1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:03,080 Speaker 1: We're back. I'm Drew McCarry and I'm David Roth and 2 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:07,040 Speaker 1: coming in September a new site we have built together 3 00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:10,039 Speaker 1: called Defecto or Defector, and we're gonna have a new 4 00:00:10,080 --> 00:00:12,920 Speaker 1: podcast to go with it, this very podcast, which has 5 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:16,120 Speaker 1: the name The Distraction. It's out right now as available ever. 6 00:00:16,160 --> 00:00:20,480 Speaker 1: Rescue your podcast at Stitcher, Spotify, Apple, Go listen right 7 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:22,720 Speaker 1: now to The Distraction everywhere. It's out right now. Go 8 00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:32,839 Speaker 1: listen to see I by blending cultures. Very difficult for 9 00:00:32,880 --> 00:00:38,080 Speaker 1: two people. Not difficult for me because I'm jamaking my heart. 10 00:00:38,680 --> 00:00:42,120 Speaker 1: I'm a rasta and deep down on my soul, I'm 11 00:00:42,159 --> 00:00:44,400 Speaker 1: a raster dead as I believe it. I believe it, 12 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:47,120 Speaker 1: But I will say you didn't want to revoke my 13 00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:49,279 Speaker 1: black hard When we met and I told you I 14 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:51,840 Speaker 1: had never seen Friday. Oh, I forgot that. You told 15 00:00:51,880 --> 00:00:55,560 Speaker 1: me that. I almost stopped talking to you almost. I 16 00:00:55,600 --> 00:00:57,640 Speaker 1: was like, what you like? This girl is not cultured 17 00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:04,679 Speaker 1: dead ass. Hey, I'm Cade and I've and we're the 18 00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:07,960 Speaker 1: You may know us from posting funny videos with our 19 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:12,039 Speaker 1: boys and reading each other publicly as a form of therapy, 20 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:16,200 Speaker 1: but I'm making me deby most days. Wow and one 21 00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:19,119 Speaker 1: more important thing to mention we're married, Yes, sir, we are. 22 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:22,480 Speaker 1: We created this podcast to open dialogue about some of 23 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:26,280 Speaker 1: live's most taboo topics, things most folks don't want to 24 00:01:26,280 --> 00:01:28,480 Speaker 1: talk about through the lens of a millennial married couple. 25 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:30,479 Speaker 1: Dead ass is a term that we say every day. 26 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:34,080 Speaker 1: Where we say dead ass, we're actually saying facts. One hunt, 27 00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:36,840 Speaker 1: the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. 28 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:39,640 Speaker 1: We're about to take Phillow's off to a whole new level. 29 00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:45,280 Speaker 1: Dead ask starts now. I remember one of the first 30 00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:49,280 Speaker 1: few times I went by Kay's house and I met 31 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:54,280 Speaker 1: her dad's friends and her uncle's and it was crazy 32 00:01:54,360 --> 00:01:58,440 Speaker 1: because when you're not in West Indian culture and you 33 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:01,840 Speaker 1: listen outside the house, you always think somebody fighting. And 34 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:05,840 Speaker 1: I remember your father's friend call Yo just screaming at 35 00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:08,560 Speaker 1: the top of his lone yeah yeah, yeah yeah, And 36 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:10,919 Speaker 1: I'm just like, you're about to fight. But no, that's 37 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:16,760 Speaker 1: that's just how they they arguing debate like they've never 38 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:19,240 Speaker 1: seen each other before. That your father just sits there 39 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:24,679 Speaker 1: quiet and it's always older Jamaican rum right, and they're 40 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:28,080 Speaker 1: they're arguing and debating about black people in Indian people 41 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:32,919 Speaker 1: in Jamaican culture, and I come downstairs and I'm not Jamaican, 42 00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:38,359 Speaker 1: I'm American. So then the argument turned towards me, and 43 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:43,200 Speaker 1: it was about American blacks versus West Indian blacks. And 44 00:02:43,320 --> 00:02:46,639 Speaker 1: we were having this conversation, and I realized at that 45 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:51,079 Speaker 1: point how much disconnect there is between the two cultures. 46 00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:53,600 Speaker 1: You know, your father's friends. You know, we're saying stuff like, 47 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:56,760 Speaker 1: you know, American blacks, you know, they're lazy, they don't 48 00:02:56,760 --> 00:03:00,400 Speaker 1: they don't work as hard as Caribbean blacks. And part 49 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:02,960 Speaker 1: of it wasn't just like an attack. They were kind 50 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:05,560 Speaker 1: of asking me, like why you know, like your generation, 51 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:08,240 Speaker 1: you know, like your generation, your generation is your generation. 52 00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:10,160 Speaker 1: So they thought it was you as a black American, 53 00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:15,360 Speaker 1: younger Americans in general, right, and a little bit in general, 54 00:03:15,440 --> 00:03:17,440 Speaker 1: you know. But but more it was a generational thing 55 00:03:17,639 --> 00:03:20,560 Speaker 1: because that's what older generations do. They always say the 56 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:23,519 Speaker 1: next generation is lazy. So we're having this argument in 57 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:25,960 Speaker 1: this discussion, and I had said to them, I said, well, 58 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:31,440 Speaker 1: let's be clear, you guys came to this country for 59 00:03:31,560 --> 00:03:34,600 Speaker 1: a better life based off of the fight and sacrifice 60 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:38,560 Speaker 1: that black Americans already fought for. So those same people 61 00:03:38,640 --> 00:03:42,720 Speaker 1: that you're you're saying lazy, They're the reason why you 62 00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:45,360 Speaker 1: can come here and earn a living. And it kind 63 00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:48,119 Speaker 1: of got quiet because I feel like that's the first 64 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:51,760 Speaker 1: time they ever heard that perspective from a black American 65 00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:55,560 Speaker 1: young man. And that's where I feel like my relationship 66 00:03:55,640 --> 00:03:59,560 Speaker 1: with your dad and his friends changed because there was 67 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:01,880 Speaker 1: a resp back there because we were able to have 68 00:04:02,040 --> 00:04:04,600 Speaker 1: that dialogue. Absolutely, and that's something that you didn't even 69 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:07,120 Speaker 1: foresee as an issue per se. And it could have 70 00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:09,200 Speaker 1: been a totally wrong situation, or it could have gone 71 00:04:09,280 --> 00:04:11,360 Speaker 1: on and you guys could have gotten to an argument 72 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:13,240 Speaker 1: and could have just you know what, we spoke about 73 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:15,680 Speaker 1: arguing effectively and debating, And at this point, I think 74 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:17,920 Speaker 1: it was a learning experience for everyone. Yeah, we both 75 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:24,159 Speaker 1: learned a lot about each other. One love, one heart. 76 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:32,159 Speaker 1: Let's get together and feel all right. Yes, give thanks 77 00:04:32,279 --> 00:04:36,520 Speaker 1: and prayers to the Lord and I will feel all right. 78 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:44,800 Speaker 1: Let's get together and feel all right. Let's get together, folks. Yes, 79 00:04:44,960 --> 00:04:48,600 Speaker 1: one love, one of them culture, One love shout out 80 00:04:48,640 --> 00:04:51,160 Speaker 1: to Bob, one of the greatest humans to ever walk 81 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:53,280 Speaker 1: the face of this Let me tell you about the 82 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:58,760 Speaker 1: love I have for Robert Nesta Martley. Yes, I have 83 00:04:58,880 --> 00:05:01,000 Speaker 1: no idea to the with my brother and my sister 84 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:06,159 Speaker 1: and I have the three little bird tattooed. Yes, right there, 85 00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:09,039 Speaker 1: and devout felt a kind of way because I wanted 86 00:05:09,080 --> 00:05:11,840 Speaker 1: to get a bird. I was like, it seem like 87 00:05:11,839 --> 00:05:14,160 Speaker 1: I'm not part of the family, but that's okay. And 88 00:05:14,240 --> 00:05:16,880 Speaker 1: then we proposition devel and we're like, hey, you can 89 00:05:16,960 --> 00:05:19,120 Speaker 1: totally be like the branch. Like we could put a 90 00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:22,520 Speaker 1: branch the bird and you could be the branch. You 91 00:05:23,040 --> 00:05:26,839 Speaker 1: would be the branch. I was like, now I'm good. 92 00:05:27,480 --> 00:05:30,480 Speaker 1: I'm good. I'm going on that. It's just me and 93 00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:33,560 Speaker 1: my brother s gonna get our own tattoo with Biggie, 94 00:05:33,960 --> 00:05:37,279 Speaker 1: with Biggie Biggie two pocket who No, just bigg because 95 00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:40,160 Speaker 1: this big Bob is from Jamaica, so Biggie is from Brooklyn. 96 00:05:40,320 --> 00:05:42,560 Speaker 1: But the context of something of somebody, we're gonna do 97 00:05:42,600 --> 00:05:44,440 Speaker 1: something with threes. I'll figure it out. I'll figure it out. 98 00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:47,200 Speaker 1: I figure it out. No pressure, no pressure. No competition 99 00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:50,080 Speaker 1: here though, you know, and when it happens with always competition, 100 00:05:50,680 --> 00:05:54,120 Speaker 1: when you always we don't want to create competition between 101 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:56,880 Speaker 1: two cultures. We want to speak about how we're able 102 00:05:56,920 --> 00:06:03,120 Speaker 1: to cultivate one culture, one family from different sides of 103 00:06:03,160 --> 00:06:05,560 Speaker 1: the spectrum. So as you all know, or if you 104 00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:08,480 Speaker 1: don't know, my mother is from Jamaica and my dad 105 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:10,880 Speaker 1: is from St. Vincent, both of which are in the 106 00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:17,440 Speaker 1: West Indies, Jamaica and to St. Vincent and to all 107 00:06:17,520 --> 00:06:20,760 Speaker 1: the other West Indian islands because out of many, one people, 108 00:06:20,880 --> 00:06:23,080 Speaker 1: that is the motto of Jamaica. But I feel like 109 00:06:23,120 --> 00:06:25,400 Speaker 1: the entire westing these kind of bands together in a sense. 110 00:06:25,600 --> 00:06:27,760 Speaker 1: Absolutely we have a very strong culture coming out of there. 111 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:31,320 Speaker 1: So shout out to every other island. And my family 112 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:35,520 Speaker 1: is from the States. My father's family is from South Carolina, 113 00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:38,320 Speaker 1: Orange birth to be exact, and my mom's family is 114 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:43,400 Speaker 1: from Virginia, So you know, we're old school Baptist country 115 00:06:43,520 --> 00:06:48,080 Speaker 1: people came up to New York, right. So when we 116 00:06:48,160 --> 00:06:50,920 Speaker 1: think about joining cultures, and this is canna be any 117 00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:54,359 Speaker 1: joining of cultures, um talking about having an open mind, 118 00:06:54,720 --> 00:06:56,800 Speaker 1: and you know what does that specifically mean for like 119 00:06:56,920 --> 00:06:59,640 Speaker 1: our relationship, because like the story time, you pretty much 120 00:06:59,640 --> 00:07:02,200 Speaker 1: return about how you kind of had to have an 121 00:07:02,240 --> 00:07:05,000 Speaker 1: open mind coming into this conversation that you were doing 122 00:07:05,080 --> 00:07:08,760 Speaker 1: with my dad and his friends, and it necessarily couldn't. 123 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:10,880 Speaker 1: It could have gone wrong. You know, you could have 124 00:07:10,960 --> 00:07:13,240 Speaker 1: totally taken offense to it, which I'm sure you probably did, 125 00:07:14,440 --> 00:07:17,080 Speaker 1: did you did, so, you know, give us a little 126 00:07:17,080 --> 00:07:18,960 Speaker 1: bit more, I guess at the meat of that conversation 127 00:07:19,080 --> 00:07:22,920 Speaker 1: and why from their perspective they felt as if Black 128 00:07:22,960 --> 00:07:26,840 Speaker 1: Americans were lazy. Well, because part part of it had 129 00:07:26,880 --> 00:07:28,120 Speaker 1: to do with what we were talking about. I was 130 00:07:28,200 --> 00:07:30,960 Speaker 1: in college at the time, so we were in college, 131 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:33,160 Speaker 1: you were in school, and they were talking about their 132 00:07:33,280 --> 00:07:36,600 Speaker 1: kids not necessarily going to college. You know, some of 133 00:07:36,640 --> 00:07:38,720 Speaker 1: them had started working right out of high school and 134 00:07:38,760 --> 00:07:41,080 Speaker 1: they were paying for their own school about while working. 135 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:43,080 Speaker 1: And I told him I got a scholarship to play football. 136 00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:44,240 Speaker 1: And of course they made fun of me for playing 137 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:46,720 Speaker 1: football because football you don't use your feet. You catched 138 00:07:46,720 --> 00:07:48,880 Speaker 1: the ball, and it's like football of soccer, football O soccer. 139 00:07:48,920 --> 00:07:51,760 Speaker 1: So there was a battle there because they believe football 140 00:07:51,800 --> 00:07:55,640 Speaker 1: is soccer and American football us the real football. Thanks 141 00:07:55,640 --> 00:08:00,160 Speaker 1: getting the real football. But no, but you know, I 142 00:08:00,200 --> 00:08:02,320 Speaker 1: could have taken offense to it. But what it came 143 00:08:02,360 --> 00:08:05,240 Speaker 1: down to was they were asking questions like, you know, 144 00:08:05,360 --> 00:08:07,400 Speaker 1: like you know, if you don't play football, you know 145 00:08:07,400 --> 00:08:08,760 Speaker 1: how you're gonna go to school. You're not gonna get 146 00:08:08,760 --> 00:08:10,320 Speaker 1: a job. You know what I'm saying, You're not working. 