1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,720 Speaker 1: Native Landpod is a production of iHeartRadio in partnership with 2 00:00:03,880 --> 00:00:08,760 Speaker 1: Reason Choice Media. Welcome Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, 3 00:00:09,840 --> 00:00:13,960 Speaker 1: Welcome home, y'all. This is a solo pod of Native Lampod. 4 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:17,920 Speaker 1: I'm Angela RAI. I get to sit with y'all most Tuesdays. 5 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:20,840 Speaker 1: Last Tuesday, I was out, but I am back today 6 00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:23,599 Speaker 1: and I'm going to talk a little bit about this 7 00:00:23,720 --> 00:00:28,120 Speaker 1: social media beef in these here social media streets. Uh, 8 00:00:28,320 --> 00:00:32,960 Speaker 1: there's been a woman named Taylor Lorenz who wrote a 9 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:36,680 Speaker 1: piece called a dark money group is secretly funding high 10 00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:41,760 Speaker 1: profile democratic influencers. Oooh, very taboo until you really get 11 00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:43,520 Speaker 1: into the meat of this thing and you figure out 12 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:46,120 Speaker 1: what's been happening on the other side. The context that 13 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:48,080 Speaker 1: I would like to offer you in this moment is 14 00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:51,839 Speaker 1: that you know, we're living in an unprecedented times. Some 15 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:54,800 Speaker 1: call it fascism. I am some Okay, there are a 16 00:00:54,800 --> 00:00:56,480 Speaker 1: lot of us who are trying to figure out what 17 00:00:56,560 --> 00:00:59,720 Speaker 1: in the world is going on right now, and sometimes 18 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:03,440 Speaker 1: when you are living in unprecedented times, you have to 19 00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 1: do unprecedented things. The thing that Taylor Lorenz is criticizing 20 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:13,560 Speaker 1: dark money for are things that Republican folks have been 21 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:17,320 Speaker 1: doing for many, many years. Some of them were doing 22 00:01:17,319 --> 00:01:22,000 Speaker 1: it below the radar and illegally before Citizens United and 23 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:26,479 Speaker 1: after that decision, the ways in which dark money influenced 24 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:31,520 Speaker 1: the political process significantly shifted. And I would say that 25 00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:34,160 Speaker 1: on the other side of the isle with the Democratic Party, 26 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:38,440 Speaker 1: they've been very reluctant to engage in this way. So 27 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:41,240 Speaker 1: if you think about what just happened in Texas, I'm 28 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:43,360 Speaker 1: gonna I'm going somewhere. If you think about what just 29 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:48,640 Speaker 1: happened in Texas with the redistricting process, you saw blue 30 00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:53,600 Speaker 1: state governor saying, you know what, if Texas nuxts, I'm 31 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:56,040 Speaker 1: about to buck. And the reason why I'm bringing that 32 00:01:56,240 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 1: up is because there are these are the same governors 33 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:03,240 Speaker 1: who just a couple of years ago, not even we're saying, 34 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:04,880 Speaker 1: you know what we need. I'm gonna tell you what 35 00:02:04,920 --> 00:02:09,240 Speaker 1: we need. We need independent redistricting commissions, we need parties 36 00:02:09,320 --> 00:02:12,919 Speaker 1: or we need congressional and state legislative lines drawn by 37 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:16,600 Speaker 1: nonpartisan people so we can ensure fairness in the process. 38 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:18,959 Speaker 1: When you hear that, you're like, you know what, That's 39 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:22,160 Speaker 1: a good idea for some people. There are others of us, 40 00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:26,320 Speaker 1: particularly my forever bosses with the Congressional Black Caucus that know, generally, 41 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:29,120 Speaker 1: when you talk about nonpartisan and it's all going to 42 00:02:29,200 --> 00:02:31,200 Speaker 1: be fair, black folks are normally the ones who are 43 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:35,080 Speaker 1: left out. And of course, in this redistricting day and age, 44 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:38,040 Speaker 1: where they decide to just redraw districts in the middle 45 00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:41,359 Speaker 1: of a term five years in instead of the tenure mark, 46 00:02:41,400 --> 00:02:45,280 Speaker 1: which is standard, you get cheaters. And so what happened 47 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:47,480 Speaker 1: is blue state governors were like, okay, well, they're planned 48 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:49,360 Speaker 1: by a different set of rules. We can either play 49 00:02:49,400 --> 00:02:51,840 Speaker 1: ball or we can still be going for this wish 50 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:56,680 Speaker 1: idea for these independent redistricting commissions. Dark money is no different, 51 00:02:56,880 --> 00:03:00,520 Speaker 1: hear me. Dark money is no different. When you are 52 00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:03,359 Speaker 1: playing with people who are not playing fair, at some 53 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:06,160 Speaker 1: point you got to step into the ballgame. So I 54 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:08,560 Speaker 1: want to listen to this clip really quick from Taylor 55 00:03:08,639 --> 00:03:10,639 Speaker 1: Lorenz and we are going to bring in a very 56 00:03:10,639 --> 00:03:13,560 Speaker 1: special guest, my sister friend, who will be introduced right 57 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:15,200 Speaker 1: on the other side of this clip. Let's roll it. 58 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:17,640 Speaker 2: Well, so what you just said is totally right, Like 59 00:03:17,680 --> 00:03:20,600 Speaker 2: the right is seen as more authentic, and that is 60 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:23,840 Speaker 2: because that there's not this effort to from the top 61 00:03:23,919 --> 00:03:27,200 Speaker 2: to sort of control who gets access and who gets 62 00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:30,560 Speaker 2: power and sort of like gatekeeper, whereas the Democrats sort 63 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:33,280 Speaker 2: of seem obsessed with gatekeepers and they can't stop making 64 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:36,040 Speaker 2: this They want to invent new gatekeepers when old gatekeepers 65 00:03:36,040 --> 00:03:38,760 Speaker 2: don't exist. So you know, this dark money group and 66 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:42,160 Speaker 2: this Chorus company are sort of seemingly trying to become 67 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:46,440 Speaker 2: those gatekeepers, you know. I think another issue is that 68 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:49,320 Speaker 2: the Democrats criticize dark money for a long time and 69 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:51,520 Speaker 2: have criticized this role in politics, and I think that 70 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:56,680 Speaker 2: this situation just reveals further the problems that we have 71 00:03:56,800 --> 00:03:59,600 Speaker 2: about the influencer world, because you're right, this does happen 72 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:01,600 Speaker 2: on the right too, right, Like, this is a big 73 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:04,880 Speaker 2: I've written about some of those influence campaigns, But we 74 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:06,640 Speaker 2: want to get rid of dark money and politics that 75 00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:10,280 Speaker 2: we know who's posting these political messages or who's biased. 