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And were recording. Okay, so I'm going to just dive in. Hi, I'm Jamie Sanders and today I'll be talking to you Tramonica Brown,

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the founder of not my son Dallas Today is November 20 2020. And we're conducting this interview online via their story. And today we'll be discussing Miss Browns organization and her involvement in the recent Black Lives Matter protests in the

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Dallas Fort Worth area, mostly focusing on the series of protests that erupted earlier this year after the death of George Floyd. And the ones that keep you into the present day. Do I have your permission to record this interview.

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Yes. Awesome. So Oh, no. Where'd you go? Oh, Miss Brown.

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Oh, okay. Am I here? Yeah, you're back. You're back. Um, so, first, let's start off with a little background. So where are

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you from? I am from Dallas, Texas. Mhm Born and raised.

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Do you want to say what neighborhood or like little mini city? Yes. Pleasant Grove.

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Oh, grove side walking. And can you tell me a little bit about that area. Um, plevin Grove, in my opinion has always been like an underserved as an underserved community. We're always either

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grouped with south Dallas, or Mesquite. So (where) that beautiful nectar in between that always gets like swept up under the rug. So it is very near and dear to me. Um, I just I'm very attracted to like pouring back into the wealth of my community

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because I understand how underserved it has been. So that's (undiscernable) pleasant grove. Um, so how did you feel growing up there has shaped you as a person?

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I feel like I would not be who I am today. Had it not have been for those of DISD teachers of mine. Um, they have literally, (cut off) grow. No, mommy. I'm doing an interview. It's my daughter go tell daddy. Um, I feel like that area has

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literally shaped the way I am and the person that I have truly become. So if you need my hug, she wants a hug Okay. Go in No, no, go in the house. Um where was I

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talking about go out. And I'm a mom. Oh, yeah, we're talking about

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I am. I'm thankful for my neighborhood. I love my neighborhood, I would not have replaced it for Highland Park replacement whatsoever. It shaped the culture within me to make me want to go and strive to do better. That's great.

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Um, so can we talk about your family? Yeah, okay. So I know, I'm going to ask right now I know you have kids. So if you want to talk about your children? you're a one just made a debue.

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So you can Can you tell me a little bit about them? Yes, so I have a five year old, which Izarya Rose. And, and I have a nine year old that is Cameron. And yes, they

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are amazing. Do you think that you're you being a mama affect your activism? Absolutely. Not My Son was birthed off of the fact

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of Trayvon Martin's verdict. And at that time, my son was about two. And I literally took a picture of him and I'll send it to you just remind me, it's a picture of him with a gray hoodie on. And I held up a pack of Skittles, and he was sitting

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on the floor. And like that picture to this day speaks so many volumes to me, like in a blink of an eye, it could easily have been my son and because our system is so broken, and we're already under so much oppression, that it's nothing

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that I can do about Yeah. So you did something about it. I feel I did something about I got in the stream.

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Um, so like talking a little bit more about your family. Can you tell me about your other members, your family where you're close to? Oh, sure. Um, my father is he's also a lot of the

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reason why I'm so strong. My mother died when I was 11. And that's why I say it's so important to have real teachers who really care about these students because you know, they're a very strong glue to the person who I am. That's why

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I say I love Pleasant Grove, I would not have taken another place because those teachers wrap their arms around me and pushed me to become who I am like, they didn't just let me move on. And you know, say "she'll be okay." Like it was a

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constant checks and balance, like they've been to protest, they've been to all the things that I've accomplished in my adulthood. So it just goes to show that you can't write off every teacher and it strong connection to these students in

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the community. So my father is, um, he hardly ever really worked for anybody else. He's been an entrepreneur since the day I can really remember. Um, it's been remarkable to see a strong black Dad, you know, really influential and really showing

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up for their children. So my foundation was set at a very early age. You know, my father is truly my hero (laughs.) I also seen him give jobs like before I was even into the movement as a child, I seen him give jobs to homeless people.

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That's something that kind of sparked up something that I just grown in me as a child is that my dad is not not getting somebody who already knows the trade, but picking up homeless people and teaching them a trade and giving them a (job.) So I

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felt like that it's kind of rolled up into how I've gotten to this point, because I'm so connected to the homeless already. So I understand that it's ways that in the community, we can actually provide substance and texture and jobs

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like we can provide jobs. So it's just given me that boosts to keep going. Do you have any siblings? I do I have an older brother. And I have a younger

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brother. I'm the middle child, but I'm a girl. So are you really close to your brothers? Yes, I am close to my brothers.

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How do your brothers and your father feel about your activism? You know, the very first time I think I scared everybody half to death with the phone call when I was on the

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bridge. Oh, yeah. So I was like, hey, so I'm about to go to jail, they where like "what!" who do I need to call?

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And I've never been to jail. Oh, so it's like "uh No, no, my baby gotta come off." So that was pretty funny to scare them, but also make them you know, consciously socially aware of like, Look, it means so much to where my baby, you know, my

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sister's out on this bridge. Okay, let me dive in to find out why. And it just kind of grew from there. And they've been extremely supportive. My dad comes to all of the South Dallas projects. My brother, he joined a brother organization that we

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have called "the watchmen." So he's heavily involved, you know, with protecting the culture, protecting the people and protecting mindset. So we're banding together and we're really making all this work.

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So your family is deeply involved with you in this activism? Yeah, I guess. I mean, they play the roles. They don't walk at it, you know, wheels fall off like I do, but

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they definitely come in and play there part. Oh, do you have a partner as well? I do. Which is- would you like to talk about it?

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we've been together since 2011 Aw thats nice And are they involved as well? Oh, absolutely. He is the founder of "the watchmen."

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Oh, that's really cool. Think about the watchmen that is my love. So how does activism affect your relationship with him?

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Um, it brings us together, you know, as a strong sounding board for each other because in activism, it takes so much of your time. And if you don't have a partner that's really understanding, and really just invested in some sort,

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you're not going to get the understanding of communication that you would want to see. So I feel like it sometimes it is wind is going everywhere. Um, so we have good communication because we're both on the frontlines. We're both fighting

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for our children to progress and actually be better and for our city, because I'm a I'm a person who says you have to fix your own porch first. I can't do anything until I fix cars and girls like that's just in my heart. I can't do anything until

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I fix South Dallas because that's just in my heart. So being that he came from the same place, he holds that same time to change as I do. That's really Nice. So your teachers before?