147 00:08:10,400 --> 00:08:11,960 Speaker 1: You're not working while you in school. And I was like, 148 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:14,480 Speaker 1: I'm playing football to pay for school. And they were like, 149 00:08:14,520 --> 00:08:16,360 Speaker 1: my kids are working and going to school, like while 150 00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:18,120 Speaker 1: you're not working to go to school. And I think 151 00:08:18,120 --> 00:08:20,360 Speaker 1: it too was just them ribbing me a little bit 152 00:08:20,440 --> 00:08:23,360 Speaker 1: because I'm dating Joe's daughter, so they were ribbing me 153 00:08:23,360 --> 00:08:25,920 Speaker 1: a little bit. Team behind me, the whole team of 154 00:08:26,160 --> 00:08:29,480 Speaker 1: West Indian And that's sitting down then and make you 155 00:08:29,560 --> 00:08:31,760 Speaker 1: feel mad, uncomfortable when you see on the screaming how 156 00:08:31,920 --> 00:08:36,120 Speaker 1: le at you? So um they were just then, they were. 157 00:08:36,120 --> 00:08:38,280 Speaker 1: They were coming at me pretty pretty rough. At the time. 158 00:08:38,360 --> 00:08:41,240 Speaker 1: I was twenty, so you know, my my ego was big. 159 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:44,920 Speaker 1: I'm feeling myself a division with athletes, so I'm I'm 160 00:08:45,040 --> 00:08:46,959 Speaker 1: giving it back to them. But the thing is, I 161 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:50,120 Speaker 1: don't think they were aware of pretty much how educated 162 00:08:50,320 --> 00:08:52,400 Speaker 1: I am about my culture. And I don't think that 163 00:08:52,480 --> 00:08:55,920 Speaker 1: they were educated on American culture because my parents made sure. 164 00:08:56,000 --> 00:08:59,040 Speaker 1: Like I said, my my grandparents are from Orangeburg, South Carolina. 165 00:08:59,320 --> 00:09:03,040 Speaker 1: My grandfather affort in the Korean War, my grandmother's family 166 00:09:03,640 --> 00:09:06,439 Speaker 1: was like pivotal on the front lines of the civil 167 00:09:06,559 --> 00:09:09,640 Speaker 1: rights movement down south, the ones that moved to Georgia. 168 00:09:09,720 --> 00:09:12,280 Speaker 1: So it was it's always been like big for me 169 00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:15,439 Speaker 1: to be proud of what my family and my culture 170 00:09:15,440 --> 00:09:18,280 Speaker 1: has done for this country. So when they were asking 171 00:09:18,320 --> 00:09:20,120 Speaker 1: me questions and I would I would tell them like yo, 172 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:22,839 Speaker 1: they would say, you know, Western people come here, we 173 00:09:22,920 --> 00:09:24,760 Speaker 1: come here. Jamaicans, we come here. We'll do anything, will 174 00:09:24,760 --> 00:09:26,560 Speaker 1: work any job, just to make it. And I said, see, 175 00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:28,560 Speaker 1: but that's part of the problem. You know what I'm saying. 176 00:09:28,559 --> 00:09:31,520 Speaker 1: As Black Americans, we fought so hard to get paid 177 00:09:31,520 --> 00:09:33,839 Speaker 1: a certain rate, to not have to do certain jobs, 178 00:09:33,880 --> 00:09:36,480 Speaker 1: to get respected in this country, that when you come 179 00:09:36,559 --> 00:09:39,679 Speaker 1: here and you're willing to do anything, it takes opportunities 180 00:09:39,679 --> 00:09:41,960 Speaker 1: away from us because now what they'll do is their 181 00:09:42,040 --> 00:09:44,640 Speaker 1: lower their rate of what they're willing to pay because 182 00:09:44,640 --> 00:09:46,800 Speaker 1: they know people were coming from other countries and do nothing. 183 00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:50,080 Speaker 1: And we started having these discussions and they was just like, now, 184 00:09:50,120 --> 00:09:52,440 Speaker 1: I didn't I didn't know that we felt that way. 185 00:09:53,240 --> 00:09:55,559 Speaker 1: And then they were explaining to me how they lived 186 00:09:56,080 --> 00:09:58,800 Speaker 1: in Jamaica and how their families lived. As a young man, 187 00:09:58,880 --> 00:10:02,800 Speaker 1: you think Bob Only, you think you same boat, cool runnings, 188 00:10:03,360 --> 00:10:07,760 Speaker 1: it's all fun and games. They're not thinking of reggae, 189 00:10:07,880 --> 00:10:11,120 Speaker 1: you know, you think Elephant Man, you know Shaun Kingston. 190 00:10:11,760 --> 00:10:13,959 Speaker 1: You're not thinking about the rest of the people who 191 00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:16,480 Speaker 1: are living in like a third world country, who are 192 00:10:16,559 --> 00:10:20,400 Speaker 1: willing to do anything to survive and send that money 193 00:10:20,440 --> 00:10:23,319 Speaker 1: back to Jamaica. So I learned a lot about what 194 00:10:23,480 --> 00:10:26,520 Speaker 1: they were going through their listening to their stories, and 195 00:10:26,559 --> 00:10:29,640 Speaker 1: then they learned a lot about what my family went 196 00:10:29,679 --> 00:10:32,000 Speaker 1: through going up through Jim Crow, because my biggest argument 197 00:10:32,040 --> 00:10:34,320 Speaker 1: to them was like, Yo, you're talking about how lazy 198 00:10:34,400 --> 00:10:37,360 Speaker 1: black people are, right, you all came here in the seventies. 199 00:10:37,840 --> 00:10:39,520 Speaker 1: Why your family didn't come here in the sixties and 200 00:10:39,559 --> 00:10:42,040 Speaker 1: the fifties because it was Jim Crow and y'all wouldn't 201 00:10:42,040 --> 00:10:44,480 Speaker 1: want to come to America during Jim Crow. So we 202 00:10:44,679 --> 00:10:47,520 Speaker 1: fought for those opportunities that y'all came here for in 203 00:10:47,600 --> 00:10:51,480 Speaker 1: the seventies. So they were respectful of that, you know, 204 00:10:51,600 --> 00:10:54,679 Speaker 1: And it turned at first from a joke into a 205 00:10:54,800 --> 00:10:59,000 Speaker 1: real serious discussion, like a real service discussion like that. 206 00:10:59,440 --> 00:11:01,160 Speaker 1: You know. One thing I can appreciate um When I 207 00:11:01,320 --> 00:11:04,439 Speaker 1: was younger, my mom and dad put me into a 208 00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:06,480 Speaker 1: school that was a private school at the time. It 209 00:11:06,600 --> 00:11:11,120 Speaker 1: was actually we were both in Bethlehem Baptist Academy and 210 00:11:11,320 --> 00:11:14,000 Speaker 1: it was an all black school, small private school back 211 00:11:14,040 --> 00:11:17,040 Speaker 1: in Brownsville and Brooklyn. And what I loved so much 212 00:11:17,040 --> 00:11:19,040 Speaker 1: about being in that school was that I was surrounded 213 00:11:19,120 --> 00:11:22,920 Speaker 1: by other black and brown boys and girls who pretty 214 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:26,079 Speaker 1: much were just like me, whose families kind of aligned with, like, 215 00:11:26,480 --> 00:11:29,000 Speaker 1: you know, moral values. What they instilled in us in 216 00:11:29,120 --> 00:11:32,439 Speaker 1: that school was just amazing. So shout out to Bethlehem 217 00:11:32,480 --> 00:11:38,720 Speaker 1: Baptist Academy with Filth School and they really really raised 218 00:11:38,760 --> 00:11:41,199 Speaker 1: some great kids, um. But they also made it a 219 00:11:41,400 --> 00:11:46,320 Speaker 1: point to make sure that us as children knew our 220 00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:51,319 Speaker 1: African history, African American history. They were very deliberate, and 221 00:11:51,400 --> 00:11:53,439 Speaker 1: that's why I was able to learn a lot more 222 00:11:53,600 --> 00:11:56,920 Speaker 1: about Black history, Like it was like Black History Month 223 00:11:57,040 --> 00:11:59,760 Speaker 1: every day. And that's because because in a public school, 224 00:11:59,840 --> 00:12:02,480 Speaker 1: it's not in the curriculum exactly, you know. So I 225 00:12:02,600 --> 00:12:05,880 Speaker 1: thought that was an amazing thing been in that situation 226 00:12:05,960 --> 00:12:08,760 Speaker 1: and in that environment. But it's funny because now that 227 00:12:08,880 --> 00:12:13,079 Speaker 1: I look back on it, UM, I could sense that 228 00:12:13,160 --> 00:12:16,920 Speaker 1: there was a tension between some of the teachers in 229 00:12:16,960 --> 00:12:20,120 Speaker 1: the school absolutely, the Black American teachers absolutely, and then 230 00:12:20,160 --> 00:12:24,280 Speaker 1: the West Indian teachers, and yes they were cookie, but 231 00:12:24,400 --> 00:12:27,360 Speaker 1: they were also too kind of like us versus them 232 00:12:27,480 --> 00:12:31,120 Speaker 1: situation that was going on, and it really at the 233 00:12:31,160 --> 00:12:33,720 Speaker 1: time I couldn't pinpoint what it is. But it really 234 00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:36,640 Speaker 1: wasn't until after meeting you and dating you that I realized, wow, 235 00:12:36,720 --> 00:12:40,160 Speaker 1: that there, it really is, this this tangible tension that 236 00:12:40,320 --> 00:12:44,320 Speaker 1: exists between Black Americans and West Indians. Well a lot 237 00:12:44,360 --> 00:12:48,280 Speaker 1: of it too, is also because of the stereotypes that 238 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:52,000 Speaker 1: we have within our own cultures of being black. You know, 239 00:12:52,160 --> 00:12:54,679 Speaker 1: like just being black is not just black, Like we're 240 00:12:54,679 --> 00:12:57,480 Speaker 1: not just black. There's different versions of black, So in 241 00:12:57,600 --> 00:13:00,640 Speaker 1: those different subcultures, you know, there's stereo types that exist. 242 00:13:00,720 --> 00:13:03,079 Speaker 1: Like I remember growing up in America and when you 243 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:06,880 Speaker 1: thought about Jamaicans or Haitians or Trinidadians or Africans, it 244 00:13:06,960 --> 00:13:10,600 Speaker 1: was like, oh, they're they're not civilized, they're not educated. 245 00:13:10,840 --> 00:13:12,560 Speaker 1: You know what I'm saying. All they do is smoke weed. 246 00:13:12,920 --> 00:13:15,880 Speaker 1: All they do is drink. So it was like you think, 247 00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:18,520 Speaker 1: you feel, as an American Black, that you're better because 248 00:13:18,559 --> 00:13:21,120 Speaker 1: they're coming from a smaller country. You know, and I know, 249 00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:23,720 Speaker 1: there are some stereotypes, and that's what we were discussing 250 00:13:23,800 --> 00:13:26,280 Speaker 1: with your dad. They felt like black people were lazy. 251 00:13:26,360 --> 00:13:29,640 Speaker 1: So that's why Jamaicans were coming here to take those 252 00:13:29,720 --> 00:13:32,000 Speaker 1: jobs because black people were not willing to do those 253 00:13:32,080 --> 00:13:34,240 Speaker 1: jobs and they didn't want to work hard. That's why 254 00:13:34,280 --> 00:13:37,199 Speaker 1: they had those issues in America. So those stereotypes about 255 00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:39,560 Speaker 1: each other we had. You and I had to work 256 00:13:40,200 --> 00:13:45,080 Speaker 1: to kind of dispel those stereotypes as our families started 257 00:13:45,160 --> 00:13:49,839 Speaker 1: to mix. Because when we first started dating, Christmas and 258 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:52,920 Speaker 1: Thanksgiving are huge to both of our families. And when 259 00:13:52,960 --> 00:13:55,959 Speaker 1: you're dating, it's like do we spend time and your 260 00:13:56,080 --> 00:13:59,719 Speaker 1: family do we spend time? In mind, so now you know, 261 00:13:59,800 --> 00:14:01,640 Speaker 1: you tell your dad, you know what, we're gonna spend 262 00:14:01,679 --> 00:14:03,280 Speaker 1: some time here for Thanksgiving. You want to come over 263 00:14:03,320 --> 00:14:05,319 Speaker 1: to me her family. Now, my parents got to go 264 00:14:05,960 --> 00:14:12,240 Speaker 1: into this Jamaican version of Thanksgiving, in Jamaican anvincentition version 265 00:14:12,280 --> 00:14:15,280 Speaker 1: of Thanksgiving, and it's like you, you're you, You're worried 266 00:14:15,360 --> 00:14:17,120 Speaker 1: first of what it's going to be like when your 267 00:14:17,160 --> 00:14:19,400 Speaker 1: parents come be her parents, but then you get excited 268 00:14:19,400 --> 00:14:20,960 Speaker 1: because you know that next to the Turkey there is 269 00:14:20,960 --> 00:14:23,360 Speaker 1: gonna be some curry goat, it's gonna be some roy, 270 00:14:23,840 --> 00:14:26,280 Speaker 1: there's gonna be some pillow, and a couple of different dishes. 271 00:14:26,360 --> 00:14:28,720 Speaker 1: So then you know, and you know my father loves 272 00:14:28,720 --> 00:14:30,640 Speaker 1: to eat, so you know that that's always good. So 273 00:14:30,680 --> 00:14:35,200 Speaker 1: Scoop was like, curry good and D they have some 274 00:14:35,360 --> 00:14:38,160 Speaker 1: roady outside Scoop that we call his dad's scoop. I 275 00:14:38,240 --> 00:14:40,400 Speaker 1: was like, did you just say roady like R O D. 276 00:14:40,640 --> 00:14:43,880 Speaker 1: I don't go. Don't got no d's And if you 277 00:14:44,080 --> 00:14:46,320 Speaker 1: call it roady with the D, you're not getting none, 278 00:14:46,400 --> 00:14:48,200 Speaker 1: So you better put the tea in the road. T 279 00:14:48,360 --> 00:14:51,400 Speaker 1: by Okaye. She turned bad with That's what I love 280 00:14:51,400 --> 00:14:53,080 Speaker 1: about it when she turned to West India. She can 281 00:14:53,160 --> 00:14:56,480 Speaker 1: turn the switch on and off. It's funny because growing 282 00:14:56,560 --> 00:15:01,240 Speaker 1: up in Brooklyn and Flatbush particularly, he's been around West 283 00:15:01,280 --> 00:15:04,040 Speaker 1: Indian people. And my Auntie Angie, who raised me after 284 00:15:04,080 --> 00:15:05,960 Speaker 1: school when I was going to Bethlehem because she lived 285 00:15:05,960 --> 00:15:09,280 Speaker 1: in East New York. She's a Guyanese old Guyanese Indian woman, 286 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:14,280 Speaker 1: and it was just amazing, like growing up in that 287 00:15:14,480 --> 00:15:18,000 Speaker 1: environment and coming home and eating the food and being 288 00:15:18,040 --> 00:15:19,880 Speaker 1: in it was just kind of like man like that 289 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:21,280 Speaker 1: that's part of that's part of the reason why I 290 00:15:21,360 --> 00:15:23,960 Speaker 1: probably love West Indian women so much. It was kind 291 00:15:23,960 --> 00:15:27,000 Speaker 1: of infused in me from from young and then when 292 00:15:27,040 --> 00:15:30,080 Speaker 1: you live in Flatbush, they called Flatbush little Jamaica. So 293 00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:33,520 Speaker 1: I shout out to Bethlehem, shout out to Cellar Missionary 294 00:15:33,520 --> 00:15:37,760 Speaker 1: Baptist Church was on album all. So you come out 295 00:15:37,800 --> 00:15:41,160 Speaker 1: of album sitting in the middle of what is like 296 00:15:41,280 --> 00:15:44,360 Speaker 1: little Jamaica. You know, they had the beef patty shops 297 00:15:44,440 --> 00:15:49,480 Speaker 1: before Golden Crust was huge. Put the beef in the patties, Like, 298 00:15:49,560 --> 00:15:51,400 Speaker 1: I don't know what this pace situation is they have 299 00:15:51,560 --> 00:15:55,440 Speaker 1: going on patties no shade, but shade Golden Crust, Like, 300 00:15:55,640 --> 00:15:57,920 Speaker 1: where's the we need? We need some more beef in 301 00:15:57,920 --> 00:16:02,160 Speaker 1: the patties. Pause. But growing up like that, I always 302 00:16:02,440 --> 00:16:05,320 Speaker 1: always just had an affinity for West Indian coachure and 303 00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:08,080 Speaker 1: island culture right right right. It's funny because when I 304 00:16:08,120 --> 00:16:09,520 Speaker 1: was thinking about this, I said, you know, I was 305 00:16:09,560 --> 00:16:11,480 Speaker 1: looking at some articles and just reading about once I 306 00:16:11,640 --> 00:16:14,240 Speaker 1: know what the topic was, and I came across um 307 00:16:14,640 --> 00:16:17,160 Speaker 1: this article by a woman, her name is Susan Model, 308 00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:20,160 Speaker 1: I'm assuming um, and it talks about West Indian prosperity 309 00:16:20,200 --> 00:16:22,400 Speaker 1: if it is the fact or fiction, Because when I 310 00:16:22,480 --> 00:16:24,080 Speaker 1: really look back and then I have even spoken to 311 00:16:24,160 --> 00:16:26,600 Speaker 1: my mom, my dad, or even family members who have 312 00:16:26,800 --> 00:16:30,360 Speaker 1: come from the Islands to America, you know what was 313 00:16:30,440 --> 00:16:33,160 Speaker 1: the motivation? Of course, the motivation is a better life. 314 00:16:33,720 --> 00:16:37,200 Speaker 1: You foresee that there's opportunities in America that you can 315 00:16:37,240 --> 00:16:40,720 Speaker 1: advance yourself and then either send money back home to 316 00:16:40,960 --> 00:16:43,680 Speaker 1: help your family, or send money to then bring your 317 00:16:43,720 --> 00:16:46,520 Speaker 1: family up here, or established some sort of life that 318 00:16:47,320 --> 00:16:51,680 Speaker 1: out here went through. Yes, exactly. The eldest of six, 319 00:16:52,160 --> 00:16:54,640 Speaker 1: you know, her mom and dad, her siblings were in Jamaica. 