1 00:00:11,240 --> 00:00:15,160 Speaker 1: Welcome to PM Mood, the no Talking Points, no Bullshit 2 00:00:15,280 --> 00:00:18,840 Speaker 1: podcast that takes you behind the curtain, off the red carpet, 3 00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 1: and to the front lines of progress with change makers 4 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:24,800 Speaker 1: and innovators that are doing the work to shift our 5 00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:29,040 Speaker 1: culture and expand our social impact. I am so excited 6 00:00:29,040 --> 00:00:33,800 Speaker 1: to welcome to PM Mood. Toshi Regan, musician, artist, curator, 7 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:39,000 Speaker 1: and in my eyes, soothsayer, amazing, soulful rocker who has 8 00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:44,720 Speaker 1: had the foresight, the brilliance to take one of our 9 00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:48,960 Speaker 1: treasured authors in the African American community, sci fi writer, 10 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:53,680 Speaker 1: the late Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sewer to audiences 11 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:56,880 Speaker 1: to opera to bring it to life. You do a 12 00:00:56,920 --> 00:00:59,600 Speaker 1: better job, Toshi. And we've known each other for quite 13 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:01,720 Speaker 1: some time, and if it hadn't have been for you 14 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:04,560 Speaker 1: five years ago, I would have never read this series. 15 00:01:04,600 --> 00:01:07,480 Speaker 1: I would have never had my eyes opened to the 16 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:10,880 Speaker 1: beautiful work and the art of Octavia Butler. But tell 17 00:01:10,959 --> 00:01:14,080 Speaker 1: us about the book and then why you wanted to 18 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:18,560 Speaker 1: turn it into an opera. Sure, Octavia E. Butler's Parable 19 00:01:18,600 --> 00:01:21,000 Speaker 1: of the Sower is a part of what was gonna 20 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:24,399 Speaker 1: be a trio of books. So she wrote Parable the 21 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:27,000 Speaker 1: Sower and she wrote parable The Talents, and the third 22 00:01:27,040 --> 00:01:30,080 Speaker 1: book she never finished, which would have been parable of 23 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:32,800 Speaker 1: the Trickster. And this book takes place in the year 24 00:01:32,840 --> 00:01:36,600 Speaker 1: twenty twenty four, and it came out in nineteen ninety three, 25 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:41,520 Speaker 1: so it was a look forward of about thirty years 26 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:45,520 Speaker 1: into our future. And I read it in like ninety 27 00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:48,560 Speaker 1: seven or ninety eight, and I was like, no way 28 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:52,640 Speaker 1: in this week our future And on the novel tells 29 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:56,520 Speaker 1: the story of the whole planet really, but a focus 30 00:01:56,600 --> 00:01:59,920 Speaker 1: on a community right outside of La kind of a 31 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:05,160 Speaker 1: around Pasadena, and where we have become so destructive in 32 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:09,640 Speaker 1: our everyday living and in our governing, in our collaboration 33 00:02:10,160 --> 00:02:14,760 Speaker 1: as neighbors and everything we've allowed basically what we're actually 34 00:02:14,760 --> 00:02:17,919 Speaker 1: in the process of now, where the middle class and 35 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:21,400 Speaker 1: upper middle class economic wealth is being pulled out, and 36 00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:24,720 Speaker 1: you have this huge gap in the county and you 37 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:28,639 Speaker 1: have really severe climate prices. Then add to that our 38 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:35,480 Speaker 1: usual human tendencies towards each other of violence and you know, bigotry, 39 00:02:35,639 --> 00:02:39,880 Speaker 1: and you get a pretty devastating situation and perfect like 40 00:02:39,880 --> 00:02:43,800 Speaker 1: a kind of a perfect storm of everything socioeconomically that 41 00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:47,960 Speaker 1: could go wrong on top of extreme climate change. And 42 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:51,760 Speaker 1: then a government that has gutted all social safety and 43 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:56,400 Speaker 1: that agencies and is incredibly right wing and steeped in 44 00:02:56,800 --> 00:03:02,400 Speaker 1: right wing Christian ideology. Yeah so the current Yeah, yes, exactly. 45 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:05,800 Speaker 1: But you can't leave out people, right, so you know, 46 00:03:05,919 --> 00:03:08,720 Speaker 1: we actually have an opportunity to be a big part 47 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:13,160 Speaker 1: of this, and then the story somewhat in our own behaviors, 48 00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:16,840 Speaker 1: we allow it to happen. You know, we don't center 49 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:20,800 Speaker 1: ourselves as citizens in a relationship with our government. We 50 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:24,600 Speaker 1: don't vote, we don't build you know, leadership from the 51 00:03:24,639 --> 00:03:27,920 Speaker 1: ground up. You know, we are short distance, so we 52 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:30,640 Speaker 1: need something to happen tomorrow instead of thinking, well, like 53 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:33,560 Speaker 1: let's build over time and have a long game. We 54 00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:36,600 Speaker 1: don't fight for everything we deserve. We don't fight back 55 00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:39,640 Speaker 1: when they start literally stealing our money. And then there's 56 00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:45,520 Speaker 1: just consistent systemic attacks on particular communities where it's almost impossible, 57 00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:48,280 Speaker 1: like you're just trying to keep your head above water. 58 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:51,960 Speaker 1: And so those communities that really, really really are just 59 00:03:52,080 --> 00:03:56,800 Speaker 1: constantly over generations trying to just exist, we don't go 60 00:03:56,840 --> 00:03:59,560 Speaker 1: in and lift them up. So all of that ends 61 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:03,560 Speaker 1: up putting everybody in that same dangerous position of just 62 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:06,640 Speaker 1: trying to exist no matter who you are. That's the 63 00:04:06,760 --> 00:04:10,560 Speaker 1: novel in Conditionally, But inside of it is a story 64 00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:13,880 Speaker 1: of a girl who's fifteen years old. Her name is 65 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:18,440 Speaker 1: Lauren Alomina, and Lauren has created a belief system called 66 00:04:18,560 --> 00:04:22,200 Speaker 1: Earth See where she sees God as change, the only 67 00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:26,000 Speaker 1: lasting truth. And so the story is about Lauren, inside 68 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:30,000 Speaker 1: of her community with this new belief system, actually trying 69 00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:32,640 Speaker 1: to bring it to life and bring it forward and 70 00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:36,159 Speaker 1: have it be an actual practice of existence. And I 71 00:04:36,200 --> 00:04:38,760 Speaker 1: think what was so interesting to me as I was 72 00:04:38,839 --> 00:04:42,400 Speaker 1: reading the book one is that I can maybe count 73 00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:45,120 Speaker 1: on one hand the number of books that I have 74 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:49,360 Speaker 1: read that had a black woman as the lead. Right, 75 00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:53,560 Speaker 1: who is the hero? Who is going on? Because parable 76 00:04:53,600 --> 00:04:56,479 Speaker 1: to me, it's really the hero's journey and the journey 77 00:04:56,600 --> 00:04:59,880 Speaker 1: of us all coming into ourselves and figuring out when 78 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:04,360 Speaker 1: everything has been obliterated, what can you create out of that? Right? 79 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:07,640 Speaker 1: How do you rebuild out of a decimation of what 80 00:05:07,680 --> 00:05:11,880 Speaker 1: you thought were societal norms about how we treat each other, 81 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:15,200 Speaker 1: about how we exist with each other? And she as 82 00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:19,760 Speaker 1: this young black woman creating this community and building out 83 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:23,480 Speaker 1: like this existence, it was so amazing to read and 84 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:26,680 Speaker 1: to experience because I've never had it, and I think 85 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:29,719 Speaker 1: that for many black people. And I'm a writer, not 86 00:05:29,839 --> 00:05:33,480 Speaker 1: in that way more political writing and analysis, but just 87 00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:38,159 Speaker 1: understanding the ways in which black women see the world view, 88 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:41,360 Speaker 1: the world view their power to create change in the world. 