76 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:14,880 Speaker 2: You know, if I take fifty thousand dollars from a 77 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:17,719 Speaker 2: dark money group, first of all, that makes me uncomfortable 78 00:04:17,720 --> 00:04:19,440 Speaker 2: because I don't even know who's funding that group or 79 00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:21,280 Speaker 2: what their sort of goals are. But say I take 80 00:04:21,320 --> 00:04:24,680 Speaker 2: that money, people should know, like the people following me 81 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:26,159 Speaker 2: should have a right to know my funding, and I 82 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:28,880 Speaker 2: think that we should know the funding sources of these 83 00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:33,480 Speaker 2: political influencers or of these influencers who are calling themselves journalists. 84 00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:39,000 Speaker 1: So this is a very interesting conversation that we're having 85 00:04:39,040 --> 00:04:41,120 Speaker 1: in a vacuum, and to back us up out of 86 00:04:41,160 --> 00:04:45,760 Speaker 1: this vacuum, and maybe Citizens United versus FBC will also 87 00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:48,080 Speaker 1: help us. It was a twenty ten case to change 88 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:49,800 Speaker 1: the game for all of us. But I want to 89 00:04:49,839 --> 00:04:53,480 Speaker 1: bring in my good friend and sister, Elizabeth Booker Houston. 90 00:04:53,560 --> 00:04:58,160 Speaker 1: You all know her as Booker Squared and she is 91 00:04:58,400 --> 00:05:00,760 Speaker 1: regularly bringing it to folks. And what I would like 92 00:05:00,839 --> 00:05:03,680 Speaker 1: to know from Elizabeth first, because I believe in fact Friday, 93 00:05:03,760 --> 00:05:06,839 Speaker 1: So let's just have a fact Friday moment. Can you 94 00:05:06,880 --> 00:05:11,960 Speaker 1: please tell me when you started to produce content where 95 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:15,160 Speaker 1: you were talking about the political process. Do you remember 96 00:05:15,279 --> 00:05:16,159 Speaker 1: around when that was? 97 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:19,000 Speaker 3: What year was that the first time on any of 98 00:05:19,040 --> 00:05:21,839 Speaker 3: the like I guess modern platforms because I've been talking 99 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:25,520 Speaker 3: about politics since two thousand and seven on Facebook. But 100 00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:28,200 Speaker 3: when I started making videos it was twenty twenty. It 101 00:05:28,279 --> 00:05:31,360 Speaker 3: was during the pandemic because my specially, one of my 102 00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:33,720 Speaker 3: specialties is public health law, so that's when I started 103 00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:34,599 Speaker 3: making content. 104 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:36,719 Speaker 1: And I want you to know that. I know this 105 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:39,359 Speaker 1: is true because one of my big sisters and friends, 106 00:05:39,440 --> 00:05:41,600 Speaker 1: Geraldy Mariba, was like, have you heard of her? I 107 00:05:41,640 --> 00:05:43,880 Speaker 1: love her? So it's around that time. It may have 108 00:05:43,920 --> 00:05:46,360 Speaker 1: been twenty twenty one, but definitely around this time. Can 109 00:05:46,440 --> 00:05:49,280 Speaker 1: you tell us for the record, Elizabeth, when you first 110 00:05:49,400 --> 00:05:51,919 Speaker 1: learned of Courus. 111 00:05:51,400 --> 00:05:54,400 Speaker 3: Well, I learned about it in November of twenty twenty four, 112 00:05:54,480 --> 00:05:55,360 Speaker 3: right after the election. 113 00:05:55,760 --> 00:05:57,200 Speaker 1: Can you say that one more time for the people 114 00:05:57,240 --> 00:05:57,920 Speaker 1: who might be slower. 115 00:05:57,920 --> 00:06:00,760 Speaker 3: I can't hear November twenty twenty four, after the election. 116 00:06:01,600 --> 00:06:04,920 Speaker 1: Okay, So I want to So you said after the election, 117 00:06:05,080 --> 00:06:09,840 Speaker 1: which means you didn't have any engagement with them for 118 00:06:10,240 --> 00:06:13,839 Speaker 1: a very significant election, one where fascism was on the line, 119 00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:15,760 Speaker 1: you were still doing content on your own. 120 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:19,640 Speaker 3: Yeah, they did not exist. They approached a group of 121 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:23,960 Speaker 3: creators and asked us if we were interested in trying 122 00:06:23,960 --> 00:06:27,400 Speaker 3: to form some way that we could get funding and 123 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:30,800 Speaker 3: not have any ties to having to create content. That's 124 00:06:30,839 --> 00:06:34,000 Speaker 3: why this whole controversy is hilarious to me, because most 125 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:37,240 Speaker 3: of what I do is like, oh, here's a contract 126 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:39,000 Speaker 3: with a nonprofit and we want you to make a 127 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:42,000 Speaker 3: video or make some sort of content in exchange. And 128 00:06:42,120 --> 00:06:44,440 Speaker 3: so what they were trying to do with Chorus is say, 129 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:45,800 Speaker 3: we want to find a way to fund you and 130 00:06:45,839 --> 00:06:47,839 Speaker 3: also give you tools to be able to grow your platform, 131 00:06:47,880 --> 00:06:50,120 Speaker 3: but not tell you what to do. And so this 132 00:06:50,160 --> 00:06:52,640 Speaker 3: whole controversy has been really weird to me because that's 133 00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:54,400 Speaker 3: what attracted me to the group in the first place, 134 00:06:54,520 --> 00:06:56,800 Speaker 3: was Okay, you're not even going to expect content from me. 135 00:06:57,440 --> 00:07:00,640 Speaker 1: So one of her arguments in the piece and Taylor's piece, 136 00:07:00,760 --> 00:07:04,599 Speaker 1: was that they actually were having editorial control over what 137 00:07:04,720 --> 00:07:06,760 Speaker 1: you put out. So one of the things that we 138 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:09,680 Speaker 1: see all the time on Instagram is like, if you 139 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:13,760 Speaker 1: were paid by an advertiser, you need to disclose this 140 00:07:13,880 --> 00:07:17,120 Speaker 1: thing because that means your content, what you're saying has 141 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:20,840 Speaker 1: been influenced by the person or entity that paid you. 142 00:07:20,840 --> 00:07:25,480 Speaker 1: You're saying the exact opposite that this entity. Chorus actually 143 00:07:25,480 --> 00:07:27,920 Speaker 1: did not want to have influence over this subject matter 144 00:07:27,960 --> 00:07:28,600 Speaker 1: of your content. 