1 00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:20,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to Jay dot Do, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:21,239 --> 00:00:25,079 Speaker 1: What's up everybody? Hi? How are you? I hope that 3 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:28,160 Speaker 1: you're so good. Thank you so much for checking in 4 00:00:28,200 --> 00:00:31,480 Speaker 1: with us. Um this is Jay dot Elder Podcast and 5 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:35,320 Speaker 1: I'm here with my sister friends, my strong powerful woman 6 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:41,720 Speaker 1: Liah Sinclair strong and Powerful, Damn Straight and Aga Graydon 7 00:00:41,960 --> 00:00:48,320 Speaker 1: Danceler Woody, who I like when I say dance Dance. 8 00:00:49,320 --> 00:00:53,120 Speaker 1: That's a nice name. I wish I had more syllables. 9 00:00:53,640 --> 00:01:01,080 Speaker 1: I didn't get enough syllables. It's like, and I'm gonna 10 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:03,600 Speaker 1: tell you that my mother put an exclamation point on 11 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:06,440 Speaker 1: my birth certificate. Do you mention that to you? You 12 00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:13,360 Speaker 1: told me yes, So my name is really Jill Scott's amazing. 13 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:17,280 Speaker 1: It really is, though, Like it really is. I I 14 00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:23,400 Speaker 1: enjoyed that choice. Your son King, that's a nice name. 15 00:01:23,480 --> 00:01:26,440 Speaker 1: It is a nice name. Yeah. My nephew's name is King. 16 00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:30,800 Speaker 1: It's short for Kingston, but we call him King. I 17 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:34,440 Speaker 1: saw you had a pretty baby on the Instagram. A 18 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:38,760 Speaker 1: that's your knee. She's so beautiful. First of all, my 19 00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:43,280 Speaker 1: sister in law, my sister in love. Yeah, I really 20 00:01:43,360 --> 00:01:46,120 Speaker 1: do believe that she was brought here to the earth 21 00:01:46,800 --> 00:01:53,080 Speaker 1: to make pretty babies because she literally has five little 22 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:57,720 Speaker 1: girls and they are all adorable. Like she's a little 23 00:01:57,800 --> 00:02:02,600 Speaker 1: pretty black girl baby make machine. And she her latest 24 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:06,840 Speaker 1: one is, ah, It's the icing on the cake. Her 25 00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:16,680 Speaker 1: latest one, her latest one. Listen, I'm like babies, they 26 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:23,359 Speaker 1: take the socks off when they're handling napses. They take 27 00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:27,760 Speaker 1: the socks off. Yes, girl, yeah, you have a really 28 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:31,960 Speaker 1: really big family, huh, I do for teen. My husband 29 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:34,680 Speaker 1: is the oldest of six children, and this is his 30 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:38,600 Speaker 1: sister who also now has six children, as we have 31 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:43,760 Speaker 1: six children. But yes, so they are a lot of cooking. 32 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:48,000 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, girl, you know I've cooked every day for 33 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:51,440 Speaker 1: bazilion years, but now I don't do it anymore. I'm 34 00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 1: gonna tell you what broke me this here pandemic. I 35 00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:58,120 Speaker 1: cooked every day for about three and finally I just 36 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:01,440 Speaker 1: was like, I can't do it anymore. So I implemented 37 00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:09,000 Speaker 1: finn for yourself night. Oh and also I also look 38 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:15,320 Speaker 1: hashtag like them kids. Okay, get um fit for yourself 39 00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:19,160 Speaker 1: now I'm just shaking my head, yes, sir. And then 40 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:21,800 Speaker 1: was also just my older children had to take a 41 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:24,680 Speaker 1: certain night to cook. So yeah, a lot, a lot 42 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:28,840 Speaker 1: of cooking can you come from a big family like you. No, 43 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:30,920 Speaker 1: it's you know, it's just me up in here. But 44 00:03:31,040 --> 00:03:33,320 Speaker 1: my mother and my father are both the youngest of 45 00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:35,280 Speaker 1: their bruise Like my mom's the youngest of five, my 46 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:37,720 Speaker 1: dad's youngest of nine. And uh, yeah, this is it 47 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:40,160 Speaker 1: for me. So I adopt people. I got a lot 48 00:03:40,160 --> 00:03:43,920 Speaker 1: of god brothers and sisters and whatnot. So the holiday 49 00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:48,920 Speaker 1: times is kind of uh, it's more relaxed for you 50 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:53,600 Speaker 1: because how many people are showing up friends and family 51 00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:56,040 Speaker 1: or it depends. Last year we did the whole. A 52 00:03:56,080 --> 00:03:57,880 Speaker 1: lot of New York folks from my dad's side came 53 00:03:57,880 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 1: down and we had dinner at my mom's house. So 54 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:02,480 Speaker 1: that was really nice. But to be honest, shoot, as 55 00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:06,120 Speaker 1: far as the Christmas holidays and the only child, we 56 00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:09,320 Speaker 1: cut that out about twenty five years ago after the 57 00:04:09,360 --> 00:04:11,360 Speaker 1: presents and we just decided to travel. We do our 58 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:18,680 Speaker 1: own things on the holiday. That's delicious. My mama jealous. Yeah, 59 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:21,520 Speaker 1: that's nice, So let's go somewhere instead. So now that 60 00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:24,600 Speaker 1: we started that little tradition, I'm trying to hopefully maybe 61 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 1: this year and maybe we'll do I don't know, I 62 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:29,400 Speaker 1: don't want. I don't win when do you start preparing 63 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:32,839 Speaker 1: for the travel? Well, Jill, as a daughter of a 64 00:04:32,839 --> 00:04:38,400 Speaker 1: flight attendant, that right, I'm like, that can vary from mommy, 65 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:40,960 Speaker 1: we're gonna we're going this year, We're were going. Okay, 66 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:43,800 Speaker 1: so come three a week before, we're gonna start packing, 67 00:04:43,960 --> 00:04:47,279 Speaker 1: and then and then a couple of days for that 68 00:04:47,279 --> 00:04:48,760 Speaker 1: we're gonna pick the flight to see what the low 69 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:53,839 Speaker 1: look like. Oh this wight attended life is real. Yeah, yeah, 70 00:04:53,960 --> 00:04:56,880 Speaker 1: so you angel, you you've gotta, you know, cook for 71 00:04:57,000 --> 00:05:02,240 Speaker 1: a lot of people. Let me tell you something. Thanksgiving 72 00:05:02,920 --> 00:05:07,440 Speaker 1: was all I mean for years and two turkeys, isn't it? Well? No, not, 73 00:05:07,640 --> 00:05:10,360 Speaker 1: well it is if we go to family's house, if 74 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:11,919 Speaker 1: we go over, we went up. We've gone over to 75 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:14,640 Speaker 1: my mother in law's house many times. And then because 76 00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:17,920 Speaker 1: also too, I have a mother, we have bounced from 77 00:05:18,040 --> 00:05:21,279 Speaker 1: my husband's mother's house to my mom's house, until finally 78 00:05:21,279 --> 00:05:23,520 Speaker 1: I had so many kids, I was like, listen, y'all, 79 00:05:24,520 --> 00:05:27,640 Speaker 1: I don't feel like dressing all these kids, cart and 80 00:05:27,720 --> 00:05:30,520 Speaker 1: all these kids to go over to somebody else's houses 81 00:05:30,600 --> 00:05:33,160 Speaker 1: and eat, and then like, what is the leftover situation 82 00:05:33,160 --> 00:05:35,640 Speaker 1: gonna be? Like by the time I pack up food 83 00:05:35,720 --> 00:05:38,160 Speaker 1: from your house. I'd then packed up leftovers that looked 84 00:05:38,160 --> 00:05:40,839 Speaker 1: like a whole like I cooked. So I'm like, no, 85 00:05:41,200 --> 00:05:44,440 Speaker 1: I'm gonna cook at home. I sit there and feed 86 00:05:44,440 --> 00:05:46,679 Speaker 1: my children. I said, if y'all want to see these kids, 87 00:05:46,680 --> 00:05:49,480 Speaker 1: I bring them over for a dessert or something like that. 88 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:52,880 Speaker 1: My mother with my mother and my family and my 89 00:05:52,960 --> 00:05:55,400 Speaker 1: in laws are like a family. They're close to. So 90 00:05:55,520 --> 00:05:57,839 Speaker 1: my my siblings and my mom are all close to 91 00:05:57,839 --> 00:06:00,560 