The Vision Behind Black Beautiful & Brilliant with Tiara Jones

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Up next, Authentically Detroit welcomes Tara Jones, founder of Black, Beautiful, and Brilliant, to discuss how their brand is centering identity, legacy, resilience, and empowering our community.
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And of course, what we're reading from the Michigan Chronicle, Conyers, Burton, Gilmer Hill highlight new members to Detroit's legislative delegation.
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We're going to be talking about the new crop of lawmakers that are expected to join Detroit's legislative caucus.
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And Michigan Democrats over the weekend rallied for unity after a contentious primary cycle.
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Keep it locked.
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Authentically Detroit starts after these messages.
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Join the Eastside Community Network for our senior send-off celebration at the Stademeyer on August 15th from twelve to three PM.
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The senior send-off is an open house honoring the high school graduates of the East Side Youth Collective as they prepare for college, university, and military programs.
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Celebrate their achievements, offer words of encouragement, and help support their next chapter by bringing a gift from their recommended wish list or dropping off donations to our youth development team.
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Visit ecnetroit.org slash youth for more information.
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Together, we can help send our graduates into their future with confidence and community support.
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Welcome to another episode of Authentically Detroit, broadcasting live from the Stademeyer inside of the East Side Community Network.
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I'm Sam Robinson.
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And I'm Don Gibbons Davidson.
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Thank you for listening in and supporting our efforts to build a platform of authentic voices for real people here in the city of Detroit.
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We want you to encourage to like, rate, and subscribe to our podcast on all platforms.
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I'm still gathering my myself from what a what a crazy primary week that was.
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I was saying before we started, I probably have slept less in a seven-day period of time than I ever have before.
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We are joined today by Tara Jones of Black, Beautiful and Brilliant.
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These words are more than a phrase.
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They embody strength, beauty, and brilliance.
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Black, beautiful, and brilliant was created with black women at the center.
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It exists as inspiration to affirm their worth, reflect their power, and to remind them of who they are, even in seasons that try to break them.
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This brand speaks to the woman who shows up, who carries generations, who holds it together, and still chooses to rise.
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The brand was first imagined by Tier's late husband, Brian, long before they met.
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He believed deeply in the brilliance of black women, in their resilience, intelligence, and their ability to create something meaningful even in the face of adversity.
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He believed black women deserved to be celebrated boldly and unapologetically, not just for what they endure, but for who they are.
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In 2025, Tierra's life changed forever.
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Her husband Brian passed away unexpectedly, leaving behind not only his vision, but a family, she and their two children, and a legacy unfinished.
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In the midst of grief, she was faced with a choice.
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Let his dream rest with him, or carry it forward in a way that honored his heart and expanded his purpose.
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Tierra chose to carry it, and we are glad that you did.
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As a young black woman, a widow, and a mother, rebuilding their brand became more than a business, it became healing, it became a purpose and a way to show her children what love looks like when it refuses to end, and what strength looks like when it continues, even when the path feels heavy.
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Tierra, welcome to Authentically Detroit.
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How are you?
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I'm good.
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How about you?
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Thank you.
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I'm good.
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As I said, I'm still tired.
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I slept to yesterday and today.
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I'm not a gnat person, if you can probably tell, I'm pretty wired.
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And so look, there's nothing wrong with a good gnat.
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Yeah, I I realized that uh Saturday I was still kind of chug along, try to try to do my thing, getting a head start on Monday, and then Sunday, yesterday was my day to sleep.
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Even yesterday, like I fell asleep at like 9 30, 10 yesterday.
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And I was getting up at like 10, 10:30, just like after 12 hours of just laying in bed.
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So yeah, last week was a lot.
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Um, how was how was last week and this week for you?
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So it's always busy for me.
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Um, there's always something to do between my children, between my regular nine and five job, and also now carrying this vision, the plate is always full, always something to do, so extremely busy.
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How old are your kids?
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Uh my son is four and my daughter is one.
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So very young.
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I got the toddler phase, yes.
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So they are in preschool daycare.
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You know what?
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No.
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So my son, he's getting ready to start kindergarten, thank goodness.
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Oh wow.
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And my daughter, no, she's at home with me, so I don't do daycare.
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That was one of the things my husband and I we agreed upon.
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That since I work from home, she gets to stay home with me.
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So what kind of work do you do from home?
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So from home, I'm an account specialist, so I deal with insurance.
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So a lot of work, a lot of customer service, a lot of helping.
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So I'm I'm not a stranger to helping and assisting.
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All right, that's wonderful.
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Yes.
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So black, beautiful, and brilliant, that's such a wonderful thing to say.
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Thank you.
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What what is the inspiration behind those specific words?
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So when I look at not only black women, black men, black children, our community, black is already just evident.
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But when I see our people, I see beauty, you know, within us and what we carry.
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And just also the brilliance is what's embedded inside of us, our DNA, the God given that He gave us to carry forward.
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So when I take that as a whole and just those three words, that's what I think about.
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Yeah.
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I love the brilliant part.
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Um, I love it all, but the brilliant part is so important because so many times we're trying to figure out which are the smart ones, which kids are good, which ones are not.
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Right.
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And we put them in different schools and we create these pathways where we treat black brilliance as if it's an anomaly and not something that we is expected and normal.
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And what you're saying is that we are brilliant as a people.
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We don't need to go to this school or get these grace, be brilliant, because God made us smart, not the schools that we go to or the privilege we were born into.
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And that's something I really strongly believe in.
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So, how does it resonate with people?
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Um, when you this is your business, and the t-shirt is really cool.
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I want one.
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Thank you.
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But um, but what how does it resonate with people?
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What does that do when people see it?
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So, a lot of the people they actually take to it, and it's the brilliance part they always seem to go to.
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Um really positive.
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They love what it stands for.
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The message that I bring to them, just reminding our people of who they are and what they carry, and just planting those seeds and just reminding them that throughout adversity you can overcome because you have that brilliance that you carry.
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So as I carry Black Beautiful or Brilliant, I'm here to remind and close those gaps and just be that person that they could come to and just also remind them of who they are.
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That's really good.
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Yes.
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Um, I there's a book, I can't remember the author, but Success Runs in Our Blood.
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It is.
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And I love that book because it speaks to what you're saying.
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And that is a lot of times people, children have heard negative things about their parents or grandparents or ancestors to Detroit, black folks being enslaved.
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And so there sometimes is this identity that gets formed around I'm not expected to succeed.
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Right.
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And you're flipping that.
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I have to flip it, and it has to start early.
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Um, like you said, one thing I like to piggyback off on we were more than what history presents us.
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We were kings and queens, and we still are kings and queens.
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And it's important, especially for our youth, to know that early on.
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Society has a way of just tearing us down and deciding who we are before they even know who they are.
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So one thing that I'm I'm really passionate about is letting our youth know that you can do anything you put your mind to.
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Why?
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Because of the brilliance that you carry.
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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You know, nothing beats failure but hard work.
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And a lot of times we don't understand that you have to work at something.
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So I have this favorite anecdote.
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Um, that when I was working with some kids at a church and we were talking about education, and one of my questions was, how many of you are good at math?
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And nobody raised their hand.
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And I said, How many of you are good at basketball?
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And everybody raised their hand.
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Probably some of them aren't good at basketball, but it's not cool to say you're not, right?
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Right.
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So everybody raised their hand.
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And so I said, they then they was like, no, that's not fair.
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That's not fair because basketball is fun.
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And I said, Well, not if you can't play.
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Basketball is unfun to me, okay?
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I cannot get a ball in the basket.
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There was a video of Rashida Talib trying to hit that one.
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I see it.
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And I was like, I I I could relate to that so much.
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Math is fun when you get good at it.
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Math is like a puzzle when you finally understand what's going on.
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Anything can be fun, but we have been, you know, socialized to believe differently.
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And so that message, as long as you do the work, as long as you put your mind to it, is so important.
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It's something that ancestors had to tell ancestors.
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Ancestors couldn't read, had to tell ancestors who learned how to read.
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Right.
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Ancestors didn't go to school, had to tell somebody, listen, you can do this, you can be with the one.
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Each one teach one, right?
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Each one teach one, but seeing a possibility for their children, they couldn't even see for themselves.
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Right.
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Um, so what is the business like?
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So I'm gonna be honest with you.
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Business is it's busy.
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Business is not what I initially thought it would be.
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I knew it would be hard work, but I didn't know this much of hard work.
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When I see my husband, and it's funny, I would go back in my mind, like, why is he always on his phone?
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or why is he doing this?
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And now I understand why he was always on the phone and why he was always on the computer, because you're constantly building, you're constantly networking, you're reaching out, you're trying to get your message across social media.
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So it's a constant thing because we are so connected to our phone.
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So the first thing we pick up, we hit Instagram or we hit Facebook, TikTok.
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So one thing with him, he was just constantly putting out material.
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So now I understand that it takes hard work to build something that you love and that you're passionate about.
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Yep.
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I want to ask about um the loss of your husband, and just you know, I could imagine it's still something that you're dealing with through grief and picking up uh what what he started.
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Uh was there ever hesitation?
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Was there ever a feeling like, you know, maybe uh you didn't know what you were doing?
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So it's funny.
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Um we were relocating from Arkansas, so I'm right now residing in Inkster, and it was just on like a random Thursday night, and I was sitting on my mother's couch, and I just thought to myself, what am I gonna do with my husband's business?