320 00:16:54,680 --> 00:16:56,560 Speaker 1: They sent her to New York. She came up here 321 00:16:56,600 --> 00:17:01,160 Speaker 1: by herself. You know job she was seventeen eight. She 322 00:17:01,280 --> 00:17:03,520 Speaker 1: was eighteen years old, just old enough to work. It 323 00:17:03,600 --> 00:17:05,560 Speaker 1: was literally like a countdown until she was old enough 324 00:17:05,600 --> 00:17:08,840 Speaker 1: to work. Um, they sent her to New York. She 325 00:17:09,280 --> 00:17:11,520 Speaker 1: was working at a local burger king. Check this out. 326 00:17:11,680 --> 00:17:14,240 Speaker 1: The local burger king she worked at on Church Avenue. 327 00:17:14,400 --> 00:17:19,359 Speaker 1: Church Charlie was the owner, and my father and uncle 328 00:17:19,480 --> 00:17:22,520 Speaker 1: worked in the same burger king. And remember your uncle, 329 00:17:22,760 --> 00:17:25,560 Speaker 1: my uncle, and your mom worked together. I think he 330 00:17:25,760 --> 00:17:31,440 Speaker 1: hired my mom. Yeah, and how crazy is that so 331 00:17:31,960 --> 00:17:35,600 Speaker 1: we date back to like our parents and uncles and stuff. 332 00:17:35,880 --> 00:17:37,720 Speaker 1: But my mom came up and she was working a 333 00:17:37,840 --> 00:17:40,840 Speaker 1: job at Burger King and then she was going to 334 00:17:40,960 --> 00:17:44,080 Speaker 1: nursing school simultaneously. Because you know, if you West Indian 335 00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:47,320 Speaker 1: says what island you from? You can have one of 336 00:17:47,520 --> 00:17:52,040 Speaker 1: three jobs to be successful according to the West Indian standard. 337 00:17:52,400 --> 00:17:55,280 Speaker 1: You can be a doctor, a lawyer or a nurse. 338 00:17:55,440 --> 00:17:58,920 Speaker 1: That's where the story is. Anything outside of that, it's like, 339 00:17:59,000 --> 00:18:01,440 Speaker 1: what are you doing with her failure? What are you doing? 340 00:18:03,240 --> 00:18:05,680 Speaker 1: But they really came up here because they foresaw the 341 00:18:05,760 --> 00:18:09,199 Speaker 1: opportunity to advance. Um. And when I was reading more 342 00:18:09,240 --> 00:18:12,240 Speaker 1: about you know, this article and a couple other ones, 343 00:18:12,320 --> 00:18:15,000 Speaker 1: it was talking about, you know, our West Indians who 344 00:18:15,080 --> 00:18:17,840 Speaker 1: come to America is super successful because they had the 345 00:18:17,880 --> 00:18:21,959 Speaker 1: ambition to leave or were they forced out by family members? 346 00:18:22,400 --> 00:18:24,600 Speaker 1: You know what I mean? What causes the West Indian 347 00:18:24,640 --> 00:18:26,720 Speaker 1: person to come up here and then be successful. But 348 00:18:26,800 --> 00:18:28,280 Speaker 1: it may be too because they're like, you know what, 349 00:18:28,359 --> 00:18:30,800 Speaker 1: by any means necessary, I'm gonna take this job. I'm 350 00:18:30,800 --> 00:18:33,160 Speaker 1: gonna take several jobs. You know, we joke about Jamaicans 351 00:18:33,200 --> 00:18:36,280 Speaker 1: have a magi, but it's like by any means necessary. 352 00:18:36,320 --> 00:18:38,959 Speaker 1: I'm gonna because all these dollars add up, and as 353 00:18:39,040 --> 00:18:41,399 Speaker 1: my mom says, every Michael make a muckle. That's a 354 00:18:41,480 --> 00:18:44,280 Speaker 1: Jamaicans term. Any Yeah, So any little thing you get, 355 00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:46,520 Speaker 1: you can put it together and it's going to create 356 00:18:46,560 --> 00:18:49,520 Speaker 1: an abundance. Um. But in this article, particularly want to 357 00:18:49,640 --> 00:18:53,000 Speaker 1: quote this one um past one passage and it says 358 00:18:53,359 --> 00:18:56,199 Speaker 1: the belief that West Indian blacks are more successful than 359 00:18:56,280 --> 00:19:00,160 Speaker 1: African Americans first appeared in the nineteen twenties, shortly after 360 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:04,840 Speaker 1: these immigrants began arriving in the United States and recognizable numbers. 361 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:09,960 Speaker 1: Early justifications for this opinion included that West Indian immigrants 362 00:19:09,960 --> 00:19:15,360 Speaker 1: who were more entrepreneurial, familistic, scholarly, and diligent than their 363 00:19:15,359 --> 00:19:21,439 Speaker 1: American or African American counterparts. Today, assumptions about Caribbean superiority 364 00:19:21,760 --> 00:19:27,080 Speaker 1: remains widespread. A white male manager's comments illustrated public perceptions 365 00:19:27,600 --> 00:19:30,600 Speaker 1: and it says, if I had one position open, and 366 00:19:30,680 --> 00:19:33,680 Speaker 1: if it was a West Indian versus a Black American, 367 00:19:33,760 --> 00:19:36,360 Speaker 1: I'd go with the West Indian because of their reliability 368 00:19:36,480 --> 00:19:38,800 Speaker 1: and their willingness to do the job. They have a 369 00:19:38,880 --> 00:19:44,920 Speaker 1: different drive than African American blacks. Wow. I don't know 370 00:19:44,960 --> 00:19:47,120 Speaker 1: if that made me feel some kind of way. I mean, 371 00:19:47,359 --> 00:19:49,480 Speaker 1: I mean, this is and this was part of the 372 00:19:49,560 --> 00:19:52,960 Speaker 1: discussion that I had with your dad and his friends, 373 00:19:53,800 --> 00:19:58,320 Speaker 1: was that there is a residue from slavery that exists 374 00:19:59,200 --> 00:20:02,680 Speaker 1: Black American. Absolutely, I'm not putting up with your ship 375 00:20:03,640 --> 00:20:05,920 Speaker 1: where I feel like West Indians are more likely to 376 00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:09,359 Speaker 1: be like, you know what, I just came from my island. 377 00:20:09,400 --> 00:20:10,840 Speaker 1: I'm gonna come here and do whatever I got to 378 00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:13,439 Speaker 1: do to make it. Black people feel like we've been 379 00:20:13,480 --> 00:20:16,480 Speaker 1: doing everything you'll ask for its free. I'm not doing 380 00:20:16,520 --> 00:20:18,920 Speaker 1: that ship all. So, I feel like the difference in 381 00:20:18,960 --> 00:20:21,359 Speaker 1: the attitude, right, the difference in the attitude makes it 382 00:20:21,480 --> 00:20:24,720 Speaker 1: easy for a white person to come in and say, well, there, 383 00:20:25,240 --> 00:20:28,000 Speaker 1: they work harder, you know what. You understand what I'm saying. 384 00:20:28,040 --> 00:20:31,840 Speaker 1: And I feel like it's it's unfair to even pin 385 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:35,640 Speaker 1: one against the other because that creates the friction between 386 00:20:35,720 --> 00:20:37,760 Speaker 1: the two. You see what I'm saying. And part of 387 00:20:37,840 --> 00:20:40,400 Speaker 1: me wonders is that strategic? Because also too, in my reading, 388 00:20:40,440 --> 00:20:42,679 Speaker 1: I did see something somewhere I can't quote it right now, 389 00:20:42,720 --> 00:20:44,680 Speaker 1: but it did talk about you know, is this a 390 00:20:44,760 --> 00:20:48,520 Speaker 1: strategy by think of the white man to then pin 391 00:20:48,800 --> 00:20:52,719 Speaker 1: and separate and segregate the black community. Well, I mean, 392 00:20:53,840 --> 00:20:55,680 Speaker 1: we don't know what the motive is. But if you're 393 00:20:55,680 --> 00:21:01,200 Speaker 1: thinking about if you're thinking about just finance, right and 394 00:21:02,040 --> 00:21:04,520 Speaker 1: take it as a job and your work, your your 395 00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:06,560 Speaker 1: owner of a job. And now you have these people, 396 00:21:06,720 --> 00:21:09,080 Speaker 1: you don't want them to create a union. You want 397 00:21:09,080 --> 00:21:12,239 Speaker 1: to break apart the union. You divide and conquered. Right. 398 00:21:12,320 --> 00:21:15,159 Speaker 1: So this, this country we live in, America is a 399 00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:18,320 Speaker 1: capitalistic country that's based on margin. You've got to marginalize 400 00:21:18,359 --> 00:21:20,359 Speaker 1: a certain group of people, you know, to make the 401 00:21:20,400 --> 00:21:22,400 Speaker 1: bottom line the best for you. So if you can 402 00:21:22,480 --> 00:21:25,280 Speaker 1: marginalize these people as much as possible, divide them as 403 00:21:25,359 --> 00:21:29,320 Speaker 1: much as possible, created divide, it's easier to control them. 404 00:21:29,800 --> 00:21:32,280 Speaker 1: So we don't know what the you know, we don't 405 00:21:32,280 --> 00:21:33,680 Speaker 1: know what the motive is, but it seems like it 406 00:21:33,760 --> 00:21:36,760 Speaker 1: makes sense based on, you know, systematic oppression, the way 407 00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:39,280 Speaker 1: the laws are created for black people in America. It 408 00:21:39,400 --> 00:21:42,159 Speaker 1: seems that way. It seems like it makes sense from 409 00:21:42,160 --> 00:21:46,040 Speaker 1: a business standpoint and from a systematic oppression standpoint. No, definitely, Um, 410 00:21:46,080 --> 00:21:47,720 Speaker 1: I think that's the thing. And I feel like also 411 00:21:47,760 --> 00:21:51,560 Speaker 1: to back in the Islands. Um, there's not really a 412 00:21:51,720 --> 00:21:55,440 Speaker 1: sense of racism that exists. You know, Like in talking 413 00:21:55,480 --> 00:21:57,280 Speaker 1: to my mom for example, she felt like, you know, 414 00:21:57,520 --> 00:22:00,760 Speaker 1: majority of the island is black, so they're or they 415 00:22:00,800 --> 00:22:03,880 Speaker 1: really were the majority, there was no minority, whereas coming 416 00:22:03,920 --> 00:22:08,000 Speaker 1: to America you now have to deal with being the minority. 417 00:22:08,640 --> 00:22:11,320 Speaker 1: I think what really separates people back in the Islands 418 00:22:11,680 --> 00:22:15,639 Speaker 1: is the socio economic status that you have, um, you know, 419 00:22:16,359 --> 00:22:18,920 Speaker 1: for someone being like a groundsman versus like, you know, 420 00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:21,720 Speaker 1: having a better job or working in the hotel industry. Like, 421 00:22:21,840 --> 00:22:24,320 Speaker 1: there's layers to it, so everyone is divided more so 422 00:22:24,680 --> 00:22:28,440 Speaker 1: by money and not skin color at all. Um. You know, 423 00:22:28,520 --> 00:22:30,640 Speaker 1: not to say that there isn't colorism that exists, because 424 00:22:30,640 --> 00:22:34,720 Speaker 1: of course that that exists. Yeah, um, but that's not 425 00:22:34,840 --> 00:22:37,880 Speaker 1: something that as West Indians coming to America, you really 426 00:22:37,960 --> 00:22:40,520 Speaker 1: foresee that you're going to be a minority. And that's 427 00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:44,160 Speaker 1: and I think that's where the disconnect comes from Caribbean 428 00:22:44,200 --> 00:22:48,840 Speaker 1: Americans excuse me, Caribbean blacks versus American blacks. Because if 429 00:22:48,880 --> 00:22:52,560 Speaker 1: you're not dealing with that type of systematic oppression back 430 00:22:52,640 --> 00:22:54,560 Speaker 1: in your homeland and then you come to America and 431 00:22:54,680 --> 00:22:56,560 Speaker 1: just like all these black people aren't willing to do this. 432 00:22:56,920 --> 00:22:58,840 Speaker 1: I'll do this right. It's kind of like you don't 433 00:22:58,880 --> 00:23:01,680 Speaker 1: have the knowledge of the history of what has gone on. 434 00:23:02,200 --> 00:23:06,320 Speaker 1: And as a Black American, I can't blame someone from 435 00:23:06,359 --> 00:23:09,879 Speaker 1: another country for not knowing our history because there are 436 00:23:09,880 --> 00:23:12,240 Speaker 1: people in this country who don't know our history. If 437 00:23:12,280 --> 00:23:15,000 Speaker 1: I didn't go to Bethlehem Baptist Academy, right, I wouldn't 438 00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:18,640 Speaker 1: have learned about slavery. I wouldn't have learned about Jim Crow. 439 00:23:19,040 --> 00:23:22,720 Speaker 1: And shout out to my mom, who is like, my 440 00:23:22,840 --> 00:23:25,200 Speaker 1: mom has been so inspirational when it comes to me 441 00:23:25,800 --> 00:23:27,960 Speaker 1: being socially conscious because my mom was one of the 442 00:23:28,040 --> 00:23:32,520 Speaker 1: first classes that was integrated into James Madison High School. Yes, 443 00:23:32,720 --> 00:23:36,600 Speaker 1: in the seventies. She was busting, Yeah, she was busting 444 00:23:36,720 --> 00:23:39,320 Speaker 1: from Crown Heist Brooklyn, busting all the way to Avenue 445 00:23:39,359 --> 00:23:42,080 Speaker 1: p and they were chased out by bats and chains 446 00:23:42,200 --> 00:23:45,160 Speaker 1: almost every day her first two years in high school 447 00:23:45,240 --> 00:23:48,200 Speaker 1: during integration, which is crazy because those are stories that 448 00:23:48,240 --> 00:23:51,360 Speaker 1: people act like was so long ago. And then when 449 00:23:51,560 --> 00:23:53,360 Speaker 1: a West Indian person come in and say that black 450 00:23:53,400 --> 00:23:56,119 Speaker 1: people are lazy, it's like, are you fucking kidding me? 451 00:23:57,440 --> 00:23:59,720 Speaker 1: My mother and father. First example, could have it with 452 00:23:59,840 --> 00:24:03,600 Speaker 1: your mom, because your mom would be like, let me 453 00:24:03,640 --> 00:24:06,600 Speaker 1: tell you right now. If that conversation happened, if your 454 00:24:06,680 --> 00:24:10,280 Speaker 1: dad and his friends and my mom was there, my 455 00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:13,240 Speaker 1: mother would have lost her money. My mother, my mother 456 00:24:13,280 --> 00:24:15,160 Speaker 1: would have lost her mine and been like, devout, get 457 00:24:15,200 --> 00:24:19,600 Speaker 1: your ship and let's go. Because that's that. She's that 458 00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:23,000 Speaker 1: she feels that strongly about education. Should you know, she 459 00:24:23,080 --> 00:24:26,440 Speaker 1: works for opportunity. She has now and she she loves 460 00:24:26,480 --> 00:24:29,919 Speaker 1: her community. But she's always big on understanding black culture. 