Speaker 1: my husband's sibling and mother. So we have a bit 92 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:03,679 Speaker 1: of a really good mixture. So we tend to spend 93 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:07,480 Speaker 1: time together. And we also have two different religions in 94 00:06:07,480 --> 00:06:21,680 Speaker 1: our family. That's about because my mother, we don't celebrate 95 00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:25,080 Speaker 1: Christmas because we're Muslim. My mother and please don't get 96 00:06:25,120 --> 00:06:26,880 Speaker 1: mad at me for cussing and carrying on in this show, 97 00:06:26,920 --> 00:06:29,080 Speaker 1: like look, y'all can just save the emails now. I 98 00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:34,280 Speaker 1: cuss um so uh. And my mother's side is Christian, 99 00:06:35,279 --> 00:06:38,800 Speaker 1: and so typically Thanksgiving over the years would be the 100 00:06:38,880 --> 00:06:43,800 Speaker 1: time that we would end up altogether, but on on 101 00:06:43,839 --> 00:06:46,400 Speaker 1: the on the Islamic side, on the Muslim side, we 102 00:06:46,440 --> 00:06:49,320 Speaker 1: would do eat dinners and that would be that's the time. 103 00:06:49,400 --> 00:06:53,320 Speaker 1: Add there's two eads a year and a calendar Islamic year, 104 00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:55,720 Speaker 1: and so we would get together and cook and eat 105 00:06:55,760 --> 00:06:59,200 Speaker 1: for eat and then I just thought about that, Asia, 106 00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:01,000 Speaker 1: You've got a lot of how of the days, like 107 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:02,600 Speaker 1: you got not hot with traditions. You got a lot 108 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:06,560 Speaker 1: of traditions. And that's a lot of traditions. But it's 109 00:07:06,560 --> 00:07:09,039 Speaker 1: not that you know, it's actually a thing really good 110 00:07:09,080 --> 00:07:11,960 Speaker 1: for the kids because the kids get to just understand 111 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:16,000 Speaker 1: about diversity within family and that, you know, blood ties 112 00:07:16,120 --> 00:07:19,680 Speaker 1: are stronger than cultural ties, and that you can still 113 00:07:19,760 --> 00:07:22,240 Speaker 1: really believe and do what you do and still be 114 00:07:22,320 --> 00:07:26,280 Speaker 1: able to be respectful of your family and things like that. 115 00:07:26,360 --> 00:07:28,480 Speaker 1: So I've I've loved over the years and my kids 116 00:07:28,520 --> 00:07:31,000 Speaker 1: have got an opportunity to do that. And the little 117 00:07:31,080 --> 00:07:33,800 Speaker 1: extra work is just that, hey, you know, you gotta 118 00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:37,480 Speaker 1: have an extra conversation. You gotta keep family on point, 119 00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:40,680 Speaker 1: make sure everybody is aware, you know, that kind of thing. 120 00:07:40,880 --> 00:07:44,000 Speaker 1: And even with Christmas, though my children don't celebrate Christmas, 121 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:48,200 Speaker 1: they have family members who do so in the past 122 00:07:48,240 --> 00:07:50,840 Speaker 1: they may have, like you know, sent the kids a 123 00:07:50,840 --> 00:07:54,880 Speaker 1: couple of dollars or this that a dollar. You're about 124 00:07:54,880 --> 00:07:56,560 Speaker 1: to say, you the whole you hold your holder. So 125 00:07:56,600 --> 00:07:58,240 Speaker 1: that's I mean, not not now, but you were raised 126 00:07:58,280 --> 00:08:05,600 Speaker 1: that right for saw first. Sorry what I do. I'm sorry, 127 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:16,600 Speaker 1: I'm sorry, I'm I'm they are called Jehovah's witness I'm sorry, 128 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:20,680 Speaker 1: I shortened everything. I'm sorry to be called Jehovah. It 129 00:08:20,880 --> 00:08:25,320 Speaker 1: be like me calling aja Allah. Okay, and y'all not 130 00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:30,040 Speaker 1: a five percent of witness. I got it. Jehovah's witness. Yeh, Jehovah. 131 00:08:33,040 --> 00:08:36,960 Speaker 1: That's a black thing to out. Yes it is, it 132 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:40,920 Speaker 1: is what it is. But they're Jehovah's witnesses. And um, yeah, 133 00:08:40,920 --> 00:08:43,280 Speaker 1: I grew up as a Jehovah's witness. Not because I 134 00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:45,640 Speaker 1: was baptized that's a Tehovah's witness, but because that's the 135 00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:47,960 Speaker 1: house I lived in. And as you know, you know, 136 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:50,800 Speaker 1: when you grow up in the house, that's what you do. 137 00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:53,400 Speaker 1: You do whatever your parents are doing. So I grew 138 00:08:53,480 --> 00:08:58,160 Speaker 1: with my my mom and my grandma, and we definitely missed. 139 00:08:58,240 --> 00:09:00,360 Speaker 1: I feel like I missed out on a lot of 140 00:09:00,400 --> 00:09:04,600 Speaker 1: stuff like holidays and things until I got old enough 141 00:09:04,640 --> 00:09:09,360 Speaker 1: to catch the transportation by myself. Once. Once I got 142 00:09:09,400 --> 00:09:12,559 Speaker 1: old enough to hop on that fifty four and catch 143 00:09:12,559 --> 00:09:15,040 Speaker 1: the subway and then gone, and I forgot what other 144 00:09:15,080 --> 00:09:17,760 Speaker 1: bus I could I don't remember now to to get 145 00:09:17,800 --> 00:09:20,360 Speaker 1: to Mount Airy where would go to my aunt's house 146 00:09:20,960 --> 00:09:23,800 Speaker 1: and she would have Christmas there, so that man, I 147 00:09:23,840 --> 00:09:26,800 Speaker 1: got to eat the good Christmas food. I got to 148 00:09:26,800 --> 00:09:29,840 Speaker 1: play oh No all night long and laugh out loud, 149 00:09:30,360 --> 00:09:33,600 Speaker 1: and my aunt would always get me something. God blessed her. 150 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:36,560 Speaker 1: It was never anything that I wanted, but the fact 151 00:09:36,600 --> 00:09:39,640 Speaker 1: that she thought of me meant a lot to me. 152 00:09:40,280 --> 00:09:42,960 Speaker 1: And until I got older and was like, hey, listen, 153 00:09:43,080 --> 00:09:45,320 Speaker 1: I'm gonna just want you to keep that, like, keep 154 00:09:45,360 --> 00:09:47,640 Speaker 1: that money in your pocket. You don't have to buy 155 00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:52,440 Speaker 1: me anything, you know. Um, But the holidays were really, 156 00:09:52,440 --> 00:09:56,760 Speaker 1: really fun, I thought, from not celebrating them to celebrating 157 00:09:57,040 --> 00:10:00,200 Speaker 1: I was like, this is cool. And then I got old, older, 158 00:10:00,679 --> 00:10:05,880 Speaker 1: and I was like, wait a minute, wait one minute, 159 00:10:06,800 --> 00:10:13,680 Speaker 1: talking about so Christmas is I don't know the exact 160 00:10:13,840 --> 00:10:18,000 Speaker 1: numbers right now, but when I was reading about it, 161 00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:23,480 Speaker 1: it was like Christmas was seventy three of America's economy 162 00:10:24,280 --> 00:10:28,760 Speaker 1: three and that was a long time ago. That was 163 00:10:28,800 --> 00:10:30,560 Speaker 1: a long time I don't I don't know, you know 164 00:10:30,640 --> 00:10:32,400 Speaker 1: what it was then, but that was enough to shake 165 00:10:32,480 --> 00:10:35,640 Speaker 1: my world up and asked myself, like, what am I 166 00:10:36,120 --> 00:10:40,040 Speaker 1: exactly getting into and why am I doing this? Um, 167 00:10:40,080 --> 00:10:43,440 Speaker 1: there's the stories, clearly, you know, we've all heard the 168 00:10:43,480 --> 00:10:50,319 Speaker 1: stories about Jesus and Christmas. Um, how number one, Jesus 169 00:10:50,360 --> 00:10:53,840 Speaker 1: wasn't born in December, So who made up December twenty 170 00:10:53,880 --> 00:10:58,440 Speaker 1: five as his birthdate? And why do we give gifts 171 00:10:58,840 --> 00:11:03,320 Speaker 1: and all of that jazz and where? Well, it wasn't 172 00:11:03,360 --> 00:11:10,840 Speaker 1: attempt Okay, So the historical implication of is that, Um, 173 00:11:10,880 --> 00:11:15,960 Speaker 1: it wasn't attempt. I know she would, I was setting 174 00:11:16,000 --> 00:11:23,640 Speaker 1: it up. We know this answer already, So I don't 175 00:11:23,679 --> 00:11:29,400 Speaker 1: appreciate y'all set me up as almighty. It wasn't attempt 176 00:11:29,880 --> 00:11:33,040 Speaker 1: for the king at the time. I want to say, 177 00:11:33,080 --> 00:11:37,040 Speaker 1: it's probably like Constantine or somebody who was trying to 178 00:11:37,080 --> 00:11:41,160 Speaker 1: spread Christianity but knew that the cultural and uh, the 179 00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:44,960 Speaker 1: cultural beliefs of the people where he was we're not 180 00:11:45,280 --> 00:11:48,520 Speaker 1: right in line with Christianity. At the time, they were 181 00:11:48,559 --> 00:11:53,640 Speaker 1: celebrating winter Solstice and uh something else I want to say, 182 00:11:53,679 --> 00:11:57,440 Speaker 1: called christ Mass or something like that. And so what 183 00:11:57,520 --> 00:12:00,199 Speaker 1: he decided to do was allow them to keep elements 184 00:12:00,240 --> 00:12:06,120 Speaker 1: of their cultural celebrations and mesh it together with Christian 185 00:12:06,160 --> 00:12:11,000 Speaker 1: tradition so that he could ease the people into celebrating 186 00:12:11,320 --> 00:12:16,439 Speaker 1: or practicing Christianity. So, um, that's how you get Christmas 187 00:12:16,440 --> 00:12:20,880 Speaker 1: in December. That's my understanding of it. St Nick comes 188 00:12:20,880 --> 00:12:23,280 Speaker 1: into the conversation. That's not how st Nick comes into 189 00:12:23,280 --> 00:12:26,880 Speaker 1: the conversation, but that is how stuff like uh you'le 190 00:12:26,960 --> 00:12:32,760 Speaker 1: tie greetings and things like that come into play. And um, 191 00:12:32,800 --> 00:12:35,320 Speaker 1: the like I said, the time period and things of 192 00:12:35,320 --> 00:12:38,720 Speaker 1: that nature. So yeah, and trees like a Christmas tree, 193 00:12:39,080 --> 00:12:42,160 Speaker 1: that's when the that's how the Christmas tree comes into play. 194 00:12:42,280 --> 00:12:48,280 Speaker 1: And garland and mistletoe and things like that. So yeah. 195 00:12:48,320 --> 00:12:50,960 Speaker 1: So that's where you have some Christians who over time 196 00:12:51,280 --> 00:12:55,600 Speaker 1: have actually stopped doing those types of traditions because they 197 00:12:55,679 --> 00:12:59,679 Speaker 1: understand it it's not necessarily a quote unquote Christian tradition 198 00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:02,920 Speaker 1: America at this point in American. But but now it's 199 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:05,360 Speaker 1: very American because you do find people, like she says, 200 00:13:05,360 --> 00:13:06,840 Speaker 1: like a part of big part of the economy. So 201 00:13:06,920 --> 00:13:10,559 Speaker 1: people come here from other places and part of their 202 00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:15,360 Speaker 1: um embracing American culture is to celebrate Christmas. The music 203 00:13:15,480 --> 00:13:19,280 Speaker 1: is nice and the lights. I have always loved the lights. 