WEBVTT - Topeka Mayor Says Change Starts at the Polls

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<v Speaker 1>This is Bloomberg Business Week with Carol Mazer and Jason

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<v Speaker 1>Kelly on Bloomberg Radio. All right, so let's kick off

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<v Speaker 1>this next hour with a conversation that Carol and I

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<v Speaker 1>have very much been looking forward to. And as I

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<v Speaker 1>think most of you can imagine, we're sort of partial

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<v Speaker 1>to mayors around here. We admire what they do, and

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<v Speaker 1>we also have seen in these successive crises that we've

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<v Speaker 1>been living through that mayors are on the front lines

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<v Speaker 1>in every conceivable way. So we're delighted to have with

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<v Speaker 1>us Michelle de la Isla. She is the mayor of Topeka, Kansas.

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<v Speaker 1>She joins us on the phone from that city. Mayor,

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<v Speaker 1>thank you so much for joining us. It's it's really

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<v Speaker 1>nice to have you, especially at a time when I

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<v Speaker 1>know you are extraordinarily busy. Well, thank you very much

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<v Speaker 1>for having me and anything to support the flow of

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<v Speaker 1>positive information and um to continue giving a voice to

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<v Speaker 1>what our mayors are doing across the nation. So tell

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<v Speaker 1>us what's going on in your backyard, in your front

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<v Speaker 1>yard there, because as you know, as I alluded to,

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<v Speaker 1>mayorcy everything in many ways, and you're in touch with

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<v Speaker 1>so many people in your community. What has the last

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<v Speaker 1>week and we'll get to the multiple crises, but just

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<v Speaker 1>the last week to ten days, what's it been like there? Wow,

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<v Speaker 1>UM to tell you our community has Let's start with

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<v Speaker 1>the history of the city, and the city of Topeka

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<v Speaker 1>is the home of brown by Board and I think

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<v Speaker 1>it's one of the things that I'm extremely proud of

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<v Speaker 1>and have seen our citizens speak up very loudly about

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<v Speaker 1>the injustices that we have been seeing in our nation

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<v Speaker 1>occur UM with regards to African Americans being spoddered UM

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<v Speaker 1>not only by by the hands of regular citizens, but

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<v Speaker 1>also by a scene the death of George Floyd, UH

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<v Speaker 1>that has left our community completely heartbroken. I think I

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<v Speaker 1>shared a few days ago. I think it was last week.

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<v Speaker 1>The days become hours and in years, you know. But

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<v Speaker 1>I remember, after seeing those events I shared without my

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<v Speaker 1>community that I just cried myself to sleep. UM. A

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<v Speaker 1>mod robbery, Brianna Taylor, UM, George Floyd are just three

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<v Speaker 1>of the examples of so many things that have happened

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<v Speaker 1>in our community that I know also well, because as

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<v Speaker 1>soon as I became elected, we had UM the fatal

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<v Speaker 1>shooting of a young man called dominiqu White UM who

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<v Speaker 1>later on was found to have a firearm on him,

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<v Speaker 1>but regardless, it was the death of a young man

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<v Speaker 1>who happened to be African American, and and we had

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<v Speaker 1>our Caucasian officers in that situation in our community also

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<v Speaker 1>well understands our community having an outcry and and asking

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<v Speaker 1>for action, UM, and it's been beautiful to see that

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<v Speaker 1>the work that we have done in our community since then,

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<v Speaker 1>UM has started creating a positive ripple effect. As part

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<v Speaker 1>of the protest that we've had in our community have

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<v Speaker 1>been extremely peaceful with police involvement, so much so that

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<v Speaker 1>I was privileged to bend my knee with my police

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<v Speaker 1>chief side by side and having our police officers UM

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<v Speaker 1>support a lot of the rallies that we've been having. However,

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<v Speaker 1>we also had just Monday, UM, one of our peaceful

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<v Speaker 1>protests have a secondary protest that became violent. So the

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<v Speaker 1>same thing that is happening in the nation is happening

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<v Speaker 1>here in Topeka, Kansas. So I read UM, I was

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<v Speaker 1>reading some press coverage of what's been going on in

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<v Speaker 1>your in your city, and I believe something you said

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<v Speaker 1>was I think that people have a lot of anger,

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<v Speaker 1>there's a lot of pent up frustration, in regard to

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<v Speaker 1>the inequities that we've been having in this country. So

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<v Speaker 1>the anger and the injustices we know mayor Delisa is

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<v Speaker 1>not They're not new, right, So how do we take

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<v Speaker 1>this and how do we take this and turn it

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<v Speaker 1>into actions that make a difference, really make a difference.

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, Brown v Board is what over sixty years ago?