89 00:05:41,480 --> 00:05:45,039 Speaker 1: It was a very beautiful thing to experience while following 90 00:05:45,160 --> 00:05:48,440 Speaker 1: Lauren on this journey. What stood out to you about 91 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:51,520 Speaker 1: like her particular journey and struggle and how she was 92 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:54,360 Speaker 1: coming to life in the book. What I really love 93 00:05:54,400 --> 00:05:59,040 Speaker 1: about Lauren is Lauren educated herself so thoroughly, like she 94 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:03,560 Speaker 1: didn't know that everything, but her belief system was based 95 00:06:03,600 --> 00:06:06,680 Speaker 1: on that. She wouldn't know that everything, but what she 96 00:06:06,760 --> 00:06:10,000 Speaker 1: could know. She read all of the books about plants. 97 00:06:10,200 --> 00:06:12,680 Speaker 1: She wanted to know, like what could I eat? She 98 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:16,120 Speaker 1: wrote in a journal. She kept track of everything in 99 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:19,920 Speaker 1: her time. The radio was the way that she got information, 100 00:06:20,080 --> 00:06:23,560 Speaker 1: and she had a view to the entirety of the universe, 101 00:06:23,839 --> 00:06:27,080 Speaker 1: so she actually didn't see like what was in front 102 00:06:27,120 --> 00:06:30,279 Speaker 1: of her was the only thing in existence. She saw 103 00:06:30,440 --> 00:06:33,400 Speaker 1: us as a part of the entire universe and that 104 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:36,040 Speaker 1: our destiny was to live amongst the stars. And I 105 00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:40,880 Speaker 1: think that idea of seeing such a wide picture gave 106 00:06:40,920 --> 00:06:44,240 Speaker 1: her like something to work towards. And I think if 107 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:47,360 Speaker 1: your picture is like, you know, if I can't wake 108 00:06:47,440 --> 00:06:50,120 Speaker 1: up in this house tomorrow, then I have nothing. And 109 00:06:50,320 --> 00:06:53,760 Speaker 1: she just really her spirit and her mindset about like 110 00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:56,800 Speaker 1: taking the next step and taking the next step. And 111 00:06:56,960 --> 00:07:00,560 Speaker 1: she took the practical things. She took maps on paper 112 00:07:01,120 --> 00:07:04,359 Speaker 1: and they had you know, she had the tangible things 113 00:07:04,400 --> 00:07:07,479 Speaker 1: that could actually like help you get from one place 114 00:07:07,480 --> 00:07:10,560 Speaker 1: to another that she valued greatly. That's what I love 115 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:13,200 Speaker 1: about her. I think that's the epicenter of her success, 116 00:07:13,520 --> 00:07:17,800 Speaker 1: understanding the tangible. What made you after reading this and 117 00:07:17,960 --> 00:07:20,080 Speaker 1: so many years ago, right, you said that you the 118 00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:22,440 Speaker 1: book came out in nineteen ninety three, you read it 119 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:25,920 Speaker 1: in about nineteen ninety seven, What made you want to 120 00:07:25,960 --> 00:07:29,360 Speaker 1: turn this into an opera? You know, my mom and 121 00:07:29,400 --> 00:07:33,160 Speaker 1: I first put music to this story at Princeton for 122 00:07:33,320 --> 00:07:36,800 Speaker 1: one of Tony Morrison's Princeton to tell. Yeah, so this 123 00:07:36,920 --> 00:07:39,520 Speaker 1: is like a semester long workshop that she would invite 124 00:07:39,560 --> 00:07:43,720 Speaker 1: an artist to lead, and she asked my mom. My mom, 125 00:07:44,040 --> 00:07:46,680 Speaker 1: you know, does a lot of things. So she was 126 00:07:46,720 --> 00:07:51,600 Speaker 1: like a curator as Smithsonian. She had her group Sweet 127 00:07:51,640 --> 00:07:53,640 Speaker 1: Honey in the Rock. I don't think she was teaching 128 00:07:53,680 --> 00:07:56,520 Speaker 1: at American University, yet like she just always had a 129 00:07:56,520 --> 00:08:02,120 Speaker 1: lot of jobs. Really, she told Professor Morrison maybe to 130 00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:06,640 Speaker 1: she'll teach half the classes. And we gave each other 131 00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:11,600 Speaker 1: parable for Christmas one year, and my mom read it 132 00:08:11,640 --> 00:08:13,720 Speaker 1: and I read two pages. I was like, I'm not 133 00:08:13,800 --> 00:08:17,480 Speaker 1: telling what it's showing because it's so much, so much. 134 00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:20,360 Speaker 1: I was like, I can't no, thank you. But you know, 135 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:22,440 Speaker 1: when we did that class, I had to read it 136 00:08:22,600 --> 00:08:26,960 Speaker 1: and we took songs from like African American Black American 137 00:08:27,520 --> 00:08:31,080 Speaker 1: Black music and we arked them over the conditions in 138 00:08:31,080 --> 00:08:33,920 Speaker 1: the book. And after we finished teaching that course, we 139 00:08:33,920 --> 00:08:36,640 Speaker 1: were like, we can sing this book. And we each 140 00:08:36,720 --> 00:08:39,360 Speaker 1: wrote a song out of the book, and both of 141 00:08:39,360 --> 00:08:42,960 Speaker 1: those songs already in the show. And we started the 142 00:08:43,080 --> 00:08:45,480 Speaker 1: journey of like my mom was super busy, so she's like, 143 00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:48,880 Speaker 1: I can't do this right now. But around two thousand 144 00:08:49,040 --> 00:08:52,079 Speaker 1: four or five we started to like look at what 145 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:54,560 Speaker 1: it would mean to tell the story. And then two 146 00:08:54,559 --> 00:08:57,280 Speaker 1: thousand and eight we had a workshop at New York 147 00:08:57,280 --> 00:09:00,800 Speaker 1: City Opera that didn't work. New York City y Opera close, 148 00:09:00,880 --> 00:09:05,520 Speaker 1: so it took till twenty fifteen for the first workshop 149 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:08,559 Speaker 1: to actually happen. So that's a ten year, a ten 150 00:09:08,640 --> 00:09:12,960 Speaker 1: year process of when Tony Morrison, Professor Tony Morrison asked 151 00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:16,480 Speaker 1: you to teach, asked both of you years. Oh it's 152 00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:21,800 Speaker 1: twenty ninety seven. Wow, yeah, ninety seven or ninety eight. 153 00:09:22,200 --> 00:09:24,480 Speaker 1: So we weren't thinking, oh, we're going to write a 154 00:09:24,559 --> 00:09:26,079 Speaker 1: music on this class. We're just like, we're going to 155 00:09:26,160 --> 00:09:29,480 Speaker 1: teach this course, right, because after the course that we 156 00:09:29,520 --> 00:09:32,360 Speaker 1: were like, oh, wow, what would it mean to like 157 00:09:32,640 --> 00:09:36,240 Speaker 1: do this? And yeah, so it's twenty years these like 158 00:09:36,600 --> 00:09:39,559 Speaker 1: twenty years in the and tell me you and your 159 00:09:39,600 --> 00:09:45,080 Speaker 1: mother have the rights right to Octavia Butler's writings. Is 160 00:09:45,080 --> 00:09:48,160 Speaker 1: this the first time that any of her books have 161 00:09:48,280 --> 00:09:52,520 Speaker 1: been taken and expanded upon in this way? There's been 162 00:09:52,559 --> 00:09:57,360 Speaker 1: no movies, no, you know, anything on her work. It's 163 00:09:57,520 --> 00:10:01,760 Speaker 1: us in the graphic novels. You know, Yeah, we're first. Then. 164 00:10:02,040 --> 00:10:04,760 Speaker 1: We are so proud of that because it's you know, 165 00:10:04,840 --> 00:10:07,679 Speaker 1: we went to the estate, you know, in two thousand 166 00:10:07,720 --> 00:10:11,319 Speaker 1: and fourteen, and you know, I went to to say. 167 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:13,480 Speaker 1: My mom was like I'm retired, you go do it 168 00:10:13,679 --> 00:10:17,599 Speaker 1: with the public theater. Sean to take and May and 169 00:10:17,679 --> 00:10:21,280 Speaker 1: Wang they had to under the Radar Festival, and those 170 00:10:21,320 --> 00:10:24,440 Speaker 1: two women were heard me sing three songs that my 171 00:10:24,520 --> 00:10:26,840 Speaker 1: mom and I had written and they were like, what's 172 00:10:26,880 --> 00:10:28,800 Speaker 1: that you know? And I was like, Oh, I don't 173 00:10:28,840 --> 00:10:31,280 Speaker 1: have any rights to this, but it's this idea and 174 00:10:31,320 --> 00:10:33,600 Speaker 1: they hadn't read Parable of the Sower and so they 175 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:35,160 Speaker 1: read it and they're like, we you know, we have 176 00:10:35,280 --> 00:10:37,839 Speaker 1: to do this, and so we went to the estate 177 00:10:38,240 --> 00:10:43,000 Speaker 1: really super cool supportive of this journey, and they gave 178 00:10:43,120 --> 00:10:46,120 Speaker 1: us permission to like try They gave me like one 179 00:10:46,200 --> 