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It's like you have so many things to dissolve of what he started.
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And one thing I thought to myself was I seen how hard he worked, and I wasn't willing to let that go because I literally was the one in the back watching him logging these hours on top of trying to be present for us, trying to be present for our children, and also work at the same time.
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So when I see hard work and I'm also a hard worker, I can't let that go.
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I seen his vision and I believed in him and I seen the direction he was going with it.
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So that's what kind of inspired me to pick it up.
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And just like that, I just feed on the ground, established my LLC, started networking, where like was my first vending event, which was Savior's Day.
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I know it's huge, but I said I can do it, and I did it.
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And it was successful.
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And that's kind of how I went from there.
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I just feed on the ground, just running constantly, networking, finding events, getting his message out there.
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So that's what it's been for me.
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So are you from Arkansas?
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I'm not.
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I'm from Michigan, but for your husband, you know, you move and you do the best for your family.
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So that's what, you know, made us leave Michigan to go to Arkansas.
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Where in Arkansas were you?
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A little small town called Plumerville.
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Okay.
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Are you familiar?
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I've only been to Little Rock.
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Oh, okay.
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Once.
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45 minutes away from Little Rock about roughly.
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What was that like?
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Different.
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Quiet.
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Uh, you could hear literally crickets chirping every night.
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Um, because we were so in the country, you know, there was complete darkness, but it was peace.
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You know, we had a nice house, nice land.
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It was everything you could imagine.
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But it was just being so far away from everything.
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That's that was the thing, the access to resources.
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We could say something like um grocery shopping or just even going to the doctor.
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You would have to drive like so long, it would feel like I would be in a car for forever, you know, before we got there.
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So is that what brought you home?
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So it just brought me home.
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I didn't want to stay in Arkansas.
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It was smothering being in the house, um, you know, where he had passed away.
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So I said, you know what?
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I'm gonna come back home and be around people that love and care about me and that can support me.
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So you were in Arkansas when you leave.
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I was.
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Oh wow.
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So just imagine All by yourself.
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By myself at the time, yeah.
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Just me and my two children.
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At the time, my son was three and my daughter was five months.
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So it was just, yeah.
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So just us.
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It has not been long.
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Has not.
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A little over a year.
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Oh wow.
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Yep.
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And so this uh focusing your energy on his legacy has helped you to process the loss?
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It has.
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So I feel like, in a sense, I'm closer to him because he has started this.
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Now it's like I take his vision everywhere I go, even like something as small as my backdrop.
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It's it is of him, you know.
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So I really feel connected to him and being able to now build on his vision.
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See, naturally, he started with black women and centering around them and they're, you know, giving back and just honoring them.
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Now, being in this business, I now see men could also use the same.
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Men also need to hear that that admiration.
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They need to be uplifted.
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Sometimes they do.
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They do.
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They do.
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I want to ask how how do your children uh process the loss?
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How are those conversations with them?
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It's my son in particular.
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Um, he knows something is different, but he just doesn't know quite what it is.
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Um, one thing I don't let him do is forget his father.
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We talk about him, I show him pictures.
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If he tells me, like, oh, I like this, I was like, Oh, well, Daddy liked that too, you know, just to make sure that he is aware because I will never let my children forget their father.
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That's beautiful.
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Yeah.
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That's really beautiful.
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And, you know, he sounds like a really wonderful person who had really positive attitudes towards black women.
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If you don't mind me asking, where did that come from?
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So basically, Brian, he has always been for our people, even before we long met, like conversations I remember us having.
00:14:28.720 --> 00:14:33.679
He has always been about the black woman and how she contributes to the society and what she gives.
00:14:34.000 --> 00:14:35.600
What was his relationship like with smile?
00:14:36.320 --> 00:14:37.200
Loves his mother.
00:14:37.759 --> 00:14:39.039
Two bees in a pot.
00:14:40.320 --> 00:14:42.480
And he has a sister and a brother as well.
00:14:42.720 --> 00:14:45.600
But the love that he has for mother, I knew right then and there.
00:14:45.679 --> 00:14:49.519
That's something that was taught to me early on how a mot how a son treats his mother.
00:14:49.679 --> 00:14:50.960
So that's what kind of drew me to him.
00:14:51.200 --> 00:14:55.360
You know, people talk about mama's voice, but there's nothing like a son who loves his mother like that.
00:14:55.519 --> 00:14:59.519
My husband loves his mother who's passed away, you know, who's since, but loves her.
00:14:59.840 --> 00:15:02.559
Actually said the same thing, you know, we are two peas in the pod.
00:15:02.720 --> 00:15:02.960
Yes.
00:15:03.200 --> 00:15:05.120
And so, you know, I'm a queen, right?
00:15:05.279 --> 00:15:05.440
Right.
00:15:05.840 --> 00:15:08.000
That's what that that's that mindset.
00:15:08.399 --> 00:15:10.240
Um, I used to do the opposite.
00:15:10.320 --> 00:15:15.759
I used to always date people um who felt rejected by their mothers.
00:15:15.919 --> 00:15:17.600
And that was really healthy for me.
00:15:17.759 --> 00:15:24.159
Anyway, um so um what what does business look like and how do you grow it from here?
00:15:24.480 --> 00:15:35.200
So for now, just being now in this business, and like I mentioned, being able to now resonate with men and letting them know that they are kings and they are needed in society no matter what society tells them.
00:15:35.360 --> 00:15:37.679
Also spreading that same message to our youth.
00:15:37.840 --> 00:15:44.080
But now being in this, um, something that's really near and dear to me, my husband, he was a returning citizen.
00:15:44.399 --> 00:15:51.279
And watching him build his life basically from the ground up, because when you come back into society, that's naturally what you do.
00:15:51.360 --> 00:15:52.879
You're starting all over again.
00:15:53.120 --> 00:15:56.080
And one thing about this brand, he built it from the ground up.
00:15:56.240 --> 00:16:03.919
And now talking to his network and talking to other fellow returning citizens, it's now how can I service them?
00:16:04.080 --> 00:16:05.600
What can I do for them?
00:16:05.840 --> 00:16:11.919
How can I put myself in a place to where now I can connect you to resources and things that I can do?
00:16:12.159 --> 00:16:16.159
So as I grow this business, now I'm growing another side of it, a nonprofit.
00:16:16.480 --> 00:16:26.960
So one thing I want to give back and just create initiatives and programs that can help them as they return to society, whether that's employment, housing, access to care, building their confidence back.
00:16:27.120 --> 00:16:28.000
Something as simple as that.
00:16:28.320 --> 00:16:31.200
Just building that welcome, Matthew says welcome back, right?
00:16:31.360 --> 00:16:31.519
Yeah.
00:16:31.759 --> 00:16:32.720
In a real way.
00:16:32.879 --> 00:16:37.600
Um, I had a um friend who was attorney, and he said something like this, I'm gonna get it wrong.
00:16:37.759 --> 00:16:44.480
But he says, you know, based on his experiences, he was either going to come out as psychotic or a scholar.
00:16:44.639 --> 00:16:46.480
And he chose the scholar, right?
00:16:46.720 --> 00:16:52.559
Because you have so much concentrated time to really focus and to develop yourself if that's your choice.
00:16:52.639 --> 00:16:54.000
And it sounds like that was his choice.
00:16:54.320 --> 00:16:55.200
Definitely his choice.
00:16:55.279 --> 00:16:58.320
He took his time and it was feet on the ground for him, building businesses.
00:16:58.399 --> 00:16:59.840
He was also a photographer.
00:17:00.000 --> 00:17:01.759
Um, he's he's done a lot in his time.
00:17:01.840 --> 00:17:06.640
So I I really tipped my hat off with him, and my respect for him, it just grew more.
00:17:06.880 --> 00:17:08.079
How long were you together?
00:17:08.319 --> 00:17:10.720
In totality, we were together four years and seven months.
00:17:10.880 --> 00:17:11.680
How did you meet?
00:17:12.319 --> 00:17:12.960
Odd, right?
00:17:13.039 --> 00:17:14.960
During COVID, we met on Bumble.
00:17:15.599 --> 00:17:17.119
Talk about the time, right?
00:17:17.599 --> 00:17:20.319
In the house, you know, I was just like, wow, like what can I do?
00:17:20.400 --> 00:17:22.720
At the time, I was working on a master's degree as well.
00:17:22.880 --> 00:17:27.039
So I said I was gonna give myself one more shot at meeting someone online dating.
00:17:27.200 --> 00:17:31.359
And I came across this profile, and it's so funny because I didn't immediately swipe.
00:17:31.519 --> 00:17:38.559
I kind of sat back on it, it's like, okay, I think I'm going to take the time, really think about it, and swiped right, and we took off ever since.
00:17:39.440 --> 00:17:40.079
So yeah, see.
00:17:40.319 --> 00:17:42.000
There's nothing wrong with meeting people online.
00:17:42.480 --> 00:17:42.880
It's not.
00:17:43.119 --> 00:17:45.680
No matter where you meet people, you gotta go through the same process.
00:17:45.920 --> 00:17:46.400
You do.
00:17:46.640 --> 00:17:51.039
Um, you gotta go through the vetting process, the getting to know you process.
00:17:51.119 --> 00:17:53.359
And if you do that, you know, good things can happen.