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<v Speaker 1>Mm hmm over six Um. I think that first of

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<v Speaker 1>the things, the first thing that we need to do

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<v Speaker 1>is to be comfortable with having uncomfortable conversations. UM. I

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<v Speaker 1>think that a lot of families and a lot of individuals,

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<v Speaker 1>especially are our Caucasian brothers and sisters, are very uncomfortable

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<v Speaker 1>talking not about the gory of how our nation started.

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<v Speaker 1>But we also will always want to focus on the glory, right, Um.

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<v Speaker 1>And when I talked to groups and I talked about inclusion,

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<v Speaker 1>I always talk about how, yes, our country was built

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<v Speaker 1>on the premise of liberty and um, freedom of expression

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<v Speaker 1>and freedom of worship. However, in that same breath, um,

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<v Speaker 1>people stopped and picked up my great great great great

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<v Speaker 1>grandmother in Africa and decided to make our slaves based

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<v Speaker 1>on the color of our skin. And we have never

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<v Speaker 1>talked about those inequities that have been happening, And if

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<v Speaker 1>we really want to see change, we need to start

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<v Speaker 1>creating conversations and spaces in which we could talk about

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<v Speaker 1>the origins of our country, the fact that we instill

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<v Speaker 1>slavery just based on the color of skins of individuals,

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<v Speaker 1>that we have deprived individuals from having access to success,

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<v Speaker 1>and that still continues in these systems. But most importantly,

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<v Speaker 1>once we have those real conversations, we have to follow

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<v Speaker 1>them up by having people elected that can really make

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<v Speaker 1>a change in these policies and making sure that people

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<v Speaker 1>who feel this enfranchise actually vote. Um, it's imperative because

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<v Speaker 1>we wouldn't be able to have these conversations if we

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<v Speaker 1>wouldn't have people in office. Then now are able to

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<v Speaker 1>have these conversations without wanting to hide from them. And

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<v Speaker 1>if we want to see change, it has to start

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<v Speaker 1>at the polls. It has to start with us being

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<v Speaker 1>on board decisions, with voting, and with being engaged. So,

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<v Speaker 1>what have you seen over the last few days in

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<v Speaker 1>in any sort of change in tone or change in

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<v Speaker 1>rhetoric that that either gives you hope or you know,

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<v Speaker 1>maybe it gives you a little bit of pessimism. I'm

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<v Speaker 1>guessing you're going to lean towards hope, just based on

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<v Speaker 1>a little bit of the of your tone and some

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<v Speaker 1>of the things i've I've seen you say, Mayor. So

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<v Speaker 1>here is some some examples of hope. When I first

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<v Speaker 1>got elected, that we had an laughed the loss of

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<v Speaker 1>dominique wiss uh life. Um. We were we were scared

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<v Speaker 1>about having conversations on race. We were scared about standing

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<v Speaker 1>up and saying, hey, we we don't quite understand. Because

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<v Speaker 1>I can tell you as a woman of color, um,

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<v Speaker 1>I do still have the sticker shock of walking into

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<v Speaker 1>boardrooms where I'm the only person, that I'm the only

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<v Speaker 1>female and the only person of color, sometimes in a

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<v Speaker 1>position of leadership. But in my condition, the only bad

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<v Speaker 1>experience that I had with a police officer was when

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<v Speaker 1>my son, UM, who had some severe persistent mental illness,

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<v Speaker 1>was pulling his seatbelt off. And that was at the

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<v Speaker 1>time before I was mayor, or, a person known in

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<v Speaker 1>the community driving a beat of Taurus with two kids

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<v Speaker 1>in the back, and he pulled the seatbelt. And when

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<v Speaker 1>I went to explain to the officer that I didn't

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<v Speaker 1>have my seatbelt because I was doing the mama drive

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<v Speaker 1>of telling my kid, get your seatbell and I get

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<v Speaker 1>stopped right, and instead of me having an opportunity to

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<v Speaker 1>have any legal representation, I was old, Hey, just say

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<v Speaker 1>Nola Contendra when you're in front of the judge and

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<v Speaker 1>it'll be fine. Um. So that's my only bad experience

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<v Speaker 1>that I ever had. So I thought, that's as worse

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<v Speaker 1>as it gets. Right, And all of a sudden, in

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<v Speaker 1>seventeen I get immersed into this whole different perspective of

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<v Speaker 1>what black men and women are dealing within their communities.

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<v Speaker 1>Where other individuals who are socio economically disadvantage, we're dealing

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<v Speaker 1>within our communities. And it was a state of shock.

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<v Speaker 1>State of our guest at this hour is Michelle de

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<v Speaker 1>la Isla. She's mayor of Topeka, Kansas. She joins us

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<v Speaker 1>on the phone from Topeka, um and and Mayor daily Isla.