00:10:49,319 Speaker 1: year to kind of try to execute something and that 180 00:10:49,440 --> 00:10:53,280 Speaker 1: was everything. You know. Now, as you said, there's like 181 00:10:53,320 --> 00:10:59,680 Speaker 1: I think two TV series, av Daverne and Viola Davis 182 00:10:59,760 --> 00:11:03,360 Speaker 1: come they're doing different books. I think one's doing Dawn 183 00:11:03,440 --> 00:11:06,960 Speaker 1: and one's doing Wild See, so like that's super exciting 184 00:11:07,040 --> 00:11:11,160 Speaker 1: that you know her stories they're gonna come out. But yeah, 185 00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:15,160 Speaker 1: we're first, and we're like supergrass roots and like like 186 00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:19,360 Speaker 1: no money, you know, no nothing, just like really hard 187 00:11:19,360 --> 00:11:24,800 Speaker 1: work and brilliant actors and musicians and designers and that's 188 00:11:24,800 --> 00:11:27,000 Speaker 1: how we got it off the ground. How have people 189 00:11:27,080 --> 00:11:30,320 Speaker 1: reacted to the telling of this story to being able 190 00:11:30,679 --> 00:11:34,600 Speaker 1: to see it right, because it's so incredibly moving. I mean, 191 00:11:34,760 --> 00:11:39,440 Speaker 1: if folks have not listened to you sing before, they 192 00:11:39,640 --> 00:11:42,839 Speaker 1: must run out after this podcast and download your music, 193 00:11:42,840 --> 00:11:45,520 Speaker 1: because I think that for me, the way in which 194 00:11:45,559 --> 00:11:49,280 Speaker 1: you sing and the musicians that you have in this show, 195 00:11:49,480 --> 00:11:52,680 Speaker 1: like it pierces your heart. You know, the story in 196 00:11:52,760 --> 00:11:55,960 Speaker 1: and of itself of what it means to grow to 197 00:11:56,120 --> 00:11:59,559 Speaker 1: build Like to me, Lauren is a phoenix right like 198 00:11:59,640 --> 00:12:03,320 Speaker 1: literally her entire life in so many ways. And I 199 00:12:03,320 --> 00:12:05,280 Speaker 1: don't want to give everything away about the books. I 200 00:12:05,280 --> 00:12:06,800 Speaker 1: want people to read it, and I want them to 201 00:12:06,840 --> 00:12:09,120 Speaker 1: see the opera, and I want them to experience it 202 00:12:09,160 --> 00:12:13,040 Speaker 1: for themselves. But everything in our life is burned down, right, 203 00:12:13,080 --> 00:12:16,120 Speaker 1: and she literally then is on the road having to 204 00:12:16,160 --> 00:12:19,320 Speaker 1: rebuild in this climate where people see her as the 205 00:12:19,440 --> 00:12:23,160 Speaker 1: enemy of wanting to connect people to themselves and connect 206 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:26,480 Speaker 1: them to spirit, to the universe. She is viewed as 207 00:12:26,640 --> 00:12:30,280 Speaker 1: an enemy of the state, right because she is living 208 00:12:30,360 --> 00:12:34,520 Speaker 1: and educating people outside of biblical terms. Yeah, and I'm 209 00:12:34,559 --> 00:12:38,560 Speaker 1: just curious as to what the reactions are from people 210 00:12:38,840 --> 00:12:42,400 Speaker 1: who have had the ability the privilege to experience the opera. 211 00:12:42,600 --> 00:12:45,480 Speaker 1: Thus far, It's been tremendous, and I should say the 212 00:12:45,679 --> 00:12:49,280 Speaker 1: estate has given us permission to do a Facebook Live 213 00:12:49,320 --> 00:12:52,719 Speaker 1: event where we'll be showing one of the first workshops 214 00:12:52,720 --> 00:12:57,240 Speaker 1: we did on Parable that was filmed at Nyu Abu 215 00:12:57,280 --> 00:13:00,640 Speaker 1: Dhabi Art Center, and that's going to be on Earth Day, 216 00:13:00,920 --> 00:13:04,400 Speaker 1: April twenty second. It'll be noon Eastern Standard time, so 217 00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:07,520 Speaker 1: wherever you are, it's completely free. You just have to 218 00:13:07,640 --> 00:13:12,280 Speaker 1: join the event. It's called Reconnect Octavia E. Butler's Parable 219 00:13:12,320 --> 00:13:15,400 Speaker 1: of so Or the opera. Oh my god, that's gonna 220 00:13:15,400 --> 00:13:18,600 Speaker 1: be amazing. It's not the full opera that we have now, 221 00:13:18,640 --> 00:13:21,720 Speaker 1: but it's a great way to experience it, and especially 222 00:13:21,800 --> 00:13:24,200 Speaker 1: if you're reading the book. I think it'll be meaningful 223 00:13:24,240 --> 00:13:26,080 Speaker 1: for people. And you get to hear the music. You 224 00:13:26,080 --> 00:13:28,680 Speaker 1: get to hear the music we started out with, so 225 00:13:28,840 --> 00:13:32,360 Speaker 1: I should say that. And I think like people who 226 00:13:32,800 --> 00:13:36,600 Speaker 1: know Octavia Butler's work and especially Parable, like they have 227 00:13:36,679 --> 00:13:40,520 Speaker 1: been waiting forever, like it feels like ever, like why 228 00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:42,880 Speaker 1: has it there been? You know this, and that the 229 00:13:42,920 --> 00:13:46,400 Speaker 1: books are super popular and meaningful to people. So when 230 00:13:46,440 --> 00:13:49,600 Speaker 1: we did the first workshop at Under the Radar Festival 231 00:13:49,760 --> 00:13:53,560 Speaker 1: in January twenty fifteen, it's sold out so fast, like 232 00:13:53,600 --> 00:13:55,920 Speaker 1: they were like, wait, what's going on? It's all that 233 00:13:56,040 --> 00:13:58,800 Speaker 1: really fast, and I think like at the public, which 234 00:13:58,840 --> 00:14:02,079 Speaker 1: is super supportive, and you know, everybody knows Joe's Pub 235 00:14:02,200 --> 00:14:04,520 Speaker 1: is like my home venue. It's the place where I 236 00:14:04,720 --> 00:14:07,880 Speaker 1: returned to the do shows all the time. But you know, 237 00:14:07,920 --> 00:14:09,600 Speaker 1: a lot of people in the building I don't think 238 00:14:09,720 --> 00:14:13,079 Speaker 1: knew that work and knew how strong the reception was 239 00:14:13,120 --> 00:14:15,120 Speaker 1: going to be. So we had the ad shows and 240 00:14:15,160 --> 00:14:19,080 Speaker 1: then we didn't the radar again in twenty seventeen and 241 00:14:19,360 --> 00:14:21,320 Speaker 1: the same thing. I've been sold out like in a week, 242 00:14:21,880 --> 00:14:25,600 Speaker 1: And so I think people's relationship to her work is 243 00:14:25,800 --> 00:14:31,440 Speaker 1: very intimate and very like very sacred. And I've read 244 00:14:31,440 --> 00:14:34,480 Speaker 1: Parable probably one hundred times, Like you know, you really 245 00:14:34,520 --> 00:14:37,120 Speaker 1: go into the text and you really go in and 246 00:14:37,240 --> 00:14:40,120 Speaker 1: evolve inside of it, and at different points in your 247 00:14:40,120 --> 00:14:43,920 Speaker 1: life it's important to read like Octavia Butler and get 248 00:14:43,960 --> 00:14:48,080 Speaker 1: yourself right, you know. Like, so the response has been huge, 249 00:14:48,520 --> 00:14:52,400 Speaker 1: and right away I really was like, I don't want 250 00:14:52,400 --> 00:14:55,120 Speaker 1: to show up in communities and do a show like 251 00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:57,960 Speaker 1: the way you think about it, you know. So every 252 00:14:57,960 --> 00:15:00,520 Speaker 1: time we've done it, I call it a pair path. 253 00:15:00,720 --> 00:15:03,720 Speaker 1: I want to do this idea of the path that 254 00:15:03,800 --> 00:15:06,520 Speaker 1: Lauren is walking on out when she has to leave 255 00:15:06,520 --> 00:15:09,520 Speaker 1: her community, but I'm like, I want to walk on 256 00:15:09,560 --> 00:15:12,720 Speaker 1: it in the activation of our power. Lots of us 257 00:15:12,760 --> 00:15:16,920 Speaker 1: are in positions now where we can do what Lauren suggested, 258 00:15:17,040 --> 00:15:19,720 Speaker 1: which is what does it mean to leave and come 259 00:15:19,760 --> 00:15:22,880 Speaker 1: together when you are actually not being chased out of 260 00:15:22,960 --> 00:15:27,760 Speaker 1: your space? What is it to activate across borders which 261 00:15:27,960 --> 00:15:31,120 Speaker 1: you know aren't really that meaningful when you think about it. 262 00:15:31,120 --> 00:15:33,600 Speaker 1: It's something somebody created a long time ago, so they 263 00:15:33,640 --> 00:15:35,680 Speaker 1: could be separate from somebody else. So what does it 264 00:15:35,720 --> 00:15:39,800 Speaker 1: mean for us to come together as humans with our understanding, 265 00:15:39,920 --> 00:15:43,840 Speaker 1: with our wealth of information and practice and activate on 266 00:15:43,920 --> 00:15:47,080 Speaker 1: the issues that need the most communication and action on, 267 00:15:47,240 --> 00:15:52,000 Speaker 1: So obviously the climate crisis and you know, food justice 268 00:15:52,400 --> 00:15:58,280 Speaker 1: and practices of facilitation through difficult decision making, everything that 269 00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:02,280 Speaker 1: each community feels like it is important. When we make 270 00:16:02,320 --> 00:16:05,560 Speaker 1: our partnerships with people, we try to do something, and 271 00:16:05,600 --> 00:16:08,000 Speaker 1: we do it leading up to the show, and then 272 00:16:08,040 --> 00:16:11,120 Speaker 1: we try to keep activating after the show, And I 273 00:16:11,200 --> 00:16:13,320 Speaker 1: call the show a belly button. I'm like, this is 274 00:16:13,360 --> 00:16:18,040 Speaker 1: where we're all going to meet to, you know, see 275 00:16:18,040 --> 00:16:22,400 Speaker 1: each other and tell the story. But our work is continuous, 276 00:16:22,840 --> 00:16:26,880 Speaker 1: So that has been incredible part of the journey, and 277 00:16:26,920 --> 00:16:29,680 Speaker 1: I know it's you know, the reason why the universe 278 00:16:29,720 --> 00:16:32,480 Speaker 1: aligned for me to be in a position to have 279 00:16:32,760 --> 00:16:36,000 Speaker 1: this work to work with, because another year, I wouldn't 280 00:16:36,000 --> 00:16:39,000 Speaker 1: have gotten it, you know. Yeah, I don't know, it 281 00:16:39,080 --> 00:16:42,360 Speaker 1: just would have been outside of something. But it's been overwhelming. 