204 00:13:19,320 --> 00:13:23,840 Speaker 1: My children, my little Muslim children, I've always loved the lights. 205 00:13:23,880 --> 00:13:26,440 Speaker 1: I've always loved the lights, and I've I've always enjoyed 206 00:13:26,440 --> 00:13:30,360 Speaker 1: the music and the getting together and the smells of 207 00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:33,120 Speaker 1: it all. I always thought that was so nice. Um. 208 00:13:33,160 --> 00:13:35,840 Speaker 1: But when I had my son, I think we had 209 00:13:36,200 --> 00:13:40,520 Speaker 1: Christmas maybe twice, and I just felt wrong. I just 210 00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:44,480 Speaker 1: I just didn't sit right for me, because you know, 211 00:13:44,520 --> 00:13:47,199 Speaker 1: we have all of these things, all of these holidays 212 00:13:47,240 --> 00:13:50,960 Speaker 1: that make money. Really, you know, think about it. I 213 00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:55,800 Speaker 1: wrote I wrote cars for Hallmark, Father's Day, Mother's Day, 214 00:13:56,080 --> 00:13:59,319 Speaker 1: Valentine's Day. You know, there's always the cards by the way, 215 00:13:59,320 --> 00:14:01,480 Speaker 1: because I know, I'm just saying every Mother's Day, Father's Day. 216 00:14:01,480 --> 00:14:17,079 Speaker 1: I was looking at something. So Christmas didn't feel right 217 00:14:17,160 --> 00:14:19,960 Speaker 1: one because I didn't grow up celebrating it. I got 218 00:14:19,960 --> 00:14:22,520 Speaker 1: a chance to participate in it with my Aunt Shirley. 219 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:25,320 Speaker 1: Shout out to Aunt Shirley, who was so beautiful and 220 00:14:25,400 --> 00:14:31,000 Speaker 1: kind and loving to me. Miss you so much, um um. 221 00:14:31,040 --> 00:14:33,920 Speaker 1: So I got a chance to experience that. But when 222 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:35,800 Speaker 1: I had my own child, I was like, do I 223 00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:40,440 Speaker 1: really am I really setting him up? You know? Do 224 00:14:40,520 --> 00:14:43,160 Speaker 1: I want to do? I want to tell him lie? Right? 225 00:14:43,280 --> 00:14:45,120 Speaker 1: I always wondered what how I handled this a parent, 226 00:14:45,160 --> 00:14:48,520 Speaker 1: I'm sorry, go ahead, you yeah, like you know, it's 227 00:14:48,600 --> 00:14:51,280 Speaker 1: it's not real, Like do you want to tell a lie? 228 00:14:51,560 --> 00:14:53,680 Speaker 1: And and not for nothing? The thing that you know, 229 00:14:53,840 --> 00:14:55,920 Speaker 1: I went around when my mom when she find decided 230 00:14:55,920 --> 00:14:57,600 Speaker 1: not to do it. I started to think too about 231 00:14:57,640 --> 00:15:00,360 Speaker 1: how I would have these amazing Christmas is come to 232 00:15:00,440 --> 00:15:02,880 Speaker 1: New Year. My mom was trying to figure out how 233 00:15:02,920 --> 00:15:05,520 Speaker 1: to rob rob Peter to pay Paul, and I was like, 234 00:15:05,600 --> 00:15:10,160 Speaker 1: that's not that's not fair. No. So when I was little, 235 00:15:10,280 --> 00:15:12,960 Speaker 1: what my mom used to do is she would wait 236 00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:16,720 Speaker 1: until Christmas was over and then we would go shopping 237 00:15:17,120 --> 00:15:20,280 Speaker 1: because it was all of the Christmas holiday stuff. And 238 00:15:20,400 --> 00:15:22,960 Speaker 1: I had gone back to school without doing the then 239 00:15:23,120 --> 00:15:26,120 Speaker 1: going shopping part. And I came back to school, I 240 00:15:26,160 --> 00:15:28,000 Speaker 1: had on the same clothes I had on the week, 241 00:15:28,320 --> 00:15:30,560 Speaker 1: you know, a couple of weeks before that, and all 242 00:15:30,560 --> 00:15:33,400 Speaker 1: the kids had new clothes. This was it messed with 243 00:15:33,440 --> 00:15:37,080 Speaker 1: me like, oh, you know, I felt jealous and I 244 00:15:37,120 --> 00:15:40,200 Speaker 1: felt like I was getting left out of something that 245 00:15:40,360 --> 00:15:43,400 Speaker 1: I wanted to So I didn't want to do that 246 00:15:43,440 --> 00:15:45,440 Speaker 1: to Jet. But I also did not want to lie 247 00:15:45,560 --> 00:15:55,040 Speaker 1: to the kid about these holidays. So I invented famists, 248 00:15:56,440 --> 00:16:03,840 Speaker 1: fam us fam yeah, faminess. You know. I was like, okay, Christmas. 249 00:16:03,880 --> 00:16:07,520 Speaker 1: But I was like, Faminist, family is family is what 250 00:16:07,640 --> 00:16:11,280 Speaker 1: are the things that I love about holidays or traditional 251 00:16:11,360 --> 00:16:15,480 Speaker 1: holidays in America? Um? Well, you know, you get together 252 00:16:15,520 --> 00:16:18,880 Speaker 1: with your family, you cook with your family, y'all, listen 253 00:16:18,920 --> 00:16:22,600 Speaker 1: to music, your dance, you play games. You know, somebody's 254 00:16:22,600 --> 00:16:25,640 Speaker 1: gonna you know, play spades or something like. We're going 255 00:16:25,720 --> 00:16:28,480 Speaker 1: to enjoy each other. And I was like, that's what 256 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:32,040 Speaker 1: this That's what people really are, you know, inclined, that's 257 00:16:32,040 --> 00:16:34,240 Speaker 1: what they really love to do. It's it's it's the 258 00:16:34,320 --> 00:16:36,680 Speaker 1: family portion. So I was like, Okay, I'm going to 259 00:16:36,760 --> 00:16:41,120 Speaker 1: create a holiday that is about family. Family is the 260 00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:48,080 Speaker 1: only difference between Christmas and Faminists is it? Is? Well, 261 00:16:48,120 --> 00:16:52,400 Speaker 1: it's there's two differences. Instead of putting up uh garland 262 00:16:52,600 --> 00:16:55,680 Speaker 1: and we put up the colors of our of our culture. 263 00:16:56,000 --> 00:16:58,920 Speaker 1: So there's a lot of African flags around the house, 264 00:16:59,480 --> 00:17:01,720 Speaker 1: and we it up pictures of people we respect and 265 00:17:01,800 --> 00:17:07,879 Speaker 1: admire all around the house during the during Faminists, um, um, 266 00:17:07,960 --> 00:17:14,399 Speaker 1: we we have a tree, but our tree is black. 267 00:17:14,560 --> 00:17:18,040 Speaker 1: What the hell do you get that from? From the 268 00:17:18,080 --> 00:17:24,480 Speaker 1: home goods? Wow. Yeah, we have a black tree and um, 269 00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:27,760 Speaker 1: we put we put pretty much anything we want on 270 00:17:27,800 --> 00:17:31,080 Speaker 1: the thing thing. Sometimes it's pictures of us, sometimes it's 271 00:17:31,119 --> 00:17:35,719 Speaker 1: a cante cloth, or sometimes it's African flags depend you know, 272 00:17:35,880 --> 00:17:40,160 Speaker 1: all over the continent. Um, so there's pictures of people 273 00:17:40,200 --> 00:17:42,920 Speaker 1: we admire and respect, and then there's this black ash 274 00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:48,199 Speaker 1: tree and that we do do presents, but you have 275 00:17:48,359 --> 00:17:52,000 Speaker 1: to earn them. And how you earn a gift on 276 00:17:52,240 --> 00:17:55,520 Speaker 1: Faminists is you have to write a one page essay. 277 00:17:55,560 --> 00:17:58,600 Speaker 1: It can be longer, but it's a one page essay 278 00:17:58,680 --> 00:18:02,160 Speaker 1: about whatever you want to talk about, whatever you want 279 00:18:02,160 --> 00:18:05,320 Speaker 1: to talk about, and then we all sit after dinner. 280 00:18:05,600 --> 00:18:08,480 Speaker 1: We all sit and listen to one another speak out 281 00:18:08,480 --> 00:18:11,840 Speaker 1: loud and think out loud. So, you know, one year, 282 00:18:12,240 --> 00:18:17,080 Speaker 1: Jets was about raccoons because we had raccoons and our 283 00:18:17,560 --> 00:18:20,600 Speaker 1: you know, trash sometimes and what we found out from 284 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:26,080 Speaker 1: his essay was that raccoons have sensories in their hands. 285 00:18:26,359 --> 00:18:29,040 Speaker 1: You know, they have five digits like we do, so, 286 00:18:29,080 --> 00:18:31,400 Speaker 1: but they have sensories. So when they touch a trash can, 287 00:18:31,400 --> 00:18:39,000 Speaker 1: they're like that is jelly? What else is that? Some onions? 