145 00:07:28,880 --> 00:07:31,600 Speaker 3: Correct, They did not want to have any influence over that. Also, 146 00:07:31,760 --> 00:07:33,360 Speaker 3: I'm just going to keep it a book. Eight thousand 147 00:07:33,400 --> 00:07:35,360 Speaker 3: dollars is not enough money for somebody to get content 148 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:38,160 Speaker 3: out of me all month. It's just not, so. 149 00:07:38,200 --> 00:07:40,480 Speaker 1: Can you What was the reason when you were approached 150 00:07:40,480 --> 00:07:42,880 Speaker 1: to take this deal? Is the core? I have your 151 00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:46,320 Speaker 1: contract right here, she has my contract, have the contract, 152 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:48,760 Speaker 1: and I am an attorney. I'm not Elizabeth attorney, but 153 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:49,520 Speaker 1: I am an attorney. 154 00:07:49,680 --> 00:07:50,240 Speaker 3: One of the. 155 00:07:50,120 --> 00:07:54,320 Speaker 1: Things that it's the Amplifier Services Agreement, which I also 156 00:07:54,360 --> 00:07:58,200 Speaker 1: think is very important for people to understand in my mind, Elizabeth, 157 00:07:58,200 --> 00:07:59,760 Speaker 1: and you can talk to me like you know you're 158 00:07:59,760 --> 00:08:03,560 Speaker 1: at so maybe I missed it. Amplifier generally means they 159 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:07,280 Speaker 1: are going to uplift, promote, or shed light on something 160 00:08:07,280 --> 00:08:09,280 Speaker 1: that already exists. Was that your understanding? 161 00:08:09,560 --> 00:08:12,480 Speaker 3: Yeah? Absolutely. The whole idea of the Amplifier cohort was 162 00:08:12,520 --> 00:08:14,680 Speaker 3: this is a group of people who it was kind 163 00:08:14,680 --> 00:08:17,320 Speaker 3: of like a double entendre. So the first is, this 164 00:08:17,360 --> 00:08:18,640 Speaker 3: is a group of people who if we give them 165 00:08:18,680 --> 00:08:20,840 Speaker 3: the support and services, they will be able to amplify 166 00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:23,440 Speaker 3: their messages more easily. Right, We're gonna put you in 167 00:08:23,480 --> 00:08:26,000 Speaker 3: a cohort that allows you to get the tools to 168 00:08:26,440 --> 00:08:29,480 Speaker 3: basically maximize your way to amplify what you're doing. And 169 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:32,720 Speaker 3: then the other meaning to it is also I mean, 170 00:08:32,800 --> 00:08:35,320 Speaker 3: let's be straight up, they probably wanted people like me, 171 00:08:35,480 --> 00:08:37,600 Speaker 3: so that they can continue to get interest in funding 172 00:08:37,640 --> 00:08:39,320 Speaker 3: for the cohort, and they could be like, look at 173 00:08:39,320 --> 00:08:41,640 Speaker 3: Elizabeth Booker Houston, she was part of our cohort. Now 174 00:08:41,679 --> 00:08:44,840 Speaker 3: we can get more funding and more people applying well. 175 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:46,319 Speaker 1: And then So this is the other thing that I 176 00:08:46,360 --> 00:08:50,600 Speaker 1: think is really significant to me. This isn't a day 177 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:52,960 Speaker 1: and age whether we should be talking about dark money 178 00:08:52,960 --> 00:08:55,160 Speaker 1: funding this or funding that. But I think there is 179 00:08:55,240 --> 00:08:59,079 Speaker 1: a difference in what dark money represents. I would love 180 00:08:59,120 --> 00:09:01,400 Speaker 1: for you to explain to our audience with dark money 181 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:04,320 Speaker 1: is because it sounds so bad. We know, as a 182 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:09,680 Speaker 1: communication strategy, people talk about a boogeyman, and dark money 183 00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:12,920 Speaker 1: always is a great boogeyman because it sounds so awful. 184 00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:16,040 Speaker 1: So from your understanding, Elizabeth, what is dark money? 185 00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:19,439 Speaker 3: So dark money is where you cannot trace the donations 186 00:09:19,480 --> 00:09:21,880 Speaker 3: back to the donors. And that is essentially any five 187 00:09:21,920 --> 00:09:26,000 Speaker 3: oh one C four organization. So that includes organizations like Chorus. 188 00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:27,559 Speaker 3: But that's not the only five oh one C four 189 00:09:27,600 --> 00:09:30,600 Speaker 3: I've worked with. I've also worked with the League for 190 00:09:30,640 --> 00:09:34,120 Speaker 3: Conservation Voters. I've also worked with like Planned Parenthood Action Fund, 191 00:09:35,040 --> 00:09:37,520 Speaker 3: you know, different organizations they CLU, you know, they have 192 00:09:37,559 --> 00:09:39,840 Speaker 3: five oh one C four arms because they cannot trace 193 00:09:39,880 --> 00:09:43,160 Speaker 3: the funding back to the donor, and they do some 194 00:09:43,240 --> 00:09:46,760 Speaker 3: sort of work where they're essentially trying to influence politics, 195 00:09:46,760 --> 00:09:48,640 Speaker 3: but they're not doing things like you can't have a 196 00:09:48,640 --> 00:09:51,240 Speaker 3: political ad for a candidate. It's not something that you 197 00:09:51,240 --> 00:09:53,240 Speaker 3: can do that's partisan. It has to be non partisan. 198 00:09:53,559 --> 00:09:55,520 Speaker 3: But you find that these groups often are trying to 199 00:09:55,600 --> 00:09:59,040 Speaker 3: influence politics in other ways, more so focusing on the issues, 200 00:09:59,440 --> 00:10:01,200 Speaker 3: not on a part already and not on a candidate, 201 00:10:01,240 --> 00:10:03,240 Speaker 3: which in my opinion is the best way to move. 202 00:10:03,679 --> 00:10:07,000 Speaker 3: But dark money has also been specifically used over the 203 00:10:07,080 --> 00:10:09,280 Speaker 3: years to talk about those five oh one c fours 204 00:10:09,600 --> 00:10:12,200 Speaker 3: that are collecting this money so they can funnel it 205 00:10:12,240 --> 00:10:15,920 Speaker 3: to super PACs. And I can say unequivocally that is 206 00:10:15,920 --> 00:10:17,839 Speaker 3: not what is happening in this situation. So when I 207 00:10:17,880 --> 00:10:20,760 Speaker 3: saw the term dark money, I was thinking, Okay, this 208 00:10:20,800 --> 00:10:23,400 Speaker 3: is being used in the absolute broadest way, and it 209 00:10:23,400 --> 00:10:26,000 Speaker 3: has a negative connotation that is likely just going to 210 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:28,640 Speaker 3: come off as sillacious and get people to click on this. 211 00:10:29,280 --> 00:10:33,080 Speaker 1: And click they did. So to that point, I want 212 00:10:33,080 --> 00:10:36,160 Speaker 1: to go to the dark money group that they reference 213 00:10:36,360 --> 00:10:42,080 Speaker 1: in this piece, which is the sixteen thirty fund. The 214 00:10:42,160 --> 00:10:45,439 Speaker 1: sixteen thirty fund is noted to be one of the 215 00:10:45,559 --> 00:10:50,040 Speaker 1: left largest hubs of dark money. According to a political article, 216 00:10:51,200 --> 00:10:57,040 Speaker 1: it says that they have given money to two packs 217 00:10:58,080 --> 00:11:03,840 Speaker 1: leading a successful campaign to preserve abortion rights. It says 218 00:11:03,920 --> 00:11:08,480 Speaker 1: that they donated to the Congressional Integrity Project, which was 219 00:11:08,640 --> 00:11:14,920 Speaker 1: a group that went to target Republican lawmakers who were 220 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:18,200 Speaker 1: involved in the impeachment inquiry of Joe Biden. They gave 221 00:11:18,320 --> 00:11:23,080 Speaker 1: money to a climate conservation group, the Citizens for Responsible 222 00:11:23,160 --> 00:11:27,360 Speaker 1: Energy Solutions, a wopping two hundred thousand dollars, and then 223 00:11:27,400 --> 00:11:31,280 Speaker 1: the Family Friend a family friendly action fund, which was 224 00:11:31,320 --> 00:11:36,400 Speaker 1: a nonprofit whose affiliate pledged to spend forty million dollars 225 00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:40,360 Speaker 1: re electing Biden and other Democrats. And even with all 226 00:11:40,400 --> 00:11:45,720 Speaker 1: of that, it says that some of their their their 227 00:11:45,800 --> 00:11:48,120 Speaker 1: funds went down in twenty twenty four. But I'm bringing 228 00:11:48,160 --> 00:11:52,240 Speaker 1: that up because dark money that you know, helped to influence, 229 00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:57,280 Speaker 1: you know, Russia's interference in an election, versus dark money 230 00:11:57,320 --> 00:11:59,560 Speaker 1: that is working to preserve some of our rights perhaps 231 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:02,240 Speaker 1: were by Elizabeth, I think we are is different. 