy's.

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<v Speaker 1>Nas, you know what I'm saying, Like a z a

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<v Speaker 1>lyrical genius co wrote some of the best verses on

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<v Speaker 1>io Matic. But when folks talk about that album, they

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<v Speaker 1>act like he wasn't even there.

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<v Speaker 2>Grace was in the same boat, y'all.

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<v Speaker 1>And let me tell you, Grace didn't even have the

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<v Speaker 1>option to shine. It wasn't like she could hop on

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<v Speaker 1>Instagram and post herself in like day three of stitching

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<v Speaker 1>the stars and stripes on y'all hashtag black girl magic. No,

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<v Speaker 1>this was the seventeen hundreds. Grace wasn't gonna get no

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<v Speaker 1>flowers because back then black women didn't get no flowers. Hell,

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<v Speaker 1>black people weren't even allowed to get near the bouquet.

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<v Speaker 1>Grace's story is wild to me though, because her hands

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<v Speaker 1>were literally on the symbol of freedom.

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<v Speaker 2>Freedom, but she didn't even get a seat at the table.

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<v Speaker 1>She like most death or y'all seeing Bay now that

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<v Speaker 1>what we call him, see another one of them dope MC's.

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<v Speaker 2>But he wasn't chasing commercial fame.

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<v Speaker 1>He was out there spitting truth, making classics like black

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<v Speaker 1>on both sides, but mainstream was like, nah, we're good

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<v Speaker 1>on that. Grace was out here sewing up history, and

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<v Speaker 1>society was like, nah, we good on that. See, Betsy

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<v Speaker 1>Ross is like the doctor dre of the whole operation.

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<v Speaker 1>While she had the connections, she got the credit, and

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<v Speaker 1>Grace she were like Goodie Mob in the South, pioneering

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<v Speaker 1>doing soul for conscious work.

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<v Speaker 2>But usually our cast get all the credit for the South.

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<v Speaker 1>And I mean, come on, like, without Goodie Mob, Southern

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<v Speaker 1>hip hop wouldn't have been the same. Without Grace Wisher,

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<v Speaker 1>that flag wouldn't have been the same either. So here's

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<v Speaker 1>the real talk. When you see that American flag flying, Hugh,

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<v Speaker 1>don't just think about Betsy Ross. Think about sixteen year

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<v Speaker 1>old Grace Wisher, a little black apprentice that was behind

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<v Speaker 1>the scenes making it happen even though she was not

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<v Speaker 1>allowed to shine. She like Ray Kwan from Wutang, only

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<v Speaker 1>built for Cuban Lynx, is a masterpiece. But you know,

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<v Speaker 1>folks is always like, oh method man, oh ghost face,

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<v Speaker 1>nah ma, give Ray Kwany's flowers and give Grace Wisher

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<v Speaker 1>her flowers. Che's proof the history ain't all about who

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<v Speaker 1>gets the credit. It's about who did the work. So

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<v Speaker 1>next time you see that fifty star, thirteen striped American flag,

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<v Speaker 1>you just remember sixteen year old black woman helped to

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<v Speaker 1>make it happen, and I didn't know.

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<v Speaker 2>Maybe you didn't either.

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<v Speaker 1>I