00:17:53.519 --> 00:17:53.759
Yes.
00:17:53.920 --> 00:17:57.119
So it's good to hear that you had a successful um relationship.
00:17:57.359 --> 00:17:57.759
I did.
00:17:57.920 --> 00:18:00.880
And um you lost him, and now you've got these two beautiful children.
00:18:00.960 --> 00:18:01.759
Are they both boys?
00:18:02.079 --> 00:18:02.799
A boy and a girl.
00:18:03.039 --> 00:18:03.599
A boy and a girl.
00:18:03.680 --> 00:18:03.839
Yeah.
00:18:04.000 --> 00:18:06.079
So the boy is three and the girl is the one-year-old.
00:18:06.319 --> 00:18:07.279
Yeah, he's now four now.
00:18:07.359 --> 00:18:07.839
Oh, four.
00:18:07.920 --> 00:18:08.240
That's right.
00:18:08.480 --> 00:18:10.000
Yeah, he will be five next month.
00:18:10.240 --> 00:18:12.240
Oh yes, he's getting up there.
00:18:13.359 --> 00:18:15.279
I want to ask about growing up.
00:18:15.359 --> 00:18:17.039
Uh you said you were you grew up in Inkster.
00:18:17.279 --> 00:18:17.759
I did.
00:18:18.000 --> 00:18:21.599
And I got to know Inkster uh many years ago.
00:18:21.680 --> 00:18:25.039
I was really covering uh state lawmaker from Inkster.
00:18:25.359 --> 00:18:28.480
And uh I learned all about Inkster.
00:18:28.799 --> 00:18:35.839
But uh tell me your uh, you know, your your story uh with this small town that has a lot of history.
00:18:35.920 --> 00:18:37.039
I mean, it has a lot of black history.
00:18:37.440 --> 00:18:37.920
It does.
00:18:38.160 --> 00:18:42.000
Malcolm X being one of them, you know, so that's really near and dear to me too.
00:18:42.079 --> 00:18:44.400
So that's one thing I really appreciate about Inkster.
00:18:44.559 --> 00:18:47.519
But yeah my life coming from Inkster, it wasn't bad.
00:18:47.599 --> 00:18:48.240
It was actually good.
00:18:48.319 --> 00:18:53.039
Um I was raised with my mother and my grandparents at the time, so a lot of community involvement.
00:18:53.200 --> 00:18:56.000
Um there was a lot of hands-on, we all knew each other.
00:18:56.240 --> 00:18:58.960
Um so I would say positive.
00:18:59.359 --> 00:19:01.519
But does Ynster have the capacity to grow?
00:19:01.680 --> 00:19:02.079
Absolutely.
00:19:02.160 --> 00:19:04.160
Yeah, that city has so much potential.
00:19:04.319 --> 00:19:07.519
And one thing about my business, I want to bring that to Inkster.
00:19:07.680 --> 00:19:09.599
How can I reach community in a positive way?
00:19:09.759 --> 00:19:10.640
So that's really big for me.
00:19:10.880 --> 00:19:13.599
So Inkster lost its public schools a few years ago, right?
00:19:13.839 --> 00:19:14.799
It did, it did.
00:19:14.960 --> 00:19:16.880
That was heart wrenching, I'm not gonna lie.
00:19:16.960 --> 00:19:18.480
Um, I was really disappointed in that.
00:19:18.720 --> 00:19:26.319
Yeah, Inkster Highland Park, so many communities that are predominantly black and with a concentration of low-income people just lost schools.
00:19:26.559 --> 00:19:26.720
Yes.
00:19:26.960 --> 00:19:29.440
And somebody decides this is you know, progress.
00:19:29.839 --> 00:19:31.359
But it really does harm a town.
00:19:31.519 --> 00:19:34.160
Did what happened to the community after the schools were closed?
00:19:34.319 --> 00:19:36.400
Did people just start going to the charter schools nearby?
00:19:36.720 --> 00:19:39.359
So, one thing, like you said, the schools are the community, right?
00:19:39.440 --> 00:19:41.759
So once you lose the school, that's a community.
00:19:42.079 --> 00:19:45.119
So they did start going to like neighboring schools that you have around there.
00:19:45.200 --> 00:19:49.279
Um charter schools being one, and then some other public schools that's around there too.
00:19:49.440 --> 00:19:52.880
So that was one of the downsides of losing our public school system.
00:19:53.119 --> 00:19:53.599
Yeah, yeah.
00:19:53.920 --> 00:20:03.839
I worked in a neighborhood in the north end, and in the year before like 2006, they closed all of the schools they could, you know, in the neighborhood.
00:20:04.480 --> 00:20:15.839
And you know, it has such a dramatic impact because now you have this building that's there just sitting there that's not occupied, and it's a constant reminder of the loss.
00:20:17.279 --> 00:20:19.839
Have those schools been sold or repurposed?
00:20:20.319 --> 00:20:23.920
So so far, what I've seen, I haven't seen that they have been sold or repurposed as of yet.
00:20:24.000 --> 00:20:27.680
Like I said, it's just driving down middle belt and you just see see the building still there.
00:20:27.759 --> 00:20:29.519
So I haven't heard anything about that.
00:20:30.240 --> 00:20:36.000
Yeah, because that just adds to the trauma when you see something that has gone away.
00:20:36.480 --> 00:20:38.319
Especially because I'm raising my family now.
00:20:38.640 --> 00:20:42.640
And you think about that because you wanna stay connected to your community.
00:20:42.960 --> 00:20:45.599
The idea is to grow and build your community, not leave it.
00:20:45.920 --> 00:20:48.160
So, where will you will your son go to school?
00:20:48.480 --> 00:20:52.160
So, right now he's going to a charter school in Romulus, uh, Metro Charter.
00:20:52.400 --> 00:20:52.480
Okay.
00:20:52.640 --> 00:20:53.200
Yep, he is.
00:20:53.519 --> 00:20:53.759
All right.
00:20:54.079 --> 00:20:54.319
Yeah.
00:20:55.119 --> 00:20:56.160
So I'm looking forward to that.
00:20:56.240 --> 00:20:57.599
I can't wait till he starts.
00:20:59.200 --> 00:21:08.160
Well, one last question from me, and that is are you looking at um partnering with any local stores to sell your t-shirts on consignment?
00:21:08.640 --> 00:21:17.119
Do you have a vision for people being able to go to say source bookstore or next chapter and pick up a c a t-shirt?
00:21:17.359 --> 00:21:20.559
Yeah, so I actually am visited the local um bookstores of Detroit.
00:21:20.720 --> 00:21:23.519
I have actually on my agenda to reach out to a few of them.
00:21:23.759 --> 00:21:29.359
Also, I do have an online website as well to where I do sell my products, but I like to get out in the community.
00:21:29.519 --> 00:21:38.880
I want to actually partner and network, like you said, with fellow um people that you know that I come across and that we can, you know, maybe talk about me being able to put a couple of my products in their store.
00:21:39.119 --> 00:21:39.599
Oh, wonderful.
00:21:39.839 --> 00:21:40.079
Yes.
00:21:40.240 --> 00:21:40.480
Yeah.
00:21:41.039 --> 00:21:50.240
One of the products that I saw at the African World Festival that I ended up buying uh was the t shirt that I got on right now, the self determination is a lifestyle.
00:21:50.319 --> 00:21:59.759
And you know, I w I wanna shout out all of the um local businesses doing um sort of the motivational, uh inspirational.
00:22:00.640 --> 00:22:04.319
Or just kind of theme motif clothing items.
00:22:04.480 --> 00:22:09.920
I mean, I saw all kinds of uh skirts, dresses that people are like making.
00:22:10.079 --> 00:22:11.200
Like Detroiters, oh yeah.
00:22:11.359 --> 00:22:14.160
Metro Detroiters are making by hand.
00:22:14.480 --> 00:22:20.240
Um, you know, I think uh August, the month of August is black business month.
00:22:20.640 --> 00:22:24.319
Um, and so you know, friendly reminder to everyone.
00:22:24.480 --> 00:22:31.279
Uh it is August now, so please go and support our local black businesses.
00:22:31.680 --> 00:22:33.599
It is not hard to find.
00:22:33.759 --> 00:22:35.759
Um, Google is free.
00:22:35.920 --> 00:22:41.119
And so, Tara Jones, you have uh one example of that.
00:22:41.279 --> 00:22:50.240
Um, but I want to ask you uh some of your favorite um black-owned brands, local or not, what are you uh looking at?
00:22:50.319 --> 00:22:53.599
What are some inspirations, other designers, creators for you?
00:22:53.839 --> 00:22:54.000
Right.
00:22:54.079 --> 00:22:55.759
So I'm not beyond this bias.
00:22:56.079 --> 00:22:58.559
So my top designer is Detroit versus everybody.
00:22:58.720 --> 00:22:59.119
Okay, yeah.
00:22:59.440 --> 00:23:01.359
Love, love, love them.
00:23:01.519 --> 00:23:03.440
I love how he expanded his business.
00:23:03.519 --> 00:23:04.640
He's now in an airport.
00:23:05.119 --> 00:23:08.319
Seeing the article, I was like, wow, that's the I strive to be like.
00:23:08.400 --> 00:23:11.359
Yeah, I've I've seen and watched and seen that business grow.