232 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:05,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, I agree, I think it's very different. And like 233 00:12:05,080 --> 00:12:06,880 Speaker 3: I said, we know that this term has a negative 234 00:12:06,920 --> 00:12:09,880 Speaker 3: connotation and without the context and without giving the specifics 235 00:12:09,960 --> 00:12:13,240 Speaker 3: or talking about how especially given what's happened. I'm really 236 00:12:13,280 --> 00:12:16,040 Speaker 3: disappointed that people didn't go and see who's sixteen thirty 237 00:12:16,080 --> 00:12:18,000 Speaker 3: fund is donates who as far as candidates like Jamal 238 00:12:18,040 --> 00:12:21,760 Speaker 3: Bowman Rashida to lead Corey Bush, people who you and 239 00:12:21,800 --> 00:12:24,600 Speaker 3: I you know, we greatly respect and admire and we 240 00:12:24,720 --> 00:12:28,840 Speaker 3: consider friends or colleagues who have been fighting the good fight. 241 00:12:29,440 --> 00:12:32,800 Speaker 3: And so that is allowed a narrative to be pushed 242 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:37,360 Speaker 3: to not only portray this entire organization is something very negative, 243 00:12:37,400 --> 00:12:41,640 Speaker 3: which then falls onto Chorus, which is sixteen thirty fund 244 00:12:41,679 --> 00:12:43,840 Speaker 3: is a fiscal sponsor, not the funder for Chorus, which 245 00:12:43,880 --> 00:12:46,839 Speaker 3: keeps getting overlooked as well. And then that trickles down 246 00:12:46,880 --> 00:12:49,120 Speaker 3: to the creators who are part of Coorus to make 247 00:12:49,160 --> 00:12:51,400 Speaker 3: us seem like we're doing something scandalous or trying to 248 00:12:51,440 --> 00:12:55,400 Speaker 3: hide something from our followers. But really, to be quite honest, 249 00:12:56,200 --> 00:12:58,079 Speaker 3: I just really thought that saying I'm part of course 250 00:12:58,200 --> 00:13:00,000 Speaker 3: was going to be good enough. I've never had anybody 251 00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:02,480 Speaker 3: dig this far into any other five oh one c 252 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:04,000 Speaker 3: four that I've worked with. 253 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:07,760 Speaker 1: Can you talk about some of the benefits of the program. 254 00:13:08,280 --> 00:13:10,160 Speaker 1: I think it's important for people to understand now that 255 00:13:10,240 --> 00:13:12,400 Speaker 1: it course is the official boogie ban of this week 256 00:13:13,200 --> 00:13:15,360 Speaker 1: and last. Can you talk about some of the things 257 00:13:15,400 --> 00:13:17,800 Speaker 1: that you gain from being a part of this program. 258 00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:20,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, the thing that they've been teaching us is really 259 00:13:20,840 --> 00:13:23,200 Speaker 3: just technical tools. So I personally want to get onto 260 00:13:23,240 --> 00:13:25,880 Speaker 3: YouTube as a platform and grow more on there. Everybody 261 00:13:25,920 --> 00:13:27,920 Speaker 3: has different goals coming into the cohort. There are some 262 00:13:27,960 --> 00:13:29,840 Speaker 3: people who are trying to grow in different ways. I 263 00:13:29,880 --> 00:13:31,400 Speaker 3: know a lot of us have also been like growing 264 00:13:31,400 --> 00:13:34,960 Speaker 3: our facebooks because of the technical tools and the trainings 265 00:13:34,960 --> 00:13:37,280 Speaker 3: they are giving us. And so they have these trainings 266 00:13:37,320 --> 00:13:39,679 Speaker 3: where they're showing us this is how you can make 267 00:13:39,679 --> 00:13:42,040 Speaker 3: the best graphics. This is how you can make the 268 00:13:42,040 --> 00:13:45,680 Speaker 3: best thumbnails. This is how you can edit your software 269 00:13:45,720 --> 00:13:48,600 Speaker 3: with these different tools. This is how you can make 270 00:13:48,640 --> 00:13:50,920 Speaker 3: sure that your sound is perfect with this microphone. It's 271 00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:55,520 Speaker 3: all very very technical. There is absolutely nothing that is 272 00:13:55,800 --> 00:13:57,920 Speaker 3: said that says, hey, you're going to make make a 273 00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:00,240 Speaker 3: video about this specific topic, You're going to talk about 274 00:14:00,240 --> 00:14:03,040 Speaker 3: this issue this way. It's more so, whatever the hell 275 00:14:03,080 --> 00:14:05,320 Speaker 3: you talk about, here's how you can do it to 276 00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:08,400 Speaker 3: make it sound really good. And then there's also daily 277 00:14:08,400 --> 00:14:11,280 Speaker 3: messaging updates, which again are just talking about these are 278 00:14:11,320 --> 00:14:14,440 Speaker 3: the major messages breaking through in the news, just like 279 00:14:14,520 --> 00:14:16,240 Speaker 3: any like if you were just going to pull up 280 00:14:17,200 --> 00:14:18,640 Speaker 3: you know, Google and try to see what the top 281 00:14:18,679 --> 00:14:21,000 Speaker 3: news stories were for the day. Those meetings last like 282 00:14:21,040 --> 00:14:25,280 Speaker 3: ten minutes. They're not this big, in depth talking point situation. 283 00:14:25,560 --> 00:14:27,760 Speaker 3: It's just here's some ideas, guys, if you're trying to 284 00:14:27,760 --> 00:14:30,120 Speaker 3: think of ways to make content, I'm gonna be perfectly 285 00:14:30,160 --> 00:14:32,400 Speaker 3: honest with you too. The thing that gets me about 286 00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:34,360 Speaker 3: that is the way people read that as oh, well, 287 00:14:34,360 --> 00:14:38,760 Speaker 3: they're directing your content. I don't really pay attention to 288 00:14:38,800 --> 00:14:41,200 Speaker 3: most of the messaging meetings myself because I already know 289 00:14:41,200 --> 00:14:42,600 Speaker 3: what I want to talk about most of the time. 290 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:45,760 Speaker 3: And also my focus is very much on the black community. 291 00:14:45,800 --> 00:14:47,400 Speaker 3: So there are many days where they're like, here's the 292 00:14:47,400 --> 00:14:49,240 Speaker 3: top messages, and I'm like, well, that's cool. Maybe that'll 293 00:14:49,240 --> 00:14:50,840 Speaker 3: help somebody else, but I already know I want to 294 00:14:50,880 --> 00:14:51,440 Speaker 3: talk about this. 295 00:14:52,040 --> 00:14:55,040 Speaker 1: And have you ever have you ever seen anything where 296 00:14:55,040 --> 00:14:57,880 Speaker 1: they're like, you know, you get this particular reward or 297 00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:00,280 Speaker 1: you know, a certain kind of feature if you talk 298 00:15:00,320 --> 00:15:01,920 Speaker 1: about the content that they recommend. 