288 00:18:39,040 --> 00:18:46,119 Speaker 1: And yeah, right, and then he's he's Okay, So the 289 00:18:46,280 --> 00:18:49,080 Speaker 1: essays have to be handwritten or I mean, they don't 290 00:18:49,080 --> 00:18:52,040 Speaker 1: have to be handwritten, but it's nice. I prefer them 291 00:18:52,080 --> 00:18:55,280 Speaker 1: to be handwritten. Once you read your essay, then you 292 00:18:55,359 --> 00:18:59,960 Speaker 1: get your gift or gifts depending because everybody, anybody can 293 00:19:00,040 --> 00:19:03,080 Speaker 1: if anybody a gift. But if you don't, um, if 294 00:19:03,119 --> 00:19:05,639 Speaker 1: you don't read your essay, you ain't get nothing. And 295 00:19:05,680 --> 00:19:08,560 Speaker 1: that's just the way it works. You don't get without giving, 296 00:19:08,680 --> 00:19:11,119 Speaker 1: and that's just the way it is. So we go 297 00:19:11,280 --> 00:19:14,920 Speaker 1: from listening to our elders to listening to the children 298 00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:17,960 Speaker 1: and everybody in between. So we get to our family 299 00:19:17,960 --> 00:19:21,560 Speaker 1: gets to hear us thinking about whatever we want to 300 00:19:21,560 --> 00:19:26,479 Speaker 1: talk about. It could be anything, and that is the 301 00:19:26,640 --> 00:19:31,600 Speaker 1: gist of families. It doesn't have any religious implications. So 302 00:19:31,680 --> 00:19:34,600 Speaker 1: my mother comes, she's a Jehovah's witness and she's like, 303 00:19:34,680 --> 00:19:37,840 Speaker 1: you know, she doesn't celebrate holidays. Um, but this doesn't 304 00:19:37,880 --> 00:19:42,080 Speaker 1: have any religious implications. So it's more of a family gathering. 305 00:19:42,160 --> 00:19:47,159 Speaker 1: It's family is families. So I think it works for 306 00:19:47,640 --> 00:19:53,280 Speaker 1: any culture, whether you're uh Indian, whether you're Italian. You know, 307 00:19:53,359 --> 00:19:56,600 Speaker 1: to have pictures of Italian people that you're respecting, to 308 00:19:56,800 --> 00:20:00,840 Speaker 1: admire all around the house, to have your tree red, 309 00:20:00,880 --> 00:20:05,080 Speaker 1: white and green. Um, to to sit and listen to 310 00:20:05,119 --> 00:20:08,640 Speaker 1: your family, you know think. So that's pretty much what 311 00:20:08,760 --> 00:20:11,399 Speaker 1: Familist is and that's what we've been celebrating for the 312 00:20:11,480 --> 00:20:16,040 Speaker 1: last five years. So last thing is because it's the 313 00:20:16,160 --> 00:20:20,880 Speaker 1: essays are on paper, I collect them and um keep 314 00:20:20,920 --> 00:20:24,200 Speaker 1: them in a little famous box. What's not little anymore, 315 00:20:24,280 --> 00:20:26,640 Speaker 1: but keep him in a famis box and it becomes 316 00:20:26,640 --> 00:20:31,280 Speaker 1: a family treasure. So I can look back and say, Okay, 317 00:20:31,359 --> 00:20:36,280 Speaker 1: in you know, uh two thousand and and you know twelve, 318 00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:40,080 Speaker 1: you wrote an art. You wrote an essay about why 319 00:20:40,119 --> 00:20:41,840 Speaker 1: you don't want to do homework or why you think 320 00:20:41,880 --> 00:20:44,760 Speaker 1: homework is unfair, you know what I mean? And you 321 00:20:44,800 --> 00:20:48,000 Speaker 1: get to also see your own hand right here, particularly 322 00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:51,560 Speaker 1: you know, particularly for the kids. Love that. How long 323 00:20:51,600 --> 00:20:55,320 Speaker 1: does it take to develop a holiday Jill Um, I 324 00:20:55,359 --> 00:20:59,439 Speaker 1: guess overnight if that's what you wanna do. I mean, 325 00:21:00,040 --> 00:21:03,359 Speaker 1: I wanted to take you to figure all those elements out. Well, 326 00:21:03,720 --> 00:21:06,480 Speaker 1: it didn't take long because I've been thinking about it 327 00:21:06,520 --> 00:21:09,960 Speaker 1: for years, like what is it that that bothers me? 328 00:21:10,520 --> 00:21:12,880 Speaker 1: What is it that that doesn't sit well with me? 329 00:21:13,359 --> 00:21:17,400 Speaker 1: That one this is such a big economic holiday that 330 00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:22,600 Speaker 1: bothers me. Um too, it doesn't have any basis in history. 331 00:21:23,040 --> 00:21:27,200 Speaker 1: And why not praise the Lord all year round, Praise 332 00:21:27,240 --> 00:21:30,199 Speaker 1: Lord's Praise Lord all year round. Whomever you decided you 333 00:21:30,400 --> 00:21:34,560 Speaker 1: call God based on information that you know or based 334 00:21:34,560 --> 00:21:37,320 Speaker 1: on your family and how they've taught you. Praise the 335 00:21:37,359 --> 00:21:40,480 Speaker 1: Lord all year round. Be grateful for for your creator 336 00:21:40,520 --> 00:21:44,840 Speaker 1: and creation all year round. But at this time, celebrate family, 337 00:21:45,560 --> 00:21:48,919 Speaker 1: Celebrate family, and ask of them to do something to 338 00:21:49,040 --> 00:22:04,960 Speaker 1: get something. Well, I mean, I'm gonna tell you, I 339 00:22:05,080 --> 00:22:08,600 Speaker 1: know that the being with family part, particularly for black folks, 340 00:22:08,800 --> 00:22:11,920 Speaker 1: is the pool for all of these holidays, you know, 341 00:22:11,960 --> 00:22:14,200 Speaker 1: because obviously even the question around whether or not black 342 00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:17,200 Speaker 1: people should even be celebrating Thanksgiving has come up in 343 00:22:17,280 --> 00:22:19,840 Speaker 1: my family in the past five years, as we talked 344 00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:23,240 Speaker 1: about that should we even be celebrating this, especially since 345 00:22:23,240 --> 00:22:26,360 Speaker 1: I have friends who are who are Indigenous, and they 346 00:22:26,400 --> 00:22:30,359 Speaker 1: just feel so deeply disrespected by that holiday. And so 347 00:22:30,680 --> 00:22:32,880 Speaker 1: for us, you know, as we all should feel deeply 348 00:22:32,920 --> 00:22:36,119 Speaker 1: disrespected by it. Um. But I think also to you know, 349 00:22:36,200 --> 00:22:38,639 Speaker 1: the idea of being with family for us, that's what 350 00:22:38,800 --> 00:22:41,639 Speaker 1: resonates it says. Okay, well, I just wanna. I'm not 351 00:22:41,720 --> 00:22:44,679 Speaker 1: even I'm not keyed into all of it. I just 352 00:22:44,760 --> 00:22:46,560 Speaker 1: want to be able to play bid with and eat 353 00:22:46,600 --> 00:22:50,320 Speaker 1: some good food and you know, and be around, you know, 354 00:22:50,400 --> 00:22:54,680 Speaker 1: my extended family. So I can really appreciate being intentional 355 00:22:54,720 --> 00:22:56,960 Speaker 1: about that, because you know, these are things that keep 356 00:22:57,040 --> 00:22:59,240 Speaker 1: us together, These are the things that keep us going, 357 00:22:59,760 --> 00:23:02,400 Speaker 1: and you know, all over the diaspora, but particularly here 358 00:23:02,400 --> 00:23:04,639 Speaker 1: in America, where it's like what is for us? But 359 00:23:04,720 --> 00:23:07,960 Speaker 1: I love the fact that in some states and here 360 00:23:07,960 --> 00:23:12,960 Speaker 1: in Pennsylvania, Juneteenth is now considered a holiday, an official 361 00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:15,720 Speaker 1: holiday here in the state of Pennsylvania. And for Tina 362 00:23:15,720 --> 00:23:19,880 Speaker 1: and I rode in the Juneteenth Parade last year, and um, 363 00:23:19,920 --> 00:23:25,440 Speaker 1: we were the Grand Marshall's doling Yes, Clive yars and it. 364 00:23:25,720 --> 00:23:27,520 Speaker 1: And it got me to thinking, I known about Juneteenth 365 00:23:27,520 --> 00:23:30,439 Speaker 1: a long time, but I had never really been really 366 00:23:30,480 --> 00:23:36,280 Speaker 1: intentional about celebrating it. Um and uh and again, um, 367 00:23:36,440 --> 00:23:41,080 Speaker 1: Black History Month in my household is a very big deal. 368 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:44,480 Speaker 1: And I am the only person I know who decorates 369 00:23:44,520 --> 00:23:49,360 Speaker 1: for Black History Month. So I actually decorate for Black 370 00:23:49,400 --> 00:23:51,560 Speaker 1: History Month. So when you were saying to think about 371 00:23:51,560 --> 00:23:53,720 Speaker 1: putting up the pictures and stuff, I was like oh girl, 372 00:23:53,800 --> 00:23:55,919 Speaker 1: this is me or black history mouth like this is 373 00:23:55,920 --> 00:23:59,320 Speaker 1: how I am. And I love the fact that, um, 374 00:23:59,560 --> 00:24:02,160 Speaker 1: you kind of kind of came with your own family traditions. 375 00:24:02,200 --> 00:24:05,239 Speaker 1: I think that's super important that even though there's some 376 00:24:05,280 --> 00:24:08,800 Speaker 1: things cross culturally that we that we should continue to honor, 377 00:24:09,320 --> 00:24:11,199 Speaker 1: one of the real things that I feel like it's 378 00:24:11,240 --> 00:24:13,760 Speaker 1: important to honor is those things that become important to 379 00:24:13,800 --> 00:24:17,959 Speaker 1: your individual family and that, um, those are the things 380 00:24:18,040 --> 00:24:20,879 Speaker 1: you get to pass on from generation to generation, you know, 381 00:24:20,880 --> 00:24:23,159 Speaker 1: which is why stuff like family reunions are such a 382 00:24:23,200 --> 00:24:26,600 Speaker 1: big deal in our community and um, you know things 383 00:24:26,640 --> 00:24:39,640 Speaker 1: like that. Here's one thing I know I made up 384 00:24:40,040 --> 00:24:43,720 Speaker 1: that my kids and I did UM on Juneteenth, I 385 00:24:43,720 --> 00:24:47,320 Speaker 1: want to say, two years ago, was I decided that 386 00:24:47,400 --> 00:24:51,560 Speaker 1: I bought a very large piece of UM handmade and 387 00:24:51,640 --> 00:24:55,720 Speaker 1: hand printed UM mud cloth that has some cante woven 388 00:24:55,720 --> 00:24:59,200 Speaker 1: into it as well. UM. And this was what I 389 00:24:59,320 --> 00:25:03,680 Speaker 1: placed over top of my mother's casket. M Um. And 390 00:25:03,720 --> 00:25:06,000 Speaker 1: this is you know how she was there when when 391 00:25:06,280 --> 00:25:10,720 Speaker 1: during her service we I took that and out laid 392 00:25:10,800 --> 00:25:14,760 Speaker 1: it out on the table. It was and and what 393 00:25:14,840 --> 00:25:17,360 Speaker 1: I was telling the kids was that, you know, during slavery, 394 00:25:18,040 --> 00:25:20,119 Speaker 1: obviously we weren't allowed to learn how to read, but 395 00:25:20,160 --> 00:25:23,320 Speaker 1: we used to do these things called pit schools where 396 00:25:23,400 --> 00:25:25,159 Speaker 1: people would escape in the middle of the night and 397 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:27,840 Speaker 1: dig a ditch in the into the ground and get 398 00:25:27,880 --> 00:25:30,200 Speaker 1: inside the ditch and cover it with leaves, and that 399 00:25:30,280 --> 00:25:32,240 Speaker 1: they would learn how to read at night in these 400 00:25:32,359 --> 00:25:35,440 Speaker 1: pits schools and these ditches. And one of the ways 401 00:25:35,480 --> 00:25:37,960 Speaker 1: they learned was by writing into stuff like flour and 402 00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:43,080 Speaker 1: salt m And so what I did was I told 403 00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:45,560 Speaker 1: the kids, I said, okay, here, we're gonna cover our table. 