00:23:11.440 --> 00:23:14.000
So eventually I would love to be there in that capacity.
00:23:14.240 --> 00:23:15.680
Yeah, he's come a long way, huh?
00:23:15.839 --> 00:23:16.480
Yeah, he has.
00:23:16.559 --> 00:23:18.640
He has so much respect to him and his business.
00:23:18.880 --> 00:23:19.680
Yeah, yeah.
00:23:20.960 --> 00:23:21.200
All right.
00:23:21.359 --> 00:23:22.240
Any other businesses?
00:23:22.400 --> 00:23:23.200
You want to shout out?
00:23:23.359 --> 00:23:26.160
Restaurants, other businesses, bookstores.
00:23:26.480 --> 00:23:28.319
Who do I have that's my favorite?
00:23:28.559 --> 00:23:34.000
Uh I would have to say Noni's Knowledge Cafe.
00:23:34.240 --> 00:23:34.559
Okay.
00:23:34.799 --> 00:23:35.759
I want to give her a shout out.
00:23:35.920 --> 00:23:36.319
And why?
00:23:36.400 --> 00:23:38.319
Because I just met her at an event that I just did.
00:23:38.559 --> 00:23:39.839
Really, really sweet lady.
00:23:39.920 --> 00:23:41.440
She actually supported my brand.
00:23:41.519 --> 00:23:46.400
Um, I met her down at uh Minister Shabazz, his fundraiser, and I had the privilege of meeting her.
00:23:46.480 --> 00:23:47.599
So it was really nice.
00:23:47.759 --> 00:23:50.400
So looking forward to uh actually doing more with her.
00:23:50.640 --> 00:23:50.799
Okay.
00:23:50.880 --> 00:23:51.039
Yeah.
00:23:51.279 --> 00:23:52.559
That's in Highland Park, right?
00:23:52.640 --> 00:23:52.960
Yes.
00:23:53.119 --> 00:23:53.440
Yes.
00:23:53.839 --> 00:23:57.839
Shout out to all the businesses still doing their thing in Highland Park.
00:23:58.160 --> 00:24:04.319
Um I want to thank Tara Jones for joining us uh when we come back.
00:24:04.480 --> 00:24:10.640
We're gonna be talking about the week that was and what's coming up for Michigan Democrats.
00:24:10.720 --> 00:24:11.839
They're gonna try to rally.
00:24:12.160 --> 00:24:16.400
Um, you know, there's Islamophobia, there's there's the haters coming out.
00:24:16.559 --> 00:24:24.480
They were already there during the primary cycle, but now uh we got Mike Rogers' campaign putting him in these AI videos and whatnot.
00:24:24.640 --> 00:24:26.640
Um, so we're gonna talk about that when we come back.
00:24:26.960 --> 00:24:29.680
It's not the Mike Rogers of the world that bother me.
00:24:29.839 --> 00:24:30.319
Yeah, yeah.
00:24:30.559 --> 00:24:35.440
It is when um black people engage in that kind of othering activity.
00:24:35.839 --> 00:24:36.480
Yeah, that's it's happening.
00:24:37.839 --> 00:24:38.960
You know who's not doing it though?
00:24:40.720 --> 00:24:44.160
He was there at the Unity Rally, it was Keith, Keith Williams.
00:24:45.119 --> 00:24:48.240
He's endorsing Abdul now, so we got we got the black legislative caucus.
00:24:48.720 --> 00:24:49.680
I'm really happy that he's not.
00:24:49.920 --> 00:24:51.359
I'm happy that he's doing that.
00:24:51.519 --> 00:24:53.200
Um, it's what we should do.
00:24:53.359 --> 00:25:07.039
There's nothing worse than um being from a people who've been marginalized and stereotyped and excluded and saying you're not the kind of person who should have this role, and then using that same lens on somebody else.
00:25:07.200 --> 00:25:12.160
Judge him by the merits of his campaign and the merits of his character.
00:25:12.240 --> 00:25:18.000
Don't judge him based on those people are like this, because that makes me physically ill.
00:25:18.079 --> 00:25:22.079
And I feel like I'm just gonna lose friends because I just keep saying that that's not okay.
00:25:22.480 --> 00:25:26.799
Um, I know Abdul, you know, but even if I didn't know him, it wouldn't be okay.
00:25:27.200 --> 00:25:27.680
It's not.
00:25:27.920 --> 00:25:28.079
Yeah.
00:25:28.480 --> 00:25:29.519
We're gonna come back.
00:25:29.920 --> 00:25:30.559
Keep it locked.
00:25:30.720 --> 00:25:31.759
I'll thank you to Detroit.
00:25:32.000 --> 00:25:34.160
We'll start back up right after these messages.
00:25:41.839 --> 00:25:48.960
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00:25:49.440 --> 00:25:57.599
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00:25:58.400 --> 00:26:08.400
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To learn more about our rentals and reserve space, visit ecnetroit.org slash space rental.
00:26:24.480 --> 00:26:25.279
Welcome back.
00:26:25.359 --> 00:26:27.920
You are listening to Authentically Detroit.
00:26:28.160 --> 00:26:32.160
We are going to go on a adventure.
00:26:32.400 --> 00:26:33.440
Are you ready?
00:26:34.160 --> 00:26:42.640
We're gonna talk about Detroit's new legislative caucus, uh, the one that is going to be set in stone after the November general election.
00:26:42.799 --> 00:26:48.400
All of these races are safe democratic majority districts.
00:26:48.720 --> 00:26:59.519
Um, and so we're talking about them as if they are already elected to the position because there's not enough Republican voters in the district for the Republican candidates to win.
00:26:59.599 --> 00:27:04.079
On the other side, I'm not even aware of all of the Republican candidates.
00:27:04.160 --> 00:27:10.640
I'm looking at the Republican that's about to take on um Donovan McKinney in November.
00:27:10.880 --> 00:27:15.519
Uh his name is Terrace Nikorak Nikoriak.
00:27:15.839 --> 00:27:16.640
Nikoriak.
00:27:17.119 --> 00:27:18.480
Terrace Nikoriak.
00:27:18.640 --> 00:27:19.920
Uh, he will lose.
00:27:20.079 --> 00:27:23.279
And that is something that I think a lot of people don't even recognize.
00:27:23.440 --> 00:27:30.559
Like people are already calling like Malot Kairos or Chris Rabb the congressperson or Donovan McKinney, right?
00:27:30.640 --> 00:27:31.839
He's not the congressperson yet.
00:27:31.920 --> 00:27:37.680
He, of course, has to uh make it through the general election in uh November.
00:27:37.839 --> 00:27:47.119
But all he has to do, frankly, all any of these candidates have to do that we're about to talk about is just survive merely um or not be scandal plagued or drop out of the road.
00:27:47.599 --> 00:27:53.200
I don't think there's anything No one will no stop no unless they drop out on their own accord.
00:27:53.279 --> 00:28:06.400
But just want to remind everybody that we talk about these candidates in the months of August, September, October into November as if they are already elected because we live in a majority democratic seat.
00:28:06.559 --> 00:28:11.440
I think uh somebody asked me that last week, and they they're you know a smart person.
00:28:11.519 --> 00:28:14.000
They just were reading the language as if they're already elected.
00:28:14.079 --> 00:28:17.519
They're like, well, and so I wanted to start off with that.
00:28:17.680 --> 00:28:28.400
Um, but of course, John Conyers the third, Willie Burton, Chris Gilmer Hill, uh over in Dearborn, you got a boss Oliway, he's just elected for the first time.
00:28:28.480 --> 00:28:31.680
A lot of people are excited about him as well.
00:28:32.079 --> 00:28:41.119
Um, let's start off, Donna, with the ninth State House District that was represented by former House Speaker Joe Tate.
00:28:41.519 --> 00:28:45.759
Well, it is now about to be represented by Willie Burton.
00:28:45.920 --> 00:28:53.440
Interestingly, Joe endorsed Willie against Renata Miller in last year's District 5 City Council race.
00:28:53.599 --> 00:28:59.759
Um Joe Tate endorsed Arthur Harrington over Willie Burton in this race.
00:28:59.920 --> 00:29:01.119
So I do wonder what happened there.
00:29:01.680 --> 00:29:05.119
I mean, sometimes the endorsement is not what you want it to be, right?
00:29:05.759 --> 00:29:06.480
I guess not.
00:29:06.640 --> 00:29:10.640
I mean, he did nothing to support Willie's city council race.
00:29:10.880 --> 00:29:15.119
He will be a very different um legislator than Joe Tate.
00:29:15.359 --> 00:29:21.839
Um, Joe Tate was very polished and close to the vest and inaccessible to people like me in the city of Detroit.
00:29:21.920 --> 00:29:30.960
When I wanted to see Joe Tate, I would go to Girls Point because he always showed up at their events, but he did not regularly show up on ours, although he did come one time.
00:29:31.119 --> 00:29:33.839
Um, but I don't I never felt that connected to him.
00:29:34.000 --> 00:29:42.799
Willie Burton has a much different style, but I also believe he will be more accessible to people who live, Detroiters who live in his district.
00:29:43.119 --> 00:29:45.279
Do you feel much more connected to Willie Burton, though?
00:29:45.359 --> 00:29:46.160
Like right now.
00:29:46.480 --> 00:29:54.079
Um, I feel as though Willie Burton would return an email or a phone call more quickly than Joe Tate.