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So shifting gears a little bit, and you mentioned your childhood a little bit, can you tell me about (your childhood?) my childhood was amazing to be in the hood, we are at a place where everybody has horror stories growing up in

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the hood. And even though my story was a bittersweet because I lost my mom, but my community really upheld me. And they just wouldn't allow me to fail. Have you ever had that were like one of your parents or something just like you're not allowed to

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fail, not on my watch. I felt like this with the community. And that's what my family did. And that's why I'm so tied to that, because I want to be the advocate for that little girl that I was at that point. So it's so important to, like, jus

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cherish those moments and really create a bridge because it's going to come a point where it's another little girl that needs to cross that bridge. Yeah. So that my community is everything, like everything, to me,

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it really does sound like you know, it takes a village to raise a child, it sounds like you had a really strong village. I had a very strong village and they didn't live in

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my household. My dad was definitely the head, but he definitely had strong black women that were not allowing his children to fail. My brother, we were laughing the other day, cuz we were talking about him, he had won a salsa competition and

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a chess competition. And these are the teachers who just and principals to who just said, "we're not going to allow this family to fail," and you know, back then you can, you know, we didn't have all these restrictions. So they were also

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helping, you know, discipline, and they gave us that discipline, they gave us that love, and they gave us the courage to be more than a statistic and the environment were set for us to fail.

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You mentioned your teachers, so can you tell me like when you started school, which teachers was it who first started getting involved like this? Um, I would say if I had to go all the way back,

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geez, the first teacher that I saw, um, when my mom died, was my (5th?) grade English teacher, ELR. And she brought a bucket of chicken. And it shocked me cuz I'm like, "What my teacher doing here?" Like, I was already so hurt, but I didn't understand

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then. But like now, it means the world to me. Um, Miss Lewis is her name. Um, my counselor that I had Mary Frost, Miss Darden, that was a vice principal, my cheerleading coach, Miss Fuller, Miss Sanders, Miss Jamison. Like I wasn't able, because I took

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the fashion route. But I always wanted to be a part of a sorority. I went to her house one time, and I remember she had these beautiful elephants. And like, the way they were just structured, it was just so motivating. And I was like, is

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this a Delta what is this? And even miss Johnson, my my high school cheerleading coach, she carried me on when I felt like God placed strong black women in front of me to show me that this is what it's supposed to look like. Like, it's okay, but

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you're not allowed to fail. Like, you're not allowed to dip back into what people would love to say she just turned into like, a hood chick or she turned into a do nothing. And, you know, we knew she was never gonna be nothing she had, you

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know, they just, I was blessed to have people around me who had high standards of what I am supposed to become, regardless of my (unknown word). So I feel like it's so important all the time that I mention those ladies because, and I say it all the

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time, if they have not, you know, changed a life. You know, as a teacher, you want to change a life. I just think it's so important for them to know that if they've never changed a child's life that they definitely change your mine. And

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most of them are still teaching. I know Miss Darden, she's retired vice principle, but a lot of them still teach. Um, my Miss Lewis, my ELAR fifth grade teacher, she's now a counselor because of my story. So and she's been able to, you know,

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penetrate hearts and affect kids and you know, get in there butts, because we need it at that time I needed it for them for us to sit until you know, students that "Oh, you can't do this and you can't do That," that saved my life. So, yes, um,

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I love my teachers, I still call them my teachers because I still learn and I still gained so much from them. I remember one of them she used to throw shoes at us not in- well actually she did in class. And I said this lady is crazy I had her in fourth

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grade, I said this lady is (unknown,) you know, I love that lady to death. And you know what, when I had one of my first big ventures when I dived into fashion, she was front row. So, it just goes to show that, you know, teachers makeup, a lot of

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the culture of what your child could potentially be by showing how much they actually can. And, um, did you go to college? And what college did you to go to if you did?

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I did. I went to Wade(?) college I graduated with my bachelor's I attended there the whole wide. And you know, even they were great. Mr. Conten was amazing. And I remember the first day of school, he said, You pay seven the $7 per hour,

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something like that a five day, he was like, if you don't come that's on you because I'm getting my check anyway now lets begin, I said oh I'm grown now. But he taught me so much. And I'm gonna I'm gonna say game

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because he did. He taught me so much game on how to talk to these people network and not be afraid. So waking it up like these teachers, they really hold true narrative to me, my keys or my teachers.

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So other than your organization, do like have a second job? Or I'm sorry, that was really weirdly worded. Yes. Um, I was a teacher. I did not go back to teach this year. Um I also did let me see what else did I do in

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a school I worked at a charter school so they had us doing 1000s of jobs. I chose not to go back to charter for one, I don't feel like charter systems are always the best. I feel like we need to pour more into ISD because they host the most of

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the village. And I feel like with charter schools, sometimes it makes you feel like it's a privilege. But when you get there, when you work there, you learn that it's not privileged whatsoever to those people, we just is a sale. So um, but the

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whole situation with George Floyd happened and I was like, I'm not gonna be able to do it because I need to be on the forefront of making positive change in my community. So that was that but I still do events. Um, I have a company called I Am

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Fashion Group that we have been you know, cranking back up as far as like mentorship aspect of it. But you know, hosting events, Christmas parties wedding, so I've been getting back into the Mojo of an event planning.

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Okay, cool. Um, so shifting gears a little bit key Tell me what's your first memory of race in general. My first memory of race, like being discriminated against? Or just understanding that I was a

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different color? either one is fine. Um, so my family is of lots of different races. Um, we're black, black. Well, we have a lot of mixed fruit

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berries. So we were very cultured, to a certain extent. Um, we never really had the whole, you know, racist moment because my, my aunt, when she's on my Facebook page, if you actually go to my Facebook page, she's literally my profile

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picture. Um, she subcummbed to cancer A few years ago, that was my heart, absolute heart. And I remember when I first came out into the, the era that we're in of like really diving into racism, people really wanted to know who this white lady was,

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that was holding my baby. And I had really let people know that that's probably not the right way to approach that situation. Um, I think maybe it was jobs. I worked in fashion a lot. But I also, I had a good pitch. So but even with that, I think it's,

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it's with jobs. You know, my name is Tramonica. So it's not really it's not an Elizabeth. It's something that has a little texture to it. It's um, you have like, oh, okay, well, thats unique thats different like it's not just Monica. It's a prefix

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in front that thing. So I think my name helps me understand racism a lot, or just race in general, like, you're not gonna find a ton of white girls named Tramonica Brown unless theres some black somewhere. Some black somewhere, somebodies auntie

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said girl Tramonica Brown thats cute, but I think my name helped me a lot. I feel like, you know, just residency. So I lived in Rollette for a couple of years. And I noticed that, you know, we, it wasn't a lot of black people in my neighborhood,

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particularly, I've seen growth of black people, you know, good jobs and a good part of Rollette, you know, nice big homes. But you know, people look at you different, and that also gave me that worry, fear of, and I have to go back to Trayvon