282 00:16:42,440 --> 00:16:46,280 Speaker 1: And the rooms, especially here in the States, the audiences 283 00:16:46,320 --> 00:16:48,960 Speaker 1: are they're a reflection of the communities that they're in. 284 00:16:49,320 --> 00:16:51,360 Speaker 1: We do a lot of work to make sure the 285 00:16:51,400 --> 00:16:55,240 Speaker 1: show is accessible. We go like into bigger theaters so 286 00:16:55,320 --> 00:16:58,080 Speaker 1: we're in like, you know, other than under the radar. 287 00:16:58,320 --> 00:17:02,640 Speaker 1: Our theaters are between six hundred or eighteen hundred people, 288 00:17:02,800 --> 00:17:05,880 Speaker 1: you know, So that is how much people really want 289 00:17:05,920 --> 00:17:09,600 Speaker 1: to access this work. And the way that the show 290 00:17:09,720 --> 00:17:12,760 Speaker 1: is designed is that it has a fluidity, so it's 291 00:17:12,880 --> 00:17:16,120 Speaker 1: always different everywhere it goes, Like there's the same story, 292 00:17:16,240 --> 00:17:18,879 Speaker 1: but how the story gets told and what ways the 293 00:17:18,960 --> 00:17:23,600 Speaker 1: community wants to interact with the story changes, and the 294 00:17:23,600 --> 00:17:26,879 Speaker 1: community always has its hand on us, like wherever we go, 295 00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:31,480 Speaker 1: like they actually have agency in what's going to happen 296 00:17:31,800 --> 00:17:34,320 Speaker 1: when you get in the room. So it's been tremendous. 297 00:17:34,520 --> 00:17:37,879 Speaker 1: The next time we will do it if we are 298 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:42,680 Speaker 1: able to be October first through fourth in Boston at 299 00:17:43,119 --> 00:17:45,879 Speaker 1: Arts Emerson. So we'll see if that will hold up. 300 00:17:46,040 --> 00:17:50,160 Speaker 1: And that's a postpone performance from March right right, How 301 00:17:50,200 --> 00:17:53,040 Speaker 1: do you even in the way that I have done, 302 00:17:53,160 --> 00:17:56,520 Speaker 1: you know, these shows now, we can't escape talking about 303 00:17:56,520 --> 00:18:00,800 Speaker 1: the coronavirus. We can't suspend reality of the global pandemic 304 00:18:00,880 --> 00:18:03,280 Speaker 1: that we're all living through and never thought that we 305 00:18:03,359 --> 00:18:07,440 Speaker 1: would experience or live through. I probably quote something out 306 00:18:07,480 --> 00:18:10,400 Speaker 1: of the book at least multiple times if week on 307 00:18:10,440 --> 00:18:14,120 Speaker 1: my shows. Like people know that, like if you're listening, 308 00:18:14,280 --> 00:18:16,560 Speaker 1: you know, to the political show Woke af on a 309 00:18:16,640 --> 00:18:19,760 Speaker 1: daily basis, like you will hear me talk about parable 310 00:18:19,760 --> 00:18:22,560 Speaker 1: of the story. You will fear me talk about Octavia Butler, 311 00:18:22,640 --> 00:18:26,560 Speaker 1: and I owe you a huge debt for having introduced 312 00:18:26,600 --> 00:18:29,959 Speaker 1: me to her work. But in this particular moment, whenever 313 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:32,880 Speaker 1: I hear Trump, so we could have never predicted this, 314 00:18:32,960 --> 00:18:35,280 Speaker 1: and obviously he's a liar, but it's like, we could 315 00:18:35,320 --> 00:18:37,280 Speaker 1: have never seen this coming, And I think to myself, 316 00:18:37,320 --> 00:18:40,800 Speaker 1: I'm like, no, literally, someone did see it coming. Like 317 00:18:41,280 --> 00:18:43,359 Speaker 1: you know, I know that I'm Tavia Butler. It's a 318 00:18:43,440 --> 00:18:45,919 Speaker 1: sci fi you know, was a sci fi writer, But 319 00:18:46,080 --> 00:18:48,800 Speaker 1: I'm like, I'm pretty sure she was psychic because she 320 00:18:48,920 --> 00:18:51,840 Speaker 1: saw this coming. The only thing that hasn't happened yet 321 00:18:51,960 --> 00:18:54,359 Speaker 1: is a return to slavery. But we know that we 322 00:18:54,400 --> 00:18:57,280 Speaker 1: have human trafficking and all of these things that are 323 00:18:57,359 --> 00:18:59,840 Speaker 1: going on in the world. It's like, how do you 324 00:19:00,040 --> 00:19:02,560 Speaker 1: in this moment kind of wrap your mind? Like are 325 00:19:02,560 --> 00:19:05,399 Speaker 1: you startled? Because I get startled on a regular basis 326 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:08,560 Speaker 1: where I'm like, oh my god. The President in parable 327 00:19:08,600 --> 00:19:11,399 Speaker 1: of the Sower, his slogan was make America great Again. 328 00:19:11,600 --> 00:19:14,960 Speaker 1: She wrote that in nineteen ninety three. It's twenty sixteen. 329 00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:18,920 Speaker 1: Here he is make America great again. You have these 330 00:19:18,920 --> 00:19:21,240 Speaker 1: people that are you know, they want to return to 331 00:19:21,359 --> 00:19:24,479 Speaker 1: Christian values and a church state. Right. We have an 332 00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:28,159 Speaker 1: Attorney General, William Barr right now who is talking about 333 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:31,560 Speaker 1: a return to a Christian state. So how do you 334 00:19:31,680 --> 00:19:35,760 Speaker 1: kind of reconcile or how does it deepen your understanding 335 00:19:36,280 --> 00:19:40,000 Speaker 1: of what Octavia offered to us, which was essentially in 336 00:19:40,080 --> 00:19:43,200 Speaker 1: many ways kind of a pathway forward, right, Like what 337 00:19:43,240 --> 00:19:46,919 Speaker 1: does community mean when you were sheltered in place and 338 00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:50,040 Speaker 1: the human connection and the desire that we all have 339 00:19:50,240 --> 00:19:53,959 Speaker 1: to truly be connected. Yeah, that's a great question. I 340 00:19:53,960 --> 00:19:56,719 Speaker 1: mean in the book, they're sheltered in place. You know, 341 00:19:56,840 --> 00:20:01,800 Speaker 1: they're literally behind a wall. That's how Lauren grew up. 342 00:20:02,040 --> 00:20:05,399 Speaker 1: They returned to kind of a rural existence, like they 343 00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:09,479 Speaker 1: don't have any cars. They're pretty much like vegetarians, Like 344 00:20:09,600 --> 00:20:12,920 Speaker 1: meat is so expensive, They're collecting rain water water is 345 00:20:12,960 --> 00:20:17,720 Speaker 1: so expensive. They're creating systems. Neighbors who never thought they 346 00:20:17,760 --> 00:20:21,880 Speaker 1: would be so collaborative for their existence have to work together. 347 00:20:22,359 --> 00:20:26,840 Speaker 1: And they still are keeping, you know, their separate houses, 348 00:20:27,119 --> 00:20:30,000 Speaker 1: and you can't just walk over to somebody's house and 349 00:20:30,040 --> 00:20:33,280 Speaker 1: be like, yo, that can I have this? But they 350 00:20:33,320 --> 00:20:36,760 Speaker 1: are forced to be in an environment that, you know, 351 00:20:36,840 --> 00:20:41,679 Speaker 1: I'm sure they couldn't imagine. But Activia really says like 352 00:20:41,800 --> 00:20:45,560 Speaker 1: prediction is easy, you know. She's like, once you get 353 00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:48,800 Speaker 1: over your fear, you can always do this thing of 354 00:20:48,880 --> 00:20:51,439 Speaker 1: what's next. And it's not that it has to happen 355 00:20:51,840 --> 00:20:57,879 Speaker 1: right because change, yes, change, But it's a great practice 356 00:20:57,960 --> 00:21:00,920 Speaker 1: to say, what's next. You know, see where you are, 357 00:21:01,200 --> 00:21:04,080 Speaker 1: and then just do what's next. If I, you know, 358 00:21:04,359 --> 00:21:07,959 Speaker 1: do this, what's next. I'm here, what's next? So like 359 00:21:08,040 --> 00:21:10,840 Speaker 1: I what's next? You know where I am? And I 360 00:21:10,960 --> 00:21:14,080 Speaker 1: thought about like, you know, what will come next after this, 361 00:21:14,600 --> 00:21:18,600 Speaker 1: And so of course went to like a lack of resources, 362 00:21:18,680 --> 00:21:20,960 Speaker 1: like that was just the first thing I did, lack 363 00:21:20,960 --> 00:21:24,560 Speaker 1: of resources, So what are the resources that you're going 364 00:21:24,600 --> 00:21:28,399 Speaker 1: to run out of? And I went money and went this. 365 00:21:28,560 --> 00:21:32,200 Speaker 1: I went that what happens if there's not an influx 366 00:21:32,200 --> 00:21:35,760 Speaker 1: of certain resources? Like what if people are hungry? You know? 367 00:21:35,840 --> 00:21:39,520 Speaker 1: So then I went to violence, you know, because like 368 00:21:39,600 --> 00:21:43,960 Speaker 1: if people are hungry, there's some people who can negotiate 369 00:21:44,080 --> 00:21:47,239 Speaker 1: being hungry and not kill other people, and there are 370 00:21:47,280 --> 00:21:50,239 Speaker 1: other people who can't, you know. So then I went like, 371 00:21:50,359 --> 00:21:52,760 Speaker 1: so what will happen? You know? And I was like, 372 00:21:52,840 --> 00:21:56,080 Speaker 1: somebody will knock on my door or somebody will break 373 00:21:56,080 --> 00:21:59,159 Speaker 1: in my house to get food, you know, and you 374 00:21:59,200 --> 00:22:02,360 Speaker 1: can just do It's not like it's not hard. And 375 00:22:02,520 --> 00:22:07,440 Speaker 1: doing that makes you think like I should support systems, right, 376 00:22:07,800 --> 00:22:10,600 Speaker 1: that will keep that from happening. Right, I should not 377 00:22:10,680 --> 00:22:14,040 Speaker 1: be passive. I shouldn't wait for it to happen. I 378 00:22:14,080 --> 00:22:17,720 Speaker 1: should support systems that would keep it from happening. So 379 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:21,080 Speaker 1: it is like when I started getting these emails where 380 00:22:21,080 --> 00:22:24,000 Speaker 1: people were like, hey, you know, we're struggling. You know, 381 00:22:24,160 --> 00:22:27,119 Speaker 1: we need this, we need that. I started just coming 382 00:22:27,160 --> 00:22:29,639 Speaker 1: up with systems of support that I could afford, and 383 00:22:29,720 --> 00:22:32,800 Speaker 1: most of it's like can you send the money to somebody? 