461 00:24:30,200 --> 00:24:32,800 Speaker 1: She's always the first one to text us remember to 462 00:24:32,880 --> 00:24:37,200 Speaker 1: vote today or you know it's it's primary elections. So 463 00:24:37,320 --> 00:24:39,680 Speaker 1: she takes her opportunity to be able to vote and 464 00:24:39,840 --> 00:24:41,920 Speaker 1: be active in your community and take a stance and 465 00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:44,399 Speaker 1: be able to tell your local officials what it is 466 00:24:44,520 --> 00:24:47,600 Speaker 1: you want. And needy, I mean, she's start writing off 467 00:24:47,760 --> 00:24:50,320 Speaker 1: names and districts and who you got. She knows all 468 00:24:50,359 --> 00:24:53,200 Speaker 1: the assemblymen, she knows all of the local governments. And 469 00:24:53,359 --> 00:24:56,480 Speaker 1: that's because she's been doti in the movement itself, active 470 00:24:56,520 --> 00:24:59,160 Speaker 1: in the movement. So you know, it's all about showing 471 00:24:59,160 --> 00:25:01,560 Speaker 1: compassion for each other as cultures. And you know, we 472 00:25:01,720 --> 00:25:04,320 Speaker 1: always I feel like after that discussion, have been able 473 00:25:04,400 --> 00:25:07,679 Speaker 1: to really just join together and really appreciate who we are, 474 00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:10,200 Speaker 1: where we've come from. You know, I'm super proud of 475 00:25:10,280 --> 00:25:14,000 Speaker 1: my heritage being you know, from the from the West Indies, 476 00:25:14,080 --> 00:25:16,879 Speaker 1: and you know, Devout is totally like you said, DeVito 477 00:25:16,960 --> 00:25:21,399 Speaker 1: looks at any opportunity to let people know how West 478 00:25:21,400 --> 00:25:23,560 Speaker 1: Indian he is. I feel like I feel like I'm 479 00:25:23,560 --> 00:25:26,840 Speaker 1: a RAS the hard Honestly, do feel like I'm wrong. 480 00:25:26,960 --> 00:25:28,399 Speaker 1: Some of y'all have seen it. If you haven't, you 481 00:25:28,480 --> 00:25:30,200 Speaker 1: have to check out the vlogs that we have on 482 00:25:30,320 --> 00:25:34,000 Speaker 1: YouTube where we chronicle us going to Jamaica for my 483 00:25:34,119 --> 00:25:38,320 Speaker 1: thirty fifth birthday, which was epic. Okay, it was epic 484 00:25:38,400 --> 00:25:41,359 Speaker 1: on so many levels. We had thirty of my friends 485 00:25:41,400 --> 00:25:44,399 Speaker 1: and family who actually came out and um, you know, 486 00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:46,359 Speaker 1: we took our children out there with us as well, 487 00:25:46,440 --> 00:25:49,000 Speaker 1: of course, because it was a milestone for me. But 488 00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:51,800 Speaker 1: I look for any opportunity I can get to make 489 00:25:51,840 --> 00:25:56,240 Speaker 1: sure our kids know where they come from, because they 490 00:25:56,320 --> 00:25:57,960 Speaker 1: got to know where the hell they go in and 491 00:25:58,160 --> 00:26:00,159 Speaker 1: going to Jamaica with them was nice to you on 492 00:26:00,200 --> 00:26:01,880 Speaker 1: the beach and on the resort and everything. But after 493 00:26:02,080 --> 00:26:04,359 Speaker 1: those festivities were over, We made sure that we a 494 00:26:04,440 --> 00:26:07,320 Speaker 1: lott of time in our in our schedule itinerary to 495 00:26:07,440 --> 00:26:11,119 Speaker 1: take them off the resort to go into Kingston, to 496 00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:13,680 Speaker 1: go to the Bob Marley Museum for example, just the show, 497 00:26:13,880 --> 00:26:15,880 Speaker 1: you know, because Jackson will always listen to his music 498 00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:18,800 Speaker 1: and Cairo. You know, I think Cairo is a lost Marley. 499 00:26:18,960 --> 00:26:23,680 Speaker 1: Ye think, definitely he is. But we took them down 500 00:26:23,760 --> 00:26:26,639 Speaker 1: there and it was an educational experience for Jackson to 501 00:26:26,760 --> 00:26:28,840 Speaker 1: just see a different part of Jamaica that's not all 502 00:26:28,920 --> 00:26:30,960 Speaker 1: the glitz and not all the glamour and the beaches 503 00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:34,000 Speaker 1: and the resorts and the room service, but seeing you know, 504 00:26:34,080 --> 00:26:36,000 Speaker 1: people who are just walking the street day to day 505 00:26:36,160 --> 00:26:38,760 Speaker 1: and you know, getting some background on Bob Marley and 506 00:26:38,840 --> 00:26:41,800 Speaker 1: what he did, and I know that documentary that we 507 00:26:41,880 --> 00:26:45,760 Speaker 1: watched their really kind of I think we all felt something. Yeah, 508 00:26:45,840 --> 00:26:49,480 Speaker 1: I felt so connected to Bob. It sounds, but it 509 00:26:49,560 --> 00:26:52,440 Speaker 1: feels like his spirit still existed and it's it's in 510 00:26:52,600 --> 00:26:55,520 Speaker 1: his home literally, so you you feel it so much 511 00:26:55,560 --> 00:26:57,400 Speaker 1: because you actually get to walk the grounds that Bob 512 00:26:57,480 --> 00:27:01,040 Speaker 1: Marley walked and created so much content in music, and 513 00:27:01,080 --> 00:27:02,800 Speaker 1: then you get to see the bullet holes from where 514 00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:07,439 Speaker 1: they tried to assassinate him, And to me, having children 515 00:27:07,680 --> 00:27:11,080 Speaker 1: made it that much more important for us to understand 516 00:27:11,119 --> 00:27:13,600 Speaker 1: each other's culture because I have to be able to 517 00:27:13,720 --> 00:27:17,560 Speaker 1: teach my children, my boys, about mom's culture the same 518 00:27:17,560 --> 00:27:21,480 Speaker 1: way I gotta teach about Dad's culture. And going to 519 00:27:21,680 --> 00:27:24,439 Speaker 1: going to the museum and having watching their eyes as 520 00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:27,720 Speaker 1: they looked around, and then Jackson quoting the numbers of 521 00:27:27,800 --> 00:27:29,960 Speaker 1: how many children and how long he you know, he 522 00:27:30,240 --> 00:27:32,880 Speaker 1: was on earth and when he died, and it's like, wow, 523 00:27:32,960 --> 00:27:35,879 Speaker 1: he's really learning. But think about it. You know, how 524 00:27:35,960 --> 00:27:38,439 Speaker 1: many people from Brooklyn have probably never been out of Brooklyn. 525 00:27:38,520 --> 00:27:41,440 Speaker 1: How many kids who were born in the States who 526 00:27:41,560 --> 00:27:46,360 Speaker 1: have West Indian parents or coming from else have never 527 00:27:46,480 --> 00:27:49,760 Speaker 1: seen And that's and I think it's important when you're 528 00:27:49,760 --> 00:27:52,359 Speaker 1: blending cultures to take them back to where because I 529 00:27:52,480 --> 00:27:54,960 Speaker 1: learned about even when we went to Elsha and it's 530 00:27:54,960 --> 00:27:58,000 Speaker 1: funny because it's spelled h E l h E l 531 00:27:58,160 --> 00:28:00,680 Speaker 1: L s h I r E and I was like, 532 00:28:00,720 --> 00:28:07,240 Speaker 1: we're going to hell Shire. Look at I was like, 533 00:28:07,280 --> 00:28:08,800 Speaker 1: we're going to hell Shire. Can you can you take 534 00:28:09,520 --> 00:28:11,879 Speaker 1: it to hell Shire Beach? And I was like to 535 00:28:12,040 --> 00:28:16,639 Speaker 1: vow drop, Yeah, you know, I learned this in Jamaican culture. 536 00:28:16,920 --> 00:28:20,120 Speaker 1: Any word that begins with H, take it off. Any 537 00:28:20,320 --> 00:28:22,320 Speaker 1: any word that don't have no vowels, you add a 538 00:28:22,560 --> 00:28:25,240 Speaker 1: H that has the vowel. Yes. So if you're gonna, 539 00:28:25,280 --> 00:28:28,480 Speaker 1: if you're gonna, if you're gonna eat food to eat it, 540 00:28:28,840 --> 00:28:31,400 Speaker 1: you gotta eat food to heat it, right, you see 541 00:28:31,400 --> 00:28:33,840 Speaker 1: how you see what grandfather was like? Great with that 542 00:28:34,320 --> 00:28:36,480 Speaker 1: you must heat food to eat it. Eating you don't 543 00:28:36,480 --> 00:28:38,040 Speaker 1: you know, don't eat yet, you know, don't eat yet. 544 00:28:38,240 --> 00:28:42,640 Speaker 1: Heat be like okay, Grandpa, ready, heat it up the 545 00:28:42,640 --> 00:28:44,440 Speaker 1: food and I'm gonna eat it now. But then I 546 00:28:44,560 --> 00:28:49,920 Speaker 1: know I love it so devout, totally assimilated. Yeah, And 547 00:28:50,440 --> 00:28:53,360 Speaker 1: we were on the beach front and you see all 548 00:28:53,400 --> 00:28:56,960 Speaker 1: of these people who stereotypically you see them right, and 549 00:28:57,080 --> 00:28:59,520 Speaker 1: post people would be scared because you hear all these 550 00:28:59,560 --> 00:29:03,560 Speaker 1: stories of out Kingston and Jamaica. And I watched the times. 551 00:29:03,640 --> 00:29:07,520 Speaker 1: I watched for a whole summer every day. So that's 552 00:29:07,600 --> 00:29:10,240 Speaker 1: one of my favorite movies of all time. Big You're 553 00:29:10,280 --> 00:29:16,160 Speaker 1: Gone Too Far? Um, that's one of my favorite movies. 554 00:29:16,240 --> 00:29:20,160 Speaker 1: So you and this banana, don't you ever? If I said, 555 00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:23,560 Speaker 1: which was so impressive to me, I was like, you 556 00:29:23,800 --> 00:29:26,880 Speaker 1: watched Daters, but I didn't see Friday or like the 557 00:29:26,960 --> 00:29:29,280 Speaker 1: Last Dragon, or I would never really used to listen 558 00:29:29,320 --> 00:29:31,080 Speaker 1: to like rap, I don't even know who you are. 559 00:29:31,240 --> 00:29:34,600 Speaker 1: She she didn't listen to wrap what was going on 560 00:29:34,760 --> 00:29:39,480 Speaker 1: in your house? Beg and soca all the time. I 561 00:29:39,520 --> 00:29:41,160 Speaker 1: am at that because you know how to work that 562 00:29:41,240 --> 00:29:45,640 Speaker 1: wast but plenty waste pelting. Yes, So so we go, 563 00:29:45,880 --> 00:29:49,280 Speaker 1: we go to Elsha and we pull up in a van. Case. 564 00:29:49,600 --> 00:29:53,800 Speaker 1: Dad is first of all, he's like the mayor everywhere 565 00:29:53,840 --> 00:29:56,200 Speaker 1: we go. He knows people, and this is what this 566 00:29:56,280 --> 00:29:58,280 Speaker 1: is what I love about his spirit. Right, one time 567 00:29:58,360 --> 00:30:01,560 Speaker 1: I had to drop him in land somewhere and yeah, 568 00:30:01,600 --> 00:30:04,560 Speaker 1: your dad, right, So he's he's sixty plus years old, right, 569 00:30:05,160 --> 00:30:07,000 Speaker 1: and he's like, y'all needed you to drop me here. 570 00:30:07,120 --> 00:30:11,080 Speaker 1: So the address isn't picking in Brownsville. So I don't 571 00:30:11,080 --> 00:30:13,200 Speaker 1: know if you guys noticed, but Brownsville is like the 572 00:30:13,400 --> 00:30:16,240 Speaker 1: hood of the hood of Brooklyn. So I'm like, yo, Pops, 573 00:30:16,280 --> 00:30:19,200 Speaker 1: you sure this is where you're supposed to go, right, 574 00:30:19,440 --> 00:30:23,680 Speaker 1: And he's like yeah, Like why, I'm like, why why 575 00:30:23,720 --> 00:30:26,000 Speaker 1: am I dropping you to browns Ville? So we pull 576 00:30:26,080 --> 00:30:28,960 Speaker 1: up into Brownsville, and I know people in Brownsville because 577 00:30:28,960 --> 00:30:31,280 Speaker 1: I'm un the mentorship program in East New York and Brownsville, 578 00:30:31,560 --> 00:30:33,920 Speaker 1: and the football team that we partnered with was in 579 00:30:34,640 --> 00:30:37,719 Speaker 1: Brownsville on Mother Gaskin. So I see some of these 580 00:30:37,840 --> 00:30:40,800 Speaker 1: dudes and I'm like, Yo, these dudes, dudes, I know that, 581 00:30:41,240 --> 00:30:44,280 Speaker 1: you know, they bang hard. So then your pops get 582 00:30:44,320 --> 00:30:46,680 Speaker 1: out the car, mad smooth right here looking around, and 583 00:30:46,680 --> 00:30:49,520 Speaker 1: then out here yo, Joe, Joe, and then he gives 584 00:30:49,600 --> 00:30:51,640 Speaker 1: he put his hands up, and all these young dudes 585 00:30:51,680 --> 00:30:53,440 Speaker 1: got their hands up at your pops like, yo, Joe, 586 00:30:53,480 --> 00:30:55,320 Speaker 1: comes true, Come true. And then he looked at me 587 00:30:55,400 --> 00:30:56,880 Speaker 1: and he's just like all right, I'm good. I'm good, 588 00:30:56,920 --> 00:30:59,480 Speaker 1: I'm good. And he walking to this little basement party 589 00:30:59,520 --> 00:31:01,520 Speaker 1: where all these young dudes. I'm like, yo, your father 590 00:31:01,760 --> 00:31:04,760 Speaker 1: is he really is. And y'all have to watch that 591 00:31:04,840 --> 00:31:06,760 Speaker 1: blog because you will see my father turn up like 592 00:31:06,840 --> 00:31:08,520 Speaker 1: no other, like he wants to know where we were going, 593 00:31:08,640 --> 00:31:11,480 Speaker 1: what the next move was. Every step of the way. 594 00:31:11,600 --> 00:31:14,200 Speaker 1: Party was amazing. He just had his drink covered because 595 00:31:14,200 --> 00:31:16,360 Speaker 1: he always has his drinking hand and he's just chilling. 596 00:31:16,480 --> 00:31:20,440 Speaker 1: So so when in Jamaica, we pull up to Elisha 597 00:31:20,640 --> 00:31:22,800 Speaker 1: and the same thing. A bunch of young dudes come 598 00:31:22,880 --> 00:31:25,360 Speaker 1: up to the events slowly. And what I found out 599 00:31:25,360 --> 00:31:28,120 Speaker 1: about the culture is that's their way of getting tourists 600 00:31:28,160 --> 00:31:31,400 Speaker 1: and getting people to come to their restaurant. They have 601 00:31:31,520 --> 00:31:34,000 Speaker 1: people at the door that greet them. Now it's not 602 00:31:34,160 --> 00:31:36,160 Speaker 1: like the States where they greet you with a tuxedo 603 00:31:36,840 --> 00:31:39,800 Speaker 1: and shoes on. They have one shorts, you know what 604 00:31:39,840 --> 00:31:42,000 Speaker 1: I'm saying. They're smoking, you know what I'm saying. They 605 00:31:42,280 --> 00:31:44,440 Speaker 1: come through and they're like, yo yo, yo yo, want 606 00:31:44,480 --> 00:31:47,920 Speaker 1: to fish, you want fish, wish fresh fresh, labster that. 607 00:31:48,240 --> 00:31:50,040 Speaker 1: So then you know, Pops is in the front and 608 00:31:50,120 --> 00:31:53,040 Speaker 1: the driver knows that one of your father's great friend, Linley, 609 00:31:53,600 --> 00:31:55,400 Speaker 1: he you know, he knows the guy. So they drive 610 00:31:55,480 --> 00:31:57,680 Speaker 1: us through. We following through this dark alley. It's not 611 00:31:57,840 --> 00:32:00,360 Speaker 1: to get dark now, and we pull out and it's 612 00:32:00,360 --> 00:32:03,080 Speaker 1: a bunch of huts and you see people sitting outside 613 00:32:03,400 --> 00:32:05,560 Speaker 1: and they're looking at us. You know, we're looking at them, 614 00:32:05,640 --> 00:32:07,720 Speaker 1: you know what I'm saying. But I'm always comfortable in 615 00:32:07,800 --> 00:32:10,160 Speaker 1: those type of situations as long as if you don't know, 616 00:32:10,400 --> 00:32:12,200 Speaker 1: if you don't know, the cultures intimidating. So you know, 617 00:32:12,280 --> 00:32:13,920 Speaker 1: we say a lot to everybody, what's up? What's up? 618 00:32:14,320 --> 00:32:15,960 Speaker 1: And then we're going in and they start pulling out 619 00:32:16,000 --> 00:32:19,040 Speaker 1: fish from the cooler that they just fished from the 620 00:32:19,120 --> 00:32:22,280 Speaker 1: ocean outside, just caught them. So they're like fresh fresh, 621 00:32:22,600 --> 00:32:24,760 Speaker 1: and that's always the best way to have it. Shout 622 00:32:24,800 --> 00:32:29,360 Speaker 1: out to a mill seafood restaurant. Food was bombed and 623 00:32:29,560 --> 00:32:35,200 Speaker 1: they treated us so nice, the kindest people, and the 624 00:32:35,480 --> 00:32:41,600 Speaker 1: food was fucking bomb lobster fish, it was bomb. You 625 00:32:41,680 --> 00:32:44,920 Speaker 1: have a nice red stripe and the kids are running 626 00:32:44,960 --> 00:32:47,239 Speaker 1: around with a bunch of other kids outside, and I'm like, yo, 627 00:32:47,440 --> 00:32:49,600 Speaker 1: like this is the part of the culture that we 628 00:32:49,720 --> 00:32:52,080 Speaker 1: don't ever get to see. You know what I'm saying, 629 00:32:52,120 --> 00:32:54,880 Speaker 1: Because when you live in the States, you get character 630 00:32:55,040 --> 00:32:57,880 Speaker 1: caricatures of other people's culture. The same way when you 631 00:32:57,960 --> 00:33:00,480 Speaker 1: live in Jamaica, you get caricatures of what you think 632 00:33:00,600 --> 00:33:03,120 Speaker 1: the States people are. And it's not till you break 633 00:33:03,200 --> 00:33:06,040 Speaker 1: it down to its purest form you realize how pure 634 00:33:06,680 --> 00:33:09,480 Speaker 1: and nice we all are as people. Because my dad, 635 00:33:09,840 --> 00:33:11,200 Speaker 1: you know, I said he was from St. Vincent I 636 00:33:11,240 --> 00:33:14,520 Speaker 1: think Vincentian people are some of the most genuine, just 637 00:33:14,800 --> 00:33:17,960 Speaker 1: all around sweet, like good people. So you know, I 638 00:33:18,040 --> 00:33:19,920 Speaker 1: was a little disheartened at first when I know that 639 00:33:20,000 --> 00:33:21,920 Speaker 1: you had this conversation with my dad and I saw 640 00:33:22,000 --> 00:33:24,880 Speaker 1: that you were bothered by it because I know my 641 00:33:25,000 --> 00:33:27,320 Speaker 1: father means no harm and he really does not have 642 00:33:28,120 --> 00:33:32,840 Speaker 1: a mean soul in his body, you know, Um yeah, 643 00:33:32,960 --> 00:33:35,480 Speaker 1: he does not. Like he does he loves everybody. So 644 00:33:35,600 --> 00:33:39,440 Speaker 1: first for you to have felt like I'm being attacked 645 00:33:39,520 --> 00:33:43,200 Speaker 1: and these people are calling my people, you know, lazy 646 00:33:43,360 --> 00:33:45,880 Speaker 1: and whatever it was, it really was just for lack 647 00:33:46,040 --> 00:33:49,560 Speaker 1: of knowledge and understanding. It's crazy how ignorance is when 648 00:33:49,600 --> 00:33:53,000 Speaker 1: blending any culture, regardless of what it is. It's crazy 649 00:33:53,080 --> 00:33:56,960 Speaker 1: how sometimes just ignorance and not knowing can completely create 650 00:33:56,960 --> 00:33:59,880 Speaker 1: a divide. And once you break that down, it's a 651 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:03,760 Speaker 1: amazing how you can see things just flourish. Wow. But 652 00:34:03,840 --> 00:34:05,720 Speaker 1: it was it was like a great experience going there. 