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Martin, you know, we live in this local neighborhood. And if my son goes to the store and doesn't come home, I'm not going to have the strength of Sabrina Fulton to just let the courts take care of it. Because we're past that. So I that's why I

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said, it's important for me to dive in and see what I can do now to prevent my son become a hashtag. I'll be a hashtag right behind my son saying, free Tramonica. Because I know that, you know, God is still working with me, I'm humble enough. And

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I'm not afraid to go out for my son. So I need to do something proactively, and try to save other people's son at the same time. And my daughter, Not my son is not just the concept of it, is our black men are so under depreciated. Like to other

00:21:43.920 - 00:22:01.920

people, they carry a brand, almost depreciation. And it's important for us to uplift and understand that our black men is under tremendous stress, and that they're under attack, like black people as a whole are under attack. But racist, people

00:22:01.920 - 00:22:17.910

are smart, you chop off the head, and the body will follow the man is the lead. So if you take away our men, and you replace it with housing, or hood, or foodstamps, or whatever it is where you're not supposed to when you're separating a

00:22:17.910 - 00:22:35.370

family. That's how you create this, this illusion of you know, black people, you know, too many single mothers and everybody's on welfare. And I'm talking about post, I mean before, pre COVID because now everybody who needs it needs to get on. But

00:22:36.450 - 00:22:53.070

you know, say that's the way you separate families by cutting them off and saying, Hey, this is what's happening. This is what we're living in. So what are you gonna do? So you kind of you talk to a lot about Trayvon

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Martin that's like a turning point for you personally, but like, when did you get officially into activism? Um, I always say that the straw that broke the camel's back was the knee to the neck. This country almost burned to

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the ground because people got extremely done with racism. Um, and not even country like this. This world became done with racism. They were burning up cities in Italy people are tired of you saying like, I'm tired of using the hashtag Black Lives

00:23:38.060 - 00:23:54.240

Matter I'm tired today. Like I don't want that to become my life story. So I don't want to spend my whole life on fighting for it. I want to get them now so so does he feel a sense of urgency now?

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It is an urgency and I say it all the time. We will never be at a at a sweet spot to change the narrative so drastically and so strong as right now and the millennials are carrying the torch and we cannot afford to drop the torch

00:24:15.270 - 00:24:30.570

because if we drop it that set everybody else behind on progress also I want change I want it now. Like the commercial say I want it I want to right now. I don't want to wait. I don't want to stand in line. People still talking about 40

00:24:30.570 - 00:24:42.690

acres in a mule? Well, we supposed have that too obviously we have that too, but it's at the very least, I need you to stop killing my brothers and sisters that look like there's nothing wrong with being Brown. It's my last name. It's my

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favorite color. So let's talk about I'm not my son. So when did you first start like setting up not my son in Dallas. The day after the bridge. Literally the day after

00:25:01.870 - 00:25:18.400

the bridge, I sent out some text messages. I posted it on, you know, all the different social media platforms that protesters had. And I'm like, Look, I'm having it, I think was like it two or three o'clock in the afternoon, pull up. And I'm

00:25:18.430 - 00:25:35.680

thinking was like 800 folk. It was crazy. And then after that, I said, Well, I wanted to turn it into a series. Because I think that when was the conversation rally, where everybody gathered around and people just talked about, we're

00:25:35.680 - 00:25:48.010

angry. And I was trying to find a way to prevent us further harm. Because at that point, people was tearing stuff up I don't know if I can cuss on here so I'll say stuff You can say what you want

00:25:48.000 - 00:26:07.530

People where tearing shit up period And I wanted to become a buffer. Because that seven o'clock curfew, I would literally leave my house and be driving into the curfew zone. I seen what was going on on social media, I seen how they were

00:26:07.530 - 00:26:24.750

throwing people's kids and just on people in general. And I was like, if I can stand in the way and like navigate some type of structure, I'm gonna do it. So I did it, I dealt hold on I got em wait a second. Before y'all get to acting crazy. Out here with

00:26:24.750 - 00:26:38.610

these rubber bullets and all this other stuff tossing folk like they rag dolls give me a second. So it was I was able to also create a, you know, a conversation with some of those local police officers, who, you know, they attended my rally.

00:26:38.910 - 00:26:52.770

And of course, at that time, they didn't want to come forward in their uniforms. But it was a March that they had, which was pointless to me very, very disrespectful to what we have going on. Um, the blue Lives Matter March.

00:27:01.480 - 00:27:20.440

You black and you do in a blue Lives Matter March, I'm just trying to make sure I understand this clearly. Okay, so a lot of DPD officers were not in agreeance with that, and we had a rally the same day. And they came, they came, and that spoke

00:27:20.440 - 00:27:42.400

volumes to every police officer isn't bad. And a lot of them understand that they work for a broken system that oppresses black people. It works for them and damages us. So that woke me up, let me know that every police officer isn't bad because

00:27:42.400 - 00:27:57.550

they're showing me everybody has to learn. So I don't, I don't push that on everybody. You have to get in a situation to where they should approve at this point. If you wear a badge, you have to show and prove. Are you stepping into that community? Do

00:27:57.550 - 00:28:08.800

you know that community? Or do you live in the high side of society society, and you come over here to earn your paycheck and your pension? People don't want to have those conversations. But I was fortunate enough to where people

00:28:08.800 - 00:28:23.080

wanted to have that dialogue because they like, Look, I'm not here to protect y'all. I came from here. We thought having those conversations you like,Oh Okay, I know it's not you and you actually telling me in your uniform that you understand that

00:28:23.080 - 00:28:38.800

this is a messed up system. That meant something to me, because that meant I'm not trippin, I knew I wasn't trippin. But it's good to know that you know, that we're not in a situation to where it's actually bringing change of real substance and

00:28:38.800 - 00:28:50.710

like it's real law and order. Yeah. So like, as you've mentioned, and I looked on your website, it says that you're trying to create a dialogue between the

00:28:50.980 - 00:29:06.850

police departments and like the people and the thing is, is you mentioned people are angry, is there some pushback from either the police, like some police officers and some protesters or either one or the community itself from these conversations?