00:29:54.720 --> 00:29:55.039
Oh.
00:29:55.759 --> 00:29:58.799
He's I'm Willie, if you're listening, uh text me back.
00:29:58.960 --> 00:30:02.000
Uh well, um, yeah, I mean, I'll reach out to him again.
00:30:02.160 --> 00:30:05.839
He and I texted quite a bit back and forth um leading up to the forum.
00:30:06.160 --> 00:30:09.359
I talked to Willie um on August 5, the day after the election.
00:30:09.839 --> 00:30:17.839
And he said that he's going to go to Lansing trying to uh build uh coalitions, um, create partnerships.
00:30:18.160 --> 00:30:25.680
He is eager, he says, to get there and support uh the city's most vulnerable residents, he said.
00:30:25.759 --> 00:30:28.079
Um Willie Burton is such an interesting person.
00:30:28.160 --> 00:30:35.920
I, you know, if we had a robust media ecosystem, despite the fact that we have two daily newspapers, we would have like you know, front page.
00:30:36.000 --> 00:30:38.480
Like he would have like his own profile that's like 2,000 words by now.
00:30:38.720 --> 00:30:39.440
He he should have.
00:30:39.599 --> 00:30:41.119
I mean, it's ridiculous to me that he doesn't.
00:30:41.359 --> 00:30:41.680
Yeah, maybe.
00:30:42.079 --> 00:30:43.359
As long as he's been in the public sphere.
00:30:43.599 --> 00:30:47.599
I guess like he gets he gets he gets mentioned only in derogatory ways.
00:30:47.920 --> 00:30:48.960
A lot of times he does, yes.
00:30:49.279 --> 00:30:50.559
You know, media shy.
00:30:50.799 --> 00:30:52.960
Um I want to point out something though.
00:30:53.039 --> 00:30:59.599
The m one of the funniest moments in our forum, and it was a six-plus hour forum, and we didn't have a whole lot of fireworks.
00:30:59.759 --> 00:31:01.599
But we did have fireworks during the closing statement.
00:31:01.759 --> 00:31:02.480
In the ninth, yeah.
00:31:02.640 --> 00:31:05.279
In the ninth um that was two candidates for two candidates.
00:31:05.440 --> 00:31:10.240
But the funny one was when Arthur Harrington got done giving his closing statement.
00:31:10.400 --> 00:31:11.680
Do you remember what Willie Burton said?
00:31:11.920 --> 00:31:15.839
Willie Burton said that he was reheating his nachos, that he was stealing everything from him.
00:31:16.000 --> 00:31:18.240
And I said, Whoa, whoa, whoa, I don't know about that.
00:31:18.559 --> 00:31:20.720
He said, uh uh thank you for reading my platform.
00:31:20.880 --> 00:31:22.079
Yes, something like that.
00:31:22.240 --> 00:31:32.160
And so he had the sheet of paper, and you know, if he I didn't know that he and Arthur Harrington were on the same page based on their responses to our questions, did you?
00:31:32.480 --> 00:31:34.319
Uh yeah, I mean, I don't know.
00:31:34.480 --> 00:31:35.359
I don't know.
00:31:35.519 --> 00:31:37.680
Yeah, I really don't know.
00:31:37.920 --> 00:31:40.400
Um, I've talked to Arthur who came in third.
00:31:40.559 --> 00:31:42.000
I want to break down the voting totals.
00:31:42.160 --> 00:31:45.680
Willie Burton uh won around 3,500 votes.
00:31:45.759 --> 00:31:48.400
That's about 23% of the vote.
00:31:48.640 --> 00:31:54.319
Rick Silva uh won about well, it was really close, actually.
00:31:54.880 --> 00:31:59.119
It was like 22.83 to 22.52.
00:31:59.440 --> 00:32:04.720
So that was 3,495 votes to 3,449 votes.
00:32:04.880 --> 00:32:07.359
Rick Silva ran as the progressive.
00:32:07.680 --> 00:32:19.519
He kind of started his campaign late, and you know, for me as a person that went to every single not every single, but I went to many political events this past eight months.
00:32:19.920 --> 00:32:24.000
I had not seen Rick as many times as I saw Arthur.
00:32:24.240 --> 00:32:28.960
I did not see Willie as many times as I saw Arthur.
00:32:29.200 --> 00:32:30.559
I saw Arthur a lot.
00:32:30.720 --> 00:32:39.440
Um I you know, very similarly to how John Conyers kind of showed up, maybe not one-to-one, but Arthur was just everywhere.
00:32:39.519 --> 00:32:47.200
He he put himself at every single political event that was like happening, despite his preference toward the candidate.
00:32:47.359 --> 00:32:53.920
I mean, I saw him at like at Stuff for Haley, I saw him for stuff for Abdul, I saw him at just every single political event.
00:32:54.640 --> 00:32:57.279
And so was John Conyers in the third state Senate district.
00:32:57.440 --> 00:33:13.839
A lot of people are surprised that Conyers pushed it through over uh Bernie Sanders back to Ebony Taylor, over uh uh Governor Whitmer, Gary Peters back to Corey Hall, over Adam Olier, who had already sat in a state Senate seat.
00:33:14.240 --> 00:33:15.839
Can I can I say something about Arthur?
00:33:16.000 --> 00:33:16.160
Yeah.
00:33:16.319 --> 00:33:18.720
First of all, somebody compared him to Adam Ollier.
00:33:18.960 --> 00:33:24.240
He's like a young Adam Olier, and I thought, is this still the model that you guys are um recommending?
00:33:24.480 --> 00:33:32.480
Because I think that the challenge is um Arthur did two things that I thought were working against him.
00:33:32.720 --> 00:33:44.960
One, his lawsuit against everybody else in the race was a big turn off, especially um when it was perceived that he was making a change transgendered attack on Tony Moore.
00:33:45.039 --> 00:33:45.599
That's not good.
00:33:45.680 --> 00:33:47.839
And then he said, No, I didn't do that.
00:33:48.079 --> 00:33:51.440
But that kind of thing feels it's a turnoff to people.
00:33:51.599 --> 00:33:54.000
And so if he's listening, just don't do that again.
00:33:54.160 --> 00:33:57.599
Yeah, when the race win the race the way you win the race.
00:33:57.920 --> 00:33:58.480
That had blowback.
00:33:58.559 --> 00:34:04.480
And the blowback was that the retraction of the Michigan LGBTQ caucus endorsement.
00:34:04.559 --> 00:34:07.039
He mean he actually lost voters off of it.
00:34:08.079 --> 00:34:10.400
And so But there's also like lost an endorsement, rather.
00:34:10.559 --> 00:34:14.400
Yeah, there's scuttle buttons, and people just it was like a a a whisper campaign, right?
00:34:14.480 --> 00:34:16.239
And you don't want to be the subject of that.
00:34:16.480 --> 00:34:24.639
The second thing is showing up is half the battle, but showing up in a way that makes people feel like you are showing up as an impressive candidate is something else.
00:34:24.880 --> 00:34:33.199
Sometimes when you show up and you are just in people's faces and put pushing yourself out there, it doesn't look impressive to people.
00:34:33.440 --> 00:34:35.760
And so show up and listen.
00:34:36.000 --> 00:34:40.239
Show up and don't always position yourself to be heard or seen.
00:34:40.719 --> 00:34:46.000
Um, there's a certain level of, and I give him credit for this, he's the youngest person in the race.
00:34:46.159 --> 00:34:55.280
And there's a lot of opportunities for him to grow into the kind of leader he wants to be, so that when he does show up, people listen, you know, but I didn't get that.
00:34:55.599 --> 00:35:05.199
Yeah, I think a lot of the criticism that I heard on Arthur was the same that I heard about Corey Hall, um, which was that they were running with their resumes.
00:35:05.440 --> 00:35:14.719
I I heard a lot of people say, you know, it sounded like in the pitch, Corey was just listing, you know, what he had done, his his job titles of the past, right?
00:35:14.960 --> 00:35:17.840
But what was the impact of those titles?
00:35:18.079 --> 00:35:32.239
I think when you're 23 years old, uh it's gonna be tougher to pull from what exactly you did that made a difference than somebody that is Corey Hall's age, who you know he should be able to have things like, hey, I did this and this resulted in this.
00:35:32.480 --> 00:35:38.719
Or or if you can't do that, he can say, This is what I believe in and this is what needs to happen, and be very clear.
00:35:39.039 --> 00:35:55.599
But one thing I learned is that people care more about what they think you think of them than you know, they they what I'm what I was trying to say, you want to impress people, show people that you care about them and that you understand what they need and want.
00:35:55.920 --> 00:36:01.039
Yeah, I think Rick, Arthur, and even Willie Burton for that matter, because Willie's still a young guy, too.
00:36:01.280 --> 00:36:05.519
All of them are going to have uh you know future elections.
00:36:05.679 --> 00:36:09.519
I think we're gonna see Rick and Arthur's name on a ballot again.
00:36:09.679 --> 00:36:19.599
Um, I would say, you know, Rick did not have as much as the um as Bryant Tepp and Arthur in terms of an orator.
00:36:19.679 --> 00:36:24.239
I think he could work on his pitch, work on his message.
00:36:24.400 --> 00:36:28.079
Um not that it was a bad one, I just you know think Arthur was just really rah-rah.