384 00:22:33,359 --> 00:22:36,280 Speaker 1: And when the city New York opened up like four 385 00:22:36,359 --> 00:22:40,400 Speaker 1: hundred food stations or people across the city, I was like, 386 00:22:40,920 --> 00:22:43,439 Speaker 1: that is such a great thing. Like I don't know 387 00:22:43,520 --> 00:22:46,520 Speaker 1: how long that will last, but that is an amazing 388 00:22:46,600 --> 00:22:49,520 Speaker 1: thing that makes it possible for a large amount of 389 00:22:49,520 --> 00:22:52,760 Speaker 1: people to not be hungry. And so that's like using prediction, 390 00:22:52,960 --> 00:22:56,840 Speaker 1: you know. And you have to understand people too, you know, 391 00:22:56,920 --> 00:22:59,040 Speaker 1: like you have to want to understand people. And I 392 00:22:59,080 --> 00:23:02,760 Speaker 1: think that we're recognizing like in New York State, where 393 00:23:02,760 --> 00:23:06,879 Speaker 1: we both are, you know, what the state government, local 394 00:23:06,920 --> 00:23:11,440 Speaker 1: government is doing to try and understand that there is 395 00:23:11,480 --> 00:23:15,160 Speaker 1: going to be a really bad chain reaction that happens, right, 396 00:23:15,280 --> 00:23:18,160 Speaker 1: Like you know, we're talking and talking from the book 397 00:23:18,200 --> 00:23:21,040 Speaker 1: to the current moment that we're living in. Social distancing. 398 00:23:21,280 --> 00:23:25,040 Speaker 1: Social distancing, many people have been writing about and talking about, 399 00:23:25,280 --> 00:23:29,200 Speaker 1: is a privilege. Right. That means that you occupy a 400 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:32,680 Speaker 1: lot of space. Right, there's a lot of space where 401 00:23:32,720 --> 00:23:36,640 Speaker 1: you are, so you can have that six foot a distance. 402 00:23:36,800 --> 00:23:40,399 Speaker 1: You can't do that in the housing projects, right, you 403 00:23:40,440 --> 00:23:44,840 Speaker 1: can't do that in densely populated, impoverished areas because it 404 00:23:44,920 --> 00:23:47,760 Speaker 1: was built to pack in as many people as possible. 405 00:23:47,960 --> 00:23:50,720 Speaker 1: So how are you social distancing? Right? And I think 406 00:23:50,720 --> 00:23:54,200 Speaker 1: that if you're not looking at what happens when people 407 00:23:54,280 --> 00:23:56,639 Speaker 1: do not have and what can you do, and you 408 00:23:56,960 --> 00:23:59,920 Speaker 1: look at it through a lens of instead of blaming people, 409 00:24:00,040 --> 00:24:02,280 Speaker 1: because this is what we do in America. We blame 410 00:24:02,320 --> 00:24:04,840 Speaker 1: the poor. If you are poor, if you are in need, 411 00:24:04,920 --> 00:24:07,720 Speaker 1: it's because of something that you have done wrong, right, 412 00:24:07,720 --> 00:24:10,600 Speaker 1: And so we praise the wealthy because if you are wealthy, 413 00:24:10,640 --> 00:24:12,800 Speaker 1: then you must have done all of these things right. 414 00:24:13,200 --> 00:24:15,600 Speaker 1: It doesn't matter who's back you did it on. It 415 00:24:15,600 --> 00:24:17,840 Speaker 1: doesn't matter if you are a robber, baron, you know 416 00:24:17,960 --> 00:24:20,000 Speaker 1: none of those things. It's like, if you were wealthy, 417 00:24:20,040 --> 00:24:23,639 Speaker 1: then you are literally highly favored. Yeah, right, And if 418 00:24:23,680 --> 00:24:26,560 Speaker 1: you understand systems in that way, if that's your perception 419 00:24:26,600 --> 00:24:28,520 Speaker 1: on life, then you're not going to put in the 420 00:24:28,560 --> 00:24:31,240 Speaker 1: frameworks that are necessary to make sure that no one 421 00:24:31,280 --> 00:24:33,639 Speaker 1: falls through the cracks, because if they fall through the cracks, 422 00:24:33,760 --> 00:24:36,760 Speaker 1: your belief tells you they should. Yes to all of that, 423 00:24:36,920 --> 00:24:40,240 Speaker 1: I think one thing maybe people are having time to 424 00:24:40,280 --> 00:24:43,760 Speaker 1: do is like actually see how their government runs, and 425 00:24:44,280 --> 00:24:46,800 Speaker 1: you know in the news there's you know these fights 426 00:24:46,800 --> 00:24:50,560 Speaker 1: in New York. Deblasio and Cuomo have fights all the 427 00:24:50,600 --> 00:24:53,400 Speaker 1: time around big decisions, and you know, one of them 428 00:24:53,400 --> 00:24:56,479 Speaker 1: will announce something and then you know the other one 429 00:24:56,480 --> 00:24:59,000 Speaker 1: will be like, oh, you can't I do that, And 430 00:24:59,040 --> 00:25:01,800 Speaker 1: it feels like, you know, if you're paying attention to it, 431 00:25:01,920 --> 00:25:04,720 Speaker 1: you're just like, are you all children? Like did you 432 00:25:04,760 --> 00:25:06,760 Speaker 1: all forget to wake up in the morning and have 433 00:25:06,800 --> 00:25:11,920 Speaker 1: a phone call before you started like fighting talking out 434 00:25:11,920 --> 00:25:14,400 Speaker 1: in the public. And the same thing happens with Cuomo 435 00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:18,200 Speaker 1: and Trump. You know, like he does something and then 436 00:25:18,280 --> 00:25:20,080 Speaker 1: you know he's like, I can do anything, blah bla 437 00:25:20,080 --> 00:25:22,480 Speaker 1: blah blah blah. But one thing that's been really interesting 438 00:25:22,520 --> 00:25:24,959 Speaker 1: to me is just learning some of the ways that 439 00:25:25,040 --> 00:25:29,359 Speaker 1: government works. You know, somebody started talking about agencies and 440 00:25:29,880 --> 00:25:33,080 Speaker 1: how many of the agencies actually execute to think the 441 00:25:33,119 --> 00:25:35,760 Speaker 1: way that we live and so that like it really 442 00:25:35,800 --> 00:25:38,880 Speaker 1: matters the way that we kind of have an emotional 443 00:25:39,200 --> 00:25:43,200 Speaker 1: reaction to the presidential races, right, we focused on this 444 00:25:43,320 --> 00:25:46,639 Speaker 1: one person and it's like do we like Bernie, do 445 00:25:46,720 --> 00:25:50,560 Speaker 1: we like Warren? Do we like Biden? You know, do 446 00:25:50,600 --> 00:25:54,840 Speaker 1: we like whoever, and our relationship is to that person, right, 447 00:25:54,960 --> 00:25:57,360 Speaker 1: it's like, oh my god, Like if this film doesn't win, 448 00:25:57,440 --> 00:25:59,560 Speaker 1: I'm just not going to vote. But we don't think 449 00:25:59,600 --> 00:26:05,000 Speaker 1: about all those agencies actually are executing our lives, like 450 00:26:05,080 --> 00:26:08,919 Speaker 1: executing our programs and making decisions about everything, and that 451 00:26:09,480 --> 00:26:12,679 Speaker 1: when we drop out of an election, what we're dropping 452 00:26:12,720 --> 00:26:17,240 Speaker 1: out of is a certain kind of administration of how 453 00:26:17,320 --> 00:26:21,360 Speaker 1: we are government. So I already thought that way, but 454 00:26:21,520 --> 00:26:24,320 Speaker 1: the light has been even more illuminated through this crisis 455 00:26:24,440 --> 00:26:27,480 Speaker 1: as agencies I never heard of before that are at 456 00:26:27,520 --> 00:26:30,760 Speaker 1: play during this crisis. So I'm hoping that this is 457 00:26:30,800 --> 00:26:34,600 Speaker 1: a really great chance for people to stop world cupping 458 00:26:34,720 --> 00:26:37,280 Speaker 1: the race. Like you know how we're we're not really 459 00:26:37,480 --> 00:26:41,679 Speaker 1: a soccer slash really football country, right right, But World 460 00:26:41,680 --> 00:26:45,240 Speaker 1: Cup happens and we're like, well, yeay, we're voting for this, right, 461 00:26:45,880 --> 00:26:47,560 Speaker 1: you know what I mean, That's how we are with 462 00:26:47,760 --> 00:26:50,840 Speaker 1: our elections, Like we're like yeahction, and we're like yeah, 463 00:26:50,960 --> 00:26:54,160 Speaker 1: I'm involved. But all of this other stuff has happened 464 00:26:54,480 --> 00:26:57,360 Speaker 1: on a day to day basis. Yeah, And what you 465 00:26:57,480 --> 00:27:00,719 Speaker 1: can know is like the country is not in a pause, 466 00:27:00,800 --> 00:27:04,800 Speaker 1: like this man is still doing everything on his agenda 467 00:27:04,960 --> 00:27:09,680 Speaker 1: and is still in operation. And so while we are 468 00:27:09,680 --> 00:27:12,239 Speaker 1: where we are, you know, it will be good for 469 00:27:12,359 --> 00:27:15,960 Speaker 1: us to like really reflect as individuals when you talk 470 00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:19,480 Speaker 1: about privilege, what are our decisions doing, you know, not 471 00:27:19,520 --> 00:27:22,680 Speaker 1: for us emotionally, but for the whole of us, And 472 00:27:23,200 --> 00:27:28,919 Speaker 1: how are we like participant and systems that actually create 473 00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:32,520 Speaker 1: injustice that you know, keep systemic you know, I just 474 00:27:32,560 --> 00:27:34,840 Speaker 1: call it hatred. I mean, that's just hatred. It's just 475 00:27:34,880 --> 00:27:39,400 Speaker 1: systemic hatred. So you know, this is an illuminating opportunity 476 00:27:39,560 --> 00:27:41,919 Speaker 1: for people. You know, if you have