00:29:08.430 - 00:29:29.790

Um, I will say this last year. I can't remember the timeframe but I know that um, community leaders and community activists was was granted a police oversight board. That police Oversight Board receives no respect, no funding, no way

00:29:29.790 - 00:29:47.460

to actually be a police oversight board. That is a slap to the face of the people who pay taxes that is a slap to the people who you know, are in this community who who care not look at the point that people care. People want to know what's going

00:29:47.460 - 00:30:01.470

on in their communities. You're not allowing us to even know you're just saying oh here stuff and we're gonna give y'all something to shut y'all up titles, don't change anything. badges don't change anything. I'm black. My Color of My Skin

00:30:01.470 - 00:30:20.550

is black is not gonna change. I won't be dying it any lighter than what it is no. So it's, it's pushed back because people in the community are like, off with them. Because we've tried to have the dialogue, we tried to create a structure that both

00:30:20.550 - 00:30:29.780

parties agreed on. And they still stepped on. Yeah. And now we still out, we got her marching again, and we are her fighting again. And now you know, we're at the point

00:30:29.780 - 00:30:49.520

to where it Yes, defund DPD people don't like the word defund. But you need to understand. If you need a vocabulary lesson, I am your girl. Yes, I'm not changing my word Yes its harsh yes its mean. yes it sounds like we want to

00:30:49.520 - 00:31:07.820

take away because we do we want to subtract the money that you guys want to subtract the amount of officers that are out here doing jobs that they are not certified to do. You don't need to come out? When, it's a mental health patient. You don't hold

00:31:07.850 - 00:31:21.170

any type of degree to handle that. You didn't go to any type of school, a few hours of training does not make you equivalent or privileged because it's a privilege to work with those people because I worked in the special education

00:31:21.170 - 00:31:37.730

department, you have to know how to work with those people. You coming out and when you get scared, you pull your badge, I think in Dallas. And I'm going to say this because I really mean it. We have been able to shake up a lot. But police

00:31:37.760 - 00:31:56.450

officers are so scary. The scariest thing to know is that you know, you got to run into somebody who's scared of you. Because it it's if I'm 250 pushing, and I'm going up against a lady officer and she's what 120 soaking wet. What she's

00:31:56.450 - 00:32:10.610

gonna do, you think she's gonna tussle with me or is she gonna run for that gun if I'm trying to get away and they can't control the situation, they gonna shoot me in the back. Because at this point, we bypassing tasers that's what we

00:32:10.610 - 00:32:24.950

gotta realize. They were tasing protesters who were getting in their car, that's what they were doing. They won't shoot you if you get in your car to leave at seven, but they will take you out of your car. And it's foolish to back that up. We in a

00:32:24.950 - 00:32:50.840

society, we are in a society where police officers are scary. They're fearful. I don't want anybody protecting me, thats scared a scared person will kill you quick. Because they don't want to lose. So I want to lay it out and paint it out. We

00:32:50.840 - 00:33:09.620

working with a system where you have men who have joined police force and women and people who identify as another pronoun, who are scary. I don't want anybody standing in front of me to protect me from "Billie badass". And you scared of Billie Badass

00:33:09.650 - 00:33:26.990

too. I don't want you to kill me that is I want you to help me get away from Billie Badass why we gotta kill somebody to be safe. That's basically saying if you make a mistake, I'll kill you. Whoa, every life is valuable. My black life is damn

00:33:26.990 - 00:33:42.680

sure valuable. I can have it. My man's is valuable. Because you shootin him I'm subject to come off the hip. I don't need that I don't want that's not what I want theres ways to de escalate situations. And as much as they say they have all this de

00:33:42.680 - 00:33:56.650

escalation training. Have you seen deescalation? Well, not. not for- not for black people. I don't see that. Not for black people never go to Lake Highlands and

00:33:56.650 - 00:34:12.040

he got a gun he bout to kill his mama. We can talk about it. I'm sorry What now? We can talk about it. He about to kill your mama yo kids yo dog we can talk. Let me get what is what else? He was not a negotiator is a common negotiator?

00:34:12.040 - 00:34:30.550

I think so. Like when there's hostages Yeah, they wouldn't bring in somebody who's who's over a hostage situation. But if we in the hood, we are gonna get you up out of here. You are a threat to society. Oh, no. Not

00:34:30.580 - 00:34:44.770

if somebody's running. You shooting people in the back because they're a threat to society. But you want to use de escalation for man who was about to kill his whole family because he cannot have his way. You got to think about this. This is a

00:34:44.770 - 00:34:56.560

problem because his skin is whitter then mine? No, I'm not not on my way. What is the world with a defunded Police Department look like

00:34:59.030 - 00:35:14.750

so if we're defending the police, then that means we can pour more into homeless solutions. We don't need call police officers for homeless solution. It should be a department that's built into the budget, that those specific

00:35:14.750 - 00:35:32.570

people go and handle homeless. Because guess what if we take some of that money from the police budget, and forward it to homeless solutions, we won't have that many homeless people. If we take money away from police officer who are, I don't

00:35:32.570 - 00:35:47.000

know who sit there all day on a phone. I almost want to be tight. I almost want to take pictures of police officers just doing nothing on there phone. We can't drive on our phone, but you can. You don't have your lights on you ain't going

00:35:47.000 - 00:36:06.980

nowhere fast. We goin to the same place and you talking on the phone, but if you catch me talking its a problem, hold on a sec no. It doesn't work. Like you can turn on your lights, you can run red lights, it's like they have it's a mockery. 2020

00:36:06.980 - 00:36:26.060

is the year of showing the mockery of the land in general. We got a president that lost that will not concede will not see we have police officers who do whatever they want to do. And then we have a system that supports them when they do

00:36:26.060 - 00:36:36.470

something wrong. Take for instance, the Shawn Lucas situation. I don't know if you know who Shawn Lucas. He was the you don't know? Yeah.

00:36:37.770 - 00:36:57.360

He is the guy who shot Jonathan Price. Um, he asked for a bail reduction of his mom was a million dollars. He asked for bear reduction yesterday, they denied him. It took two days. Two days for them to actually issue an arrest

00:36:57.390 - 00:37:17.640

warrant for an officer who shot a black man in the community. When the community is predominantly white, stood up and said take his ass to jail he needs to go. He is not one of us. This is not what we stand for two days, with the community

00:37:17.640 - 00:37:34.650

backing them. So it goes a step further, like yes, we have systematic oppression, but we also have a very broken system that has not had true change within it. In 100 years. We gotta remember police officers came from slaves. They were they

00:37:34.650 - 00:37:54.090

were bounty hunters of to catch slaves. Those people turned into the Tea Party. The Tea Party turned into the people who protect it I mean, there's so many levels to it. It's such a rich,ugly, dark history that we come from. So yeah, it's always

00:37:54.090 - 00:38:09.780

gonna be issue between a regular civilian and a police officer because it's always that dark undertone that they have. And that safe haven of this broken down law thats built on lies, deceit, and financial gain.