00:36:28.159 --> 00:36:30.800
He comes from a church background, right?
00:36:31.039 --> 00:36:31.760
Ministry.
00:36:31.920 --> 00:36:39.360
Um Arthur has a skill for public speaking that you know I don't think Willie and Rick had.
00:36:39.519 --> 00:36:46.239
However, Willie has been elected before, and Willie has things that he can point to to say, here's what I've done.
00:36:46.320 --> 00:36:50.159
I've been around these folks, you've seen me, you've known what I'm about.
00:36:50.320 --> 00:37:03.920
Um, you know, Rick and Brian Hep for that matter, you know, Bryant I don't think is from here, so he's probably gonna have to put in a few more years of making difference that is tangible enough to campaign on.
00:37:04.079 --> 00:37:04.239
Yeah.
00:37:04.400 --> 00:37:06.159
And I think that's a tough thing to do.
00:37:06.239 --> 00:37:08.480
Like it really is tough to do.
00:37:09.039 --> 00:37:11.679
Um, you know, it takes several years.
00:37:12.079 --> 00:37:15.840
I mean, Brian Hupp is not African American.
00:37:16.239 --> 00:37:17.119
Well, that's always gonna hurt.
00:37:17.440 --> 00:37:18.800
He's running in a majority black district.
00:37:19.119 --> 00:37:19.920
That's always gonna hurt him.
00:37:20.000 --> 00:37:21.599
But I don't think he should not ever run again.
00:37:21.920 --> 00:37:26.320
No, he's gotta build relationships with people who are black, he's gotta make sure that he's connecting.
00:37:26.400 --> 00:37:28.159
He definitely has some good questions.
00:37:28.559 --> 00:37:29.920
I was like, who is this guy?
00:37:30.000 --> 00:37:33.599
He just didn't resonate as somebody I knew, but I liked what he had to say.
00:37:33.840 --> 00:37:34.079
Yeah.
00:37:34.480 --> 00:37:41.760
I think I think his uh, you know, Arthur said, how many times did he say he's the only person in this race who's an attorney?
00:37:42.000 --> 00:37:46.079
You know, that's not necessarily your selling point, right?
00:37:46.559 --> 00:37:50.559
What people also are looking for for candidates is authenticity.
00:37:50.719 --> 00:37:53.360
You cannot get more real than Willie Burton.
00:37:53.519 --> 00:37:56.079
And I'm not saying that I think Arthur did a bad job.
00:37:56.159 --> 00:37:56.960
He is so young.
00:37:57.119 --> 00:37:58.719
This is his first time out the gate.
00:37:58.960 --> 00:38:01.599
Yeah, I think he did a really good job job for a 23-year-old.
00:38:02.000 --> 00:38:02.159
He did.
00:38:02.880 --> 00:38:08.239
The recommendations are, however, that he think through some of those things.
00:38:08.480 --> 00:38:10.719
Listen to people more often than you talk.
00:38:10.800 --> 00:38:10.960
Yeah.
00:38:11.199 --> 00:38:15.840
When you're out there, you're still in the learning mode and you're learning this city and what people need and want.
00:38:15.920 --> 00:38:19.840
And what people are saying they need and want is not a lawyer in Congress.
00:38:20.000 --> 00:38:28.079
What they need and want is somebody who will fight for them in Congress or do something to address their needs and describing what those needs are.
00:38:28.320 --> 00:38:35.360
Again, I I'm not I'm not sure if I'm putting it the way I want to, but it's not about who you are, it's about what you'll do.
00:38:35.519 --> 00:38:38.639
And if you don't have a track record, it is what you will do.
00:38:38.800 --> 00:38:42.079
If you do have a track record, it's what you have done and what you will do.
00:38:42.159 --> 00:38:42.400
Yeah.
00:38:42.559 --> 00:38:49.280
I think if the focus is still on what I'm going to accomplish for you because I know exactly what you need and want, that's going to be good.
00:38:49.599 --> 00:38:49.840
Yeah.
00:38:49.920 --> 00:38:59.840
I think one thing that was impressive to me also was just Arthur's ability to create the coalitions with all of the former and you know current longtime lawmakers.
00:39:00.000 --> 00:39:05.119
I mean, why why were all these people endorsing a 23-year-old first-time candidate?
00:39:05.760 --> 00:39:15.199
I think that they I think that there's a uh I think that that there is a thinking around what kind of politician we need.
00:39:15.440 --> 00:39:17.039
And he's the right package.
00:39:17.519 --> 00:39:17.760
Yes.
00:39:18.000 --> 00:39:19.760
And it's very polished package.
00:39:19.920 --> 00:39:20.159
Yes.
00:39:20.400 --> 00:39:25.119
That's the same criticism that some folks will will point toward Adam Ollier.
00:39:25.280 --> 00:39:34.480
Umlier, you know, in the third state Senate district, um, received the second most votes in that race.
00:39:34.800 --> 00:39:43.519
Adam Ollier, you know, kind of shocking, shockingly, came up short in this race, I I guess.
00:39:43.679 --> 00:39:49.039
Um he lost a lot of his support to Corey Hall gained a lot of the support.
00:39:49.280 --> 00:39:54.079
A lot of the overlap uh in terms of endorsees.
00:39:54.400 --> 00:39:58.159
You know, do these people endorsing these state senate candidates matter?
00:39:58.480 --> 00:40:00.159
Maybe they do, maybe they don't.
00:40:00.320 --> 00:40:12.480
Um I think that they are going to have to go back to the drawing board and figure out that this is not 1995, and we're not looking for a new John Conyers um senior.
00:40:12.880 --> 00:40:19.440
I think that we're looking for somebody who can resonate and connect with voters today.
00:40:19.840 --> 00:40:23.840
And so I don't think people had issues with Adam Ollier being polished.
00:40:24.000 --> 00:40:26.880
I think people had issues with him feeling insincere.
00:40:27.119 --> 00:40:29.760
And the same thing can come across from Arthur.
00:40:29.840 --> 00:40:33.760
Sometimes the you know, patina of polish can seem insincere.
00:40:33.920 --> 00:40:41.679
And so somehow making sure that you are connecting what you're saying with your heart and people can see your heart makes a difference with voters.
00:40:41.840 --> 00:40:42.000
Yeah.
00:40:42.159 --> 00:40:44.000
Uh I want to talk about John Conyers again.
00:40:44.079 --> 00:40:45.440
We touched on him last week.
00:40:45.679 --> 00:41:01.039
Um, I think a lot of I think his his himself is gonna be surprising to people, honestly, because when I scroll through all of his messages on social media over the last like 10 years, this is a guy that is very far left and that is gonna center black people in at every turn.
00:41:01.199 --> 00:41:11.360
Like he he is going to go there and talk about black political power from a leftist progressive perspective, and I think that's gonna surprise a lot of people.
00:41:11.760 --> 00:41:14.400
Um You know, I um he wrote a book.
00:41:14.639 --> 00:41:17.679
He did, and I was going to buy the book and then I didn't.
00:41:17.760 --> 00:41:19.360
And so, because you know I'm I'm busy.
00:41:19.599 --> 00:41:20.159
You should read it now.
00:41:20.400 --> 00:41:21.840
But I I actually I bought the book.
00:41:21.920 --> 00:41:22.159
Yes.
00:41:22.320 --> 00:41:29.039
Um, my father's house, an ode to America's longest serving congressman, um longest serving, what is this?
00:41:29.360 --> 00:41:35.519
Um, and it's it's actually really Congressman, a son's memoir of Civil Rights and Political Legacy in Detroit and Washington.
00:41:35.760 --> 00:41:39.360
Yes, he was the longest serving black black congressman.
00:41:39.840 --> 00:41:44.000
Um and of course, he has an interesting, really interesting story.
00:41:44.079 --> 00:41:52.880
Um, you know, the stories that I hear from other people are also very interesting about um his dad and and his life.
00:41:53.039 --> 00:42:11.920
Uh but he has his own story to tell, and I uh am hoping that we get to learn more about John Conyers the third as we see him a part of the um you know Senate majority if if Michigan Senate Democrats are able to keep that majority.
00:42:12.159 --> 00:42:13.840
I didn't go to the Unity Breakfast, right?
00:42:14.000 --> 00:42:16.800
I um didn't even have the Unity Breakfast.
00:42:16.960 --> 00:42:20.639
I was um, you know, I'm I guess I'm not that connected to things.
00:42:21.039 --> 00:42:22.400
You're not an MDP insider, huh?
00:42:22.719 --> 00:42:24.159
I'm not, and I that's okay.
00:42:24.320 --> 00:42:24.800
That's okay.
00:42:24.960 --> 00:42:26.000
I'm glad they had it.
00:42:26.079 --> 00:42:34.000
But what I was going to say is that my position is this I'm going to make an effort to stand behind those people that voter selected.
00:42:34.159 --> 00:42:36.719
I'm not a person who's gonna spend sour grapes.
00:42:36.880 --> 00:42:37.519
You won.
00:42:37.760 --> 00:42:43.199
It was an open election, I believe it was a fair election, you won, and I'm gonna try to stand behind you.
00:42:43.280 --> 00:42:47.119
Now, if Shri hit won, that would have been difficult, right?
00:42:47.760 --> 00:42:52.239
Um, but but you know, the people who won, I'm gonna make an effort.