299 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:05,480 Speaker 3: No, because Yeah, there's nothing like that, because again they're 300 00:15:05,520 --> 00:15:09,120 Speaker 3: not even recommending like content, they're just saying, this is 301 00:15:09,160 --> 00:15:11,200 Speaker 3: what we're seeing people talk about in the news. Take it, 302 00:15:11,320 --> 00:15:12,720 Speaker 3: leave it, do what you want to do with it. 303 00:15:13,480 --> 00:15:17,600 Speaker 1: What about this idea that you guys have to vet 304 00:15:17,680 --> 00:15:20,680 Speaker 1: any content you do outside of the program through them. 305 00:15:20,960 --> 00:15:23,480 Speaker 1: If you want to speak to an elected official or candidate, 306 00:15:23,560 --> 00:15:26,120 Speaker 1: you have to run that by them. What about that claim? 307 00:15:26,760 --> 00:15:29,160 Speaker 3: Yeah, that is completely one hundred percent false, And that 308 00:15:29,200 --> 00:15:30,880 Speaker 3: came from a section of the contract which I know 309 00:15:30,920 --> 00:15:33,600 Speaker 3: you read, which talks about the course newsroom requirement, and 310 00:15:33,640 --> 00:15:35,360 Speaker 3: it says that we have to participate in the newsroom 311 00:15:35,360 --> 00:15:38,640 Speaker 3: at least twice a month. Just to be blunt, we 312 00:15:38,680 --> 00:15:42,240 Speaker 3: haven't done any newsrooms because I believe there just wasn't 313 00:15:42,240 --> 00:15:44,680 Speaker 3: the funding there yet. This isn't like a super huge, 314 00:15:45,440 --> 00:15:48,360 Speaker 3: widely funded thing. This is very much a startup. So 315 00:15:48,400 --> 00:15:51,040 Speaker 3: we haven't even done any newsroom events. But the idea was, 316 00:15:51,280 --> 00:15:53,200 Speaker 3: we want you to do two newsroom events a month, 317 00:15:53,560 --> 00:15:55,640 Speaker 3: and you can book with lawmakers through course, but if 318 00:15:55,680 --> 00:15:57,560 Speaker 3: you want to reach out to them yourselves, just coordinate 319 00:15:57,600 --> 00:15:59,760 Speaker 3: with us so we know that you're using the newsroom. 320 00:15:59,840 --> 00:16:01,840 Speaker 3: That's what that meant is that if you're going to 321 00:16:01,880 --> 00:16:04,920 Speaker 3: work in the newsroom, what's these lawmakers for your two 322 00:16:05,080 --> 00:16:08,480 Speaker 3: newsroom whatever events a month, let us know because we've 323 00:16:08,480 --> 00:16:11,120 Speaker 3: got to coordinate when it comes to anything not related 324 00:16:11,160 --> 00:16:13,320 Speaker 3: to Courus newsroom. If I'm not doing anything with Chorus 325 00:16:13,960 --> 00:16:17,040 Speaker 3: everything else, they don't even know. And because we haven't 326 00:16:17,040 --> 00:16:19,840 Speaker 3: even done any newsroom events, I haven't talked to them 327 00:16:19,880 --> 00:16:22,440 Speaker 3: about any lawmakers I'm talking to except maybe after the 328 00:16:22,440 --> 00:16:24,040 Speaker 3: fact sometimes in the group chats, I'm like, look at 329 00:16:24,040 --> 00:16:26,640 Speaker 3: this cool interview I did you know, check it out, 330 00:16:26,640 --> 00:16:28,840 Speaker 3: Feel free to share it, that sort of thing. And 331 00:16:28,880 --> 00:16:31,440 Speaker 3: I can also say that my other sponsors that again 332 00:16:31,600 --> 00:16:35,120 Speaker 3: are disclosed all over my page, would be pissed off 333 00:16:35,800 --> 00:16:38,200 Speaker 3: if I gave all of that control over to Chorus, 334 00:16:38,240 --> 00:16:41,040 Speaker 3: that every single lawmaker booking I have has to go 335 00:16:41,080 --> 00:16:43,920 Speaker 3: through them. It doesn't even make logical sense. And again 336 00:16:43,960 --> 00:16:45,320 Speaker 3: that's why I was so thrown by all of this. 337 00:16:45,400 --> 00:16:47,600 Speaker 3: I was like, that doesn't even that doesn't even make sense. 338 00:16:58,640 --> 00:17:00,360 Speaker 1: I think one of the things you just write up 339 00:17:00,360 --> 00:17:03,000 Speaker 1: as sponsors, And so there may be somebody that is 340 00:17:03,040 --> 00:17:05,760 Speaker 1: listening that is like, well, if you're you know, if 341 00:17:05,800 --> 00:17:07,720 Speaker 1: you're doing this because it's the right thing. Why do 342 00:17:07,760 --> 00:17:11,080 Speaker 1: you have sponsors? Talk about why that is and how 343 00:17:11,119 --> 00:17:13,040 Speaker 1: you got to the point where you would have sponsors 344 00:17:13,080 --> 00:17:14,360 Speaker 1: or partners on content. 345 00:17:15,240 --> 00:17:19,080 Speaker 3: I have bills, right. 346 00:17:18,920 --> 00:17:22,199 Speaker 1: But but how did you didn't start off as a 347 00:17:22,240 --> 00:17:26,080 Speaker 1: sponsored talent? Right? It's something that you have moved towards. 348 00:17:26,119 --> 00:17:29,640 Speaker 1: As you have influenced and become more influential, people see 349 00:17:29,640 --> 00:17:31,720 Speaker 1: you popping up a lot more. They're like, oh, we 350 00:17:31,800 --> 00:17:34,919 Speaker 1: need to hire her to do XYZ. Talk about some 351 00:17:34,960 --> 00:17:36,760 Speaker 1: of those partnerships or sponsorships. 352 00:17:36,920 --> 00:17:39,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, my main one is Congressional Black Caucus Pack. I 353 00:17:39,560 --> 00:17:42,360 Speaker 3: love working with CBC PACK. I've worked with them for 354 00:17:42,760 --> 00:17:43,800 Speaker 3: like a year and a half now. 355 00:17:43,840 --> 00:17:45,920 Speaker 1: Actually, oh, let me disclose I am on the board 356 00:17:46,160 --> 00:17:48,440 Speaker 1: because before that becomes a problem for miss Taylor or 357 00:17:48,440 --> 00:17:50,399 Speaker 1: anybody else that's trolling, I'm on the board. 358 00:17:50,760 --> 00:17:54,080 Speaker 3: Is proud to have Elizabeth, thank you. I love working 359 00:17:54,080 --> 00:17:57,320 Speaker 3: with CBC PACK. I try to work with I really 360 00:17:57,400 --> 00:18:01,680 Speaker 3: have a preference for black organizations led organizations, which again 361 00:18:01,720 --> 00:18:03,480 Speaker 3: is why that's so funny that people think I would 362 00:18:03,480 --> 00:18:05,360 Speaker 3: give away all my control and autonomy to some white 363 00:18:05,400 --> 00:18:09,520 Speaker 3: boys who founded something. But aside from that, I work 364 00:18:09,560 --> 00:18:12,000 Speaker 3: with the Washington informer. I've been really excited to have 365 00:18:12,040 --> 00:18:14,159 Speaker 3: a three month partnership with them. They are a black 366 00:18:14,440 --> 00:18:17,879 Speaker 3: DC newspaper. They had just extended my partnership another three months. 367 00:18:18,160 --> 00:18:19,960 Speaker 3: So excited to work with them on that. I've worked 368 00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:22,680 Speaker 3: with Wateringhome Media with our good sins Ashley Allison. She's 369 00:18:22,760 --> 00:18:26,359 Speaker 3: been fantastic and that brings together Black, Indigenous and creators 370 00:18:26,400 --> 00:18:30,119 Speaker 3: of color. We just finished a cohort. Another cohort I 371 00:18:30,200 --> 00:18:33,080 Speaker 3: was in that was disclosed on my page where we 372 00:18:33,200 --> 00:18:37,400 Speaker 3: talked about health and medicaid and talked about that specifically. 373 00:18:38,400 --> 00:18:41,840 Speaker 3: I've also done. I have so many different partnerships I've done, 374 00:18:41,880 --> 00:18:44,639 Speaker 3: Like I said, with ACLU, have done several kind of 375 00:18:44,640 --> 00:18:47,720 Speaker 3: one off projects with them, Planned Parent had Action Fund, 376 00:18:48,960 --> 00:18:52,040 Speaker 3: Evergreen Action Fund, pretty much just all things that align 377 00:18:52,119 --> 00:18:54,360 Speaker 3: with my content. And so the way that I approach 378 00:18:54,720 --> 00:18:56,719 Speaker 3: all of these contracts, because I get a lot of 379 00:18:56,720 --> 00:18:59,639 Speaker 3: offers for a lot of things, I do not accept 380 00:18:59,640 --> 00:19:04,439 Speaker 3: most of them. I find those contracts and sponsorships that 381 00:19:04,520 --> 00:19:06,240 Speaker 3: already align with what I'm doing and what I want 382 00:19:06,240 --> 00:19:09,440 Speaker 3: to say. It's not the other way around. I've actually 383 00:19:09,480 --> 00:19:12,640 Speaker 3: even had contracts where I've started working on something, they 384 00:19:12,680 --> 00:19:15,280 Speaker 3: come back and they change the messaging and I cancel 385 00:19:15,359 --> 00:19:18,000 Speaker 3: the contract and say I'm sorry, this doesn't align anymore. 