404 00:25:45,800 --> 00:25:49,320 Speaker 1: This is a um something to honor our particular ancestors. 405 00:25:50,119 --> 00:25:53,919 Speaker 1: And you know, my mother is an ancestor now. And 406 00:25:53,960 --> 00:25:57,000 Speaker 1: I sat out a little tray and I said, okay, guys, 407 00:25:57,320 --> 00:25:59,480 Speaker 1: I put the flower out. I said, this is our 408 00:25:59,520 --> 00:26:02,560 Speaker 1: way of our learn how our ancestors learned before they 409 00:26:02,600 --> 00:26:05,080 Speaker 1: were free to learn how to read and to learn 410 00:26:05,160 --> 00:26:08,280 Speaker 1: how to have their own self determination. And so I 411 00:26:08,359 --> 00:26:10,040 Speaker 1: was like, you can write anything in a flower that 412 00:26:10,119 --> 00:26:12,280 Speaker 1: you want. You can write the name of an ancestor, 413 00:26:12,320 --> 00:26:14,320 Speaker 1: you can write a shape my heart or whatever your 414 00:26:14,320 --> 00:26:16,439 Speaker 1: own name, whatever. But this is our way that we 415 00:26:16,520 --> 00:26:19,440 Speaker 1: honor the ways that they learned. And so my kids 416 00:26:19,440 --> 00:26:22,760 Speaker 1: and I did that, and you know, and that was 417 00:26:22,760 --> 00:26:27,560 Speaker 1: our that was part of our June taking celebration. Yeah, yeah, 418 00:26:27,840 --> 00:26:32,760 Speaker 1: we're free. We're free in a lot, not every way, 419 00:26:32,840 --> 00:26:37,840 Speaker 1: but we're not enslaved. Were not enslaved. So you have 420 00:26:38,040 --> 00:26:41,480 Speaker 1: the capacity to come up with whatever it is that 421 00:26:41,560 --> 00:26:43,840 Speaker 1: you want to come up and make that a thing 422 00:26:43,960 --> 00:26:46,880 Speaker 1: for your family. Hey, listen, I think in this moment's funny, Jil, 423 00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:49,080 Speaker 1: as you were talking about, I want to say, right, 424 00:26:49,119 --> 00:26:51,600 Speaker 1: that's about I was about to say festivist I'm sorry, 425 00:26:51,600 --> 00:26:59,960 Speaker 1: that's that's time field. Oh, that's and that we had 426 00:27:00,119 --> 00:27:02,919 Speaker 1: Festivus the day before. Families Festivius for the rest of 427 00:27:02,960 --> 00:27:05,600 Speaker 1: its festivals for the rest So just you had that 428 00:27:05,640 --> 00:27:07,920 Speaker 1: the day before. So y'all do Festivis. Y'all do families. 429 00:27:07,960 --> 00:27:09,240 Speaker 1: And it is interesting because I thought it was a 430 00:27:09,320 --> 00:27:11,960 Speaker 1: nice tie into Quanda too, because while you're celebrating your 431 00:27:11,960 --> 00:27:15,480 Speaker 1: family for one, then you start celebrating your culture in 432 00:27:15,720 --> 00:27:18,960 Speaker 1: your community in the next. Right. Yeah, but I tapped 433 00:27:18,960 --> 00:27:21,080 Speaker 1: out by then, I ain't gonna I'm not I'm not 434 00:27:21,160 --> 00:27:23,840 Speaker 1: even gonna hold you up like im. I will say. 435 00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:27,160 Speaker 1: It's a lot to me. I tried. I didn't grow 436 00:27:27,240 --> 00:27:30,560 Speaker 1: up selling it celebrating holidays or birthdays for that matter. 437 00:27:30,920 --> 00:27:34,200 Speaker 1: So I'm gonna apologize now. I'm probably not going to 438 00:27:34,359 --> 00:27:36,760 Speaker 1: remember your birthday unless you tell me and I put 439 00:27:36,760 --> 00:27:40,600 Speaker 1: it in my phone because I I I don't remember. 440 00:27:40,880 --> 00:27:43,080 Speaker 1: I just already told you all we got nine thousand 441 00:27:43,119 --> 00:27:46,280 Speaker 1: people in our families, so I forget my own damn birthday. 442 00:27:46,560 --> 00:27:50,199 Speaker 1: If the radio didn't tell me or the Instagram they're like, 443 00:27:50,240 --> 00:27:53,679 Speaker 1: it's just Sky's birthday, I'd be like, oh it is, 444 00:27:54,720 --> 00:28:00,840 Speaker 1: I'm two under nine again. I hesitated to bring up 445 00:28:00,880 --> 00:28:02,399 Speaker 1: Quansa because I was like, I don't you know, people 446 00:28:02,400 --> 00:28:06,560 Speaker 1: feel different ways about Mr Karna Karina, but at the 447 00:28:06,600 --> 00:28:10,359 Speaker 1: same time, at the fundamentals of what it asked of you, 448 00:28:10,760 --> 00:28:13,879 Speaker 1: of what it really boils down to, is fucking amazing 449 00:28:13,960 --> 00:28:16,000 Speaker 1: and shouts out to m two May and all the 450 00:28:16,040 --> 00:28:18,440 Speaker 1: rest of the elders who actually helped make that holiday 451 00:28:18,480 --> 00:28:23,000 Speaker 1: happen as well, like I mean, you can't deny it, right, Yeah, 452 00:28:23,040 --> 00:28:25,840 Speaker 1: actually don't have an issue with the actual principles of one. 453 00:28:26,520 --> 00:28:28,520 Speaker 1: And I mean I know that people, you know, so 454 00:28:28,520 --> 00:28:31,920 Speaker 1: many things have come out about about um you said 455 00:28:31,920 --> 00:28:35,320 Speaker 1: about Karina, But for me, for me, I do think 456 00:28:35,359 --> 00:28:38,080 Speaker 1: people who continue to celebrate Kawanza. I know what their 457 00:28:38,120 --> 00:28:40,080 Speaker 1: intentions are and I and I think it's actually a 458 00:28:40,080 --> 00:28:43,160 Speaker 1: beautiful time for a lot of families and really gives, 459 00:28:44,320 --> 00:28:48,600 Speaker 1: you know, African Americans in particular, an opportunity to connect 460 00:28:48,640 --> 00:28:51,480 Speaker 1: in a way that speaks to who we are here 461 00:28:51,880 --> 00:28:56,040 Speaker 1: but also honors our culture in Africa, where we and 462 00:28:56,120 --> 00:28:58,120 Speaker 1: what we brought with us. And I don't think there's 463 00:28:58,160 --> 00:29:02,040 Speaker 1: anything wrong with that. Yeah, there's nothing wrong with saying, okay, 464 00:29:02,120 --> 00:29:06,000 Speaker 1: yes that I am connected to an absolutely a product 465 00:29:06,160 --> 00:29:10,240 Speaker 1: of the continent, but here we had a specific kind 466 00:29:10,280 --> 00:29:11,960 Speaker 1: and not just here, but in other places of the 467 00:29:11,960 --> 00:29:16,360 Speaker 1: diaspora experience is you know, chattel slavery, which is you know, 468 00:29:16,400 --> 00:29:19,120 Speaker 1: it's an experience. It's it's something that you can't forget. 469 00:29:19,600 --> 00:29:23,000 Speaker 1: It's something that did happen and did affect our ability 470 00:29:23,040 --> 00:29:25,440 Speaker 1: to be connected the ways that in the ways that 471 00:29:25,480 --> 00:29:28,600 Speaker 1: we were before that. So I think it's nothing wrong 472 00:29:28,680 --> 00:29:32,600 Speaker 1: with you know, as a community saying hey, let's let's 473 00:29:32,640 --> 00:29:37,680 Speaker 1: figure out a way to reconnect, but then also um 474 00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:41,600 Speaker 1: acknowledge that we are a new thing, you know. And 475 00:29:41,680 --> 00:29:43,960 Speaker 1: I so no problem at all with that. I love it. 476 00:29:43,960 --> 00:29:45,640 Speaker 1: I wish we could have more holidays like that, Like, 477 00:29:45,680 --> 00:29:48,640 Speaker 1: we don't really have a lot of holidays African American 478 00:29:48,680 --> 00:29:51,240 Speaker 1: culture wise, do or do we? Am I tripping? I'm 479 00:29:51,280 --> 00:29:58,280 Speaker 1: like Kwanza, black History, black History, June Team, June Team. 480 00:29:59,320 --> 00:30:01,920 Speaker 1: What happens in Orleans and Louisiana? What is it? Um? 481 00:30:02,040 --> 00:30:05,400 Speaker 1: Mardi Gras? Mardi Gras? Okay, it's funny. You know some 482 00:30:05,440 --> 00:30:07,800 Speaker 1: things are taken from us and built in this something else. 483 00:30:07,800 --> 00:30:09,760 Speaker 1: So I totally forget about Mardi Grad that way because 484 00:30:09,760 --> 00:30:15,880 Speaker 1: you are so right. Uh OKAYMRTI Grad juneteen, Kwanza, all right, 485 00:30:16,320 --> 00:30:17,720 Speaker 1: I could use it, just a couple of other ones 486 00:30:17,760 --> 00:30:20,760 Speaker 1: around in UM, in Chicago and the Midwest, they have 487 00:30:20,840 --> 00:30:26,760 Speaker 1: Sweeter's Day. What's that sweetest Day? Is um black people's 488 00:30:26,880 --> 00:30:34,440 Speaker 1: version of Valentine's Day? Black Love Day? Or I'll take 489 00:30:34,480 --> 00:30:38,720 Speaker 1: it off, I'll take or a single celebration whatever? Yeah, 490 00:30:38,880 --> 00:30:41,920 Speaker 1: why not? And then of course in in in New 491 00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:48,120 Speaker 1: York and Miami, you got Carnival, you got mm hmmm yeah, yeah, 492 00:30:48,560 --> 00:30:52,720 Speaker 1: you know, yeah for the weekend day parade single to Mayo. 493 00:30:55,160 --> 00:31:00,880 Speaker 1: For other cultures is that who? Well? This this is 494 00:31:01,160 --> 00:31:04,200 Speaker 1: this is where we get lost because we create, we 495 00:31:04,360 --> 00:31:07,880 Speaker 1: create Holida. We didn't create holidays, but we celebrate holidays, 496 00:31:07,920 --> 00:31:11,560 Speaker 1: which is just fine. Um. And creating your own holiday 497 00:31:11,680 --> 00:31:14,600 Speaker 1: for your family and making a tradition for your own 498 00:31:14,680 --> 00:31:18,040 Speaker 1: for your family is beautiful and I think so um 499 00:31:18,280 --> 00:31:23,400 Speaker 1: as someone who participates in it. But here, we are, here, 500 00:31:23,560 --> 00:31:30,000 Speaker 1: we are what's up, So she's about to get it. 501 00:31:33,760 --> 00:31:38,680 Speaker 1: It does frustrate the life. Oh it drains my my, 502 00:31:39,040 --> 00:31:43,400 Speaker 1: my life. When I see so many of us going 503 00:31:43,480 --> 00:31:48,680 Speaker 1: into debt for Christmas, going into debt for Christmas for 504 00:31:48,840 --> 00:31:54,320 Speaker 1: people who do not deserve this amount of gifting. It's 505 00:31:54,360 --> 00:31:56,320 Speaker 1: shocking to me that we still celebrate the holiday that 506 00:31:56,400 --> 00:31:58,280 Speaker 1: we kind of know there's not really truthful of what 507 00:31:58,400 --> 00:32:00,320 Speaker 1: it is, and we just definitely know that the big 508 00:32:00,480 --> 00:32:03,480 Speaker 1: money making day. But we are so in the line 509 00:32:03,480 --> 00:32:05,920 Speaker 1: of dis tradition for generations and generations that we just 510 00:32:06,040 --> 00:32:11,040 Speaker 1: couldnot let it go. It's amazing to me, very much 511 00:32:11,160 --> 00:32:21,160 Speaker 1: like Jesus Listen already in trouble Less about it. We 512 00:32:21,280 --> 00:32:25,440 Speaker 1: said we were going to talk about things, and we 513 00:32:25,520 --> 00:32:30,200 Speaker 1: are here to spark conversation. I asked my grandmother about that. Listen. 