00:42:52.320 --> 00:43:00.000
So Justin Owen, I've known him, I knew him before I met um Abe Ayesh, and I didn't like some of the way he campaigned.
00:43:00.719 --> 00:43:14.400
But I understand that there's people excited about him, and I want to be excited about him, John, other people who may or may not have been in my and certainly Willie Burton was not somebody I was really considering for that position.
00:43:14.480 --> 00:43:15.840
It was kind of a shock to me.
00:43:16.079 --> 00:43:17.679
Um I'm trying to say positive.
00:43:17.760 --> 00:43:22.079
I'm trying to say let's support the people who are there because you know, unity does matter.
00:43:22.159 --> 00:43:22.320
Yeah.
00:43:22.480 --> 00:43:33.760
And what I'm hoping, and this may be a silly hope, but I'm hoping that there is a different tone and mindset in the Democratic Party going into 2027.
00:43:34.000 --> 00:43:48.719
And that those people who may have at one point veered towards a center have learned a lesson that will pull them at least, you know, maybe not all the way left, but at least close enough to some of the justice issues that they'll vote on them.
00:43:49.039 --> 00:43:56.559
You know, whether it is, you know, some environmental protections, regulating DTE, all of those issues that have really resonated, right?
00:43:56.639 --> 00:44:04.079
Regulating data centers, um, addressing You know, um so many housing, you know, concerns.
00:44:04.559 --> 00:44:22.400
And one thing that I will say to the folks who were um concerned about the outside group spending money on behalf of Justin, um Unwenyu, or even Arthur Harrington.
00:44:22.480 --> 00:44:34.559
I mean, I've these are people that I've had c hours of conversation with to know that they're not going to rub the progressives the way that one Helena Scott might.
00:44:34.719 --> 00:44:48.079
Or even, you know, somebody that's not a like true, I don't think Tyrone Carter could be described as a centrist, but he's certainly a defender of corporate participation in our political process.
00:44:48.559 --> 00:44:54.159
Uh you know, I don't think Justin is as far as Tyrone.
00:44:54.320 --> 00:45:06.239
I and I want to invoke Tyrone because I'm gonna segue to say that Stephanie Young and Tyrone Carter are now the most senior members of Detroit's legislative delegation.
00:45:06.480 --> 00:45:08.880
And the third person in there is who?
00:45:09.360 --> 00:45:11.360
Your friend Tanya Myers Phillips.
00:45:11.519 --> 00:45:12.079
Yeah.
00:45:12.480 --> 00:45:18.239
And so it is interesting, I mean because Stephanie kind of you know exists in her own lane.
00:45:18.559 --> 00:45:25.760
Stephanie Young, who of course was sort of you know, she she had a tough time going away from the Duggan train for a while there.
00:45:25.920 --> 00:45:41.280
Not that she ever was gonna support Duggan's uh administration, but certainly being proximate and allied to it for a long time, um, it it's been interesting to see her um, I don't want to say evolution, just you know.
00:45:42.239 --> 00:45:50.639
She is Stephanie Young is is navigating these uh waters as progressives make headway within the party as well.
00:45:50.960 --> 00:45:55.039
Tyrone is for the most part rejecting it and pushing back on it.
00:45:55.199 --> 00:46:04.480
You know, I will say that Tyrone did make the push against Joe to do the license plate or to do the license driver's licenses for undocumented folks.
00:46:04.719 --> 00:46:10.559
You know, some moderate Democrats were against that because they thought that Republicans would would use it to campaign against him.
00:46:10.639 --> 00:46:11.519
Tyrone never cared.
00:46:11.599 --> 00:46:20.960
And so that's among a few others, are you know part of the reason why I do think uh, you know, is Tyrone Carter the the Richie Torres of Detroit?
00:46:21.519 --> 00:46:26.159
No, you know, I I we interviewed Tyrone Carter and actually liked him.
00:46:26.239 --> 00:46:29.519
Um I like him too.
00:46:30.079 --> 00:46:32.000
I think that he is sincere.
00:46:32.239 --> 00:46:36.239
I don't have to agree with your politics to believe that you are sincere.
00:46:36.400 --> 00:46:40.320
I think that he is a true believer in some of the decisions that he makes.
00:46:40.559 --> 00:46:41.039
Oh yeah, okay.
00:46:41.599 --> 00:46:45.599
However he arrived at them, I don't think that he is a corporate shill.
00:46:46.000 --> 00:46:48.639
I think he really does care about his community.
00:46:48.719 --> 00:46:53.440
And for me, that has to be the biggest litmus test in terms of how you're elected.
00:46:53.599 --> 00:46:58.800
Even when we were, you know, um electing, uh interviewing some Republicans, right?
00:46:58.960 --> 00:47:03.840
I felt like the two guys who showed up, Matthew Stafford, who actually won the um really cared.
00:47:03.920 --> 00:47:05.440
And by the way, I did congratulate him.
00:47:05.519 --> 00:47:09.920
I congratulated, tried to congratulate everybody, and I congratulated him, and he said thank you for a fair process.
00:47:10.000 --> 00:47:12.480
I'm willing to come back anytime, blah, blah, blah.
00:47:12.639 --> 00:47:16.719
So, you know, but I didn't get the sense that he was just doing it for show.
00:47:16.960 --> 00:47:21.119
And I appreciate politicians who are acting out of love for their people.
00:47:21.440 --> 00:47:27.199
No, I want to um talk about uh another race.
00:47:27.679 --> 00:47:30.719
This one got funny, got really funny, didn't it?
00:47:31.119 --> 00:47:32.880
I'll try to stay respectful again.
00:47:33.039 --> 00:47:39.519
Uh in the 8th State House district, which covers Ferndale and uh Detroit Pleasant Ridge.
00:47:39.679 --> 00:47:42.000
Chris Gilmerhill defeated Helena Scott.
00:47:42.320 --> 00:47:43.519
Chris is 26.
00:47:43.599 --> 00:47:46.239
He's 40 years younger than Helena Scott.
00:47:46.480 --> 00:47:54.960
Chris is backed by the Democratic Socialists of America, and um there was no doubt in anyone's mind that he was going to win this race.
00:47:55.039 --> 00:47:58.320
Like two months before the election, they were like, yeah, Helena has no shot.
00:47:58.480 --> 00:48:02.239
Helena came third in her city council race last year.
00:48:02.320 --> 00:48:07.679
She lost to Roy McAllister and Angela Whitfield Callaway uh, you know, in the in the primary.
00:48:07.760 --> 00:48:09.440
She did not make it past the primary.
00:48:09.519 --> 00:48:21.840
And so, you know, logistical thinking and uh read on the ground, seven conversations with people that lived in Ferndale, you would realize that Chris was gonna win the race.
00:48:22.079 --> 00:48:24.239
Now, people He didn't win in Detroit.
00:48:24.480 --> 00:48:28.960
He did not win in Detroit, and so maybe that's why Helena was so sure that she was gonna win the election.
00:48:29.039 --> 00:48:34.079
But I tried to be like, man, it seems like it's gonna be a landslide.
00:48:34.639 --> 00:48:37.760
And it almost was elsewhere.
00:48:38.000 --> 00:48:40.800
Um Can we talk about Chris Gilmerhill a little bit?
00:48:41.039 --> 00:48:41.920
Yeah, interesting guy.
00:48:42.239 --> 00:48:46.000
I met him a couple years ago at an air quality event we had here.
00:48:46.159 --> 00:48:51.920
We were talking about, you know, air, and he was representing an organization, I don't remember which one, but I did not know Chris.
00:48:52.000 --> 00:48:56.320
I knew his um stepfather and I knew his mother from Facebook.
00:48:56.559 --> 00:49:00.159
And they were always bragging about what a wonder kind, how brilliant he is.
00:49:00.400 --> 00:49:08.800
This kid has his Bachelor's of Arts in Neuroscience and Master of Science in Computational Science and Engineering from Harvard University.
00:49:09.119 --> 00:49:22.079
He is highly educated, super smart um young person who is using his Harvard Ivy League education to lean into progressive causes.
00:49:22.239 --> 00:49:23.920
And so there's something about that.
00:49:24.000 --> 00:49:26.079
I met him He's a Robin Hood of sorts.
00:49:26.320 --> 00:49:26.480
Right.
00:49:26.639 --> 00:49:32.400
I met him last year at an event that he held for Denzel McCampbell.
00:49:32.559 --> 00:49:37.119
Um, he's nice, kind of nice, low-key, down-to-earth guy.
00:49:37.280 --> 00:49:40.960
You know, I just think he's going to be a different type of representation.
00:49:41.039 --> 00:49:44.320
But it's always good to see our best and our brightest.
00:49:44.400 --> 00:49:47.760
And of course, he's not better than anybody, but he's a person who has a lot of opportunity.
00:49:48.000 --> 00:49:50.719
The same thing can be said for Justin One, however.
00:49:50.880 --> 00:49:57.199
He got his law degree from Columbia University, and he came back into the community hoping to serve.
00:49:57.280 --> 00:50:02.960
And so I want to acknowledge those young people who decide service is my path.
00:50:03.599 --> 00:50:13.119
And although, you know, there might be some endorsers and stuff like that, and some things that happened during the campaign, I you hats off to both of them.