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<v Speaker 1>One thing I wanted to ask you your own story, Jason.

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<v Speaker 1>I both have read about your background, and your bio

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<v Speaker 1>is is certainly out there. It's one of struggles. You're

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<v Speaker 1>born in New York, you moved to Puerto Rico, you

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<v Speaker 1>were homeless, you were pregnant at a young age, and

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<v Speaker 1>yet here you are and I guess you know. I

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<v Speaker 1>think many wonder you know that's the difference between what

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<v Speaker 1>do you have achieved against what seems to have been

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<v Speaker 1>a difficult beginning and background, versus those who are not

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<v Speaker 1>able to lift themselves out? How can you help us understand?

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<v Speaker 1>It's simple. It wasn't me listening myself thought it was

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<v Speaker 1>people listening to me. And I think that that that

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<v Speaker 1>is a great equalizer. Um. When people come together and

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<v Speaker 1>find solidarity and start caring for humanity regardless of somebody's

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<v Speaker 1>socioeconomic ability. Um. And you're able to find the gifts

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<v Speaker 1>and the talents that somebody has and you breathe life

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<v Speaker 1>into them, magic happens. I mean, my story is not

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<v Speaker 1>my story. My story is the story of the people

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<v Speaker 1>who actually cared about me, the meaning who who specifically

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<v Speaker 1>there were there were so many wonderful people like my

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<v Speaker 1>neighbor of Rosa, who just was absolutely my mom still

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<v Speaker 1>like call her mommy um. And she decided to make

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<v Speaker 1>care of me while my mom was working her job,

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<v Speaker 1>and not around my grandparents, who are phenomenal that Italian

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<v Speaker 1>men may hear rest of the peace. He was My

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<v Speaker 1>Nono was just absolutely wonderful. So was my grandmother. Um,

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<v Speaker 1>there were people like father Pat that came into my life.

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<v Speaker 1>And when I was, you know, stumbling and singing at

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<v Speaker 1>church and I was trying to figure out as a

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<v Speaker 1>single mom what I was going to do with my life,

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<v Speaker 1>he encouraged me to leave Puerto Rico and come back

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<v Speaker 1>to figure out what I was going to do with

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<v Speaker 1>my life outside of Puerto Rico because he saw a

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<v Speaker 1>potential in me. And there's this like a line of

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<v Speaker 1>other people that just continually, just everyday, people who just

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<v Speaker 1>invested in me that helped me become um person that

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<v Speaker 1>I am today. Right, Well, Mayor you know, it's interesting

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<v Speaker 1>and we alluded to this in the first part of

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<v Speaker 1>our conversation. You know, we're in the midst of numerous

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<v Speaker 1>crises that have laid bare so many things that that

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<v Speaker 1>we were discussing earlier. And I do wonder, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>how you take the experience that that you just described

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<v Speaker 1>in that ethos that you just so eloquently laid out,

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<v Speaker 1>how do you apply it, especially to the health crisis,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, setting aside for moment at least, and you

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<v Speaker 1>can't totally separate them, right, these crises that that we're

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<v Speaker 1>living through. But I do wonder this health crisis that

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<v Speaker 1>has disproportionately affected those who are less fortunate, especially those

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<v Speaker 1>who are economically less fortunate. What can you do as

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<v Speaker 1>a mayor? What are you doing as a mayor to

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<v Speaker 1>combat some of those underlying economic issues? Well, I think that,

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<v Speaker 1>especially with the COVID crisis right now, the first thing

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<v Speaker 1>that I did so that I could be a participant

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<v Speaker 1>was pretty much abscond of my role as mayor and

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<v Speaker 1>become a liaison under the incident command system that the

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<v Speaker 1>county formed. Um In most communities where you have the

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<v Speaker 1>county leading the charge with COVID, most mayors don't have

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<v Speaker 1>as direct access as I do to the team that

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<v Speaker 1>helps make decisions and communicate with the community. So I

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<v Speaker 1>don't act in my role of mayor, even though I

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<v Speaker 1>can't separate in the horse from it. But in this role,

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<v Speaker 1>I serve under Dustine Nichols, who is the incident commander

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<v Speaker 1>that works for the county, and I worked with the

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<v Speaker 1>Health Officer, Dr. John Franco Petino and with lend the

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<v Speaker 1>Oaks from the Health Department, and my role is to

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<v Speaker 1>specifically communicate with sections of our community that don't typically

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<v Speaker 1>have access to information. So we do press conferences, and

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<v Speaker 1>I do Facebook live director cameras in English and in Spanish. UM.

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<v Speaker 1>We have a group of people that reaches out specifically

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<v Speaker 1>into the black churches and into the community where people

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<v Speaker 1>typically don't have access to the information that they need.