653 00:34:05,800 --> 00:34:07,760 Speaker 1: And we have to go to St. Vincent next. I 654 00:34:07,800 --> 00:34:09,920 Speaker 1: know you've been to St. Vincent with Tiffany on your own. 655 00:34:10,000 --> 00:34:12,840 Speaker 1: I went with my girlfriend with a little country trips. 656 00:34:12,920 --> 00:34:15,080 Speaker 1: Oh my god. Saint Vincent is such a beautiful island 657 00:34:15,120 --> 00:34:18,000 Speaker 1: and I think it's super underrated. Um, but it's a 658 00:34:18,040 --> 00:34:20,200 Speaker 1: beautiful island and the St. Vincent and the Grenadines, so 659 00:34:20,280 --> 00:34:23,040 Speaker 1: they're surrounding islands. And it's funny because when I was 660 00:34:23,120 --> 00:34:25,479 Speaker 1: in St. Vincent with Tiffany, I took her just because 661 00:34:25,560 --> 00:34:27,279 Speaker 1: it was like, you know, a girl's trip. I was like, 662 00:34:27,360 --> 00:34:29,279 Speaker 1: let's try here, you know, And at first I was 663 00:34:29,440 --> 00:34:31,839 Speaker 1: kind of my mom at first was like, oh my god, 664 00:34:31,840 --> 00:34:33,520 Speaker 1: why would you go to Saint Vincent. There's like not 665 00:34:33,680 --> 00:34:35,880 Speaker 1: much to do there if you're looking for activity. But 666 00:34:35,960 --> 00:34:37,440 Speaker 1: this was a mommy trip, so we were looking to 667 00:34:37,520 --> 00:34:39,160 Speaker 1: go and just kind of chill and veg out on 668 00:34:39,200 --> 00:34:41,600 Speaker 1: the beach um and then I tell you, it's beautiful, 669 00:34:41,719 --> 00:34:43,440 Speaker 1: and Tiffany keeps asking me when are we going to 670 00:34:43,480 --> 00:34:46,640 Speaker 1: go back there? Surrounding islands, so the Grenadines around St. Vincent. 671 00:34:46,960 --> 00:34:48,560 Speaker 1: So we took a boat over to beck Way, which 672 00:34:48,560 --> 00:34:51,759 Speaker 1: is another island that also has beautiful um. We wanted 673 00:34:51,800 --> 00:34:54,040 Speaker 1: to go to Mistique, but then we couldn't go to 674 00:34:54,120 --> 00:34:57,400 Speaker 1: Mistique that time because one of the royals I print 675 00:34:57,640 --> 00:35:00,319 Speaker 1: somebody from just took over the whole island. They shut 676 00:35:00,400 --> 00:35:02,920 Speaker 1: the island down because he was vacationing there. So I 677 00:35:03,080 --> 00:35:05,319 Speaker 1: was like wow. I was like, I can't believe people 678 00:35:05,360 --> 00:35:07,440 Speaker 1: are coming from all these different parts of the world 679 00:35:07,840 --> 00:35:10,600 Speaker 1: to this beautiful island. So yeah, shout out to St. 680 00:35:10,680 --> 00:35:12,080 Speaker 1: Vincent and y'all feel like I don't give you all 681 00:35:12,080 --> 00:35:14,880 Speaker 1: as much love. She'd be at home talking about so 682 00:35:14,920 --> 00:35:18,279 Speaker 1: we got because my Saint Vincent, they're gonna sing me 683 00:35:18,280 --> 00:35:20,120 Speaker 1: because you know, we talked about Jamaica so much, especially 684 00:35:20,160 --> 00:35:22,239 Speaker 1: because I went there for my birthday and stuff, and 685 00:35:22,320 --> 00:35:24,560 Speaker 1: that was mainly because it was easy to access. Um. 686 00:35:24,719 --> 00:35:27,080 Speaker 1: Now I think St. Vincent has the international airport, so 687 00:35:27,239 --> 00:35:31,279 Speaker 1: they're working on and so I have to worry about 688 00:35:31,280 --> 00:35:34,239 Speaker 1: flying into another country and getting getting the lead. Ye 689 00:35:34,400 --> 00:35:36,640 Speaker 1: Kevin Little is known for like that song turned me 690 00:35:36,719 --> 00:35:42,800 Speaker 1: on my body and That's going still goes hard and 691 00:35:42,880 --> 00:35:45,279 Speaker 1: like every club that was that was high school days. 692 00:35:45,280 --> 00:35:47,319 Speaker 1: I got some of my nicest dub to those songs. 693 00:35:48,520 --> 00:35:51,560 Speaker 1: Oh sh you're fresh, She's fresh. But now yeah, so 694 00:35:51,760 --> 00:35:54,000 Speaker 1: that he that song still goes hard. Actually put it 695 00:35:54,040 --> 00:35:56,200 Speaker 1: on my Instagram the other day and he had damned 696 00:35:56,239 --> 00:35:57,879 Speaker 1: me and was just like, Yo, you listen to my music. 697 00:35:57,960 --> 00:36:01,840 Speaker 1: I'm like yeah and love. So let me talking about coaches. 698 00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:07,000 Speaker 1: What's the one thing you learned about Black American coaches 699 00:36:07,080 --> 00:36:11,560 Speaker 1: since dating me that you feel like you didn't know 700 00:36:11,760 --> 00:36:15,080 Speaker 1: before that you feel like like now you're like, Wow, 701 00:36:15,239 --> 00:36:18,040 Speaker 1: now I understand a little bit about how you are, 702 00:36:18,920 --> 00:36:22,200 Speaker 1: so you understand. Um, one thing I did learn about you, 703 00:36:22,320 --> 00:36:26,880 Speaker 1: aside from that Friday is the funniest movie. It's not funny. 704 00:36:27,120 --> 00:36:29,000 Speaker 1: I still don't really get the Last Dragon, but whatever. 705 00:36:29,560 --> 00:36:31,920 Speaker 1: That's maybe just don't don't, don't don't. Maybe it's an 706 00:36:31,920 --> 00:36:35,960 Speaker 1: acquired I just gave me a black card back. I 707 00:36:36,239 --> 00:36:39,600 Speaker 1: take that ship right back. But I do understand and 708 00:36:39,680 --> 00:36:43,960 Speaker 1: I respect why you really appreciate the struggle and where 709 00:36:44,400 --> 00:36:47,800 Speaker 1: blacks have come over time being around your mom and 710 00:36:47,960 --> 00:36:50,400 Speaker 1: learning about her history and the things she's had to 711 00:36:50,480 --> 00:36:53,960 Speaker 1: go through. I understand why, um, you are the way 712 00:36:53,960 --> 00:36:55,560 Speaker 1: you are with that, why you're so passionate about it, 713 00:36:55,640 --> 00:36:59,360 Speaker 1: And I think that with the current climate in our country, 714 00:36:59,520 --> 00:37:02,560 Speaker 1: it's next necessary for you two then teach our boys 715 00:37:03,080 --> 00:37:05,840 Speaker 1: about this as well, and about you know their history 716 00:37:05,960 --> 00:37:08,520 Speaker 1: and and and why it's so important as a black 717 00:37:08,600 --> 00:37:11,880 Speaker 1: man to know certain things and being able to kind 718 00:37:11,920 --> 00:37:14,600 Speaker 1: of sharpen their moral compass at this point because you're 719 00:37:14,600 --> 00:37:17,000 Speaker 1: able to now impart on them things that you've learned, 720 00:37:17,280 --> 00:37:19,279 Speaker 1: and I admire that, and I've learned so much just 721 00:37:19,440 --> 00:37:21,560 Speaker 1: from being a part of your family, because your family 722 00:37:21,600 --> 00:37:23,719 Speaker 1: has completely opened their arms to me from day one, 723 00:37:24,360 --> 00:37:27,399 Speaker 1: and they have embraced me as their own, you know, daughter, 724 00:37:27,600 --> 00:37:32,520 Speaker 1: and um, I'm sure you can say it's vice versa now, No, absolutely, absolutely, 725 00:37:32,600 --> 00:37:34,800 Speaker 1: your family has definitely embraced me. And I've learned a 726 00:37:34,840 --> 00:37:37,839 Speaker 1: lot about West Indian culture outside of what I thought 727 00:37:37,920 --> 00:37:40,560 Speaker 1: I knew, you know, growing up in Flatbush. Like I said, 728 00:37:40,719 --> 00:37:42,759 Speaker 1: it wasn't just all about bruck ups and row. That's 729 00:37:42,760 --> 00:37:47,160 Speaker 1: because that's all I did back in the dance back 730 00:37:47,200 --> 00:37:49,800 Speaker 1: in the day. And um, I love eating beef fatties, 731 00:37:49,880 --> 00:37:52,880 Speaker 1: I love royalty, I love curry go oxtail like I 732 00:37:53,000 --> 00:37:56,879 Speaker 1: just I love the food. I love the women. Um, 733 00:37:57,000 --> 00:38:01,320 Speaker 1: But I learned so much about why people come to 734 00:38:01,400 --> 00:38:04,759 Speaker 1: the States from these islands, and it's it's it's a 735 00:38:04,840 --> 00:38:08,320 Speaker 1: different type of escape, you know, because black in America, 736 00:38:08,680 --> 00:38:12,120 Speaker 1: when you're black, you're trying to escape persecution from police, 737 00:38:12,440 --> 00:38:15,920 Speaker 1: You're trying to escape systematic oppression. So you feel like 738 00:38:15,960 --> 00:38:18,360 Speaker 1: there's nowhere else for me to go. I'm here in America, 739 00:38:18,480 --> 00:38:20,759 Speaker 1: this is all I got. And when you're from a 740 00:38:20,800 --> 00:38:25,279 Speaker 1: smaller island and you're trying to escape different levels of 741 00:38:25,360 --> 00:38:27,840 Speaker 1: persecution from the government. Even though they may look like you, 742 00:38:28,000 --> 00:38:30,239 Speaker 1: you know what I'm saying, you've been oppressed. You're like, 743 00:38:30,320 --> 00:38:33,560 Speaker 1: I just wanted the ability to grow and prosper, you 744 00:38:33,600 --> 00:38:35,239 Speaker 1: know what I'm saying. So, and that's what I learned 745 00:38:35,440 --> 00:38:37,799 Speaker 1: from your mom and your dad because their stories are 746 00:38:37,880 --> 00:38:40,640 Speaker 1: very similar. Your father came here, you know, made money, 747 00:38:40,680 --> 00:38:44,080 Speaker 1: sent back, helped your mom's family come here, and for 748 00:38:44,200 --> 00:38:47,440 Speaker 1: them it was about owning property and not only owning property, 749 00:38:47,520 --> 00:38:51,000 Speaker 1: but educating their kids when they have kids. And that's 750 00:38:51,000 --> 00:38:53,160 Speaker 1: the biggest thing I learned about West Indian culture. Y'all 751 00:38:53,160 --> 00:38:57,239 Speaker 1: are all about education, you know. And there's there's a 752 00:38:57,320 --> 00:39:01,320 Speaker 1: huge difference between Caribbean culture in American culture because in 753 00:39:01,400 --> 00:39:05,120 Speaker 1: Caribbean culture, they're all about books. Because of where they 754 00:39:05,160 --> 00:39:07,400 Speaker 1: come from, the educational systems aren't as good as Americans. 755 00:39:07,400 --> 00:39:09,200 Speaker 1: So they're like, yo, you better go to school and 756 00:39:09,239 --> 00:39:10,920 Speaker 1: get the books. Books, books. Where I feel like for 757 00:39:11,000 --> 00:39:14,960 Speaker 1: Black Americans sometimes you're allowed to create. Like when I 758 00:39:15,040 --> 00:39:16,680 Speaker 1: told my parents I wanted to go to school for speech, 759 00:39:16,719 --> 00:39:20,120 Speaker 1: communications and performance, they didn't look at me funny. They 760 00:39:20,160 --> 00:39:22,280 Speaker 1: were happy toge, were happy I was going to college. 761 00:39:22,560 --> 00:39:24,080 Speaker 1: And it wasn't you know, and they happy I got 762 00:39:24,120 --> 00:39:27,520 Speaker 1: a scholarship. It wasn't like you know, but like the 763 00:39:27,560 --> 00:39:30,000 Speaker 1: first generation to really go to a four year college. Yeah. 764 00:39:30,040 --> 00:39:33,759 Speaker 1: Well my aunt, my aunt Monique shouting to my aunt Manique, Um, 765 00:39:33,960 --> 00:39:37,200 Speaker 1: she went to Northeastern. I believe, Yes, she went to Northeastern. 766 00:39:37,400 --> 00:39:40,759 Speaker 1: Played volleyball, played volleyball. She could have been a basketball play. 767 00:39:40,800 --> 00:39:42,800 Speaker 1: She's a beast athlete graduating on her degree. But she 768 00:39:42,920 --> 00:39:44,440 Speaker 1: was the first in our family to get her degree. 769 00:39:44,960 --> 00:39:47,040 Speaker 1: My mom didn't get her degree. My dad got his 770 00:39:47,120 --> 00:39:51,160 Speaker 1: associates from Kingsborough, so in in that part of the family, 771 00:39:51,280 --> 00:39:54,600 Speaker 1: I was the first to get my degree. But for them, 772 00:39:54,680 --> 00:39:57,279 Speaker 1: they they're all their dream was like you could do 773 00:39:57,320 --> 00:40:00,480 Speaker 1: whatever you want. You know, you're here, you could do 774 00:40:00,480 --> 00:40:02,680 Speaker 1: whatever you want. Your father, when you told him he's 775 00:40:02,680 --> 00:40:06,279 Speaker 1: getting in the TV, he was like, what the fuck you? 776 00:40:07,120 --> 00:40:09,520 Speaker 1: I think we have a podcast. Now we're working on 777 00:40:09,640 --> 00:40:12,040 Speaker 1: like developing a show. And I think my father still 778 00:40:12,080 --> 00:40:14,120 Speaker 1: to this day, does not understand what the hell it is. 779 00:40:14,200 --> 00:40:17,000 Speaker 1: I'm no clue. He's just like, girl, you did not 780 00:40:17,080 --> 00:40:19,200 Speaker 1: go to nurse in school. My sister totally like one 781 00:40:19,280 --> 00:40:22,880 Speaker 1: up me, and she's a nurse. So no favorite. I 782 00:40:23,040 --> 00:40:28,080 Speaker 1: was never the favorite, was always favorite, That is the truth. 783 00:40:28,440 --> 00:40:30,520 Speaker 1: And he will say it because he's like, conveem you 784 00:40:30,640 --> 00:40:33,280 Speaker 1: nice and all, but Cary and he makes no jokes 785 00:40:33,280 --> 00:40:35,560 Speaker 1: about it, like he'll tell y'all like, is my favorite. 786 00:40:35,560 --> 00:40:37,520 Speaker 1: And then she now she's a nurse, like, oh my god, 787 00:40:37,600 --> 00:40:39,719 Speaker 1: forget it, forget it. And I was like, Dad, but 788 00:40:39,760 --> 00:40:42,480 Speaker 1: don't you understand, like I can make nurse like money 789 00:40:42,800 --> 00:40:45,239 Speaker 1: and just not be in that particular film and still 790 00:40:45,280 --> 00:40:48,160 Speaker 1: being successful. And he was like, being an entrepreneur, have 791 00:40:48,320 --> 00:40:51,600 Speaker 1: your own business. Why you've been a punch your five o'clock, 792 00:40:51,680 --> 00:40:53,879 Speaker 1: You better punch your seven and three o'clock, do your 793 00:40:54,000 --> 00:40:56,280 Speaker 1: do your work and and come home and be comfortable. 794 00:40:56,360 --> 00:40:58,120 Speaker 1: And I was like, I ain't trying to just be comfortable. 795 00:40:58,160 --> 00:41:01,560 Speaker 1: I'm trying to be like successful successful you know. Um. 796 00:41:01,760 --> 00:41:03,759 Speaker 1: But you know, you know it's funny that article that 797 00:41:03,800 --> 00:41:05,680 Speaker 1: you read, right when they talk about they felt like 798 00:41:05,760 --> 00:41:08,759 Speaker 1: West Indians had more entrepreneurial spirit, right, It's crazy to 799 00:41:08,840 --> 00:41:13,120 Speaker 1: me because I feel like West Indians are more about titles, 800 00:41:14,040 --> 00:41:16,800 Speaker 1: like even your mom, your mom is so much on 801 00:41:16,960 --> 00:41:20,320 Speaker 1: titles because they came here with nothing. You know what 802 00:41:20,400 --> 00:41:22,440 Speaker 1: I'm saying, and it's like I got to get this 803 00:41:22,520 --> 00:41:25,439 Speaker 1: title because that means something. So for me, I feel 804 00:41:25,480 --> 00:41:29,239 Speaker 1: like that was actually the opposite because they weren't coming 805 00:41:29,280 --> 00:41:31,439 Speaker 1: here just to create their own job. It was to work. 806 00:41:32,000 --> 00:41:34,080 Speaker 1: Now they might have brought property, but you know, if 807 00:41:34,080 --> 00:41:36,120 Speaker 1: your own property, you can become a realistic getting the 808 00:41:36,160 --> 00:41:38,400 Speaker 1: real estate, being entrepreneur that way. But it was about working, 809 00:41:38,960 --> 00:41:40,640 Speaker 1: like I want to work and have a title. I'm 810 00:41:40,640 --> 00:41:43,959 Speaker 1: a director, I'm a supervisor, you know, superintendent. It's about 811 00:41:43,960 --> 00:41:46,640 Speaker 1: climbing the ladder whatever, that ladder of successes within that 812 00:41:47,040 --> 00:41:48,800 Speaker 1: that you know, I'm going to start as a paralegal 813 00:41:48,840 --> 00:41:50,080 Speaker 1: and then I'm going to be a partner and that 814 00:41:50,120 --> 00:41:52,560 Speaker 1: I want to like there was always a ladder, I 815 00:41:52,640 --> 00:41:54,680 Speaker 1: feel like, and that's true, Like I've I've definitely seen 816 00:41:54,719 --> 00:41:57,479 Speaker 1: that with my mom, you know, and they're all about 817 00:41:57,480 --> 00:41:58,960 Speaker 1: like working the way up as well to you know, 818 00:41:59,080 --> 00:42:01,720 Speaker 1: starting at the entry leve well and then um always 819 00:42:01,760 --> 00:42:05,400 Speaker 1: further in education to then advance your title. Yep, definitely. 