the wealth and 477 00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:45,080 Speaker 1: privilege to be in your house and kind of shelter 478 00:27:45,320 --> 00:27:48,520 Speaker 1: in place and you know, social distance, then like actually 479 00:27:48,760 --> 00:27:51,960 Speaker 1: spend some time reading up and learning how you are 480 00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:55,480 Speaker 1: being governed and what are the systems that are allowing 481 00:27:55,560 --> 00:27:59,080 Speaker 1: for things to happen, Like why is this water coming out? 482 00:27:59,440 --> 00:28:02,480 Speaker 1: And why would in this water come out? And those 483 00:28:02,520 --> 00:28:06,560 Speaker 1: in charge of that you have the time now to 484 00:28:06,720 --> 00:28:09,640 Speaker 1: be supportive and to look around and see, like where 485 00:28:09,640 --> 00:28:12,440 Speaker 1: did all those hospitals go that, you know, all of 486 00:28:12,480 --> 00:28:15,200 Speaker 1: a sudden just we get a pile of urgent care 487 00:28:15,240 --> 00:28:19,760 Speaker 1: facilities that cannot do anything, but like we lost hospitals 488 00:28:19,920 --> 00:28:23,440 Speaker 1: and why are we allowing for there to not be 489 00:28:23,600 --> 00:28:29,560 Speaker 1: an actual spectrum of housing available and the living wage, 490 00:28:29,640 --> 00:28:32,760 Speaker 1: like the United States does not have a living wage, 491 00:28:32,200 --> 00:28:36,360 Speaker 1: does It's like it's stopped in the sixties. So it's like, 492 00:28:36,800 --> 00:28:39,800 Speaker 1: are you kidding me? Like this is an opportunity to 493 00:28:39,880 --> 00:28:45,200 Speaker 1: power up. The earth is showing you restoration. You know, 494 00:28:45,600 --> 00:28:48,680 Speaker 1: we like went in our houses, we stopped driving our cars, 495 00:28:48,960 --> 00:28:52,280 Speaker 1: and the earth is showing you restoration. People are seeing 496 00:28:52,480 --> 00:28:56,160 Speaker 1: the Himalayas in India, like you know, the sky is 497 00:28:56,160 --> 00:29:00,200 Speaker 1: blue in China, like you know, bodies of water were 498 00:29:00,240 --> 00:29:03,480 Speaker 1: clearing up. Yep, I heard a bird I never heard before. 499 00:29:03,720 --> 00:29:09,800 Speaker 1: And so what about us? You know, what is our 500 00:29:09,880 --> 00:29:16,040 Speaker 1: restoration to this pandemic? How are we gonna grow? How 501 00:29:16,080 --> 00:29:20,280 Speaker 1: are we gonna flourish? How are we gonna you know, 502 00:29:20,360 --> 00:29:24,240 Speaker 1: sow the seeds that we actually need. We absolutely should 503 00:29:24,280 --> 00:29:27,760 Speaker 1: not go back to who we were before. And the 504 00:29:27,920 --> 00:29:30,840 Speaker 1: more that you see, there's a thing that you know 505 00:29:31,280 --> 00:29:34,000 Speaker 1: you do when you're afraid. I do when I'm afraid 506 00:29:34,600 --> 00:29:37,240 Speaker 1: is when I see the absurd, you know, I kind 507 00:29:37,240 --> 00:29:39,680 Speaker 1: of just I'm like, it's so absurd, I don't need to, like, 508 00:29:39,720 --> 00:29:42,520 Speaker 1: it's too ridiculous to even like spend two cents on 509 00:29:42,680 --> 00:29:46,920 Speaker 1: you know. But the absurd is the face of chaos. 510 00:29:47,120 --> 00:29:50,760 Speaker 1: It is the most dangerous chaos. It's the chaos that 511 00:29:50,840 --> 00:29:53,760 Speaker 1: makes you feel like you're not even actually seeing it. 512 00:29:53,840 --> 00:29:55,880 Speaker 1: You don't actually have to pay attention to it. It's 513 00:29:55,960 --> 00:29:58,840 Speaker 1: ridiculous and it's constant, and it's kind of funny, like 514 00:29:58,880 --> 00:30:01,760 Speaker 1: you can make jokes about again you believe what he said, 515 00:30:01,800 --> 00:30:03,760 Speaker 1: you know, or you can be like me, or I 516 00:30:03,800 --> 00:30:05,360 Speaker 1: just have to say I'm spending a half an hour 517 00:30:05,400 --> 00:30:07,600 Speaker 1: a day on news, and then that's gonna be it, right, 518 00:30:07,840 --> 00:30:12,960 Speaker 1: But it is horrifically dangerous. This is the biggest alarm 519 00:30:13,200 --> 00:30:19,240 Speaker 1: that human beings in America should answer. And a person 520 00:30:19,360 --> 00:30:23,200 Speaker 1: like this driving a media cycle that kind of it, 521 00:30:23,680 --> 00:30:28,840 Speaker 1: can't unswerve themselves from around his voice, even though they 522 00:30:28,960 --> 00:30:33,040 Speaker 1: know the relationship it's feeding. It's like a force, like 523 00:30:33,160 --> 00:30:36,720 Speaker 1: you know, that is chaos. And Octavia says chaos is 524 00:30:36,760 --> 00:30:40,800 Speaker 1: God's most dangerous face. And you know, she also says 525 00:30:40,840 --> 00:30:44,320 Speaker 1: belief initiates action or it does nothing. She also says, 526 00:30:44,600 --> 00:30:49,280 Speaker 1: embrace diversity or be destroyed. So those are three things. 527 00:30:50,080 --> 00:30:53,640 Speaker 1: All of those things are things to live by, you know, always. 528 00:30:53,680 --> 00:30:57,680 Speaker 1: But definitely during this time, I would say, you know, 529 00:30:57,960 --> 00:31:00,400 Speaker 1: I don't want us the bottom for the administ station. 530 00:31:00,600 --> 00:31:07,760 Speaker 1: I want us to so in some ways, you know, 531 00:31:08,040 --> 00:31:11,200 Speaker 1: we kind of like, let's bottom and see what's gonna happen. 532 00:31:11,640 --> 00:31:16,520 Speaker 1: But like, if it's a dangerous, chaotic face topping you, 533 00:31:16,520 --> 00:31:19,360 Speaker 1: you absolutely can't stay on your back. You got to 534 00:31:19,440 --> 00:31:21,640 Speaker 1: get up. You have to get up. You got to 535 00:31:21,680 --> 00:31:24,000 Speaker 1: stop the whole thing, and you got to get up, 536 00:31:24,160 --> 00:31:28,160 Speaker 1: you know, and you have to face that dangerous face, 537 00:31:28,600 --> 00:31:31,320 Speaker 1: and you have to get rid of it. And it 538 00:31:31,440 --> 00:31:34,680 Speaker 1: is literally like your only job. I honestly believe that 539 00:31:34,720 --> 00:31:37,200 Speaker 1: it's the only job that we have now. I think 540 00:31:37,240 --> 00:31:39,520 Speaker 1: that for those of us that are privilege enough to 541 00:31:39,640 --> 00:31:42,560 Speaker 1: say that our lives are on pause, right, that we 542 00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:45,920 Speaker 1: do have this time to reflect because we're doing so 543 00:31:46,080 --> 00:31:48,760 Speaker 1: in the comforts of our own homes and the comforts 544 00:31:48,800 --> 00:31:51,120 Speaker 1: of our own space, to really use this time. I 545 00:31:51,160 --> 00:31:53,640 Speaker 1: think that where you're saying, when we think about restoration, 546 00:31:53,720 --> 00:31:56,880 Speaker 1: when we think about rebuilding, you know, this quest and 547 00:31:56,920 --> 00:31:59,880 Speaker 1: this desire to go back to normal is a full 548 00:32:00,320 --> 00:32:04,240 Speaker 1: errand right normal. If things had been normal, we wouldn't 549 00:32:04,240 --> 00:32:06,560 Speaker 1: have gotten to this fuck that place. If things had 550 00:32:06,600 --> 00:32:09,400 Speaker 1: been normal, like, we wouldn't be in this environment. We 551 00:32:09,480 --> 00:32:12,840 Speaker 1: have to understand how connected this is to climate change, 552 00:32:12,840 --> 00:32:15,959 Speaker 1: to the fact that we have been disrupting animals habitats, 553 00:32:16,040 --> 00:32:18,560 Speaker 1: and because we disrupted they have nowhere to go. So 554 00:32:18,600 --> 00:32:20,720 Speaker 1: where do they go? They go where we are, right, 555 00:32:20,800 --> 00:32:24,840 Speaker 1: And so then you have this explosion of events that happens. 556 00:32:24,880 --> 00:32:28,200 Speaker 1: And I think that you cannot look and say, oh, 557 00:32:28,240 --> 00:32:30,400 Speaker 1: all this is done, We're going to go back to 558 00:32:30,440 --> 00:32:32,920 Speaker 1: the way that things were. How do you go back when, 559 00:32:32,960 --> 00:32:35,400 Speaker 1: like you're saying, you're hearing birds chirp for the first 560 00:32:35,440 --> 00:32:38,800 Speaker 1: time in the city, You're seeing canals clear up and 561 00:32:38,880 --> 00:32:41,880 Speaker 1: turn back to blue. You're seeing the air feels cleaner 562 00:32:41,880 --> 00:32:44,400 Speaker 1: and Christopher in places where you haven't been able to 563 00:32:44,440 --> 00:32:47,239 Speaker 1: take a deep breath in decades, right, Like, how do 564 00:32:47,320 --> 00:32:50,880 Speaker 1: you experience that? Know that you have been Like, if 565 00:32:50,920 --> 00:32:54,200 Speaker 1: we are really honest with ourselves, then we would understand 566 00:32:54,240 --> 00:32:58,440 Speaker 1: that humans have been the virus that has disrupted the earth. 