386 00:19:18,880 --> 00:19:23,440 Speaker 3: I have no problem doing that, and I really love 387 00:19:23,520 --> 00:19:26,000 Speaker 3: doing this work, like being able to do a full 388 00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:28,200 Speaker 3: time which I've only been a full time content creator 389 00:19:28,240 --> 00:19:30,760 Speaker 3: for the last few weeks. As you know, I left. 390 00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:32,760 Speaker 1: My family job. 391 00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:36,359 Speaker 3: No, I left it, And the irony about leaving my 392 00:19:36,400 --> 00:19:38,840 Speaker 3: federal job at the FDA was I joked on threads 393 00:19:38,880 --> 00:19:40,639 Speaker 3: and said, y'all didn't care this much when my salary 394 00:19:40,720 --> 00:19:42,240 Speaker 3: was paid by user fees from big Pharma. 395 00:19:42,960 --> 00:19:48,960 Speaker 1: M talk about that too. They may not know that 396 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:51,320 Speaker 1: elizab business. They only can you know, people can't walk 397 00:19:51,359 --> 00:19:54,920 Speaker 1: into gum. They got a walk or to gum. So okay. 398 00:19:54,960 --> 00:19:57,440 Speaker 1: So we talked about this piece around the candidates too. 399 00:19:57,480 --> 00:20:02,439 Speaker 1: We talked about your other sponsors or partners. One of 400 00:20:02,440 --> 00:20:06,159 Speaker 1: the things that I thought was fascinating about Taylor's interview 401 00:20:06,200 --> 00:20:08,720 Speaker 1: with The Hill was that she said that the Right 402 00:20:08,840 --> 00:20:11,720 Speaker 1: comes across as more authentic and there's not this effort 403 00:20:11,920 --> 00:20:15,800 Speaker 1: to gatekeep and from the top. And I thought that 404 00:20:15,880 --> 00:20:19,040 Speaker 1: was really fascinating because that couldn't be further from the truth. 405 00:20:19,040 --> 00:20:22,879 Speaker 1: There are so many documented incidents of them putting people 406 00:20:22,920 --> 00:20:27,080 Speaker 1: literally from ground zero putting people on, and they have 407 00:20:27,119 --> 00:20:29,040 Speaker 1: a lot more money to do that. I think one 408 00:20:29,080 --> 00:20:32,159 Speaker 1: of the platforms we saw pop up I think in 409 00:20:32,240 --> 00:20:34,679 Speaker 1: twenty twenty was Rumble, and they were paying people to 410 00:20:34,760 --> 00:20:39,399 Speaker 1: go onto the platform millions of dollars. Again, for the record, 411 00:20:39,440 --> 00:20:42,720 Speaker 1: do you want to share how much your contract was 412 00:20:42,800 --> 00:20:43,639 Speaker 1: with Chorus? 413 00:20:44,240 --> 00:20:46,320 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's eight thousand dollars a month for a six 414 00:20:46,359 --> 00:20:47,399 Speaker 3: month cohort. 415 00:20:48,240 --> 00:20:51,439 Speaker 1: So eight thousand dollars a month for six months. And 416 00:20:51,800 --> 00:20:55,280 Speaker 1: you're like, that's not enough for you to have paid 417 00:20:55,280 --> 00:20:57,960 Speaker 1: for me and sold me off. That's not sufficient. 418 00:20:58,200 --> 00:21:01,159 Speaker 3: I made twelve foul dollars a month when I was 419 00:21:01,200 --> 00:21:04,280 Speaker 3: a Fed lawyer. I mean, just to be frank, my 420 00:21:04,680 --> 00:21:07,520 Speaker 3: finances have been public for so long as a federal employee, 421 00:21:07,560 --> 00:21:09,760 Speaker 3: having a file OG four fifties, things like that, so 422 00:21:10,680 --> 00:21:13,440 Speaker 3: you know, I've been very public. But no, to say 423 00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:17,359 Speaker 3: that four thousand dollars less than my indefinite salary as 424 00:21:17,359 --> 00:21:19,879 Speaker 3: a FED lawyer for a mere six month cohort is 425 00:21:20,040 --> 00:21:23,400 Speaker 3: enough to sell myself over, give give up the full 426 00:21:23,440 --> 00:21:25,760 Speaker 3: creative control and have people tell me what to say. 427 00:21:25,960 --> 00:21:29,359 Speaker 3: Absolutely not. I will throw ass on the stage before 428 00:21:29,440 --> 00:21:32,680 Speaker 3: I do that I'm sorry. I'm not sorry. That's crazy 429 00:21:32,680 --> 00:21:32,919 Speaker 3: to me. 430 00:21:33,920 --> 00:21:36,520 Speaker 1: Well, on speaking of throwing ass, I think that the 431 00:21:36,560 --> 00:21:38,640 Speaker 1: other the other thing that we should get to is, 432 00:21:39,359 --> 00:21:41,639 Speaker 1: you know, like, where do you go from here with 433 00:21:41,720 --> 00:21:44,800 Speaker 1: this story? This, this She's thrown all of this out here, 434 00:21:45,840 --> 00:21:48,960 Speaker 1: a lot of allegations. It sounds like some of them debunked. 435 00:21:49,280 --> 00:21:52,160 Speaker 1: Even from your own contract, there is there's nothing that 436 00:21:52,240 --> 00:21:55,200 Speaker 1: proves or establishes some of the claims that she's made 437 00:21:55,200 --> 00:21:58,920 Speaker 1: in the piece. Instead of retracting them in the piece, 438 00:21:58,960 --> 00:22:02,520 Speaker 1: she has gone online to be defensive or to suggest that, 439 00:22:02,600 --> 00:22:05,479 Speaker 1: you know, maybe this isn't in fact the case. What 440 00:22:05,600 --> 00:22:07,960 Speaker 1: is your what is your comment to Taylor at this 441 00:22:08,040 --> 00:22:09,919 Speaker 1: point and to other folks who are out there, some 442 00:22:09,960 --> 00:22:13,359 Speaker 1: of them who look like us, who are writing the 443 00:22:13,400 --> 00:22:15,440 Speaker 1: basis claims in this article as truth. 444 00:22:16,480 --> 00:22:18,359 Speaker 3: I think it's really disappointing that this could have been 445 00:22:18,359 --> 00:22:21,000 Speaker 3: a really good opportunity to just talk about dark Whenning 446 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:23,119 Speaker 3: and sixteen thirty Fund as a whole, rather than honing 447 00:22:23,160 --> 00:22:27,800 Speaker 3: in on one set of creators and one nonprofit, because 448 00:22:27,840 --> 00:22:29,720 Speaker 3: let's be for real, it was definitely coming in at 449 00:22:29,760 --> 00:22:32,480 Speaker 3: the creators, and I think the stems from the fact 450 00:22:32,480 --> 00:22:35,120 Speaker 3: that She published an article in April twenty fourth where 451 00:22:35,160 --> 00:22:37,040 Speaker 3: she first said the Chorus was scamming people and not 452 00:22:37,119 --> 00:22:40,280 Speaker 3: paying creators. Right now the story has changed now they're paying. 453 00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:43,359 Speaker 3: I don't know if it was to save face. I 454 00:22:43,440 --> 00:22:45,880 Speaker 3: don't know what the situation was, but that article still 455 00:22:45,880 --> 00:22:48,879 Speaker 3: hasn't even been retracted, and now they're the claims that 456 00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:51,639 Speaker 3: of course they are paying creators and not scamming creators, 457 00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:54,679 Speaker 3: and so I don't really know what the motive was 458 00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:59,000 Speaker 3: with that. I also think it was ridiculous to say 459 00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:01,399 Speaker 3: things like we were not allowed to talk about Gaza 460 00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:05,280 Speaker 3: or the genocide and Palestine, and my attorney counted up 461 00:23:05,840 --> 00:23:08,880 Speaker 3: just for purposes of what I'll get into. My next 462 00:23:08,880 --> 00:23:12,359 Speaker 3: step was that I had made nineteen posts on Instagram 463 00:23:12,440 --> 00:23:15,400 Speaker 3: alone since June first, and my stories and my grid 464 00:23:15,440 --> 00:23:19,440 Speaker 3: and collaborations all about the genocide and Gaza, covering the flotilla, 465 00:23:19,480 --> 00:23:21,080 Speaker 3: what happened to Chris Small's with and being beaten by 466 00:23:21,080 --> 00:23:25,040 Speaker 3: the IDF A doctor whouldn't get to the children in Gaza. Fundraising. 