00:38:11.850 - 00:38:21.510

Yeah, that was really I want to shift towards specific like, questions about like Dallas in the DFW area. So like, Okay,

00:38:22.200 - 00:38:33.120

um, I like I read in an article you've mentioned that you were on the Margaret Hunts Hill bridge, keep telling me like, how you got to the bridge, what it was like to be on there and everything like that.

00:38:35.370 - 00:38:58.590

That day, it was June 1. Um, we were hot. We were hot. Hot as fish grease. What I do want to make clear, and I always try to make it clear in every interview that I do is that we were stopped at the bridge. But and there was two police

00:38:58.590 - 00:39:15.480

officers on both sides. They let us through. We did not run through. We did not speed walk through we did not Bogart through. I wasn't at the very front. But I can tell you I didn't run up on nothing me personally in the people that

00:39:15.480 - 00:39:35.400

was behind me. We didn't run up on nothing. And when nobody in front of me running. First of all, that a hill okay? And we had on masks. No, um, they granted us permission. So to me, and I say this and I mean this it was a trap. They wanted to

00:39:35.400 - 00:39:54.240

make an example out of what happens when you protest in Dallas. And I feel like because chief Renee Hall came out the next day and said I don't care about your feelings is the reason why she is no longer our chief. And trust me, I love

00:39:54.240 - 00:40:13.080

black women. I stand for black women but I'm not afraid to say when a black woman made a mistake. She made a mistake that she still has not apologized for. She keeps you cannot It was 800 people, I think it was no, it was 694 people almost to the

00:40:13.080 - 00:40:27.540

tee, I'm almost certain that's the number. And you telling me because you had a conversation with one man. And you can hear That's the difference. He got on the mic. I don't know if you can go back and watch it. It was told to the public several times

00:40:27.900 - 00:40:45.480

that we have permission that we were going we were not going to be apprehended for protest. And we were outside of the zone. So now that we're outside of the zone, and we are marching as a protester, because I was not an organizer at the time, I was a

00:40:45.480 - 00:41:04.050

protester who just came because I had enough my life for you to handcuff me. And think that you don't have me laying down on a bridge was a problem for me. It was a whole problem. And when I realized that we were to a point to where they was working

00:41:04.050 - 00:41:15.000

tomorrow, I started stepping over people that we can't let me talk to somebody. And I did. I went to one of the police officers and I was like, I need to talk to you. He was like, okay, he put those little zip ties on me. And I said, thats

00:41:15.000 - 00:41:31.350

not the conversation I was talking about I said somebody go down and have a conversation with her. When I say her, I mean it's babies on this bridge II and you did talk to Chief Renee Hall, (what

00:41:31.350 - 00:41:50.560

was that conversation like?) Um, it was a you know, she had her views on it. And her whole stake was, you need to be careful of the company you keep. And like,

00:41:50.560 - 00:42:04.000

you know, you're just coming out here protesting and you don't know who's organizing what. And I said, Listen, it doesn't to me. And I was just a protester at the time. I don't care who's organizing this. I'm not coming out to support an organizer. I'm

00:42:04.000 - 00:42:26.410

coming out because you police officers are covering for each other. I'm coming out because you suffocated a man. Over 8 minutes. That's the problem. That is a problem yellow shooting in people's house. No, knock warrant wrong address

00:42:26.410 - 00:42:43.990

think its a (unknown word). Wait a second. That's my I'm out here. So it was behoving to me and we had a conversation moving back and forth. And I'm like looking babies on the bridge at the end of the day. Like I will pull my car up transport

00:42:43.990 - 00:42:55.180

children if need be. And I stayed there and she did she lets adolescence go. But I found other people by the time I got home people yeah,

00:42:55.000 - 00:43:12.820

Where still laying on the bridge. It was like three or four hours. I would have been pissed. I was already pissed I was hot. I went down there and she could easily say look arrest her too. Because I went down there talking cash money. Shit.

00:43:12.820 - 00:43:27.700

I was like, Look, I'm trying to be as respectful as I can. But I'm mad. This is what's going on. Y'all throwing tear gas at us y'all throwing rubber bullets at us. And nobody she's like, No, we didn't. Yes, the hell you did. I'm not confused. I know

00:43:27.700 - 00:43:41.020

what that shit tastes like by now. So, you know as the story unfolds, they start now little by little Oh, well, yes, there was this or you know, yes. We had a few instances of that, like go out there shoot the rubber bullets and doctors and

00:43:41.020 - 00:43:48.970

didn't know it. Uh oh your picture went away can you hear me? Okay. Oh, yeah I can hear you

00:43:49.740 - 00:44:04.230

I remember those times when DPD was like denying the rubber bullets thing? I think they were saying that because they were actually foam bullets, which was crazy. (So tell me did you see any) violence between the police and

00:44:04.230 - 00:44:22.100

protesters? No. So what happened was on the bridge, you can see the police officers coming to the other side. So once you seen the police officers coming to the other side, we knew that

00:44:22.100 - 00:44:36.290

they were probably going to be gonna deny us and make us turn around. We had no clue that it was a set up like an ambush. So we're at the height of the bridge, like here. And then once we can, you know, it goes up and down. So once we're coming down

00:44:36.290 - 00:44:53.840

this way, we're seeing Oh, it's police officers marching in full on riot gear. And we where like were going to keep marching. You know, it's a peaceful protest. And so, we got to maybe I say about (maybe about as big as a street) we was a distance. You

00:44:53.840 - 00:45:11.240

can't see my hand we where at a distance and they started throwing (unknow.) So you kind of And we're running, and we run back to see and then we said no, we gonna hold the line, like this is peaceful. So we turned around and we took a knee after

00:45:11.240 - 00:45:32.780

the knee more than a they started shooting bullets. But it was time to go like, we haven't done nothing. We're not throwing nothing at you, its time to go. So we turn around, and then it's a whole nother set of riot gear people. Right behind us. So now

00:45:32.780 - 00:45:48.680

we're in the middle of the bridge, and they're working their way forward, and the other ones are closing in. So now we're just here. This is all we had. So you had almost 700 people stuck on a bridge after trying to retreat after doing

00:45:48.680 - 00:46:04.580

nothing wrong, after causing no ill-will or violence other than lifting our voices to let people know that we are tired of police officers thinking they can kill us and then go home and kiss their kids good night. So hell yeah, I'm still angry about the

00:46:04.580 - 00:46:30.320

bridge, and I ddn't even lay there for four hours. But you know, what I would have respected an apology to say I messed up. I made the wrong call. Because at the end of the day, that's no, no. No, no, go in the house. Thank you. But I'm

00:46:30.320 - 00:46:44.060

so angry about it. I would have loved for (Chief Renee Hall) they have to say, you know what, even if she says she didn't make the call, and she had another council member there. And he backtracked and said, She didn't make the call. I don't give a