820 00:42:05,800 --> 00:42:08,920 Speaker 1: It's just it's been great having the boys because they 821 00:42:09,000 --> 00:42:12,680 Speaker 1: grew up in two different cultures and watching them do 822 00:42:13,360 --> 00:42:15,800 Speaker 1: what they do as far as kids, but knowing that 823 00:42:16,280 --> 00:42:22,040 Speaker 1: there Southern Black and Caribbean at the same time, because 824 00:42:22,200 --> 00:42:24,120 Speaker 1: even with religion, and we can talk about we could 825 00:42:24,120 --> 00:42:26,319 Speaker 1: save religion for another day because your parents grew up 826 00:42:26,320 --> 00:42:29,480 Speaker 1: Seven Day events and my parents grew up Baptists. But 827 00:42:29,600 --> 00:42:33,440 Speaker 1: it's just been great to watch them learn and co mingle. No, 828 00:42:33,640 --> 00:42:36,480 Speaker 1: absolutely and kind of accept both right and the ultimate. 829 00:42:36,520 --> 00:42:38,640 Speaker 1: I feel like they even shouldn't be a us versus 830 00:42:38,719 --> 00:42:42,439 Speaker 1: them more. No, it's definitely not Americans versus like West 831 00:42:42,480 --> 00:42:45,200 Speaker 1: Indian Americans. Like the versus thing just really always put 832 00:42:45,239 --> 00:42:46,560 Speaker 1: you in that ring where there has to be a 833 00:42:46,640 --> 00:42:49,040 Speaker 1: dominant or there has to be a winner, and I 834 00:42:49,080 --> 00:42:50,839 Speaker 1: feel like we can just learn so much from each 835 00:42:50,880 --> 00:42:57,040 Speaker 1: other from the richness of both. Historically, when people ask 836 00:42:57,160 --> 00:43:01,200 Speaker 1: you what you are, you say, I say, I'm Jamaican 837 00:43:01,239 --> 00:43:05,120 Speaker 1: of incension, right, and I say I'm American. Right. When 838 00:43:05,160 --> 00:43:09,520 Speaker 1: they asked the boys, what are they going to say, 839 00:43:09,960 --> 00:43:14,360 Speaker 1: right they are? I don't know, I mean we I 840 00:43:14,360 --> 00:43:16,320 Speaker 1: don't think we've had this discussion yet, at least with 841 00:43:16,400 --> 00:43:18,799 Speaker 1: Jackson because he's older. But I mean, I guess they 842 00:43:18,800 --> 00:43:20,799 Speaker 1: would say, of course they're American, because at this point 843 00:43:20,840 --> 00:43:22,799 Speaker 1: now they're what like a quarter Jamaican and a quarter 844 00:43:22,840 --> 00:43:24,680 Speaker 1: of incension. But I mean, they definitely are going to 845 00:43:24,760 --> 00:43:28,719 Speaker 1: have to know. But they have a huge Caribbean background. 846 00:43:28,800 --> 00:43:31,800 Speaker 1: Like if you think about it, that that half of 847 00:43:31,880 --> 00:43:35,560 Speaker 1: their family was all born out of this country. They 848 00:43:35,640 --> 00:43:38,120 Speaker 1: were all like their grandma who raised them, their great 849 00:43:38,160 --> 00:43:41,600 Speaker 1: grandmother who raised them, was born here, you know, came here, 850 00:43:41,640 --> 00:43:45,000 Speaker 1: their immigrants, their grandfather who raised them immigrants. I think 851 00:43:45,040 --> 00:43:46,680 Speaker 1: that I think too, that they're going to have the 852 00:43:46,760 --> 00:43:49,200 Speaker 1: same pride that I have, Like, you know, yes I 853 00:43:49,280 --> 00:43:51,480 Speaker 1: can I'm American because I was born here. Um, But 854 00:43:51,600 --> 00:43:54,960 Speaker 1: whenever I'm asked, I usually identify with my culture because 855 00:43:55,320 --> 00:43:56,719 Speaker 1: people will look at me be like, I don't really 856 00:43:56,719 --> 00:43:58,040 Speaker 1: know where you're from? Where are you from? Or they 857 00:43:58,040 --> 00:44:01,240 Speaker 1: can sense that there's like an act sometimes so they're like, Okay, 858 00:44:01,239 --> 00:44:03,680 Speaker 1: where's that accent from? You know, depending on what I'm 859 00:44:03,680 --> 00:44:06,800 Speaker 1: speaking about. Um. So yeah, I'm always And there's a 860 00:44:06,920 --> 00:44:10,600 Speaker 1: pride that I think the West Indian community has. Regardless 861 00:44:10,680 --> 00:44:13,520 Speaker 1: of what island you're from, there's always this ongoing pride 862 00:44:13,960 --> 00:44:17,760 Speaker 1: that culture. I think about Labor Day on Eastern Parkway, 863 00:44:18,600 --> 00:44:20,359 Speaker 1: like that's one thing in Brooklyn that I love. It's 864 00:44:20,400 --> 00:44:22,400 Speaker 1: like when all the cultures come together all the islands 865 00:44:22,400 --> 00:44:25,880 Speaker 1: and everyone is repping so hard for whatever island it 866 00:44:26,000 --> 00:44:28,040 Speaker 1: is that they're from. So I think that sense of 867 00:44:28,120 --> 00:44:30,960 Speaker 1: pride is something that was instilled in me um and 868 00:44:31,040 --> 00:44:33,160 Speaker 1: I would love to, you know, instill that in the boys, 869 00:44:33,239 --> 00:44:35,239 Speaker 1: because you know, Jackson has his moments too when he'll 870 00:44:35,480 --> 00:44:36,919 Speaker 1: you know, drop some pots on and I'm like, whare 871 00:44:36,920 --> 00:44:39,880 Speaker 1: a second you're paying attention to He's with Grandma all 872 00:44:39,920 --> 00:44:42,160 Speaker 1: the time. He's with your your grandmother all the time. 873 00:44:42,200 --> 00:44:44,399 Speaker 1: When your grandmother, you know, she speaks about to all 874 00:44:44,440 --> 00:44:48,040 Speaker 1: the time. But my thing is is also just identifying 875 00:44:49,280 --> 00:44:52,439 Speaker 1: like your true essence, right because for for Black American people, 876 00:44:52,480 --> 00:44:54,960 Speaker 1: and maybe this just maybe me in particular, but I 877 00:44:55,040 --> 00:44:58,320 Speaker 1: am proud to be a Black American because we built 878 00:44:58,360 --> 00:45:00,719 Speaker 1: this country. You can't take that from us. And then 879 00:45:00,800 --> 00:45:05,120 Speaker 1: on top of building it for free, we're now learning 880 00:45:05,239 --> 00:45:08,640 Speaker 1: how to control and manipulate the markets within it to 881 00:45:08,800 --> 00:45:11,400 Speaker 1: gain more power. There's a pride in that. Give me 882 00:45:11,480 --> 00:45:13,520 Speaker 1: the comment that you feel like I can't necessarily claim 883 00:45:13,560 --> 00:45:17,960 Speaker 1: America because I didn't build it, meaning my parents came 884 00:45:18,000 --> 00:45:20,640 Speaker 1: from Cindy's Yes, can you elaborate on that for me? 885 00:45:20,640 --> 00:45:22,400 Speaker 1: Because that can be that can that kind of struck 886 00:45:22,440 --> 00:45:24,920 Speaker 1: a nerve a little bit. I think it's even I 887 00:45:25,120 --> 00:45:29,399 Speaker 1: was born here. I think it's kind of clear. Okay, Okay, 888 00:45:29,520 --> 00:45:31,200 Speaker 1: did you have to do the whole next? I did? 889 00:45:31,400 --> 00:45:33,600 Speaker 1: I did? I did, because you're trying to attack me, 890 00:45:33,719 --> 00:45:35,840 Speaker 1: like I wasn't attacking. You know, it wasn't an attacked. 891 00:45:35,840 --> 00:45:37,000 Speaker 1: But I just want to be clear like what you 892 00:45:37,080 --> 00:45:39,320 Speaker 1: meant by that. Okay, Let's let's think about like this 893 00:45:39,640 --> 00:45:43,920 Speaker 1: hot button topic right now in America, right, reparations right, 894 00:45:44,320 --> 00:45:48,719 Speaker 1: and they talk about descendants of slavery in America. Where 895 00:45:48,760 --> 00:45:52,759 Speaker 1: your parents descendants of slaves in America, So you get 896 00:45:52,840 --> 00:45:55,440 Speaker 1: no reparations. But I married to you, so I can 897 00:45:55,560 --> 00:45:59,360 Speaker 1: have if I allowed, if you're in, if you're a 898 00:45:59,440 --> 00:46:03,880 Speaker 1: good girl. No. But but being more serious, it's like 899 00:46:05,520 --> 00:46:09,080 Speaker 1: I legitimate, like my my grandfather for in the Korean 900 00:46:09,160 --> 00:46:12,280 Speaker 1: War and on the way back when they had POWs, 901 00:46:12,520 --> 00:46:16,400 Speaker 1: my grandfather couldn't sit the pow sat because he was 902 00:46:16,480 --> 00:46:21,120 Speaker 1: a black soldier in the American Army. You know how 903 00:46:21,200 --> 00:46:23,640 Speaker 1: crazy that is? You know how crazy that is, Like 904 00:46:23,760 --> 00:46:27,320 Speaker 1: he went and fort in this for this country. But 905 00:46:27,440 --> 00:46:30,680 Speaker 1: they treat the prisoners of war better than they treat 906 00:46:30,719 --> 00:46:33,319 Speaker 1: the black Americans in America and then when you come 907 00:46:33,400 --> 00:46:35,840 Speaker 1: back to America, they still treat you like shit like 908 00:46:36,160 --> 00:46:39,719 Speaker 1: and I think people don't value that enough what black 909 00:46:39,760 --> 00:46:43,640 Speaker 1: Americans have have gone through in this country, no disrespect. 910 00:46:44,000 --> 00:46:45,960 Speaker 1: But your parents didn't have to go do that here. 911 00:46:46,400 --> 00:46:49,880 Speaker 1: They came here after that fight was over and are 912 00:46:49,920 --> 00:46:52,919 Speaker 1: now reaping the benefits. So it's not like you can't 913 00:46:53,000 --> 00:46:56,279 Speaker 1: claim America. But when people try to discredit what black 914 00:46:56,320 --> 00:46:58,320 Speaker 1: Americans have done in this country to get us to 915 00:46:58,400 --> 00:47:01,200 Speaker 1: this point, for me, it's try it a nerve like 916 00:47:01,320 --> 00:47:04,480 Speaker 1: it really does strike a nerve because and and it 917 00:47:04,560 --> 00:47:06,960 Speaker 1: did strike a nerve with your your dad and his 918 00:47:07,080 --> 00:47:11,080 Speaker 1: friends because I wanted to be like lazy. We cannot 919 00:47:11,200 --> 00:47:14,080 Speaker 1: discredit that, you know what I'm saying, We cannot discredit 920 00:47:14,200 --> 00:47:16,880 Speaker 1: that and that, and then you know, I'm apologized if 921 00:47:16,920 --> 00:47:18,839 Speaker 1: you took it the wrong way, because it could come 922 00:47:18,880 --> 00:47:20,799 Speaker 1: off a little bit kind of fucked up. I'm saying 923 00:47:21,000 --> 00:47:23,160 Speaker 1: both of your parents, both of your parents were from here. 924 00:47:23,200 --> 00:47:26,120 Speaker 1: Their descendants didn't build this country whereas my parents did. 925 00:47:26,440 --> 00:47:28,239 Speaker 1: And realistically, it was just like a little bit of 926 00:47:28,320 --> 00:47:31,319 Speaker 1: a measure of what are my son's gonna claim because 927 00:47:31,320 --> 00:47:33,080 Speaker 1: I don't want my son's to feel the pressure I 928 00:47:33,200 --> 00:47:35,920 Speaker 1: felt in high school where oh, you're from America, You're 929 00:47:35,920 --> 00:47:38,680 Speaker 1: not cool because we're from islands and the culture is 930 00:47:38,960 --> 00:47:42,719 Speaker 1: great and celebrated. Black American culture is not celebrated the 931 00:47:42,880 --> 00:47:45,120 Speaker 1: same way. So for me, when they say, you know, 932 00:47:45,280 --> 00:47:47,120 Speaker 1: you know where you from, you you're not from an island, 933 00:47:47,160 --> 00:47:50,000 Speaker 1: I'm Americans. Like, why are you trying to downplay because 934 00:47:50,040 --> 00:47:52,960 Speaker 1: I went through that in high school. Oh you just American? 935 00:47:53,960 --> 00:47:56,920 Speaker 1: What the fund does that mean? I'm just American like that? 936 00:47:57,040 --> 00:47:59,520 Speaker 1: And it was a huge argument. It was a huge 937 00:47:59,640 --> 00:48:03,960 Speaker 1: argument in school. One yeah, in Madison, because I remember 938 00:48:04,040 --> 00:48:07,080 Speaker 1: Flag Day. Flag Day was a big deal right in 939 00:48:07,520 --> 00:48:11,239 Speaker 1: in in uh Madison, and everyone wore the flags for 940 00:48:11,320 --> 00:48:15,680 Speaker 1: the countries they represented, right, that's the thing. Yes, so 941 00:48:16,760 --> 00:48:19,680 Speaker 1: a water American flag one tim. And people just like 942 00:48:20,000 --> 00:48:22,560 Speaker 1: because you are because I'm American, right, And they're like, 943 00:48:22,600 --> 00:48:24,319 Speaker 1: also you repped in American And I'm like, yeah, well 944 00:48:24,320 --> 00:48:27,160 Speaker 1: I'm American. And then they were just like that's that's 945 00:48:27,239 --> 00:48:30,680 Speaker 1: kind of whack, Like how dare you represent America? Like 946 00:48:30,719 --> 00:48:33,320 Speaker 1: this is our day where in your country? We get it, 947 00:48:33,400 --> 00:48:35,000 Speaker 1: there's your country, but you know, you know, and I 948 00:48:35,080 --> 00:48:36,319 Speaker 1: was like, what you what do you like? What does 949 00:48:36,360 --> 00:48:38,560 Speaker 1: that even mean? Kids? Which is you know, kind of 950 00:48:38,880 --> 00:48:40,680 Speaker 1: getting at me, like, yo, you know, you're just American, 951 00:48:40,800 --> 00:48:43,640 Speaker 1: Like like it's cool to be it's cool to be 952 00:48:43,800 --> 00:48:46,400 Speaker 1: West Indian, but to just be American is like you 953 00:48:46,520 --> 00:48:49,640 Speaker 1: have no culture, you have no swag. And I want 954 00:48:49,719 --> 00:48:52,400 Speaker 1: to and I want my boys to know, like, you 955 00:48:52,600 --> 00:48:57,000 Speaker 1: have to find pride in the fact that your ancestors 956 00:48:57,400 --> 00:49:00,720 Speaker 1: built this country for for the rights in this country 957 00:49:01,160 --> 00:49:04,200 Speaker 1: that we live in. So say, you know, because it 958 00:49:04,280 --> 00:49:06,480 Speaker 1: always happens. Sat Jackson grows up and he's either a 959 00:49:06,520 --> 00:49:10,759 Speaker 1: football player, the president, or is an entertainment they're gonna 960 00:49:10,760 --> 00:49:13,600 Speaker 1: ask him, you know what are you his Wikipedia page? 961 00:49:13,680 --> 00:49:15,879 Speaker 1: It's going to be very important. And if they say 962 00:49:15,960 --> 00:49:18,160 Speaker 1: that he's of Jamaican descent and that's the first thing 963 00:49:18,200 --> 00:49:20,520 Speaker 1: he says, you know, American blacks are gonna be piste off. 964 00:49:21,040 --> 00:49:23,640 Speaker 1: And if he says that he's American and they don't 965 00:49:23,680 --> 00:49:27,040 Speaker 1: mention that he's from Jamaican and Vincentian descent or he's 966 00:49:27,239 --> 00:49:29,400 Speaker 1: not from St. Vincent, those people are going to be 967 00:49:29,440 --> 00:49:33,120 Speaker 1: piste off. So it's like, how do we prepare our 968 00:49:33,320 --> 00:49:39,280 Speaker 1: children to embrace both and rent both and identify because 969 00:49:39,320 --> 00:49:41,440 Speaker 1: you you don't say you're American even though you were 970 00:49:41,480 --> 00:49:44,120 Speaker 1: born here in America. You don't identify American your family, 971 00:49:44,360 --> 00:49:46,680 Speaker 1: and you really can't, like your family didn't fight for 972 00:49:46,840 --> 00:49:48,640 Speaker 1: slavery or fight for it, Like you don't fight for 973 00:49:48,680 --> 00:49:52,000 Speaker 1: American civil rights here. Your parents were in islands, you 974 00:49:52,040 --> 00:49:53,399 Speaker 1: know what I'm saying. They weren't here, So I get 975 00:49:53,440 --> 00:49:56,040 Speaker 1: why you say I'm Jamaican in intention, right, right, and 976 00:49:56,280 --> 00:49:58,400 Speaker 1: usually say I was born here in America, but my 977 00:49:58,520 --> 00:50:01,080 Speaker 1: roots are you know, which make making savings just to 978 00:50:01,120 --> 00:50:03,839 Speaker 1: give a total picture of what exactly is happening here. 979 00:50:04,080 --> 00:50:05,920 Speaker 1: So I mean, I don't really foresee to like when 980 00:50:05,960 --> 00:50:08,080 Speaker 1: it comes to dating culturally, like I'm thinking about our sons, 981 00:50:08,120 --> 00:50:11,480 Speaker 1: because when it came to dating for me, my parents 982 00:50:11,560 --> 00:50:13,600 Speaker 1: weren't like, oh well you have to date another West 983 00:50:13,600 --> 00:50:15,880 Speaker 1: Indian or you have to date within the confines of 984 00:50:16,120 --> 00:50:17,600 Speaker 1: They never put those kind of pressures on me. My 985 00:50:17,640 --> 00:50:19,480 Speaker 1: mother was actually like, you ain't dating nobody, bitch. So 986 00:50:20,440 --> 00:50:23,840 Speaker 1: it was just like she was just like, oh no, 987 00:50:24,080 --> 00:50:27,440 Speaker 1: Like my parents were like super strict, you know, protective. 