514 00:32:30,880 --> 00:32:33,560 Speaker 1: I had the same conversation with my mother and my grandmother. 515 00:32:33,720 --> 00:32:38,800 Speaker 1: My question is always this, what exactly have um white 516 00:32:38,880 --> 00:32:43,360 Speaker 1: people that were enslaving folks giving them for their benefit. 517 00:32:43,760 --> 00:32:46,760 Speaker 1: They don't want you to read, they want you to 518 00:32:46,800 --> 00:32:50,000 Speaker 1: speak your language, they don't want you to pray to 519 00:32:50,800 --> 00:32:58,200 Speaker 1: how you pray. So they've given you and the fact 520 00:32:58,280 --> 00:33:02,880 Speaker 1: that we continue to hold on into this. Ye yes, yes, 521 00:33:03,120 --> 00:33:06,520 Speaker 1: you know. I I don't don't. I don't. I don't 522 00:33:06,560 --> 00:33:08,560 Speaker 1: know what you're gonna do with this. I know this. 523 00:33:08,840 --> 00:33:12,720 Speaker 1: I know that I love God. I do I do. 524 00:33:12,920 --> 00:33:15,800 Speaker 1: There's no there's no ifs ands or butts about that. 525 00:33:16,600 --> 00:33:19,240 Speaker 1: I am so appreciative. I am so grateful that I've 526 00:33:19,360 --> 00:33:24,160 Speaker 1: learned my relationship with Jehope God. And there are so 527 00:33:24,360 --> 00:33:28,080 Speaker 1: many names, and that's that's your business how you want 528 00:33:28,160 --> 00:33:48,800 Speaker 1: to deal. I have uh John on my neck and 529 00:33:49,040 --> 00:33:53,680 Speaker 1: it is because um. It says for those who don't know, 530 00:33:54,240 --> 00:33:56,120 Speaker 1: for God's so love the world that he gave his 531 00:33:56,240 --> 00:34:01,720 Speaker 1: only begotten son, so that whomever shall UH believe shall 532 00:34:01,760 --> 00:34:07,000 Speaker 1: not perish but have everlasting life. I'm paraphrasing a little bit, um, 533 00:34:07,280 --> 00:34:11,200 Speaker 1: but nonetheless most of you know what that is. And 534 00:34:11,320 --> 00:34:15,399 Speaker 1: I just think that we've gotten that confused. For God 535 00:34:15,600 --> 00:34:18,640 Speaker 1: so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, 536 00:34:19,280 --> 00:34:23,960 Speaker 1: so that whom ever shall believe in him. Now, let' 537 00:34:24,040 --> 00:34:27,840 Speaker 1: tell you like this, if I was if somebody asked 538 00:34:27,880 --> 00:34:31,160 Speaker 1: me to save the world by giving my only begotten son, 539 00:34:31,680 --> 00:34:41,120 Speaker 1: y'all will be some dead mother. She'd be dead, she dead, 540 00:34:41,200 --> 00:34:44,560 Speaker 1: we all be dead, and we're going together, my only 541 00:34:44,640 --> 00:34:48,920 Speaker 1: begotten son. I always think, man, that level of love, 542 00:34:49,760 --> 00:34:53,279 Speaker 1: to to love human being so much to give your 543 00:34:53,440 --> 00:34:58,200 Speaker 1: only child for them is massive, and that should be 544 00:34:58,520 --> 00:35:02,799 Speaker 1: respected and appreciate, created and honored and cherished if we're 545 00:35:02,800 --> 00:35:06,000 Speaker 1: going with the stories to be true. I really feel 546 00:35:06,040 --> 00:35:12,320 Speaker 1: that way, and it bothers me when people don't give 547 00:35:13,360 --> 00:35:16,840 Speaker 1: our creator the credit deserved for God so loved the 548 00:35:16,840 --> 00:35:21,520 Speaker 1: world that he gave his only begotten son so that 549 00:35:21,680 --> 00:35:28,880 Speaker 1: whomever shall believe in him, the creator himself, so whomever 550 00:35:28,960 --> 00:35:32,680 Speaker 1: shall believe in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. Well, 551 00:35:32,719 --> 00:35:37,719 Speaker 1: I mean, I think to unpack. Yeah, it's a lot 552 00:35:37,760 --> 00:35:42,360 Speaker 1: of it's plenty of time. There's a lot to unpack 553 00:35:42,400 --> 00:35:44,480 Speaker 1: there on One of the things that I will say 554 00:35:44,520 --> 00:35:48,600 Speaker 1: this about black folks and there and they're um forced 555 00:35:49,640 --> 00:35:54,040 Speaker 1: or perceived forced because it well after slavery, they were 556 00:35:54,160 --> 00:35:57,279 Speaker 1: forced to embrace Christianity, but a form of Christianity that 557 00:35:57,600 --> 00:36:03,480 Speaker 1: was obviously um twisted and intended to keep them, intended 558 00:36:03,520 --> 00:36:06,440 Speaker 1: to keep them enslaved, you know. But obviously there it 559 00:36:06,600 --> 00:36:10,680 Speaker 1: was that same Bible and that same teachings, those same 560 00:36:10,719 --> 00:36:14,719 Speaker 1: teachings that also spoke to so many enslaved people that 561 00:36:15,000 --> 00:36:18,920 Speaker 1: incited them to riot and rebel, you know, because Nat 562 00:36:19,000 --> 00:36:23,160 Speaker 1: Turner actually believed that God had spoken to him. Harriet 563 00:36:23,239 --> 00:36:26,479 Speaker 1: Tubman said, God spoke to me. These are not people 564 00:36:26,520 --> 00:36:31,279 Speaker 1: who read a book or were intellectuals. These were hardcore 565 00:36:31,960 --> 00:36:36,840 Speaker 1: spiritual people. But they also came from very similar backgrounds 566 00:36:36,880 --> 00:36:42,359 Speaker 1: in their Africanness. Oh yeah, know that they did. They 567 00:36:42,440 --> 00:36:45,160 Speaker 1: actually did so, I mean so, and they had certain 568 00:36:45,200 --> 00:36:47,279 Speaker 1: spiritual beliefs that were passed out. So the reason why 569 00:36:47,320 --> 00:36:51,000 Speaker 1: I say all this is because African Americans have successfully, 570 00:36:51,080 --> 00:36:55,080 Speaker 1: in many ways, many many many ways, merged together what 571 00:36:55,239 --> 00:36:58,360 Speaker 1: they brought on the ships with Christianity in such a 572 00:36:58,440 --> 00:37:02,080 Speaker 1: way that empowers them spirit truly, that has been at 573 00:37:02,400 --> 00:37:05,360 Speaker 1: the core of their resistance. So if you start to 574 00:37:05,440 --> 00:37:08,279 Speaker 1: peel back the layers of Black resistance over several years, 575 00:37:08,320 --> 00:37:13,000 Speaker 1: you're gonna find a lot of that is what what 576 00:37:13,280 --> 00:37:16,440 Speaker 1: changes it, and not just Christianity, but also with Islam 577 00:37:16,719 --> 00:37:18,759 Speaker 1: because when you look back at some of the other 578 00:37:18,960 --> 00:37:22,360 Speaker 1: you know, leaders of different rebellions, they had some backgrounds 579 00:37:22,480 --> 00:37:25,800 Speaker 1: and beliefs that were Islamic. And then also to the 580 00:37:25,960 --> 00:37:30,319 Speaker 1: big Haitian Revolution was started with a religious ceremony based 581 00:37:30,360 --> 00:37:33,400 Speaker 1: in Bodoon, which is based in Yaruba. So it's like, 582 00:37:33,520 --> 00:37:36,319 Speaker 1: all of this is who we are. We take who 583 00:37:36,360 --> 00:37:39,520 Speaker 1: we are everywhere that we go. We take who we 584 00:37:39,560 --> 00:37:41,399 Speaker 1: are where we go. And so when you talk about 585 00:37:41,440 --> 00:37:47,080 Speaker 1: we just from our own background, right, sometimes we don't 586 00:37:47,080 --> 00:37:49,840 Speaker 1: always know, we don't always know that that's what it is. 587 00:37:50,200 --> 00:37:52,719 Speaker 1: But believe you me, that is what it is. And 588 00:37:52,760 --> 00:37:55,560 Speaker 1: when you start talking about holidays, that is where we 589 00:37:55,680 --> 00:37:58,680 Speaker 1: start to get into Okay, well what does this mean 590 00:37:58,840 --> 00:38:00,759 Speaker 1: or what is the meaning behind in this so that 591 00:38:00,880 --> 00:38:04,280 Speaker 1: I'm sure that it's not contradictory to what I believe, 592 00:38:04,360 --> 00:38:07,400 Speaker 1: because you know, I hear your voice in the back 593 00:38:07,440 --> 00:38:09,200 Speaker 1: of my head when it comes to these holidays, right, 594 00:38:09,560 --> 00:38:14,839 Speaker 1: it's it's all because of white supremacy. It's not all 595 00:38:14,920 --> 00:38:17,480 Speaker 1: of them, not all of most of the American ones 596 00:38:17,520 --> 00:38:21,000 Speaker 1: that we celebrate. Well, yeah, I mean because it's about capitalism. 597 00:38:21,080 --> 00:38:23,359 Speaker 1: It's like Jill said, this is about people making money 598 00:38:23,400 --> 00:38:25,319 Speaker 1: and being able to make money off of us as 599 00:38:25,480 --> 00:38:28,920 Speaker 1: as individuals. It's not about making life better, you know 600 00:38:29,000 --> 00:38:32,040 Speaker 1: what I'm saying, or making you more spiritually connected. You 601 00:38:32,120 --> 00:38:37,680 Speaker 1: know that whenever capitalism embraces a thing, but racial capitalism 602 00:38:38,200 --> 00:38:42,320 Speaker 1: embrace Christianity from the gate. There's no way to separate 603 00:38:42,360 --> 00:38:43,960 Speaker 1: the two. You've got to have the conversation, not be 604 00:38:44,040 --> 00:38:48,400 Speaker 1: afraid to have that conversation. It doesn't it doesn't diminish 605 00:38:48,719 --> 00:38:51,680 Speaker 1: any one person's belief because you can find Christianity and 606 00:38:51,719 --> 00:38:54,000 Speaker 1: the Ethiopia way before they ever came here. So you 607 00:38:54,040 --> 00:38:56,279 Speaker 1: can because the white man is everywhere. That's what I'll 608 00:38:56,280 --> 00:38:58,399 Speaker 1: be scared. That's that's why I was scared, always scared. 