00:46:44.060 - 00:47:01.940

damn. Because at the end of the day, you're the head. You're the head, you are black, you're a woman stand up and say, You know what, as a department, we made a mistake. I made a mistake. Its your department if something happens in Not My Son, I'm

00:47:01.940 - 00:47:17.180

responsible for it. I'm supposed to say I made the mistake. You know, I apologize on behalf of my team, and whatever harm you may have caused. Now what people say after you offer that apology is up to them. Because you've done your job, the best thing

00:47:17.180 - 00:47:27.270

you can do is own your shit. She didn't own it, she came by and said, Look, I'll give him my job is keep everybody say, Okay, now. So no,

00:47:27.450 - 00:47:43.950

I feel like her resignation is is gonna damage another black woman's opportunity. I acknowledge that. And do I like that? Of course not. Because that's gonna be another thing to say "women are weak. You know, women, we can't have a woman in

00:47:43.950 - 00:48:02.850

this type of power because you see what they do? And then if anything else, she quit. Even if you found better employment, and she's ready to go. You didn't stay to fight the fight. So you just understand it's two sides to every story. So it's probably

00:48:02.850 - 00:48:17.970

so much I want to speak on her departure as to you know, her real reasons for leaving. But what I will say as a just a regular, you know, Mojo, I would have appreciated an apology. I know if nothing else I told you. I didn't come with ill intention

00:48:17.970 - 00:48:32.460

on the bridge. I know. That's a fact. I know that if nothing else. I don't want to see a black woman walk away and it hurts black women in Dallas. Because that's what that's what happens at the end of the day. I think about the whole picture.

00:48:33.720 - 00:48:51.090

Am I fond of her? I don't know her enough. But what I will say is that her departure is going to make it harder for the next black woman to get in her position that's what I know the next woman you set us back in Dallas with your shenanigans. Do

00:48:51.090 - 00:48:59.820

you think we're gonna have another black police chief that's a woman? Not anytime soon becuase I don't think so. I think because the movement is so

00:48:59.820 - 00:49:10.710

high we might get somebody black, but it's certainly not on the one Yeah, I don't even before all of this. She was still pretty controversial because of all the violence that happened last year

00:49:10.980 - 00:49:29.040

within our within the DFW area. And really people were disappointed. And if nothing else, I always want to say black woman win but not at the stake of hurting the very being of a

00:49:29.040 - 00:49:41.760

black person. Um, so we got a phone 11 minutes I want to ask specifically about like George Floyd's death and like what do you Why do you

00:49:41.760 - 00:50:04.650

think that this was kind of the straw that broke the camel's back? when when it came to a point to where police officers they didn't even shoot him. They just slap suffocated him. And

00:50:04.650 - 00:50:23.340

they were standing around talking the world seen that I don't know a person, whether you got up and did it or not, I didn't want to just go and burn and tear some shit up it made you mad. We didn't have a meeting about a protest. People

00:50:23.340 - 00:50:42.420

just showed up from everywhere. It wasn't I didn't get a text message, you get a text message. I'm gonna text message, dad. And I wouldn't know social media saying this is what we don't want. I just got mad, I got mad, I'm tired if if you are not

00:50:42.420 - 00:51:01.680

going to respect black people, and if you are going to show that you get zero, Chuck's about us about the country that we built, we can just burn it down. We can just burn this bitch to the ground. And then y'all remake it. And then you can have

00:51:01.680 - 00:51:18.480

a say so. Because regardless of the fact. Slaves built these paths to even know where we're going. Remember your history. I don't care who started who made these beautiful buildings. God damn it, you wouldn't know what a plot is. If a slave didn't dig

00:51:18.480 - 00:51:36.090

it out. No, we built this. So if you are not going to give us the respect, and you think that you can just step on us and suffocat us and you still are hanging us in these hick towns? We will burn this bitch to the ground first. And that's that's what I

00:51:36.090 - 00:51:58.020

felt like the humans that went out and did what they did. They had that same instinct that I had before and even Caucasian. If before I let another person die on my watch because at that point, I felt like everybody who went on and rage was it was a

00:51:58.110 - 00:52:16.350

Not on my watch. We will burn this bitch down first. And then you the system that is so oppressed and so broken can come back and build it back up. I think that's how the world felt. We'll just burn all this shit down. Just burn it the fuck. And

00:52:16.350 - 00:52:33.240

that's what happened. It was flames in Dallas. It shit on fire everywhere. Yeah, they want to use the looting. But see, they forgot to like capture those pictures of that rage that fire represented rage. They tried to clear the message of

00:52:33.390 - 00:52:49.200

Oh, people are stealing and and all this now that we as a people were tired. And when those people went out there, and they were seting those flames they were trying to send a clear message of were trying to burn this shit down. Do you not

00:52:49.200 - 00:53:05.220

understand? We're tired. We'd rather start from nothing. before we let you guys infiltrate and continue to control the narrative of suppression. So that's what the George Floyd did. For me, it was the straw that really broke the

00:53:05.220 - 00:53:22.410

world's back. Not even just America, but it just broke the world. And we're tired. And we don't want to get to that point anymore. I would love nothing more for us to heal and truly succeed as a country as a race as a people. But don't get

00:53:22.470 - 00:53:41.640

mistaken, we understand that it has come to a by any means necessary. So that is where we are. We are open to talk. We are open to listening, we are open for dialogue. But we are not open to you continuing on the path that you're on. And we will

00:53:41.640 - 00:53:58.290

take drastic measures to ensure that you know that we as a people of this what they would like to call Great American United States of America. It's not great. And until we can get it to a decent place because we just work it but decency at this

00:53:58.290 - 00:54:15.600

point. Ain't nothing great about the US of a there's nothing free about the United States of America because black people still aren't free. We're still enslaved to the color of our skin. So until we see change, I know you heard that chant or if

00:54:15.600 - 00:54:29.580

you protest but we always say till we see change. We are on high alert. So that's where I am with that I am in that same situation. I'm in that same mentality today until we see change.