988 00:50:27,880 --> 00:50:30,680 Speaker 1: You know, thank god they were, because I have become 989 00:50:30,760 --> 00:50:32,840 Speaker 1: the nice woman that I am to date because of 990 00:50:32,920 --> 00:50:35,759 Speaker 1: that and my good old West Ending upbringing. I think 991 00:50:35,840 --> 00:50:37,640 Speaker 1: upbringing tho is something that we can both kind of 992 00:50:38,239 --> 00:50:42,320 Speaker 1: can compare and they're similar because I don't think in 993 00:50:42,360 --> 00:50:44,960 Speaker 1: a West Indian household or in a Black American household, 994 00:50:45,160 --> 00:50:47,440 Speaker 1: we took no ship like our parents on both sides 995 00:50:47,440 --> 00:50:50,319 Speaker 1: didn't take no ship. Manners was something that was very, 996 00:50:50,440 --> 00:50:56,000 Speaker 1: very prevalent, you know, in the household, no talking back, religion, faith, 997 00:50:56,640 --> 00:50:58,960 Speaker 1: Those are a lot of parallels that we did, which 998 00:50:59,000 --> 00:51:01,560 Speaker 1: I think made dating for us, though we did have 999 00:51:01,640 --> 00:51:03,920 Speaker 1: differences in the beginning, you know, like my father not 1000 00:51:04,040 --> 00:51:06,760 Speaker 1: knowing about the culture. That was easy for our families 1001 00:51:06,800 --> 00:51:10,400 Speaker 1: to assimilate. Now, yeah, absolutely while dating because because the 1002 00:51:10,840 --> 00:51:13,839 Speaker 1: moral values existed on both sides, and when the moral 1003 00:51:13,960 --> 00:51:17,000 Speaker 1: values exist on both sides, easier trying to sit back 1004 00:51:17,040 --> 00:51:18,600 Speaker 1: and say, you know what I can write. He may 1005 00:51:18,640 --> 00:51:21,480 Speaker 1: be a little different, but I know that his daughter 1006 00:51:21,520 --> 00:51:23,160 Speaker 1: gonna take care of my son, and I know that 1007 00:51:23,560 --> 00:51:25,000 Speaker 1: their son is gonna take care of my daughter as 1008 00:51:25,000 --> 00:51:26,960 Speaker 1: long as the moral values exist, right, And I think 1009 00:51:27,000 --> 00:51:29,800 Speaker 1: that's something that we paralleled in both households. When we 1010 00:51:29,840 --> 00:51:31,920 Speaker 1: talk about our upgramming bringing or the way our parents 1011 00:51:32,040 --> 00:51:35,520 Speaker 1: dealt with certain situations or even the school Beffle him 1012 00:51:35,520 --> 00:51:37,400 Speaker 1: that we went to, like whether the teacher was a 1013 00:51:37,440 --> 00:51:39,560 Speaker 1: West Indian teacher or the teacher was a Black American teacher. 1014 00:51:39,600 --> 00:51:42,279 Speaker 1: They took no disrespect, like that was just something that 1015 00:51:42,440 --> 00:51:45,520 Speaker 1: was not tolerated. Um. So I think they made dating 1016 00:51:45,560 --> 00:51:48,400 Speaker 1: for us and then eventually marriage and now our views 1017 00:51:48,440 --> 00:51:50,480 Speaker 1: on parenting and the things that we tolerate with our 1018 00:51:50,600 --> 00:51:54,000 Speaker 1: kids kind of similar. So with the boys, though, you're 1019 00:51:54,040 --> 00:51:56,920 Speaker 1: going to make sure that they when they say you 1020 00:51:56,920 --> 00:51:59,960 Speaker 1: wouldn't have them say I'm Jamaican American, I'm vincentition America. 1021 00:52:00,080 --> 00:52:03,359 Speaker 1: Can Um, how are you going to have them identify? 1022 00:52:03,680 --> 00:52:05,720 Speaker 1: I think they Yeah, I think they should. They should 1023 00:52:05,719 --> 00:52:07,760 Speaker 1: definitely pick up the culture and be like, I'm Jamaican. 1024 00:52:07,800 --> 00:52:11,160 Speaker 1: But since you an American, I like you like it. 1025 00:52:15,520 --> 00:52:17,960 Speaker 1: Coming up, we're going to get into some listener letters. 1026 00:52:18,160 --> 00:52:28,920 Speaker 1: But after these ads, this for the record. There it 1027 00:52:29,080 --> 00:52:34,200 Speaker 1: is a win for the ages. 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All American Tiger is 1038 00:53:20,520 --> 00:53:23,279 Speaker 1: out now listen and stitch your Apple podcasts or your 1039 00:53:23,320 --> 00:53:31,560 Speaker 1: favorite podcast app so everybody knows this part of the 1040 00:53:31,640 --> 00:53:38,800 Speaker 1: show matters. I love this, I love this very nice. 1041 00:53:39,400 --> 00:53:42,279 Speaker 1: So let's see what we're talking about today. Oh, these 1042 00:53:42,320 --> 00:53:45,040 Speaker 1: are interesting, So they're not necessarily dealing with blending cultures, 1043 00:53:45,400 --> 00:53:48,880 Speaker 1: but it is kind of relevant because, um, the question is, 1044 00:53:49,520 --> 00:53:52,680 Speaker 1: what was the point where you all knew the leap 1045 00:53:52,760 --> 00:53:55,279 Speaker 1: of faith to start your own business? I guess so 1046 00:53:55,520 --> 00:53:57,400 Speaker 1: just a frame of differently, at one point do we 1047 00:53:57,480 --> 00:53:59,880 Speaker 1: notice start our own business though it doesn't necessarily deal 1048 00:54:00,040 --> 00:54:04,960 Speaker 1: blending of cultures. But my father again being his like 1049 00:54:05,320 --> 00:54:07,719 Speaker 1: you know, get your nine to five, he could not 1050 00:54:07,880 --> 00:54:12,040 Speaker 1: foresee the businesses that we wanted to start, but but 1051 00:54:12,160 --> 00:54:14,640 Speaker 1: he did own property to supplement his income. He did, 1052 00:54:14,760 --> 00:54:16,400 Speaker 1: so he kind of we kind of did have that, 1053 00:54:16,680 --> 00:54:19,080 Speaker 1: and he was very smart because he was able to 1054 00:54:19,160 --> 00:54:22,640 Speaker 1: buy property in Brooklyn during the late eighties, and my 1055 00:54:22,719 --> 00:54:24,359 Speaker 1: mom worked really hard to make sure that they were 1056 00:54:24,360 --> 00:54:26,880 Speaker 1: able to do that and start that kind of fund education. 1057 00:54:27,120 --> 00:54:29,480 Speaker 1: And yes, and gave me lots of opportunities. Shout out 1058 00:54:29,480 --> 00:54:31,920 Speaker 1: to Dad for that, um But yeah, what did we 1059 00:54:32,000 --> 00:54:34,080 Speaker 1: know that we wanted to start. This was easy for 1060 00:54:34,200 --> 00:54:39,080 Speaker 1: me playing in the NFL, Yes, because I always I 1061 00:54:39,120 --> 00:54:41,400 Speaker 1: always wanted to own my own part of what my 1062 00:54:41,480 --> 00:54:43,239 Speaker 1: mom and dad taught me. I always want to get 1063 00:54:43,239 --> 00:54:47,040 Speaker 1: into real estate. But I never forget the end of 1064 00:54:47,160 --> 00:54:49,920 Speaker 1: my third preseason, I had the best preseason I ever 1065 00:54:50,000 --> 00:54:52,400 Speaker 1: had in the NFL. The first year in the NFL, 1066 00:54:53,080 --> 00:54:55,160 Speaker 1: I made the team, then cut, then put on the 1067 00:54:55,200 --> 00:54:57,000 Speaker 1: practice squad. I didn't made the team play the rest 1068 00:54:57,040 --> 00:54:59,480 Speaker 1: of the year. Second year, I didn't even play in 1069 00:54:59,520 --> 00:55:01,520 Speaker 1: the preseason because I was hurt, and I made the team, 1070 00:55:01,960 --> 00:55:04,600 Speaker 1: was put on the pup. The third year, I had 1071 00:55:04,640 --> 00:55:06,840 Speaker 1: the best year and I got cut. And what that 1072 00:55:07,000 --> 00:55:09,239 Speaker 1: showed me was that I never wanted to live my 1073 00:55:09,440 --> 00:55:13,520 Speaker 1: life where my livelihood was dependent upon another man's decisions. 1074 00:55:14,280 --> 00:55:17,680 Speaker 1: So for me at that point, it was I need 1075 00:55:17,760 --> 00:55:20,080 Speaker 1: to own my own business. I need to make my 1076 00:55:20,200 --> 00:55:23,759 Speaker 1: own money, because if I'm constantly going to work and 1077 00:55:23,880 --> 00:55:25,680 Speaker 1: hoping that I'm going to continue to get a check 1078 00:55:25,920 --> 00:55:28,480 Speaker 1: by jumping through the hoops of someone else, at any 1079 00:55:28,520 --> 00:55:30,400 Speaker 1: given time, they can just say, Na, we want to 1080 00:55:30,440 --> 00:55:32,640 Speaker 1: go in another direction. You don't get laid off, and 1081 00:55:32,800 --> 00:55:35,360 Speaker 1: that new management doesn't come in and they they everyone's 1082 00:55:35,360 --> 00:55:37,719 Speaker 1: a wash that I couldn't do it. And you know, 1083 00:55:37,800 --> 00:55:40,520 Speaker 1: it's funny, I did not necessarily have that business acumen 1084 00:55:40,600 --> 00:55:45,279 Speaker 1: in the beginning. I didn't foresee the business side of 1085 00:55:45,360 --> 00:55:47,520 Speaker 1: things and how it would flourish. Um. I think too, 1086 00:55:47,600 --> 00:55:50,399 Speaker 1: because it was always ingrained in me to be sure 1087 00:55:50,480 --> 00:55:54,360 Speaker 1: that I had a stable job, whatever that job was. 1088 00:55:54,480 --> 00:55:56,720 Speaker 1: Again like my dad, you know, working in the hospital, 1089 00:55:56,880 --> 00:55:59,120 Speaker 1: my mom being a nurse. Like they wanted to make 1090 00:55:59,200 --> 00:56:03,000 Speaker 1: sure that I was able to um sustain the lifestyle 1091 00:56:03,080 --> 00:56:05,480 Speaker 1: by having that guaranteed quote unquote money. But then when 1092 00:56:05,480 --> 00:56:08,200 Speaker 1: you really think about it, it's like, what exactly is 1093 00:56:08,840 --> 00:56:13,320 Speaker 1: guaranteed money you know? Um? Or is it really guaranteed? 1094 00:56:13,680 --> 00:56:16,560 Speaker 1: You know? And the turning point for me, particularly with 1095 00:56:16,800 --> 00:56:19,640 Speaker 1: business and why I wanted to start my own was 1096 00:56:20,400 --> 00:56:23,760 Speaker 1: moving back to you know, New York after the NFL 1097 00:56:23,880 --> 00:56:26,040 Speaker 1: was over and developed wanting to start his business. I 1098 00:56:26,200 --> 00:56:29,560 Speaker 1: was working at Matt Cosmetics, um as you know, an 1099 00:56:29,680 --> 00:56:31,200 Speaker 1: artist and as a manager, and I was kind of 1100 00:56:31,239 --> 00:56:33,080 Speaker 1: working my way up the ladder there because again I 1101 00:56:33,200 --> 00:56:35,080 Speaker 1: was taught bout my family, like started the ground and 1102 00:56:35,120 --> 00:56:38,000 Speaker 1: you work your way up the ladder, and and that's 1103 00:56:38,000 --> 00:56:40,400 Speaker 1: what I always did. But you know, I think at 1104 00:56:40,440 --> 00:56:43,400 Speaker 1: that point, being with you and hearing how you were 1105 00:56:43,440 --> 00:56:45,759 Speaker 1: starting a business and being so inspired by that, I 1106 00:56:45,880 --> 00:56:48,280 Speaker 1: thought to myself, you know what, I'm about to flip 1107 00:56:48,400 --> 00:56:51,439 Speaker 1: this whole makeup situation. I'm going to go in there. 1108 00:56:51,520 --> 00:56:53,600 Speaker 1: I'm gonna learn the craft more. I'm going to hone 1109 00:56:53,640 --> 00:56:56,560 Speaker 1: in on my skills. I'm gonna work that ladder, learn 1110 00:56:56,600 --> 00:56:59,200 Speaker 1: about being a leader, learn about how the business works, 1111 00:56:59,320 --> 00:57:02,160 Speaker 1: learn about revenue calendars, and this, that and the third. 1112 00:57:02,320 --> 00:57:05,080 Speaker 1: So that way, I can then give myself the opportunity 1113 00:57:05,200 --> 00:57:09,160 Speaker 1: to step away from the confines of working for Frank 1114 00:57:09,239 --> 00:57:12,000 Speaker 1: and Frank who are the owners, and then start my 1115 00:57:12,080 --> 00:57:13,920 Speaker 1: own business where it can be more lucrative for me. 1116 00:57:14,040 --> 00:57:16,000 Speaker 1: I can have the flexibility that I wanted to have. 1117 00:57:16,400 --> 00:57:18,960 Speaker 1: You know, I will never forget that Thanksgiving where I 1118 00:57:19,080 --> 00:57:22,600 Speaker 1: had to leave the family. Jackson was still a baby 1119 00:57:22,640 --> 00:57:24,800 Speaker 1: at the time, and I had to leave the family 1120 00:57:24,800 --> 00:57:26,920 Speaker 1: because at this point now it was Black Friday, that's 1121 00:57:26,920 --> 00:57:29,120 Speaker 1: when the store was opening. It like midnight, So I 1122 00:57:29,200 --> 00:57:31,320 Speaker 1: had to leave Thanksgiving dinner to get dressed, put my 1123 00:57:31,400 --> 00:57:34,520 Speaker 1: all black on makeup on, and I literally cried in 1124 00:57:34,640 --> 00:57:36,280 Speaker 1: your arms, and I was like, I don't want to 1125 00:57:36,320 --> 00:57:39,440 Speaker 1: have to go to work, like so unfair. I cannot 1126 00:57:39,520 --> 00:57:42,040 Speaker 1: enjoy this holiday with my family because I have to 1127 00:57:42,120 --> 00:57:44,640 Speaker 1: go make that money on Black Friday, which is not 1128 00:57:44,760 --> 00:57:47,400 Speaker 1: even like Friday. I think now to the point where 1129 00:57:47,400 --> 00:57:49,840 Speaker 1: there's not even a Thanksgiving Day anymore. People are having 1130 00:57:49,880 --> 00:57:53,919 Speaker 1: to work on Thanksgiving because of making money. So I said, 1131 00:57:53,960 --> 00:57:55,400 Speaker 1: you know what at that point, you know, I told 1132 00:57:55,440 --> 00:57:57,040 Speaker 1: you how I felt about it, and you were like, Babe, 1133 00:57:57,080 --> 00:57:59,440 Speaker 1: we're gonna work so hard. I'm gonna make it so 1134 00:57:59,560 --> 00:58:02,320 Speaker 1: that you don't have to miss another Thanksgiving and so 1135 00:58:02,520 --> 00:58:05,480 Speaker 1: said so done. So you know, that was really at 1136 00:58:05,480 --> 00:58:07,760 Speaker 1: the point when we knew early on that we wanted 1137 00:58:07,760 --> 00:58:10,000 Speaker 1: to start our own businesses. Yeah, it was just pretty 1138 00:58:10,080 --> 00:58:12,320 Speaker 1: much wanting autonomy over our lives. Our lives, yeah, and 1139 00:58:12,440 --> 00:58:14,320 Speaker 1: wanted to be there and be active in our children's 1140 00:58:14,320 --> 00:58:15,960 Speaker 1: life as well, and to be able to work on 1141 00:58:16,000 --> 00:58:18,640 Speaker 1: our acting careers. You know, well, well, actually which is 1142 00:58:18,720 --> 00:58:21,160 Speaker 1: you know that that answer actually seguates us into the 1143 00:58:21,240 --> 00:58:24,320 Speaker 1: second one. Uh. Someone asked, you know, talk about DeVos 1144 00:58:24,320 --> 00:58:26,400 Speaker 1: post on I g to take care of home and 1145 00:58:26,600 --> 00:58:29,680 Speaker 1: let you do your thing. Recently, I did, I did 1146 00:58:29,720 --> 00:58:32,640 Speaker 1: post recently about it, and um, this post kind of 1147 00:58:32,760 --> 00:58:35,040 Speaker 1: came from a question that was asked when we were 1148 00:58:35,040 --> 00:58:37,800 Speaker 1: at Broccoli City. Um, a young lady asked, you know, what, 1149 00:58:38,120 --> 00:58:40,600 Speaker 1: what is the best way or how do you guys 1150 00:58:40,720 --> 00:58:44,480 Speaker 1: support each other, you know, in your own dreams? And 1151 00:58:44,760 --> 00:58:47,240 Speaker 1: the post came from that because I was sitting back 1152 00:58:47,280 --> 00:58:49,000 Speaker 1: and I think, and I answered her question that day 1153 00:58:49,040 --> 00:58:50,800 Speaker 1: about how we dig each other up, and we talk 1154 00:58:50,840 --> 00:58:53,720 Speaker 1: a lot about each other's projects when we're doing projects. 