567 00:32:58,600 --> 00:33:02,040 Speaker 1: We spread, we took it over, and we have been 568 00:33:02,160 --> 00:33:05,240 Speaker 1: stifling the ability of the earth to replenish itself. And 569 00:33:05,320 --> 00:33:08,200 Speaker 1: now Mother Nature said, y'all go to your fucking rooms. Like, 570 00:33:08,240 --> 00:33:10,800 Speaker 1: I don't know what, what do you you know, what 571 00:33:10,840 --> 00:33:13,480 Speaker 1: are you doing? Oh do you know? Like this is 572 00:33:13,520 --> 00:33:15,920 Speaker 1: not right? And I think that one of the things 573 00:33:16,080 --> 00:33:19,720 Speaker 1: that I appreciate so much is how art and how 574 00:33:19,880 --> 00:33:23,320 Speaker 1: music is playing a part in how we're trying to 575 00:33:23,440 --> 00:33:27,000 Speaker 1: understand where we are and using it as a way 576 00:33:27,000 --> 00:33:30,120 Speaker 1: to connect to each other and ourselves in a way 577 00:33:30,120 --> 00:33:32,680 Speaker 1: that we haven't. And I think it's funny when we 578 00:33:32,680 --> 00:33:36,680 Speaker 1: were playing these viral videos of people singing in Italy, 579 00:33:36,720 --> 00:33:40,959 Speaker 1: of people playing instruments on rooftops in Manhattan and bringing 580 00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:44,440 Speaker 1: people together. It's the first things that we cut in school, 581 00:33:44,640 --> 00:33:46,760 Speaker 1: you know, it's the first thing that we let go of. 582 00:33:46,960 --> 00:33:50,200 Speaker 1: Oh we can't afford the arts, and literally it is 583 00:33:50,240 --> 00:33:54,000 Speaker 1: what is keeping us sane and healing our soul right now. 584 00:33:54,280 --> 00:33:57,200 Speaker 1: So just for you know, the second to last question, 585 00:33:57,240 --> 00:34:00,120 Speaker 1: like what do you think that the responsibility is of 586 00:34:00,360 --> 00:34:03,320 Speaker 1: art and music in this moment of what I think 587 00:34:03,360 --> 00:34:07,240 Speaker 1: if we look to it as a great healing can do. Yeah, 588 00:34:07,280 --> 00:34:10,239 Speaker 1: I mean, and I guess you know that's our other job, 589 00:34:10,400 --> 00:34:14,640 Speaker 1: right you know, is I'm black, Like we we have 590 00:34:15,080 --> 00:34:20,680 Speaker 1: music and art through our existence in this country. It 591 00:34:20,760 --> 00:34:24,200 Speaker 1: wasn't for business. It was to survive and have home, 592 00:34:24,880 --> 00:34:29,720 Speaker 1: you know, so my mother told me that the sound 593 00:34:29,880 --> 00:34:35,279 Speaker 1: my voice makes inside my body is my home. That 594 00:34:35,600 --> 00:34:39,080 Speaker 1: you know. I have this house, and I have you know, 595 00:34:39,160 --> 00:34:42,719 Speaker 1: places I can exist, but my home is that. And 596 00:34:42,880 --> 00:34:47,319 Speaker 1: even if you're not able to vocalize, even if you 597 00:34:47,400 --> 00:34:52,160 Speaker 1: can't hear, your body will vibrate, you know, And that 598 00:34:52,239 --> 00:34:56,640 Speaker 1: vibration is your home. And it is the reason why 599 00:34:56,680 --> 00:35:02,520 Speaker 1: we think our people survive, passing the specific messages that 600 00:35:02,600 --> 00:35:07,680 Speaker 1: they pass forward that I know today and over the 601 00:35:07,800 --> 00:35:13,880 Speaker 1: incredibly horrific journey of being captured, the horrific journey of 602 00:35:14,120 --> 00:35:20,400 Speaker 1: transportation across Big Water, the horrific journey of auction block, 603 00:35:20,800 --> 00:35:26,720 Speaker 1: the horrific journey of institutionalized slavery, which we must never forget. 604 00:35:27,239 --> 00:35:33,840 Speaker 1: Presidents executed, Supreme Court, Congress. People fought for it, fought 605 00:35:33,920 --> 00:35:38,080 Speaker 1: for it, fought for it, fought for it. It's absolutely devastating. 606 00:35:38,840 --> 00:35:43,239 Speaker 1: We can't forget the genocide of the indigenous tribes of 607 00:35:43,239 --> 00:35:47,280 Speaker 1: this land up to this day. All of those people 608 00:35:48,280 --> 00:35:55,280 Speaker 1: activate their voices, activated their ability to communicate by putting 609 00:35:55,320 --> 00:35:58,680 Speaker 1: whatever texts together that they could put together. All of 610 00:35:58,680 --> 00:36:04,160 Speaker 1: these strains of culture and the rich messaging that our 611 00:36:04,239 --> 00:36:08,480 Speaker 1: ancestors gave to us you know, falls under the genre 612 00:36:08,560 --> 00:36:10,920 Speaker 1: of art now and you look back and you can 613 00:36:11,000 --> 00:36:14,440 Speaker 1: even see we did an opera on Clementine Hunter, the 614 00:36:14,640 --> 00:36:18,520 Speaker 1: artists out of Louisiana, and Clementine was born in the 615 00:36:18,600 --> 00:36:22,480 Speaker 1: late eighteen hundreds and she lived one hundred and four years, 616 00:36:22,480 --> 00:36:24,840 Speaker 1: I think. But you they even look at her work, 617 00:36:25,040 --> 00:36:28,440 Speaker 1: which came out of her needing to draw and paint 618 00:36:28,960 --> 00:36:34,680 Speaker 1: what she saw. So the responsibility is to do that yourself, 619 00:36:34,960 --> 00:36:40,399 Speaker 1: you know, to activate your own homelike voice, whatever it is. 620 00:36:40,600 --> 00:36:43,600 Speaker 1: You don't have to be a professional singer. You might 621 00:36:43,880 --> 00:36:47,759 Speaker 1: be a poet, you might draw. Everybody knows what that 622 00:36:47,920 --> 00:36:52,040 Speaker 1: vibration is inside of their bodies and activate that, you know, 623 00:36:52,080 --> 00:36:57,239 Speaker 1: an activation of that and passing on what you know 624 00:36:57,960 --> 00:37:03,920 Speaker 1: to others so that it catches when and lives beyond 625 00:37:04,000 --> 00:37:07,600 Speaker 1: you is a really powerful thing and it is how 626 00:37:07,680 --> 00:37:10,920 Speaker 1: people know. Like I literally know how to act because 627 00:37:10,960 --> 00:37:12,920 Speaker 1: of that. I know how to be in the world 628 00:37:13,360 --> 00:37:16,560 Speaker 1: because of that. I know what to listen to because 629 00:37:16,600 --> 00:37:19,880 Speaker 1: of that. Nobody can tell me my name because my 630 00:37:20,000 --> 00:37:22,319 Speaker 1: name was already told to me, and I know what 631 00:37:22,400 --> 00:37:26,239 Speaker 1: it is explicitly because of that. You know all of 632 00:37:26,280 --> 00:37:31,160 Speaker 1: the songs and sounds I heard from my ancestors, passed 633 00:37:31,200 --> 00:37:35,719 Speaker 1: through to me by my mother. You belong here, this 634 00:37:35,800 --> 00:37:40,359 Speaker 1: is your place. You are amazing, You are beautiful. They 635 00:37:40,400 --> 00:37:44,000 Speaker 1: gave me a whole tapestry of understanding the elements of 636 00:37:44,040 --> 00:37:46,600 Speaker 1: the world that are dangerous for me. You know, they 637 00:37:46,640 --> 00:37:50,640 Speaker 1: gave me these practices. Each one of my grandparents that 638 00:37:50,680 --> 00:37:55,080 Speaker 1: are able to meet like told me something important that 639 00:37:55,280 --> 00:37:58,040 Speaker 1: I needed for the rest of my days. These are 640 00:37:58,040 --> 00:38:01,719 Speaker 1: the things that are necessary to live as humans. I 641 00:38:01,760 --> 00:38:05,120 Speaker 1: think that is our central like kind of gift to 642 00:38:05,320 --> 00:38:09,279 Speaker 1: the universe and to each other. Once, like everything in 643 00:38:09,280 --> 00:38:14,640 Speaker 1: this particular country, something of value always becomes commercialized. Something 644 00:38:14,640 --> 00:38:19,800 Speaker 1: of value, be it music, be it art, be it water, 645 00:38:20,880 --> 00:38:25,319 Speaker 1: be it air, we will find a way to sell 646 00:38:25,360 --> 00:38:30,680 Speaker 1: it by technology is amazing. But its effort to find 647 00:38:30,719 --> 00:38:33,640 Speaker 1: out what you need and then make it a weaker 648 00:38:33,640 --> 00:38:36,520 Speaker 1: product and sell it back to you is devastating. It's 649 00:38:36,560 --> 00:38:41,400 Speaker 1: absolutely devastating. So our responsibility is really to find that 650 00:38:41,680 --> 00:38:45,120 Speaker 1: for each of us, to find that for ourselves, and 651 00:38:45,160 --> 00:38:49,160 Speaker 1: to give it transportation. It demonstrates kind of almost like 652 00:38:49,200 --> 00:38:52,840 Speaker 1: a film. When I see and hear people making music 653 00:38:53,000 --> 00:38:56,080 Speaker 1: off of rooftops and things like that, it gives you 654 00:38:56,160 --> 00:38:59,640 Speaker 1: an understanding of our possibilities, like oh, we can be 655 00:38:59,719 --> 00:39:01,759 Speaker 1: together other and we can do these things. And when 656 00:39:01,760 --> 00:39:04,680 Speaker 1: you give, when people have skills, they can create something 657 00:39:04,719 --> 00:39:08,080 Speaker 1: and it can soothe everybody, it can make everybody feel 658 00:39:08,200 --> 00:39:10,960 Speaker 1: better and feel good. But I will say a big but, 659 00:39:11,239 --> 00:39:15,520 Speaker 1: but it's gonna be half of the experience that we 660 00:39:15,600 --> 00:39:21,080 Speaker 1: need if people haven't been able to access for themselves 661 00:39:21,120 --> 00:39:24,759 Speaker 1: their home. That's why you will hear people say like, 662 00:39:25,200 --> 00:39:27,920 Speaker 1: you know, I remember the video from Italy and oh, 663 00:39:28,000 --> 00:39:30,520 Speaker 1: it's just so amazing. And someone said, this happens all 664 00:39:30,560 --> 00:39:33,000 Speaker 1: the time, Like the reason why they have a practice 665 00:39:33,160 --> 00:39:36,319 Speaker 1: is because they already had a practice. And if you 666 00:39:36,320 --> 00:39:39,719 Speaker 1: look at music during the civil rights movement, you know, 667 00:39:39,800 --> 00:39:42,239 Speaker 1: people always like, it's the music that brought me in, 668 00:39:42,320 --> 00:39:44,040 Speaker 1: it's the music that taught me, and it's the music 669 00:39:44,080 --> 00:39:46,799 Speaker 1: that helped me, and it's the music that freed me. 670 00:39:47,080 --> 00:39:49,439 Speaker 1: But that music comes out of a practice already had 671 00:39:50,040 --> 00:39:54,160 Speaker 1: you know, people already sang like that, people already knew 672 00:39:54,160 --> 00:39:56,680 Speaker 1: those songs. My mom was like, we sang everything. We 673 00:39:56,800 --> 00:39:59,600 Speaker 1: sang when we work, we sang children's songs, we sang 674 00:39:59,640 --> 00:40:02,480 Speaker 1: our p as, we sang everything. So you got this 675 00:40:02,840 --> 00:40:06,840 Speaker 1: sound this sonic revelation that came out of already practice. 676 00:40:07,120 --> 00:40:09,520 Speaker 1: So it's not that everybody has to be a singer. 