00:54:29.760 - 00:54:39.630

Um, so the Brianna Taylor plave decision happened not too long ago, a couple months ago. How do you feel about that? Um,

00:54:42.420 - 00:55:12.120

we were in a very dark place that day. Um, I cried. I cried because it was again, for me it was Trayvon Martin again. Like you people. The nerve of you Quicken people You will, you will charge a man who hit a wall who hit nothing. Before you

00:55:12.420 - 00:55:32.580

actually charge people who actually took a real life, a innocent life, I don't care what somebody past is. In that moment, God dammit, she was sleep. It made me mad. Like, even if she had woke up after the intrusion, you woke this

00:55:32.580 - 00:55:51.660

woman up out of her sleep, you took her (fucking life), like you took her life, her mother does not have her (unknown). Nobody has these people anymore. And you, for lack of a better term you shitted on people who are fighting for rights who give

00:55:51.660 - 00:56:08.640

a damn. By saying before we charge those police officers, we're going to protect them with that same broken system that you've been marching for over 100 days. And we're going to prosecute the person who hit some drywall, drywall got more

00:56:08.640 - 00:56:31.350

justice than the killers who killed an innocent woman because of some bullshit that they put in, in place to protect police officers. And that day was a very dark and ugly day. It was a very, very dark and ugly day. And it took great restraint for

00:56:31.350 - 00:56:57.720

myself to try to be of, of excellence, and to be steady. Because at that point, people were looking at me and people were following me. And I felt like I was at a dangerous place. I can either help create havoc. And we can have repeat. Or I can

00:56:57.720 - 00:57:17.040

just say our words, and try to get everybody back as best I can. But it was just it was an ugly day. I mean, we had a city council meeting that day, it was it was just an ugly day for Dallas. We lost that day. And so many ways. It's just

00:57:17.040 - 00:57:29.060

unmeasurable, like we want to see defund the police, we want to invest in our communities. So that day was a lot. It was a dark day, I want to ask you this question. I hope they won't

00:57:29.090 - 00:57:41.870

like it will bother you. If we- If we went a little bit over, we're getting close to time. But, um, do you see a difference in response when, when it comes to black women, when they're victims of police violence from when it was black men?

00:57:44.390 - 00:58:04.130

Absolutely. Absolutely. And that's why I what I was just saying was really, you know, teetering on that. Um, we that just shows that America does not protect the same women who create change, who said we would not

00:58:04.130 - 00:58:19.460

have another president had it not been for black women. Let's be very clear. We we hit the ground running, we encourage people to vote, we motivated people to vote, we took people to the polls, we are the forefront. And we are constantly

00:58:19.460 - 00:58:42.770

we're the most disrespected women of any race by all races, and to even see that, you know, it just kind of got swept under the rug. Everybody came out, you know, and I think they're the district attorney. I forgot his name. But Mr. Coon, I'll just

00:58:42.770 - 00:59:01.400

stick with Mr. Coon. He was disgusting to watch as a man who just we only share the same hue because it's certainly not the same views. That is something that was very disturbing and it woke me up and I think that's really what just incited the

00:59:01.520 - 00:59:16.190

tears. It's like a black man who's delivering this message. And he just don't give like you don't care Would you care if it was your sister? So if they go kill your sister You good? You're going to get up there and have that same spirit right? Oh,

00:59:16.190 - 00:59:36.290

you're not and i don't care about it man a job. And that's why I say we need new people in office. We need black women on our city council's and in our senate in Congress we need that. As our representatives we need that because we have to now

00:59:36.290 - 00:59:55.850

protect ourselves to show people how to protect us. Black women are in a very delicate place. We are creating narrative and still accepting disrespect because that's all people have to give us. That was disrespect at its prime. So I'm for for supporting

00:59:55.970 - 01:00:14.000

black women, black women are carrying our nation. period. And I say that with pride. I say that with so much strength and urgency, because we are demanding true change in our communities and we're demanding respect above all else. So, yes

01:00:14.000 - 01:00:26.300

to answer your question. Men are superior and they don't have the same gumption or the same grief when it comes to a woman and it showed us. I have

01:00:26.900 - 01:00:40.670

about two or three more questions, if that's okay with you. Thank you for doing such a good conversation. I don't want to like not ask these questions. Um, I'm sorry, I'm long winded. I'm messing up the time.

01:00:40.670 - 01:00:57.930

I've loved it. Honestly. I love it. This is so great. Um, so the election is over now. Um, and to some extent, this was a slight victory. Um, what do you think the results are going how is that like going to affect the

01:00:57.930 - 01:01:19.400

movement? Um, so I have a, what's a good way to put it? When it comes to the election, I hold no qualms about who is going to create real

01:01:19.400 - 01:01:35.480

change, I don't believe anybody is going to create real change. I feel like we have to hold them accountable. At the very beginning, everybody was just like, you have to just choose a lesser evil. Well, what the hell I'm sorry, what now you want me

01:01:35.480 - 01:01:50.090

to go vote, it was hard to encourage people to vote. And I was one of those people. And I think because I was so candidly honest with people, we were able to have like, I'm gonna go vote, I tell people to vote simply on the strength of our ancestors

01:01:50.090 - 01:02:04.430

couldn't they hung bled and died for us to have a voice. If you go in and just pick people who you want to pick and don't pick a president, I don't get but you go in there and you vote, because we did not have that option. As women, they felt like

01:02:04.430 - 01:02:20.210

we were invaluable. They're showing us in real time today that they still feel like we're invaluable. We have to show that we have the voice and that we have the power. And we did that. Now, our elect, our president and vice president elect, if

01:02:20.240 - 01:02:36.320

they don't do what they're supposed to do, nobody's coming in boot shining in here. I have no problem with speaking my mind if they get in there and do because they had ugly pasts. Yes, their PR people came in and they swept it under the rug. So

01:02:36.320 - 01:02:53.930

that way, the common folk wouldn't understand what's going on. But both of them hold darts. And I am going to expect them to deliver on the black vote. Because we put you in office, this black woman, we put you in office, not the other way

01:02:53.930 - 01:03:13.130

around. Deliver or you got to go too because we're not just oh, I'm gonna I'm so glad that you're here. You are not our white Savior, you hold the real privilege to us. And to that woman, the same thing. I just told you the same way that I

01:03:13.190 - 01:03:29.540

that I feel about our soon to be former chief, she is in the same boat, you need to deliver because you came from a rudy past where all you did was incarcerate black people, if I'm not mistaken. Do I want that? I would love nothing more to see

01:03:29.540 - 01:03:44.000

her succeed. I want to see Joe Biden succeed. I want to see them cash some of these checks that they was talking about cash them. That's what we want to see. I know that somebody else and it's unfortunate, because we already know when somebody else

01:03:44.000 - 01:03:59.810

dies, while your president, what are you going to do different? Because I don't want to hear it. I don't want you to tell me you don't have to tell me shit. I don't want to know. I want you to show me with your actions, which you don't allow when the

01:03:59.810 - 01:04:14.240

ball is in your court when were in your wheelhouse is it going to be the same. Are you going to come out and tell people to stop doing what they're doing? Now, now we get to have those conversations. Now you get to really hold those people