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<v Speaker 1>We have a group of pastors that we meet with

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<v Speaker 1>that passed on that information to those areas in the

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<v Speaker 1>community that typically wouldn't get information, as well as with

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<v Speaker 1>the Catholic priests and the nonprofits and the superintendent. So

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<v Speaker 1>those are the realms that we worked through. And in

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<v Speaker 1>addition to that, we finally got access to a little

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<v Speaker 1>bit more testing and we're doing testing for free in

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<v Speaker 1>one of our predominantly black UM and uh impoverished UM

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<v Speaker 1>neighborhoods in our community. So I wonder, you know, when

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<v Speaker 1>you look at kind of what's been going on the

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<v Speaker 1>last twelve weeks, three months, you know, roughly because of

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<v Speaker 1>the virus, what's happened in the last week, because of

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<v Speaker 1>what happened in Minneapolis, what is your you know, advice

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<v Speaker 1>to leaders on on how we you know, really bring

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<v Speaker 1>about change, lasting change that lifts more So, the first

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<v Speaker 1>thing that I would say is it's too prong um

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<v Speaker 1>if you are a leader, and you are a Caucasian

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<v Speaker 1>listening trying to figure out what to do. I would say,

0:12:32.240 --> 0:12:35.959
<v Speaker 1>lean in and don't allow shame to lift up. When

0:12:36.000 --> 0:12:38.400
<v Speaker 1>you're trying to understand the issues that are happening in

0:12:38.440 --> 0:12:41.640
<v Speaker 1>your community. There's things that you have never experienced that

0:12:41.679 --> 0:12:44.920
<v Speaker 1>are happening right there in your backyard to your neighbors

0:12:45.640 --> 0:12:48.439
<v Speaker 1>that you would never imagined. And now is the time,

0:12:48.559 --> 0:12:51.000
<v Speaker 1>more than ever, to be willing to be vulnerable to

0:12:51.040 --> 0:12:54.040
<v Speaker 1>say I don't get it, but I want to understand

0:12:54.559 --> 0:12:57.199
<v Speaker 1>and lean in UM to those of us who are

0:12:57.320 --> 0:13:02.160
<v Speaker 1>leaders of color, UM who have been watching, learning, and

0:13:02.280 --> 0:13:05.480
<v Speaker 1>lived through these experiences and and haven't lived like I

0:13:05.520 --> 0:13:07.400
<v Speaker 1>had not lived through some of the challenges as some

0:13:07.480 --> 0:13:11.360
<v Speaker 1>of my UM African American Black counterparts have been struggling with,

0:13:12.160 --> 0:13:15.920
<v Speaker 1>stand up and speak UM. It's time for us as

0:13:16.040 --> 0:13:20.240
<v Speaker 1>leaders to to to understand that there's inequality happening, that

0:13:20.320 --> 0:13:23.160
<v Speaker 1>there's systems that are that are continuing to have the

0:13:23.240 --> 0:13:26.880
<v Speaker 1>same effect that they've had for over two hundred years,

0:13:26.960 --> 0:13:29.079
<v Speaker 1>and it's time for us to stand up and make

0:13:29.200 --> 0:13:33.040
<v Speaker 1>changes in policies, have difficult conversations so that these things

0:13:33.080 --> 0:13:37.560
<v Speaker 1>don't continue occurring. Well wise words, for sure, and we

0:13:37.600 --> 0:13:40.400
<v Speaker 1>really appreciate it. Michelle dayla Is she is the mayor

0:13:40.440 --> 0:13:42.920
<v Speaker 1>of Topeka, Kansas. And I go back to something that

0:13:42.960 --> 0:13:45.560
<v Speaker 1>she said in the earlier part of the conversation, and

0:13:45.600 --> 0:13:48.640
<v Speaker 1>it echoes something that I heard from one of our colleagues.

0:13:49.240 --> 0:13:52.640
<v Speaker 1>Uh And in fact, the deputy your chief of New York,

0:13:52.760 --> 0:13:55.520
<v Speaker 1>Chartia Brantley, who you've worked with before, and she was

0:13:55.559 --> 0:13:58.680
<v Speaker 1>talking with me about this notion we've got to have

0:13:58.760 --> 0:14:02.960
<v Speaker 1>uncomfortable conversations, just that simple. So hearing the mayor say that,

0:14:03.040 --> 0:14:06.480
<v Speaker 1>I think is really revelatory for me because that is

0:14:06.559 --> 0:14:10.640
<v Speaker 1>exactly where we need to go. Get comfortable about being uncomfortable, right,

0:14:10.679 --> 0:14:13.560
<v Speaker 1>because we need to understand more, especially if we haven't

0:14:13.840 --> 0:14:17.359
<v Speaker 1>you know, experienced these things firsthand. Alright, great conversation.