609 00:38:58,440 --> 00:39:00,279 Speaker 1: That's scared because I did ask my grand mother. But 610 00:39:00,320 --> 00:39:02,400 Speaker 1: it was always an interesting point for me because I 611 00:39:02,480 --> 00:39:05,480 Speaker 1: was like, as black as my grandmother, what it was. 612 00:39:06,440 --> 00:39:09,160 Speaker 1: I always wondered, like the story of Christianity and what 613 00:39:09,239 --> 00:39:11,040 Speaker 1: I knew of and and how it came to Black Americans. 614 00:39:11,080 --> 00:39:14,200 Speaker 1: I was like, Oh, that's interesting that we get it 615 00:39:14,239 --> 00:39:16,239 Speaker 1: when we have a habit of taking things and making 616 00:39:16,280 --> 00:39:18,440 Speaker 1: in our own and switching it from a negative to 617 00:39:18,480 --> 00:39:20,960 Speaker 1: a positive. But man, this is a doozy. This is 618 00:39:21,000 --> 00:39:23,879 Speaker 1: a real juzy. I always start. I mean, it would 619 00:39:23,880 --> 00:39:26,200 Speaker 1: be a really good idea to say that Ethiopia was 620 00:39:26,280 --> 00:39:29,239 Speaker 1: never called zed. That's true, but the man came down 621 00:39:29,280 --> 00:39:49,799 Speaker 1: it everywhere, came everywhere, everywhere. Well, you know, the end 622 00:39:49,800 --> 00:39:51,560 Speaker 1: of the day is that I don't know a lot 623 00:39:51,600 --> 00:39:54,560 Speaker 1: of folks who when they hear the world Holiday, they're 624 00:39:54,600 --> 00:40:01,040 Speaker 1: thinking Holy Day. M okay. So tradition and holy day 625 00:40:02,160 --> 00:40:05,880 Speaker 1: can be two different things, and particularly people who are 626 00:40:06,040 --> 00:40:10,000 Speaker 1: very religious are more likely to focus on a holy 627 00:40:10,120 --> 00:40:12,680 Speaker 1: day than a tradition. Traditions for them can come and go, 628 00:40:13,160 --> 00:40:17,920 Speaker 1: because a tradition can be started by someone who you know, whatever, 629 00:40:18,640 --> 00:40:22,200 Speaker 1: but something that's tied into your actual belief system. You 630 00:40:22,280 --> 00:40:26,840 Speaker 1: know people, but then you're like, it's not his birthday, 631 00:40:26,960 --> 00:40:28,360 Speaker 1: it's not a day. It's not a birthday. He's not 632 00:40:28,400 --> 00:40:30,440 Speaker 1: a day. That's different. And then you tell us a 633 00:40:30,440 --> 00:40:32,040 Speaker 1: story about how we all came to this day, and 634 00:40:32,360 --> 00:40:38,799 Speaker 1: it's like, okay, lot of things. We believe a lot 635 00:40:38,880 --> 00:40:41,920 Speaker 1: of things just because they tell us to believe it. 636 00:40:42,000 --> 00:40:44,840 Speaker 1: And it's a tradition of believing. It's not just telling 637 00:40:44,920 --> 00:40:49,040 Speaker 1: but forcing. People got their teeth pulled out, um with 638 00:40:49,280 --> 00:40:52,000 Speaker 1: with pliers and such people got their feet cut off, 639 00:40:52,640 --> 00:40:58,520 Speaker 1: you know, forcing them to be Christians another reason which 640 00:40:58,560 --> 00:41:00,800 Speaker 1: makes it hard, always made it hard if a rebellious 641 00:41:00,840 --> 00:41:02,600 Speaker 1: me to go. So we're just gonna roll with this 642 00:41:02,760 --> 00:41:05,000 Speaker 1: is the truth, even though we were. What I would 643 00:41:05,040 --> 00:41:09,080 Speaker 1: need though, for me, Um, what I would need is 644 00:41:09,200 --> 00:41:16,040 Speaker 1: for Christianity to actually do it's it's job. I needed 645 00:41:16,120 --> 00:41:19,400 Speaker 1: to do its work. I need um churches to be 646 00:41:19,520 --> 00:41:24,840 Speaker 1: smaller and black people to be more um affluent. I 647 00:41:24,920 --> 00:41:27,040 Speaker 1: see a lot of a lot of big churches, and 648 00:41:27,239 --> 00:41:31,040 Speaker 1: I cannot front with you like it it bothers me. 649 00:41:31,680 --> 00:41:35,000 Speaker 1: I know, people, Um, you know there's a I've visit 650 00:41:35,080 --> 00:41:37,359 Speaker 1: a lot of different places, you know when it comes 651 00:41:37,400 --> 00:41:40,960 Speaker 1: to religion. So you know, I'll check out a Buddhist 652 00:41:41,000 --> 00:41:43,680 Speaker 1: temple for a while, and I'll go to a Catholic 653 00:41:43,760 --> 00:41:47,000 Speaker 1: church for a while, and you know, just pay attention 654 00:41:47,080 --> 00:41:50,640 Speaker 1: and look around and listen and see what I'm getting. Um. 655 00:41:51,239 --> 00:41:54,520 Speaker 1: And sometimes I say one place longer than others. Um, 656 00:41:54,680 --> 00:41:58,240 Speaker 1: there's a church that I was going to here in Tennessee. 657 00:41:58,480 --> 00:42:02,400 Speaker 1: And I have a friend who was going through some 658 00:42:02,520 --> 00:42:06,440 Speaker 1: hard times, particularly with this COVID and she's worked for 659 00:42:06,560 --> 00:42:09,839 Speaker 1: the church, and she's benefited and been there to help 660 00:42:10,239 --> 00:42:14,000 Speaker 1: in so many areas, and she needed some help. So UM, 661 00:42:14,800 --> 00:42:18,040 Speaker 1: myself and some others we joined together to to help her. 662 00:42:18,440 --> 00:42:20,640 Speaker 1: And then after that we were like, okay, so you 663 00:42:20,719 --> 00:42:23,840 Speaker 1: know we're in a good a better space, a good space. 664 00:42:23,960 --> 00:42:27,680 Speaker 1: Let's go to the church. And they told her they 665 00:42:27,719 --> 00:42:31,360 Speaker 1: would pray for her. And I was like, wait, ha, 666 00:42:32,400 --> 00:42:35,000 Speaker 1: I'm having a hard time with that when the pastor has, 667 00:42:35,360 --> 00:42:41,040 Speaker 1: you know, a dumb, ridiculous, big gass house, like I'm 668 00:42:41,120 --> 00:42:43,440 Speaker 1: having a hard time. My mom used to call her 669 00:42:43,480 --> 00:42:46,400 Speaker 1: counseliment about it, like that church you did, Yeah, I 670 00:42:46,800 --> 00:42:51,719 Speaker 1: just I don't understand why there isn't more UM like 671 00:42:52,000 --> 00:42:55,880 Speaker 1: like similar to the Black Panthers where you're supplying supplying 672 00:42:56,080 --> 00:43:00,080 Speaker 1: food and shelter for people, like I don't understand. And 673 00:43:00,680 --> 00:43:03,840 Speaker 1: and somebody like, oh ha, my church. I'm just talking 674 00:43:03,920 --> 00:43:06,799 Speaker 1: about as a whole because this is such a part 675 00:43:06,960 --> 00:43:09,840 Speaker 1: of UM, a part of Black people and what we 676 00:43:10,000 --> 00:43:13,960 Speaker 1: pour ourselves into and were pouring ourselves into, not just 677 00:43:14,160 --> 00:43:18,640 Speaker 1: our faith absolutely without question, but we're also pouring ourselves 678 00:43:18,760 --> 00:43:24,040 Speaker 1: into these um these edifices, were pouring ourselves into these 679 00:43:24,200 --> 00:43:29,080 Speaker 1: these places that don't seem to benefit the people as 680 00:43:29,200 --> 00:43:32,440 Speaker 1: they should. There should be more universities, you um, um, 681 00:43:32,719 --> 00:43:35,520 Speaker 1: HBCU should not be struggling with the amount of money 682 00:43:35,640 --> 00:43:39,440 Speaker 1: that comes through you know, um churches. The churches are 683 00:43:39,480 --> 00:43:43,120 Speaker 1: getting bigger, but and the the you know, the pool 684 00:43:43,239 --> 00:43:46,960 Speaker 1: is getting bigger. They've got lights like you know, uh, 685 00:43:47,280 --> 00:43:51,120 Speaker 1: like a show like Vega shows that basket comes around. 686 00:43:51,160 --> 00:43:54,800 Speaker 1: I don't know threefold times, you know, I just need it, 687 00:43:55,280 --> 00:43:59,439 Speaker 1: whatever it is to actually be a benefit or yeah, 688 00:44:00,000 --> 00:44:01,960 Speaker 1: needs to be a benefit to the people and love 689 00:44:02,000 --> 00:44:04,320 Speaker 1: to the churches that are because we know there's not everybody. 690 00:44:04,360 --> 00:44:06,440 Speaker 1: I want the shout out to Alfred Street Baptists over 691 00:44:06,480 --> 00:44:09,040 Speaker 1: there in Virginia that's trying to keep their church as 692 00:44:09,040 --> 00:44:12,359 Speaker 1: small as possible with their thirty thousand members and still 693 00:44:12,400 --> 00:44:16,000 Speaker 1: given to their hbc U s and all thank you. 694 00:44:18,200 --> 00:44:20,919 Speaker 1: They just added they just added services throughout the day. 695 00:44:21,680 --> 00:44:25,120 Speaker 1: I had a church once that with the pastor was 696 00:44:25,360 --> 00:44:30,959 Speaker 1: actually a carpenter. That's what he worked. And I love 697 00:44:31,120 --> 00:44:35,120 Speaker 1: that because he could understand it wasn't just a you know, 698 00:44:35,200 --> 00:44:38,160 Speaker 1: an offering, you know that he was living off offerings, 699 00:44:38,200 --> 00:44:41,120 Speaker 1: that he was actually working. I just don't think you 700 00:44:41,200 --> 00:44:47,680 Speaker 1: should get without girls, please, ye think. I think what 701 00:44:47,880 --> 00:44:55,680 Speaker 1: happens is that, Um, obviously you have had many conversations 702 00:44:55,800 --> 00:44:58,880 Speaker 1: over the over the you know, several hundred years that 703 00:44:59,000 --> 00:45:02,279 Speaker 1: we've been on in this country in the West, where 704 00:45:02,480 --> 00:45:07,120 Speaker 1: we've we've tackled this idea that black wealth and access 705 00:45:07,200 --> 00:45:10,160 Speaker 1: to money helps us as a community and that's going 706 00:45:10,200 --> 00:45:13,080 Speaker 1: to push us forward. And one of the main places 707 00:45:13,280 --> 00:45:17,360 Speaker 1: where that wealth can be distributed, like you know, is 708 00:45:17,520 --> 00:45:21,680 Speaker 1: typically in church, and so it was especially for black folks, 709 00:45:21,760 --> 00:45:24,719 Speaker 1: you know, and or in their religious institutions period, because 710 00:45:24,760 --> 00:45:27,640 Speaker 1: we've seen this kind of thing happen, you know, across faiths, 711 00:45:27,960 --> 00:45:30,759 Speaker 1: you know what I mean. And I think it's a 712 00:45:30,920 --> 00:45:33,600 Speaker 1: good thing to a degree to have a church be 713 00:45:33,719 --> 00:45:37,759 Speaker 1: a base for you know, social um supports and and 714 00:45:38,080 --> 00:45:41,400 Speaker 1: and community supports. But the thing is that the community 715 00:45:41,560 --> 00:45:47,600 Speaker 1: itself isn't just Christian people. So until we have a 716 00:45:47,680 --> 00:45:51,440 Speaker 1: situation where as a community we can have like diverse 717 00:45:51,520 --> 00:45:55,080 Speaker 1: spaces for everybody to come together, you know, and under 718 00:45:55,120 --> 00:46:00,160 Speaker 1: the guise of strengthening the community and giving resources, um, well, 719 00:46:00,280 --> 00:46:04,160 Speaker 1: just be empowering these entities to just get into the 720 00:46:04,320 --> 00:46:06,279 Speaker 1: race of who can raise the most money, who can 721 00:46:06,520 --> 00:46:08,680 Speaker 1: bring in the most membership who can do X, Y 722 00:46:08,760 --> 00:46:11,920 Speaker 1: and Z until we start really working into coalitions and 723 00:46:12,000 --> 00:46:13,680 Speaker 1: stuff like that. And not that we don't have them, 724 00:46:13,760 --> 00:46:16,319 Speaker 1: because every idea that we could come up with during 725 00:46:16,400 --> 00:46:21,360 Speaker 1: this this podcast, it's been tried. So the thing is 726 00:46:21,480 --> 00:46:25,759 Speaker 1: that I think re re shifting our focus back into 727 00:46:25,840 --> 00:46:29,879 Speaker 1: coalitions is important. I mean, I hate to pull out 728 00:46:29,920 --> 00:46:33,160 Speaker 1: my little history lesson on this one, but we love 729 00:46:33,239 --> 00:46:51,479 Speaker 1: this party. But you know Denmark VC, who is really 730 00:46:51,680 --> 00:46:57,240 Speaker 1: famous revolutionary and man who planned a revolt, uh slave 731 00:46:57,320 --> 00:47:01,560 Speaker 1: revolt that actually was not successful, but it was used 732 00:47:01,760 --> 00:47:04,919 Speaker 1: as a way to I mean, it sparked a lot 733 00:47:05,080 --> 00:47:10,000 Speaker 1: of change in America moving toward emancipation. So the idea 734 00:47:10,120 --> 00:47:13,440 Speaker 1: here is that when he planned this revolt, he was 735 00:47:13,640 --> 00:47:19,120 Speaker 1: a very devout Christian, but one of his main conspirators 736 00:47:19,360 --> 00:47:24,160 Speaker 1: was a man named Golla Jack and he he um 737 00:47:24,560 --> 00:47:28,759 Speaker 1: practiced African spiritual traditions. And hey, you had a man 738 00:47:28,800 --> 00:47:32,160 Speaker 1: who was a devout Christian who planned a slavery vote 739 00:47:32,200 --> 00:47:34,880 Speaker 1: with a man who was strictly in the practice of 740 00:47:34,960 --> 00:47:39,000 Speaker 1: African spirituality. And I think that this is really really 741 00:47:39,120 --> 00:47:42,360 Speaker 1: profound because what it says is that black people, no 742 00:47:42,520 --> 00:47:45,279 Speaker 1: matter what we believe no matter how we celebrate, no 743 00:47:45,360 --> 00:47:49,239 Speaker 1: matter what we how we worship, that we have a 744 00:47:49,400 --> 00:47:53,240 Speaker 1: combined and a unified struggle, and that struggle is against 745 00:47:53,480 --> 00:47:56,400 Speaker 1: the oppressor. And so I think that's really important when 746 00:47:56,440 --> 00:47:58,600 Speaker 1: we think about these kinds of things, that if churches, 747 00:47:58,920 --> 00:48:00,600 Speaker 1: we can't put all the weight on just the one 748 00:48:00,719 --> 00:48:03,719 Speaker 1: church or just the churches. The churches have to be 749 00:48:03,960 --> 00:48:06,640 Speaker 1: not be afraid to work with the moss. The moss 750 00:48:06,719 --> 00:48:08,479 Speaker 1: has to not be afraid to work with the church. 751 00:48:09,040 --> 00:48:11,439 Speaker 1: The church had the moss, can't be afraid to work 752 00:48:11,560 --> 00:48:15,840 Speaker 1: with the with the African spiritualists, you can all of 753 00:48:15,920 --> 00:48:18,080 Speaker 1: this is all this has to come together so that 754 00:48:18,200 --> 00:48:20,920 Speaker 1: we can serve one another, so that we can celebrate 755 00:48:21,280 --> 00:48:24,640 Speaker 1: family and and and and building up community, you know 756 00:48:24,719 --> 00:48:27,120 Speaker 1: what I mean. And that's just my personal little two 757 00:48:27,160 --> 00:48:30,319 Speaker 1: sense belief. Right, if we don't toss, if we don't 758 00:48:30,360 --> 00:48:33,880 Speaker 1: toss these things, we'll always have some sort of critique. 759 00:48:34,440 --> 00:48:36,600 Speaker 1: We will have a critique, and that that will that 760 00:48:36,680 --> 00:48:39,880 Speaker 1: will maintain that there will be a hierarchy and a 761 00:48:40,360 --> 00:48:44,080 Speaker 1: and a you know, monopoly within each of these spaces. 762 00:48:44,320 --> 00:48:46,160 Speaker 1: Somebody will come up on it. It just is what 763 00:48:46,239 --> 00:48:50,520 Speaker 1: it is. I am looking to see us bloom and 764 00:48:50,760 --> 00:48:55,520 Speaker 1: prosper and grow from our efforts. And anything that you're 765 00:48:55,560 --> 00:49:01,040 Speaker 1: pouring into that does not blossom is fut It's dead 766 00:49:01,080 --> 00:49:07,279 Speaker 1: earth word word. I'd like you to check out how 767 00:49:07,480 --> 00:49:13,040 Speaker 1: to make a Negro Christian? Oh shit, yes, ma'am. Don't 768 00:49:13,080 --> 00:49:17,080 Speaker 1: get me wrong. You're and I'm pretty sure that you 769 00:49:17,160 --> 00:49:19,520 Speaker 1: know some of you are offended, and you're probably going 770 00:49:19,640 --> 00:49:23,239 Speaker 1: to get me wrong. Well, that happens. I can't do 771 00:49:23,320 --> 00:49:27,719 Speaker 1: anything about somebody getting me wrong. But I do know 772 00:49:27,880 --> 00:49:32,320 Speaker 1: this that God has been in every single instant of 773 00:49:32,560 --> 00:49:36,000 Speaker 1: my life, every single bit of it. He knows me 774 00:49:36,480 --> 00:49:42,759 Speaker 1: better then I know myself, and has been a beautiful, 775 00:49:43,080 --> 00:49:48,320 Speaker 1: beautiful guide and even my foolishness, and I am grateful 776 00:49:48,400 --> 00:49:54,560 Speaker 1: for all of it. How do you eat an elephant? 777 00:49:55,480 --> 00:50:02,480 Speaker 1: One by kind? It's producer back with another resource today, 778 00:50:02,680 --> 00:50:04,800 Speaker 1: Jill brought up the book How to Make a Negro 779 00:50:05,000 --> 00:50:08,680 Speaker 1: Christian by Kamal mckazy to Hootie. In eighteen forty two, 780 00:50:09,120 --> 00:50:12,440 Speaker 1: Thomas Purse published the book The Religious Instruction of the 781 00:50:12,520 --> 00:50:16,400 Speaker 1: Negroes in the United States, written by Charles Kolcock Jones. 782 00:50:17,080 --> 00:50:21,240 Speaker 1: Jones owned plantations in Liberty County, Georgia and wasn't enslavor 783 00:50:21,440 --> 00:50:25,839 Speaker 1: and a Presbyterian minister. He encouraged other ministers and enflavors 784 00:50:26,120 --> 00:50:29,759 Speaker 1: to provide religious instruction to black people. In this book, 785 00:50:30,000 --> 00:50:34,399 Speaker 1: Jones advocated for evangelizing enslaved people, which he thought would 786 00:50:34,440 --> 00:50:39,720 Speaker 1: make them more obedient, intellectual, morally upstanding and pliable, leaving 787 00:50:39,760 --> 00:50:43,640 Speaker 1: them without Christianity and in ignorance he believed would make 788 00:50:43,719 --> 00:50:47,719 Speaker 1: them susceptible to rebellion. Mcazy to Hootie's book, How to 789 00:50:47,800 --> 00:50:51,200 Speaker 1: Make a Negro Christian contains a reprint of Jones's works, 790 00:50:51,560 --> 00:50:55,879 Speaker 1: along with commentary and context around how and why Black 791 00:50:55,920 --> 00:50:59,920 Speaker 1: Americans have come to embrace Christianity on such a large scale. 792 00:51:00,600 --> 00:51:03,960 Speaker 1: The history of Black folks and Christianity is deep and intricate, 793 00:51:04,400 --> 00:51:06,600 Speaker 1: but you can start with How to Make a Negro Christian. 794 00:51:07,000 --> 00:51:13,360 Speaker 1: I'll drop a link in the episode description and that 795 00:51:13,920 --> 00:51:20,800 Speaker 1: my children, my sisters, my brothers, my friends. That is that. 796 00:51:22,040 --> 00:51:25,080 Speaker 1: Thank you for listening to Jay dot Il, always hoping 797 00:51:25,160 --> 00:51:31,759 Speaker 1: to spark conversation peace. Thank you for listening to Jill 798 00:51:31,800 --> 00:51:50,840 Speaker 1: Scott Presents Jay dot Il the podcast. This podcast is 799 00:51:50,920 --> 00:51:55,080 Speaker 1: hosted by Jill Scotty St. Claire and Age Graden. Danceler. 800 00:51:55,520 --> 00:51:59,440 Speaker 1: It's executive producers are Jill Scott, Sean g and Brian Calhoun. 801 00:52:00,040 --> 00:52:03,560 Speaker 1: Is produced by Laya sat Claire and me Eve jeph Coke. 802 00:52:03,960 --> 00:52:06,719 Speaker 1: The editing and sound design for this episode we're done 803 00:52:06,880 --> 00:52:11,800 Speaker 1: by Taylor Choma. Hey y'all, y'all, can we pause for 804 00:52:11,920 --> 00:52:21,240 Speaker 1: one second? One second? Hold a couple of years? Hey, hey, y'all, 805 00:52:21,360 --> 00:52:26,000 Speaker 1: you're walking too hard on the floor. Sorry, I thought 806 00:52:26,040 --> 00:52:29,880 Speaker 1: something else is about to go down. I enjoy it 807 00:52:30,000 --> 00:52:34,600 Speaker 1: every time now and listen, you know, Agia Um, she 808 00:52:34,719 --> 00:52:36,600 Speaker 1: gott to yell at the people that live in there, 809 00:52:36,640 --> 00:52:40,720 Speaker 1: the people she made and the one she didn't, yelling 810 00:52:41,360 --> 00:52:43,000 Speaker 1: at them every now and then They told him to 811 00:52:43,640 --> 00:52:46,360 Speaker 1: shut up. They're walking too hard. I don't know what 812 00:52:46,680 --> 00:52:50,120 Speaker 1: it's like submit in the heel of their foot when 813 00:52:50,120 --> 00:52:51,520 Speaker 1: you figured out. Let me know what I can tell 814 00:52:51,560 --> 00:52:54,960 Speaker 1: my upstairs neighbor. God damn. J dot Ill is a 815 00:52:55,040 --> 00:52:59,279 Speaker 1: production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from I 816 00:52:59,480 --> 00:53:03,880 Speaker 1: Heart Radi, you visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcast, 817 00:53:04,239 --> 00:53:06,800 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.