677 00:40:09,560 --> 00:40:13,640 Speaker 1: But what are the practices that you already hold or 678 00:40:13,680 --> 00:40:18,640 Speaker 1: that you can create that will actually invigorate you in 679 00:40:18,680 --> 00:40:23,360 Speaker 1: a storm, that will actually put you in a position 680 00:40:23,520 --> 00:40:28,680 Speaker 1: other than devastated, that will reach somebody else and you 681 00:40:28,719 --> 00:40:33,520 Speaker 1: find a partner. Those are the things that really help 682 00:40:33,600 --> 00:40:39,359 Speaker 1: you persist, as Octavia says, in ever changing times. If 683 00:40:39,400 --> 00:40:43,319 Speaker 1: you have a practice, if you know your name, if 684 00:40:43,400 --> 00:40:51,319 Speaker 1: you are willing to share and meet vibrationally your partners, 685 00:40:51,440 --> 00:40:55,840 Speaker 1: if you can commit to not killing people, not stealing 686 00:40:56,080 --> 00:41:01,080 Speaker 1: from people, and having each other's back, those like basic 687 00:41:01,160 --> 00:41:06,480 Speaker 1: things that can elevate us culturally in this country and 688 00:41:07,040 --> 00:41:10,400 Speaker 1: can take back our balance because we are not supposed 689 00:41:10,440 --> 00:41:13,600 Speaker 1: to be so violent. No, we're not supposed to be 690 00:41:13,640 --> 00:41:16,680 Speaker 1: so violent. We're not supposed to be like, there's trouble, 691 00:41:16,960 --> 00:41:21,479 Speaker 1: let's go get guns. That's not the answer. So isn't 692 00:41:21,520 --> 00:41:24,960 Speaker 1: it wonderful to know that all of us could actually 693 00:41:25,560 --> 00:41:30,000 Speaker 1: fall into our practice, pull our practices up, and take 694 00:41:30,120 --> 00:41:33,120 Speaker 1: up a lot of the space that so far has 695 00:41:33,160 --> 00:41:37,120 Speaker 1: been like held by violence in our country and on 696 00:41:37,120 --> 00:41:40,120 Speaker 1: our planet, and I think the planet is like, you know, 697 00:41:40,280 --> 00:41:46,319 Speaker 1: look what I did, Like, you know, everybody is like, 698 00:41:46,360 --> 00:41:49,360 Speaker 1: we can't stop. We can't do this, and we can't 699 00:41:49,360 --> 00:41:52,520 Speaker 1: and it's like we can't like we can't stop Like 700 00:41:52,640 --> 00:41:56,200 Speaker 1: think about it. We can't stop guns in schools. We 701 00:41:56,239 --> 00:42:00,239 Speaker 1: can't stop people from shooting people like those are all 702 00:42:00,400 --> 00:42:06,400 Speaker 1: can't we can't stop shooting, We can't stop violating, and 703 00:42:06,520 --> 00:42:11,200 Speaker 1: everything stops, and the planet takes an opportunity towards restoration. 704 00:42:11,480 --> 00:42:14,520 Speaker 1: And you know, some of us took an opportunity to 705 00:42:14,560 --> 00:42:18,279 Speaker 1: get more guns. So I mean, it's just America in 706 00:42:18,320 --> 00:42:22,480 Speaker 1: and of itself. But humans are just wild creatures, you know. 707 00:42:22,680 --> 00:42:25,359 Speaker 1: And I think that there's another book that I love 708 00:42:25,480 --> 00:42:28,319 Speaker 1: that I reread during the midst of this pandemic, which 709 00:42:28,360 --> 00:42:32,120 Speaker 1: is a self steam prophecy, which talks a whole lot 710 00:42:32,360 --> 00:42:38,320 Speaker 1: about vibration and that when we all reach our vibrational potential, 711 00:42:38,440 --> 00:42:41,600 Speaker 1: when we connect to that, then that is what will 712 00:42:41,680 --> 00:42:45,239 Speaker 1: indeed change the world. Is when we decide that we 713 00:42:45,280 --> 00:42:48,640 Speaker 1: want to vibrate higher and move out of these low 714 00:42:48,719 --> 00:42:51,120 Speaker 1: ways of being. Is the best way that I can say. 715 00:42:51,200 --> 00:42:53,760 Speaker 1: When you move above the violence, when you move above 716 00:42:53,880 --> 00:42:57,560 Speaker 1: the fear, when you can literally level up right in 717 00:42:57,640 --> 00:42:59,959 Speaker 1: all different aspects of your life. And when we choose 718 00:43:00,239 --> 00:43:02,560 Speaker 1: to do that as a collective, that is what is 719 00:43:02,560 --> 00:43:05,160 Speaker 1: going to change. And so I think you know again 720 00:43:05,239 --> 00:43:09,279 Speaker 1: about this moment, about this forced pause that everyone is taking. 721 00:43:09,320 --> 00:43:12,000 Speaker 1: It's not just one community, it's not just one country. 722 00:43:12,120 --> 00:43:15,520 Speaker 1: It is the world in collection saying we have to 723 00:43:15,600 --> 00:43:20,040 Speaker 1: stop right and understanding that when we, as Governor Cuomo 724 00:43:20,120 --> 00:43:23,600 Speaker 1: says for New Yorkers, when we unpause, that that unpausing 725 00:43:23,680 --> 00:43:27,200 Speaker 1: has to be deliberate and thoughtful and has to be 726 00:43:27,640 --> 00:43:30,680 Speaker 1: with a desire and the expectation of creating a new 727 00:43:30,760 --> 00:43:33,640 Speaker 1: normal because of what was we're not going back to. 728 00:43:33,840 --> 00:43:36,799 Speaker 1: But what can be is still the possibility of the thing. 729 00:43:36,880 --> 00:43:39,520 Speaker 1: And I think that that, to me is what Octavia 730 00:43:39,600 --> 00:43:42,840 Speaker 1: Butler in parable of the Sower and you being able 731 00:43:42,840 --> 00:43:47,360 Speaker 1: to bring life and sound to her novel, is this 732 00:43:47,760 --> 00:43:51,680 Speaker 1: possibility of who we can be when we get outside 733 00:43:51,800 --> 00:43:55,680 Speaker 1: of the camps. So the last question that I'll ask you, 734 00:43:55,880 --> 00:43:58,719 Speaker 1: which I ask everybody on PM mood is how do 735 00:43:58,800 --> 00:44:02,319 Speaker 1: you get in the mood to change the world? Ooo? 736 00:44:03,080 --> 00:44:05,040 Speaker 1: How do you get in the mood to change the world? 737 00:44:05,200 --> 00:44:09,799 Speaker 1: I mean, after doing all of this parable work. I 738 00:44:09,840 --> 00:44:12,160 Speaker 1: think it's irrelevant if I'm in the mood or not. 739 00:44:16,600 --> 00:44:20,600 Speaker 1: You know, it's like a continuous journey of change, and 740 00:44:20,640 --> 00:44:24,160 Speaker 1: it's an evolutionary practice. One thing I've been saying this 741 00:44:24,200 --> 00:44:25,360 Speaker 1: whole time, I was like, well, you know, we're not 742 00:44:25,400 --> 00:44:27,840 Speaker 1: in charge. You know, so we'll be on a call 743 00:44:27,960 --> 00:44:31,080 Speaker 1: and you know, everything will just go crazy and every 744 00:44:31,160 --> 00:44:34,480 Speaker 1: can nobody hear each other, people get and then I'll 745 00:44:34,520 --> 00:44:37,319 Speaker 1: just be like, we're not in charge. Like what you're doing, Like, 746 00:44:37,440 --> 00:44:39,560 Speaker 1: take a deep breath. We're not in charge. It is 747 00:44:39,640 --> 00:44:44,239 Speaker 1: really like an everyday practice of mine to you know, 748 00:44:44,320 --> 00:44:47,799 Speaker 1: try to be and not even try to show up 749 00:44:48,200 --> 00:44:52,560 Speaker 1: and be open and project you know what I know 750 00:44:52,760 --> 00:44:57,000 Speaker 1: about my home space and make access to be generational. 751 00:44:57,520 --> 00:45:00,560 Speaker 1: That is one way I think that I really I 752 00:45:00,719 --> 00:45:04,160 Speaker 1: have a practice of just always working with making sure 753 00:45:04,160 --> 00:45:07,920 Speaker 1: that I have like significant partnerships with people who are 754 00:45:08,239 --> 00:45:10,880 Speaker 1: ten years, ten years, ten years, ten years younger than me, 755 00:45:11,200 --> 00:45:15,239 Speaker 1: so that you know, eventually, what always happens is they 756 00:45:15,280 --> 00:45:19,160 Speaker 1: become brilliant, take of space, move faster than me, and 757 00:45:19,160 --> 00:45:23,879 Speaker 1: then tell me what to do. So that is one 758 00:45:23,920 --> 00:45:27,160 Speaker 1: of my practices, and I invite everybody to really try 759 00:45:27,160 --> 00:45:29,360 Speaker 1: to do that. No matter what your gift is is 760 00:45:29,400 --> 00:45:32,560 Speaker 1: to be generational. It's kind of a way to cultivate 761 00:45:32,680 --> 00:45:36,360 Speaker 1: the earth of us, Yes, and to give someone else 762 00:45:37,000 --> 00:45:40,400 Speaker 1: rights to your tree, you know, and they kind of 763 00:45:40,400 --> 00:45:44,399 Speaker 1: come and take your stuff they want, and then they 764 00:45:44,440 --> 00:45:46,840 Speaker 1: do something else with it you would never do. And 765 00:45:47,120 --> 00:45:52,080 Speaker 1: that insures change, and that insures evolution, and that ensures 766 00:45:52,320 --> 00:45:59,160 Speaker 1: possibility of wonderful things happening in the future. So much. 767 00:45:59,200 --> 00:46:01,640 Speaker 1: Thank you for your art and your voice and taking 768 00:46:01,680 --> 00:46:04,600 Speaker 1: the time to speak with me on PM mood. I 769 00:46:04,640 --> 00:46:08,600 Speaker 1: appreciate you so greatly. Yes, I'm so glad we finally 770 00:46:08,640 --> 00:46:11,120 Speaker 1: had this conversation, but we didn't talk about parable of 771 00:46:11,200 --> 00:46:15,239 Speaker 1: the talents. I know that has to be another episode. Yes, 772 00:46:15,680 --> 00:46:18,680 Speaker 1: if that's to be another episode, will do part two. 773 00:46:18,800 --> 00:46:22,000 Speaker 1: You will be my first part two I've ever done one. 774 00:46:22,080 --> 00:46:25,760 Speaker 1: We will do part two. Thank you, Toshi so so much. 775 00:46:25,800 --> 00:46:30,640 Speaker 1: This was great. Thank you stay will everybody, Yeah, kiss 776 00:46:30,719 --> 00:46:34,200 Speaker 1: and hug everybody for me and be well you too. 777 00:46:34,239 --> 00:46:38,200 Speaker 1: Love folks. For the next two weeks, my daily political show, 778 00:46:38,320 --> 00:46:41,759 Speaker 1: Woke f Daily is free in your feed. I hope 779 00:46:41,760 --> 00:46:44,200 Speaker 1: you've been enjoying it so far and continue to enjoy 780 00:46:44,320 --> 00:46:47,640 Speaker 1: my stay safe as fuck. Quarantine gift to you until 781 00:46:47,760 --> 00:46:51,560 Speaker 1: May fourth, and as always, no matter how hard it gets, 782 00:46:52,000 --> 00:47:00,600 Speaker 1: stay in the PM mood to change the world.