1155 00:58:53,760 --> 00:58:55,439 Speaker 1: If if we're doing projects, with what I can see, 1156 00:58:55,480 --> 00:58:58,840 Speaker 1: there can be some cross promotion, I'll mention codeine. But 1157 00:58:58,920 --> 00:59:03,000 Speaker 1: then I really really alized afterwards that the best way 1158 00:59:03,360 --> 00:59:06,840 Speaker 1: that I could support my wife is by just getting 1159 00:59:06,880 --> 00:59:10,120 Speaker 1: out the way and making sure everything else is out 1160 00:59:10,160 --> 00:59:12,960 Speaker 1: of her way. You know. So oftentimes it's left on 1161 00:59:13,240 --> 00:59:15,960 Speaker 1: the women to be responsible for take care of home 1162 00:59:16,000 --> 00:59:17,840 Speaker 1: and the kids, you know, And I've been I've been 1163 00:59:17,840 --> 00:59:19,960 Speaker 1: guilty of that sometimes, Like when I was the breadwinner 1164 00:59:20,120 --> 00:59:22,080 Speaker 1: and I was really focused on my career, on my craft, 1165 00:59:22,160 --> 00:59:23,680 Speaker 1: it was like, Okay, can you just focus on this? 1166 00:59:24,160 --> 00:59:26,280 Speaker 1: Can you just do this so I can focus on that, 1167 00:59:27,040 --> 00:59:29,320 Speaker 1: And in doing that we were able to prosper. But 1168 00:59:29,400 --> 00:59:31,400 Speaker 1: then part of me realized that and there's things that 1169 00:59:31,520 --> 00:59:34,480 Speaker 1: she wants to do that you know, I have to 1170 00:59:34,560 --> 00:59:37,280 Speaker 1: kind of take time away from what I'm doing to 1171 00:59:37,400 --> 00:59:40,720 Speaker 1: grab that so that she can focus. So for me, 1172 00:59:40,880 --> 00:59:42,840 Speaker 1: it was kind of like, we're trying to build this 1173 00:59:42,960 --> 00:59:46,280 Speaker 1: empire together, and yeah, Codeine probably could handle all of 1174 00:59:46,320 --> 00:59:48,640 Speaker 1: home stuff and I could go on and flourish, right, 1175 00:59:49,080 --> 00:59:52,040 Speaker 1: But how dope would it be is if while I 1176 00:59:52,120 --> 00:59:54,800 Speaker 1: see she's funishing, let me just grab the kids real quick. 1177 00:59:54,880 --> 00:59:57,160 Speaker 1: Let me pause when I'm doing and he paused real quick, 1178 00:59:57,400 --> 00:59:59,000 Speaker 1: Let me grab the kids, let me take care of 1179 00:59:59,120 --> 01:00:01,640 Speaker 1: home perfectly. Example, when you you you booked your first 1180 01:00:01,680 --> 01:00:04,800 Speaker 1: Netflix uh deal to be a key makeup artist on 1181 01:00:04,800 --> 01:00:07,840 Speaker 1: the show, Ye shout out to us. It's proud of 1182 01:00:07,920 --> 01:00:11,520 Speaker 1: you had to take on that whole project makeup artist 1183 01:00:11,560 --> 01:00:13,560 Speaker 1: for a whole month while they shot this show for 1184 01:00:13,720 --> 01:00:15,480 Speaker 1: I think it was twenty days or twenty two days 1185 01:00:15,920 --> 01:00:18,120 Speaker 1: and literally long hours you know on set here there 1186 01:00:18,200 --> 01:00:20,600 Speaker 1: for like anywhere between twelve to fifteen hours per day, 1187 01:00:20,920 --> 01:00:22,600 Speaker 1: so I literally did not see my husband and my 1188 01:00:22,680 --> 01:00:25,720 Speaker 1: children for an entire month. Um the Devote knew this 1189 01:00:25,840 --> 01:00:28,800 Speaker 1: was my opportunity to you know, get some experience in 1190 01:00:28,880 --> 01:00:31,600 Speaker 1: the field you know, makeup, to be on an actual set, 1191 01:00:31,920 --> 01:00:34,040 Speaker 1: to work with some actors as well. It was great 1192 01:00:34,080 --> 01:00:36,240 Speaker 1: for me too as an actor to now see another 1193 01:00:36,320 --> 01:00:38,320 Speaker 1: side of it how things are being shot. So it 1194 01:00:38,400 --> 01:00:40,520 Speaker 1: was really like a hands on learning experience for me 1195 01:00:40,640 --> 01:00:42,400 Speaker 1: and also away for me to do my makeup. I 1196 01:00:42,480 --> 01:00:44,760 Speaker 1: had my team, you know, we were cohesive, we were 1197 01:00:44,760 --> 01:00:47,120 Speaker 1: working together. Devot ended up booking a role in that 1198 01:00:47,280 --> 01:00:49,720 Speaker 1: series as well, So it was just really great at 1199 01:00:49,720 --> 01:00:51,480 Speaker 1: that time because it was like all hands on deck. 1200 01:00:51,560 --> 01:00:53,360 Speaker 1: So between Devot and my family, they were able to 1201 01:00:53,480 --> 01:00:55,640 Speaker 1: just hold a hold down the fort so I can 1202 01:00:55,720 --> 01:00:58,440 Speaker 1: then flourish in this opportunity, and I think the tide 1203 01:00:58,480 --> 01:01:01,200 Speaker 1: shift for us a lot depending on what the opportunity 1204 01:01:01,400 --> 01:01:03,600 Speaker 1: to Devout me have an opportunity to capitalize on something, 1205 01:01:03,880 --> 01:01:05,320 Speaker 1: so I have to hold the kids down on What 1206 01:01:05,360 --> 01:01:07,840 Speaker 1: I appreciate about you is that you never I never 1207 01:01:07,880 --> 01:01:10,600 Speaker 1: feel oppressed in this relationship. I never feel oppressed within 1208 01:01:10,640 --> 01:01:13,480 Speaker 1: the household because even though sometimes you were, you're direct 1209 01:01:13,520 --> 01:01:15,200 Speaker 1: with telling me what you need and it may come 1210 01:01:15,240 --> 01:01:16,760 Speaker 1: across as like, Okay, I'm gonna need you to do 1211 01:01:17,000 --> 01:01:19,800 Speaker 1: X y Z. I appreciate that you're transparent about that. 1212 01:01:19,960 --> 01:01:22,320 Speaker 1: So I know, Okay, Devout needs this to be his 1213 01:01:22,440 --> 01:01:24,800 Speaker 1: best self right now, So I'm going to do that 1214 01:01:25,320 --> 01:01:27,600 Speaker 1: to ensure that he can be his best self. And 1215 01:01:27,880 --> 01:01:31,280 Speaker 1: I can appreciate that you're willing to do that, but 1216 01:01:31,400 --> 01:01:34,840 Speaker 1: it makes me that much more prepared to do it 1217 01:01:34,920 --> 01:01:37,480 Speaker 1: when you need it. You see what I'm saying the 1218 01:01:37,560 --> 01:01:40,880 Speaker 1: rest because absolutely, like I say to myself sometimes like yo, 1219 01:01:40,960 --> 01:01:43,560 Speaker 1: this woman took a year and a half off to 1220 01:01:43,640 --> 01:01:46,640 Speaker 1: have a child from TV, then while taking a year 1221 01:01:46,640 --> 01:01:49,000 Speaker 1: and a half of come pregnant and had to take 1222 01:01:49,000 --> 01:01:51,800 Speaker 1: another year and a half off to have another child 1223 01:01:52,120 --> 01:01:53,760 Speaker 1: and both of them are my boys. Is to help 1224 01:01:53,800 --> 01:01:56,720 Speaker 1: build our legacy. It's like, if she needs a month 1225 01:01:56,800 --> 01:01:59,720 Speaker 1: to two months to focus on just her career, I 1226 01:01:59,840 --> 01:02:01,800 Speaker 1: have to be willing to do that, you know what 1227 01:02:01,880 --> 01:02:03,800 Speaker 1: I'm saying. I think I have to like the most 1228 01:02:03,840 --> 01:02:06,040 Speaker 1: helpful things you've done too, Even if you couldn't step in. 1229 01:02:06,160 --> 01:02:08,600 Speaker 1: You made provisions for the kids with like my mom, 1230 01:02:08,640 --> 01:02:10,440 Speaker 1: you'd be like, my, you know, k needs to go 1231 01:02:10,520 --> 01:02:12,040 Speaker 1: to the gym? Is there a way for you to 1232 01:02:12,080 --> 01:02:15,120 Speaker 1: come back after? So that way? Yeah, your mom is 1233 01:02:15,200 --> 01:02:20,520 Speaker 1: my go to when your dad to Yeah, and Brian 1234 01:02:21,520 --> 01:02:24,040 Speaker 1: like Jackson, you know, because family, Yeah, they really just 1235 01:02:24,480 --> 01:02:26,280 Speaker 1: help so much. So even if you are not there 1236 01:02:26,360 --> 01:02:28,240 Speaker 1: to do it, you can foresee that I need the help, 1237 01:02:28,320 --> 01:02:30,480 Speaker 1: and you'll reach out to all of our forces and 1238 01:02:30,600 --> 01:02:32,640 Speaker 1: be like, hey, who is free to help us out 1239 01:02:32,680 --> 01:02:35,280 Speaker 1: real quick? And they're usually so great about you know, pures. 1240 01:02:35,640 --> 01:02:37,920 Speaker 1: So it really is the village, Like the village makes 1241 01:02:37,960 --> 01:02:40,120 Speaker 1: it possible for me to step out, you know, and 1242 01:02:40,280 --> 01:02:41,800 Speaker 1: just grab the kids in the house and say, you know, 1243 01:02:41,960 --> 01:02:44,240 Speaker 1: let's go go get the bag, baby, just go get 1244 01:02:44,280 --> 01:02:46,640 Speaker 1: the bags, all the bag, you know, because you bring 1245 01:02:46,720 --> 01:02:48,360 Speaker 1: home the bacon. You know, even though I don't eat 1246 01:02:48,360 --> 01:02:53,880 Speaker 1: pork no more, I know, I know, I definitely to me, 1247 01:02:54,000 --> 01:02:55,760 Speaker 1: I don't eat pork. I only eat bacon every now 1248 01:02:55,800 --> 01:02:59,520 Speaker 1: and again. So you just said that bacon is its 1249 01:02:59,560 --> 01:03:02,080 Speaker 1: own ented. Okay, bacon, April, don't eat it all the time. 1250 01:03:02,240 --> 01:03:04,080 Speaker 1: Let me tell you all about this girl, yo, we 1251 01:03:04,440 --> 01:03:06,920 Speaker 1: we go, I've got where we were, and she was 1252 01:03:07,000 --> 01:03:09,480 Speaker 1: just like, can I see your vegan options please? I'm 1253 01:03:09,520 --> 01:03:14,920 Speaker 1: like trying to be healthy today. So we have a 1254 01:03:14,960 --> 01:03:17,840 Speaker 1: black bean burger. She's, oh, a great, great greade. So 1255 01:03:17,920 --> 01:03:20,520 Speaker 1: she's like, let me get the black bean burger with bacon. 1256 01:03:21,360 --> 01:03:24,360 Speaker 1: I was like, what what are you doing? I felt 1257 01:03:24,440 --> 01:03:26,439 Speaker 1: for it, like the very blue boom that I felt 1258 01:03:26,440 --> 01:03:29,440 Speaker 1: for baking. It just happens. The rationale behind it was 1259 01:03:29,560 --> 01:03:33,880 Speaker 1: so dope, though, she goes. She goes, listen, nobody make 1260 01:03:33,960 --> 01:03:36,480 Speaker 1: food better than vegans. If you can make an all 1261 01:03:36,720 --> 01:03:41,840 Speaker 1: vegetable meal tastes man good. Imagine if you add bah. 1262 01:03:43,080 --> 01:03:47,960 Speaker 1: I was like, you right, though, but you're right and 1263 01:03:48,880 --> 01:03:51,000 Speaker 1: tastes good. Let me know who's doing that out there. 1264 01:03:51,080 --> 01:03:53,080 Speaker 1: Make sure I'll come in and let me know who 1265 01:03:53,160 --> 01:03:57,640 Speaker 1: has tried to put bacon on their hashtag vegan with bacon. Yes, 1266 01:03:58,160 --> 01:04:00,640 Speaker 1: all right, listen to this. I always loved those. Yes, 1267 01:04:01,160 --> 01:04:03,400 Speaker 1: um And if you want to be featured as one 1268 01:04:03,440 --> 01:04:06,280 Speaker 1: of our listener letters, email us at dead as Advice 1269 01:04:06,480 --> 01:04:10,440 Speaker 1: at gmail dot com. Yes, that's dead as Advice. D 1270 01:04:10,640 --> 01:04:13,880 Speaker 1: E A D A S S A, D V I 1271 01:04:14,120 --> 01:04:19,960 Speaker 1: C E at gmail dot com. Baby what's your moment 1272 01:04:20,040 --> 01:04:23,200 Speaker 1: of truth? Um for this whole what's the vows truth 1273 01:04:23,240 --> 01:04:26,080 Speaker 1: when it comes to blending cultures? Are just talking about 1274 01:04:26,240 --> 01:04:29,080 Speaker 1: you know, we're all a part of the African diaspora, 1275 01:04:29,840 --> 01:04:33,680 Speaker 1: Wakanda forever, all that good stuff. Let me know what 1276 01:04:33,800 --> 01:04:37,000 Speaker 1: what what? What's your takeaway from this whole conversation? My 1277 01:04:37,280 --> 01:04:40,320 Speaker 1: My moment of truth is to take time to embrace 1278 01:04:41,520 --> 01:04:44,600 Speaker 1: the culture of the people that you're around, even if 1279 01:04:44,640 --> 01:04:48,480 Speaker 1: it's not your wife, significant other, your friends. Take time 1280 01:04:48,560 --> 01:04:50,640 Speaker 1: to embrace their culture because what you think you know 1281 01:04:50,760 --> 01:04:54,360 Speaker 1: about their cultures, you probably don't. And all the caricatures 1282 01:04:54,720 --> 01:04:58,280 Speaker 1: about their culture that are the stereotypes that that are 1283 01:04:58,360 --> 01:05:01,760 Speaker 1: what you think or hold as true, can be so 1284 01:05:01,960 --> 01:05:04,480 Speaker 1: much deeper if you just take the time and don't 1285 01:05:04,480 --> 01:05:06,320 Speaker 1: only just do it for them, do it for yourself, 1286 01:05:07,040 --> 01:05:09,120 Speaker 1: because the more you learn, the better you can become. 1287 01:05:09,600 --> 01:05:12,320 Speaker 1: And I want to be able to know as much 1288 01:05:12,360 --> 01:05:14,000 Speaker 1: as I can about as many people so I can 1289 01:05:14,040 --> 01:05:15,960 Speaker 1: share that with the boys. Yeah, taking the time to 1290 01:05:16,040 --> 01:05:19,280 Speaker 1: really dispel the myths surrounding any culture, and that's just 1291 01:05:19,360 --> 01:05:21,840 Speaker 1: not Caribbean culture. With a culture whatever you want to 1292 01:05:21,880 --> 01:05:23,840 Speaker 1: call it, it can be, you know, Asian culture, it 1293 01:05:23,880 --> 01:05:26,520 Speaker 1: can be African, it can be European, like whatever it is. 1294 01:05:26,600 --> 01:05:29,000 Speaker 1: Really taking the time to dispel the myths will make 1295 01:05:29,000 --> 01:05:30,880 Speaker 1: you a well rounded person as well. And I think 1296 01:05:30,920 --> 01:05:33,920 Speaker 1: it's just more more about humanity and that circumstance, so 1297 01:05:34,000 --> 01:05:37,280 Speaker 1: you can really get to understand people better. Um like what. 1298 01:05:37,360 --> 01:05:39,240 Speaker 1: I like what you said that though more about humanity, 1299 01:05:39,640 --> 01:05:41,919 Speaker 1: learn other people's cultures so you could be a better human. 1300 01:05:42,040 --> 01:05:44,320 Speaker 1: I like that. I like that better human, like love 1301 01:05:44,400 --> 01:05:46,600 Speaker 1: thy neighbor, like you can legitimately love thy name, or 1302 01:05:46,960 --> 01:05:50,160 Speaker 1: in authenticity at that point because you feel like you 1303 01:05:50,200 --> 01:05:53,760 Speaker 1: can respect where they've come from. Yeah, that might be 1304 01:05:53,800 --> 01:05:57,680 Speaker 1: my moment of truth. You know what, Ignorance is not 1305 01:05:58,120 --> 01:06:02,160 Speaker 1: bliss in this circumstance because you don't know about a culture. 1306 01:06:02,160 --> 01:06:03,920 Speaker 1: If you don't know, like how my father and his 1307 01:06:04,040 --> 01:06:07,080 Speaker 1: friends did not know about the struggle, it's not bliss. 1308 01:06:07,320 --> 01:06:10,880 Speaker 1: It's actually pretty sad, and it's pretty sad. It is 1309 01:06:10,960 --> 01:06:13,400 Speaker 1: pretty sad. It is pretty sad. So, you know, as 1310 01:06:13,480 --> 01:06:16,040 Speaker 1: youcate yourself had these conversations instead of talking about you 1311 01:06:16,080 --> 01:06:17,480 Speaker 1: know what just came on on Love and Hip Hop 1312 01:06:17,600 --> 01:06:20,440 Speaker 1: last episode, how about you talk about somebody's culture, you know, 1313 01:06:20,640 --> 01:06:22,880 Speaker 1: share a little tip or something you know, invite them 1314 01:06:22,920 --> 01:06:24,520 Speaker 1: over for a meal that they may not have had 1315 01:06:24,600 --> 01:06:27,680 Speaker 1: before and introduced into a different way of doing things, 1316 01:06:27,800 --> 01:06:30,520 Speaker 1: or or something that's specific to your culture. I like that. 1317 01:06:30,960 --> 01:06:33,200 Speaker 1: I like that. I like that. Do you all like that? Well? 1318 01:06:33,240 --> 01:06:34,960 Speaker 1: If you like that, be sure to follow us on 1319 01:06:35,080 --> 01:06:38,080 Speaker 1: social media. That's I am devoted. I A M D 1320 01:06:38,200 --> 01:06:41,520 Speaker 1: as in David E V as in volume A L E. 1321 01:06:42,280 --> 01:06:44,400 Speaker 1: You're so obnoxious with the spelling of your handle. I 1322 01:06:44,520 --> 01:06:50,120 Speaker 1: liked le. People can spell and cadine, I am doing 1323 01:06:51,400 --> 01:06:54,440 Speaker 1: H A D E. And is a Nancy I A M. 1324 01:06:54,720 --> 01:06:57,600 Speaker 1: And if you're listening on Apple podcasts, be sure to 1325 01:06:57,760 --> 01:07:05,560 Speaker 1: rate and subscribe and tell friends. And dead Ass is 1326 01:07:05,600 --> 01:07:08,720 Speaker 1: a production of Stitcher is produced by T Square, Stephanie 1327 01:07:08,800 --> 01:07:12,640 Speaker 1: Karauke and Dinora Opinion. Our executive producer is Chris Manning, 1328 01:07:12,680 --> 01:07:14,280 Speaker 1: and we'd like to give a special thanks to our 1329 01:07:14,360 --> 01:07:19,000 Speaker 1: recording engineer Jared O'Connell, our sound designer Brendan Burns, and 1330 01:07:19,160 --> 01:07:30,480 Speaker 1: studio manager Ashley Warren. We'll back. I'm Drew McCarry and 1331 01:07:30,520 --> 01:07:32,760 Speaker 1: I'm David Roth. We have a podcast scoring on right 1332 01:07:32,840 --> 01:07:35,160 Speaker 1: now as part of the stitchen Net. We're called substraction 1333 01:07:35,400 --> 01:07:40,080 Speaker 1: that's available everywhere. Getting podcast at Stitcher, Spotify, Apple Go. 1334 01:07:40,320 --> 01:07:42,520 Speaker 1: Listen right now to the distraction, right now, it's out. 1335 01:07:42,760 --> 01:07:43,320 Speaker 1: Do it please,