467 00:23:25,160 --> 00:23:28,920 Speaker 3: I have had fundraising links for Palestinian families as well 468 00:23:28,960 --> 00:23:31,119 Speaker 3: as folks who are affected by the genocides in Congo 469 00:23:31,200 --> 00:23:33,760 Speaker 3: Sudan t Gray in my bio for a very long time. 470 00:23:33,800 --> 00:23:37,040 Speaker 3: I regularly share these things and my stories and on 471 00:23:37,119 --> 00:23:39,439 Speaker 3: threads and reposts, and so that was just such an 472 00:23:39,480 --> 00:23:43,719 Speaker 3: easily debunked claim that all it took was one person 473 00:23:43,760 --> 00:23:45,959 Speaker 3: to say, well, I think this is happening, and I 474 00:23:46,040 --> 00:23:48,720 Speaker 3: was flooded with comments of people saying, why won't you 475 00:23:48,760 --> 00:23:52,359 Speaker 3: acknowledge the genocide and Gaza when I have consistently, so 476 00:23:52,400 --> 00:23:54,119 Speaker 3: I was disappointing. And also to say that we were 477 00:23:54,160 --> 00:23:56,480 Speaker 3: pushing the party line and trying to make it seem 478 00:23:56,520 --> 00:23:58,440 Speaker 3: like this was a DNC project or the Democrats. The 479 00:23:58,560 --> 00:24:01,960 Speaker 3: DNC has been incredibly anti Black and I have many 480 00:24:01,960 --> 00:24:04,080 Speaker 3: problems with them, which I have been very public about. 481 00:24:04,520 --> 00:24:06,719 Speaker 3: So that pissed me off on a different level because, 482 00:24:07,240 --> 00:24:08,960 Speaker 3: to be quite frank, and the DNC knows this, because 483 00:24:08,960 --> 00:24:11,239 Speaker 3: I've been on some calls where I popped off. I 484 00:24:11,280 --> 00:24:13,639 Speaker 3: don't want to be in any creative cohort they ever have. 485 00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:16,280 Speaker 3: I really don't. I don't like any idea of being 486 00:24:16,280 --> 00:24:18,760 Speaker 3: told that I got to push any particular Democrat. If 487 00:24:18,800 --> 00:24:20,359 Speaker 3: I go talk to them, it's because I wanted to 488 00:24:20,400 --> 00:24:23,159 Speaker 3: talk to them. It's because I wanted to interview this person. 489 00:24:23,480 --> 00:24:25,439 Speaker 3: I don't like the idea of that. At the DNC 490 00:24:25,640 --> 00:24:28,560 Speaker 3: last year, they had all of these creators, some of 491 00:24:28,600 --> 00:24:30,560 Speaker 3: them three four to a hotel room because they couldn't 492 00:24:30,560 --> 00:24:34,080 Speaker 3: afford a hotel in Chicago, could couldn't even cover like ubers, 493 00:24:34,480 --> 00:24:37,119 Speaker 3: no flights, when didn't give people food. You had to 494 00:24:37,119 --> 00:24:39,520 Speaker 3: buy concessions inside of the stadium, and they had maybe 495 00:24:39,520 --> 00:24:41,600 Speaker 3: a few little snacks out that everybody had to fight over. 496 00:24:41,920 --> 00:24:44,360 Speaker 3: I mean, this was not no five star treatment by 497 00:24:44,400 --> 00:24:47,120 Speaker 3: any means. So it really irritates me that people keep 498 00:24:47,119 --> 00:24:48,879 Speaker 3: saying that I'm paid by the DNC when they've never 499 00:24:48,960 --> 00:24:51,800 Speaker 3: paid me, not one red cent, and my money has 500 00:24:51,840 --> 00:24:54,600 Speaker 3: been very black. As I've said, the organizations that have 501 00:24:54,680 --> 00:24:57,840 Speaker 3: paid me the best and the most have been black organizations, 502 00:24:58,119 --> 00:25:00,800 Speaker 3: and so I really feel like that undermine so much 503 00:25:00,800 --> 00:25:02,480 Speaker 3: of my work, the hard work that I put in 504 00:25:02,480 --> 00:25:04,919 Speaker 3: to build my platform, and also is really dismissive of 505 00:25:04,960 --> 00:25:07,359 Speaker 3: the black partners that I work with and highlight the most. 506 00:25:07,880 --> 00:25:10,800 Speaker 3: And it just very much was giving. There's no way 507 00:25:10,800 --> 00:25:14,200 Speaker 3: that this black woman could possibly be worth eight thousand 508 00:25:14,200 --> 00:25:17,600 Speaker 3: dollars a month for six months unless she's giving everything 509 00:25:17,720 --> 00:25:20,840 Speaker 3: over to these individuals. To tell her what to do. 510 00:25:21,280 --> 00:25:24,280 Speaker 3: There's no way she could possibly retain her autonomy and 511 00:25:24,320 --> 00:25:26,120 Speaker 3: still be worthy of that when we know that white 512 00:25:26,160 --> 00:25:30,880 Speaker 3: creators are making five times that much money, way more money. 513 00:25:30,920 --> 00:25:33,840 Speaker 3: The disparity is insane. So there's so many layers to it, 514 00:25:34,480 --> 00:25:35,680 Speaker 3: and I could just go on and on, but I 515 00:25:35,720 --> 00:25:37,479 Speaker 3: will say that my next steps are that, as of 516 00:25:37,560 --> 00:25:40,720 Speaker 3: about an hour ago, my attorney has sent a letter 517 00:25:40,800 --> 00:25:44,640 Speaker 3: to Wired and Conde Nast demanding a retraction, as well 518 00:25:44,680 --> 00:25:49,560 Speaker 3: as detailing and roughly I think fifteen exhibits evidence of 519 00:25:49,800 --> 00:25:54,359 Speaker 3: why this was defamatory, why it was false, why it 520 00:25:54,400 --> 00:25:58,520 Speaker 3: was knowingly and intentionally false. Because miss Lorenz knows we 521 00:25:58,600 --> 00:26:01,359 Speaker 3: have text messages, that we've had conversations in the past, 522 00:26:01,359 --> 00:26:03,680 Speaker 3: that she knew I was part of chorus. She knows 523 00:26:03,720 --> 00:26:07,959 Speaker 3: that we have dms. We've had conversations again. I noticed 524 00:26:08,000 --> 00:26:10,520 Speaker 3: that she has my cell phone number, but I never 525 00:26:10,560 --> 00:26:12,880 Speaker 3: got a text message asking to even speak on this article. 526 00:26:12,880 --> 00:26:15,560 Speaker 3: It turned out she sent it to a DM on Instagram, 527 00:26:15,600 --> 00:26:18,800 Speaker 3: which she shared the screenshot on social media, and this 528 00:26:18,960 --> 00:26:21,640 Speaker 3: was after I had unfollowed her due to issues from 529 00:26:21,640 --> 00:26:24,879 Speaker 3: the past, and of course those dms get buried when 530 00:26:24,920 --> 00:26:28,320 Speaker 3: you have half a million followers. But again, this has 531 00:26:28,359 --> 00:26:30,200 Speaker 3: all been a very interesting experience. 532 00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:33,040 Speaker 1: And you're saying sorry, Elizabeth, you're saying, for the record, 533 00:26:33,520 --> 00:26:37,639 Speaker 1: she has your phone number, yes, and she says in 534 00:26:37,720 --> 00:26:39,720 Speaker 1: the piece that she reached out to you for comment 535 00:26:39,800 --> 00:26:41,760 Speaker 1: that you didn't but where she sat comment was not 536 00:26:41,840 --> 00:26:44,160 Speaker 1: at your phone number, it was in your Instagram dms 537 00:26:44,160 --> 00:26:45,240 Speaker 1: where you don't follow her. 538 00:26:45,520 --> 00:26:45,840 Speaker 2: Yes. 539 00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:50,439 Speaker 3: So just more just little things that just keep adding up. 540 00:26:50,480 --> 00:26:54,480 Speaker 3: And I'm just really disappointed with the way I've seen 541 00:26:54,520 --> 00:26:57,040 Speaker 3: people talk about this. Like I had one person online 542 00:26:57,080 --> 00:26:59,080 Speaker 3: say I never took dark money. I took money from 543 00:26:59,400 --> 00:27:01,200 Speaker 3: organizations like move On, and I said, we'll move on 544 00:27:01,240 --> 00:27:03,920 Speaker 3: to two hundred and fifty thousand dollars from sixteen thirty 545 00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:07,359 Speaker 3: last year dark money. So that's dark money. There's a lot. 546 00:27:07,359 --> 00:27:09,760 Speaker 1: According to the definition, which is why we take issue 547 00:27:09,760 --> 00:27:11,760 Speaker 1: with the definition. There are several of our civil rights 548 00:27:11,880 --> 00:27:13,800 Speaker 1: orgs that are five oh one C fours. So if 549 00:27:14,480 --> 00:27:16,760 Speaker 1: you take any money from a C