01:04:14.240 - 01:04:29.540

accountable. Everybody talks a great game. But I'm into showing like with Not my son. I tell people all the time I try to cash everything so far I have. You can see us out in the community. You can see what I'm doing. You can see me on the

01:04:29.540 - 01:04:43.940

front lines. You can see me getting in people's face when I'm like I'm not having that shit. You see me. I want to see them do the same thing. Do it in legislation, do it passing these bills, do it to sitting in those rooms when nobody can see you

01:04:44.150 - 01:04:58.160

and come out with a solution that is for the betterment of black people. That's what I want to see for our country, because in order to get our country on a correct path, we have to fix the race problem first. So let's see. Are you going to really

01:04:58.160 - 01:05:11.360

create more jobs that people can actually sustain and attain to, or you really want to create a safe school environment. What do you have in place? I cannot wait to see what the first hundred days are going to look like. because let me tell you

01:05:11.360 - 01:05:31.580

something, those first hundred days that the narrative of the four what are you really going to be out to conquer? Or was it just the money game? So I'm excited to see, I'ma show me. Texas is the Lone Star State. But I need to see, show me.

01:05:32.580 - 01:05:48.330

So what do you want people to know about this movement today and in the future? I want people to know that it is a narrative. And that is also a checks and balances behind that narrative. So if you

01:05:48.330 - 01:06:06.300

are in your community, and you are screaming Black Lives Matter, what are you doing to be productive in the progression of a black life? What are you doing? What are you advocating for? What are you you know, what bills are you on? Like? What are

01:06:06.300 - 01:06:22.590

you pushing? Are you in a council meetings? Are you on the ground in the city? are you creating, you know, chances for people to get off welfare? Or you do have a hookup with housing? Like what are you doing to pour into black people? What

01:06:22.590 - 01:06:37.140

are you doing to pour into systematic racism, so that way, we can retract that from my vocabulary and not have to use that. I want people to know that this is a marathon. And people say that and they say it like it's just something gimmicky.

01:06:37.320 - 01:06:56.580

It's not this is a marathon, this is not a moment in time, you have to really put your boots to the ground. Everybody is responsible for that four by force space. How are you gonna handle yours? So my message to everybody is to show up, honor

01:06:56.580 - 01:07:12.060

up and handle up, do your part. And it doesn't have to be the same way I do mine, everybody is different. But you have to do your part. So do it. Be of a real change, provide a real assistance, give your time to volunteer to something and

01:07:12.060 - 01:07:25.200

learn. It's never been a time since I've been out here that I went to something I didn't walk away with something that was either nourishment or something that I did not know, a conversation that I probably needed to have. Get involved.

01:07:26.640 - 01:07:38.550

Give a little of your time to your culture. Give a little bit of time to learn about a different culture. If this is not your culture. So are there any questions I should have asked

01:07:38.550 - 01:07:52.630

you. Um, you didn't ask me about our pillars. Of Not My Son. Um, ugh our pillars our first pillar of course, is social

01:07:52.630 - 01:08:07.840

activism. That is being on the street boots to the ground, letting our voices be heard getting into those city council meetings getting into the neck of the oppressor. Um, we counteract that with what we just had our civic engagement,

01:08:08.380 - 01:08:26.680

voter engagement, we have to get people there. We have to educate people on the fact because we're nonpartisan. I am myself just nonpartisan. I'm a show me type of person. And I want to I want people to understand that it's nasty on both sides. We cannot

01:08:26.680 - 01:08:41.320

just think, Oh, I'm over here because it's me, oh, I'm over here. You need to understand the person outside of the party, that person makes the decision as well. And sometimes behind closed doors, they don't agree with that party. So you need to

01:08:41.320 - 01:08:56.680

understand who you voting for and the character that you're giving. Cause this is supposed to be what we hold beautiful. My people built this country. I want to see it flourish. So, and our third one is you know how we show and improve our community

01:08:56.710 - 01:09:11.740

outreach. We have a back to school drives. Tomorrow we have a turkey drive. Um well doing to Turkey giveaway. We're doing a turkey drive all week. So if you want to, you know if I didn't want to give some canned goods or stuffing or some turkey, let

01:09:11.740 - 01:09:29.170

me know. Um we do after school programs, we do tutoring. We do a community cleanup. We feed the homeless, we feed people we help find resources. In order to claim that you want to see change. You have to be a part of the change and create change

01:09:29.170 - 01:09:40.780

where you can so you know those are our three pillars I feel like that boom boom boom checks and balances. And we're right (unknown). I did say three but there's one question is kind

01:09:40.780 - 01:09:52.510

of a small like really breezy questions. I want to ask that and then we can were done a lot of activists have an activist in history that that inspires them. Is there one activist for you that you find inspiring

01:09:55.870 - 01:10:17.620

Tamika Tamika Mallory, definitely, um, I love her. I love her her moments where she captures, you know, her audience with true compassion and truth. Like, I want to look up to somebody who I feel like speaks truth. And

01:10:18.040 - 01:10:35.200

Malcolm X, especially in this moment in time, because I'm at a point to where I am. I am for the betterment of my people. And sometimes to other people. It doesn't sound good. But I feel like when you live in this space, you're like, I see why he

01:10:35.200 - 01:10:51.550

was moving the way he was moving. Cuz I'm in it, I see it, I fill it out. I see why, like, when you watch it, when you hear you listen, they're like, oh, he was, you know, he didn't like white people. He didn't like this, you get to see why his his

01:10:51.550 - 01:11:08.200

thought process was like that. Because you also have allies, who pretend to be allies, who want to dictate and want to be a white Savior and not an ally. They want to get in the forefront and project message over a black person. You're

01:11:08.200 - 01:11:24.340

still trying to control our narrative, it's no longer your time. So I feel like it's you know those two people. You know, she's in real time holding people accountable. And he was in our past, holding people accountable, and not being

01:11:24.370 - 01:11:43.030

afraid to lose his life. Behind truly, this is what I believe in. This is what I stand for. This is who I am. Whether you like it or not, you have to respect it. And you know, those two people are just. I love both of them. They've helped craft me

01:11:43.030 - 01:11:55.060

and I've listened to their speeches, and I've read some of their work. And it's remarkable and I hope to one day to achieve to be on that level. But in the meantime, I'm sipping my porch right here.

01:11:55.780 - 00:00:00.000

Okay, well, thank you so much. I'll stop the recording now. SEGMENT SYNOPSIS: [The preceding transcript is automated and may not provide an accurate transcription of the interview. There may be typos or inconsistent line breaks. Please refer to the attached document for a more accurate transcript.] SUBJECTS: [Black Lives Matter in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas; activism]; (Virtual Interview)