four, if that 550 00:27:16,920 --> 00:27:20,240 Speaker 1: automatically means that because they have donors that don't have 551 00:27:20,280 --> 00:27:23,000 Speaker 1: to be disclosed as dark money, are we really wanting 552 00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:25,159 Speaker 1: to use this definition in that way or use that, 553 00:27:25,200 --> 00:27:26,520 Speaker 1: you know, use that term in this way. 554 00:27:26,720 --> 00:27:29,159 Speaker 3: Yeah, so yeah, And I made that comment about the 555 00:27:29,200 --> 00:27:32,359 Speaker 3: NAACP when I was having a conversation with Consciously on threads, 556 00:27:32,359 --> 00:27:35,800 Speaker 3: and I put dark money in quotes, which then brought 557 00:27:36,320 --> 00:27:38,920 Speaker 3: Taylor to then come in on Twitter for some reason, 558 00:27:38,920 --> 00:27:41,080 Speaker 3: not on threads with the conversation began and screenshot and 559 00:27:41,119 --> 00:27:46,000 Speaker 3: say that I was dogging out the NUBACP. I just 560 00:27:47,200 --> 00:27:49,480 Speaker 3: I was like, Okay, now, this is this is just 561 00:27:49,520 --> 00:27:52,600 Speaker 3: being willfully obtuse at this point that you're not understanding 562 00:27:52,680 --> 00:27:55,520 Speaker 3: what we are trying to say, and how reckless this was. 563 00:27:55,960 --> 00:27:58,480 Speaker 3: I have had an influx of so many harassed in commons, 564 00:27:58,480 --> 00:28:01,920 Speaker 3: of people saying horrible things. However, I've had way more 565 00:28:02,640 --> 00:28:06,240 Speaker 3: support from the people who I actually care about, which 566 00:28:06,280 --> 00:28:10,520 Speaker 3: is my community. I wish that people understood more that 567 00:28:10,560 --> 00:28:14,800 Speaker 3: my politic is black women. It's not leftist, it's not progressive, 568 00:28:14,800 --> 00:28:17,240 Speaker 3: it's not liberal, it's not conservative, it's not republican, it's 569 00:28:17,240 --> 00:28:21,800 Speaker 3: not democratics a black women. So I go into everything 570 00:28:22,400 --> 00:28:24,520 Speaker 3: with the idea of what is the best thing for 571 00:28:24,640 --> 00:28:27,440 Speaker 3: my community, and Angela and you and I have talked 572 00:28:27,480 --> 00:28:31,200 Speaker 3: about how people don't understand that that way far end 573 00:28:31,200 --> 00:28:33,040 Speaker 3: of the spectrum, the left spectrum that is not the 574 00:28:33,040 --> 00:28:36,080 Speaker 3: majority of our community by any means, and I'm not 575 00:28:37,080 --> 00:28:40,000 Speaker 3: and I understand that there are some black folks who 576 00:28:40,040 --> 00:28:42,080 Speaker 3: are on that far left in who are making sure 577 00:28:42,080 --> 00:28:44,800 Speaker 3: to try to move that needle, and I appreciate that 578 00:28:44,880 --> 00:28:47,360 Speaker 3: work that they do. And many of those same individuals 579 00:28:47,400 --> 00:28:50,000 Speaker 3: have come out of my defense over this past week, 580 00:28:50,080 --> 00:28:52,240 Speaker 3: even if we don't agree on the methods to get 581 00:28:52,240 --> 00:28:54,880 Speaker 3: to liberation, they know that this was not right, and 582 00:28:54,920 --> 00:28:57,400 Speaker 3: I appreciate them so much because at the end of 583 00:28:57,400 --> 00:28:59,360 Speaker 3: the day, we always have community no matter where we sit. 584 00:28:59,680 --> 00:29:02,480 Speaker 3: But I have decided that this is where I'm going 585 00:29:02,520 --> 00:29:05,640 Speaker 3: to sit. Is that more pragmatic approach that I have 586 00:29:05,800 --> 00:29:08,400 Speaker 3: learned from the majority of folks in my community, and 587 00:29:08,440 --> 00:29:10,880 Speaker 3: that's what I'm relying on, because, to be quite honest, 588 00:29:10,920 --> 00:29:14,400 Speaker 3: I think that's where my talents lie. I know administrative law, 589 00:29:14,480 --> 00:29:18,320 Speaker 3: I know how these systems work, and so that's my space. 590 00:29:18,680 --> 00:29:21,720 Speaker 3: And I just wish the more people understood that we 591 00:29:21,920 --> 00:29:24,760 Speaker 3: can all have this role to play. And it doesn't 592 00:29:24,760 --> 00:29:27,440 Speaker 3: mean that just because somebody is working on a different 593 00:29:27,480 --> 00:29:30,600 Speaker 3: part of the past deliberation, it doesn't mean that they're evil. 594 00:29:31,160 --> 00:29:34,479 Speaker 3: It doesn't mean that the work that I do is 595 00:29:34,720 --> 00:29:37,280 Speaker 3: undermine just because I'm saying I'm going to work a 596 00:29:37,320 --> 00:29:40,280 Speaker 3: little bit within this system right to try to make change. 597 00:29:40,760 --> 00:29:42,760 Speaker 3: And that goes the same for the folks who are 598 00:29:42,760 --> 00:29:44,320 Speaker 3: on the far left who are saying I'm never going 599 00:29:44,360 --> 00:29:46,840 Speaker 3: to work within that system. I'm never going to work 600 00:29:46,840 --> 00:29:48,400 Speaker 3: within it. But I'm going to do all of the 601 00:29:48,440 --> 00:29:51,560 Speaker 3: community organizing outside. I'm going to be protesting outside in 602 00:29:51,600 --> 00:29:54,360 Speaker 3: these streets. Everybody's got their part to play in this, 603 00:29:55,720 --> 00:29:57,640 Speaker 3: and I think that's where a lot of the conversation 604 00:29:57,720 --> 00:30:01,520 Speaker 3: has gotten murky. And to be blind, I need white 605 00:30:01,720 --> 00:30:04,040 Speaker 3: people on the left stay the hell out of our 606 00:30:04,080 --> 00:30:07,040 Speaker 3: business because that has been the worst part about this 607 00:30:07,080 --> 00:30:11,040 Speaker 3: conversation is the number of especially white men, who want 608 00:30:11,040 --> 00:30:12,800 Speaker 3: to come into a space that they don't need to 609 00:30:12,840 --> 00:30:14,400 Speaker 3: be in and trying to talk to us. This is 610 00:30:14,400 --> 00:30:16,440 Speaker 3: why we got to keep our outside conversations inside. To 611 00:30:16,480 --> 00:30:19,760 Speaker 3: be honest, Well, that makes sense too. I would say, 612 00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:22,080 Speaker 3: you know, just to close, Elizabeth. I know you got 613 00:30:22,600 --> 00:30:22,880 Speaker 3: you on. 614 00:30:23,360 --> 00:30:26,400 Speaker 1: Sun duty, but I want to I want to ask 615 00:30:26,480 --> 00:30:30,880 Speaker 1: you if you have any parting words to folks who 616 00:30:30,960 --> 00:30:35,960 Speaker 1: may be haters, naysayers, they confuse they're disparaging whatever's happening 617 00:30:36,040 --> 00:30:37,719 Speaker 1: right now? What is your message to them if they 618 00:30:37,720 --> 00:30:41,239 Speaker 1: continue to rely on an article that you expect at 619 00:30:41,280 --> 00:30:44,720 Speaker 1: least your attorneys are pushing for to be fully retracted, 620 00:30:44,840 --> 00:30:47,400 Speaker 1: especially as it relates to putting some respect on your name. 621 00:30:48,080 --> 00:30:49,920 Speaker 3: I'm paid, I'm not bought, but you can try me 622 00:30:49,960 --> 00:30:50,520 Speaker 3: if you want to. 623 00:30:52,440 --> 00:30:52,720 Speaker 2: Well. 624 00:30:52,960 --> 00:30:55,600 Speaker 1: And on that note, on that high Shirlann Chishm note 625 00:30:55,960 --> 00:30:59,120 Speaker 1: this this has been a Black women's political party podcast. 626 00:31:00,120 --> 00:31:03,040 Speaker 1: Elizabeth Booker Houston, I'm so grateful for you, says, make 627 00:31:03,080 --> 00:31:06,200 Speaker 1: sure y'all follow her at Booker Square because she might 628 00:31:06,240 --> 00:31:08,120 Speaker 1: be paid, she might have a partner, she might even 629 00:31:08,120 --> 00:31:10,560 Speaker 1: have a sponsor for here and now, but they don't 630 00:31:10,600 --> 00:31:15,000 Speaker 1: tell her what to say. And Nisa did I Welcome home, y'all. 631 00:31:29,360 --> 00:31:32,800 Speaker 1: Native Lampard is a production of iHeartRadio in partnership with 632 00:31:33,000 --> 00:31:36,840 Speaker 1: Reason Choice Media. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the 633 00:31:36,840 --> 00:31:40,560 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to your 634 00:31:40,600 --> 00:31:41,280 Speaker 1: favorite shows.