00:50:13.280 --> 00:50:19.599
Um, being two of the young people who had more than enough opportunities still coming home and taking care of their own people.
00:50:19.840 --> 00:50:24.239
Yeah, Chris Gilbert Hill has been criticized for you know being a wealthy person.
00:50:24.320 --> 00:50:29.760
And I recognize that his mother is also a mother's a doctor.
00:50:29.920 --> 00:50:31.599
His dad, I believe, is an FBI.
00:50:31.840 --> 00:50:33.760
But he's, you know, he's been through life.
00:50:33.920 --> 00:50:37.280
And you don't get through life without without struggle.
00:50:37.519 --> 00:50:40.960
I think what is that you do with the gifts that you've been given?
00:50:41.119 --> 00:50:52.880
Um, as a person who grew up in a household where my father was a doctor, I felt like I had to apologize for where I came from for the first 45 years of my life, and then I stopped.
00:50:53.119 --> 00:50:57.599
Because why wouldn't I celebrate the fact that I came from a household where my father was a doctor?
00:50:57.679 --> 00:50:59.920
My father's a black man in America who became a doctor.
00:51:00.079 --> 00:51:04.480
His mother is a black woman who became a doctor, and she is a highly specialized surgeon.
00:51:04.559 --> 00:51:06.079
I think she's a neurosurgeon or something like that.
00:51:06.239 --> 00:51:08.159
She's not, she's a brilliant woman.
00:51:08.320 --> 00:51:12.800
And nobody should apologize because their mother achieved that.
00:51:13.039 --> 00:51:15.199
He shouldn't have to apologize for that.
00:51:15.360 --> 00:51:34.559
And the fact that anybody would take him to test for that really speaks to um small-mindedness because don't we want our children to go out and to overcome things and do great things and then still live in Detroit and bring those things home and then have a son who goes out, goes to Harvard, comes back, and engages in public service?
00:51:34.880 --> 00:51:36.400
I think it's a good look.
00:51:36.719 --> 00:52:17.679
Yeah, I will ask you the question that, you know, I wonder, as somebody that does not come from any money at all, and who will likely not ever have any money at all, is why is it and maybe I'm wrong, somebody point out to me a uh low-income person winning uh but it is interesting just to me that these progressives who are championing policies that aim to support the most vulnerable among us, Chris Gilmerhill, Abdul Al-Sayad, you know, they they come from wealthy backgrounds.
00:52:18.079 --> 00:52:21.599
Why is it that that is so often the case?
00:52:21.760 --> 00:52:26.639
Why is it that fighters for working people aren't actually working people?
00:52:27.039 --> 00:52:33.760
A lot of times um fighters for working people are people who have the privilege to go off and do this.
00:52:33.840 --> 00:52:38.239
Yeah, a lot of people who are working don't have the privilege to stop and do this and dedicate this.
00:52:38.320 --> 00:52:38.639
Yeah.
00:52:38.880 --> 00:52:41.760
So there is the function of privilege, right?
00:52:42.079 --> 00:52:51.119
But no matter what kind of household that you grew up in, my great grandparents were enslaved.
00:52:52.639 --> 00:52:58.639
And some of that shows up in my childhood in ways that we don't talk about.
00:52:58.800 --> 00:53:10.239
But you know, when you're raised by people who were raised by people, who are raised by people, who bore those scars, bad things can happen in any household.
00:53:10.559 --> 00:53:14.320
Compassion can be cultivated in any household.
00:53:14.639 --> 00:53:20.000
My grandmother happened to be a communist, or I don't know, she said she wasn't a communist, she just hung out with them.
00:53:20.159 --> 00:53:22.719
But you know, the FBI opened her mail and all that kind of stuff.
00:53:22.800 --> 00:53:32.559
She was very involved in causes, and so we were exposed to ideas, and every single one of my grandmother's grandchildren is involved in public service, works in public service, everyone.
00:53:33.119 --> 00:53:34.000
Imagine that.
00:53:34.239 --> 00:53:39.679
She imbued in all of her children, different parents, but all of us are engaged in public service.
00:53:39.760 --> 00:53:43.119
And so I think that there is a way of flattening out who people are.
00:53:43.599 --> 00:53:49.760
Abdul El Sayyid was raised in privilege, but he did not grow up with his mother.
00:53:50.000 --> 00:53:51.760
And nobody knows what that trauma is.
00:53:51.920 --> 00:53:53.360
He doesn't talk about it as trauma.
00:53:53.519 --> 00:53:56.000
His mother lives in, I think, Missouri.
00:53:56.159 --> 00:53:59.920
She's a um a nurse practitioner in Missouri.
00:54:00.079 --> 00:54:02.719
He was raised by his father's wife.
00:54:02.880 --> 00:54:10.320
And I say that to say that nobody escapes life without trauma, even if the trauma is not poverty, even if the trauma is not homelessness.
00:54:10.480 --> 00:54:14.559
And sometimes people get sensitized to that and want to make a difference.
00:54:14.719 --> 00:54:27.599
And I don't think that we should, but you go back and look in history, Sheikh Guevara was really instrumental in, you know, overthrowing the Cuban government and, you know, bringing Fidel Castro and so many of the Latin American revolutions.
00:54:27.760 --> 00:54:29.360
He came from a middle-class background.
00:54:29.519 --> 00:54:34.480
You have people who come from backgrounds where they have some privilege, using their privilege to help other people.
00:54:34.639 --> 00:54:39.840
And as long as they're down for the cause, nobody decides I'm going to be born here and I'm going to be born there.
00:54:40.000 --> 00:54:42.960
The other thing, Sam, is you will have money.
00:54:43.199 --> 00:54:48.320
So quit saying that and talk yourself, talk possibilities into your existence.
00:54:48.719 --> 00:54:51.360
I saw you, I saw you on Fox 2.
00:54:51.440 --> 00:54:56.000
Every time I see you on Fox 2, I'm wondering how long we're going to keep you on Authentically Detroit.
00:54:56.079 --> 00:54:56.880
You are good.
00:54:57.039 --> 00:54:58.960
You are not an underdog.
00:54:59.119 --> 00:55:02.400
You are a person who brings a lot of skill and you put in the work.
00:55:02.559 --> 00:55:08.400
And my hope and dream for you is that you get to a point of financial comfort.
00:55:08.639 --> 00:55:15.519
And that when you have children, because you're a family man, I can already tell that when you have your children, your children do not inherit your struggle.
00:55:15.760 --> 00:55:16.320
I hope not.
00:55:16.559 --> 00:55:32.000
I want to mention too uh Kimberly Fisher defeated Macomb County Commissioner Michael Howard in Northeast Detroit's 11th State House district that's uh borders uh Warren, part of Warren, is in the district as well.
00:55:32.239 --> 00:55:37.599
She won in sort of a landslide, 68% in Wayne County.
00:55:37.840 --> 00:55:41.280
She's gonna replace Donovan McKinney, who defeated Sri Tanadar.
00:55:41.519 --> 00:55:46.000
Um I wanna I wanna hit on McKinney.
00:55:46.159 --> 00:55:48.559
You know, Kimberly, I think she was a shoe-in.
00:55:48.800 --> 00:55:51.679
I think she was the favorite the entire time of the race.
00:55:51.760 --> 00:55:57.360
I think she did a lot in terms of getting her name and message out there.
00:55:57.679 --> 00:56:07.440
Um there was some, you know, he said, she said between her and Michael at the tail end of the race that she ended up commenting on publicly.
00:56:07.679 --> 00:56:25.039
Uh Michael denied certain things, and you know, I think the um Facebook posts that had pro-life messages on them, I think that was probably enough to sour a lot of Democratic voters.
00:56:25.280 --> 00:56:28.639
That ended up in the Detroit Free Press and other places.
00:56:28.880 --> 00:56:31.599
Uh and so Kimberly Fisher walked away.
00:56:31.760 --> 00:56:40.159
Um, she is going to represent the 11th state house district in the state legislature.
00:56:40.320 --> 00:56:47.840
Donovan McKinney is going to represent the 13th Congressional District in the United States Congress.
00:56:48.239 --> 00:56:52.239
That's exciting, not just for Donovan McKinney, but you know, he's going to bring people with him.
00:56:52.400 --> 00:56:56.800
You know, he's going to have an office uh in the district that's going to employ people.
00:56:56.960 --> 00:57:04.559
You know, that is going to like make an actual direct effect on black Detroiters because like who's going to be working with him and in his office?
00:57:04.960 --> 00:57:05.840
I I could not agree.
00:57:06.239 --> 00:57:08.480
I'm so excited about Donovan McKinney's race.
00:57:08.559 --> 00:57:24.159
It has to be the under-reported race, the under-reported victory that means so much to so many of us, not because he um defeated Sri, because of course I'm happy about that because I did not feel like Sri was responsive to the needs in our community.
00:57:24.239 --> 00:57:28.639
And he didn't have a very robust constituent services office.
00:57:28.719 --> 00:57:45.280
But Donovan McKinney is a person who is very knowledgeable, very um conversant on issues, and he's able to take things that are considered progressive issues and make them relatable to people from all different backgrounds.
00:57:45.440 --> 00:57:47.519
He has a unique skill set at that.
00:57:47.599 --> 00:57:52.880
I think he is the kind of politician who we need more of.
00:57:53.039 --> 00:57:58.639
He's uh I haven't seen anybody like him representing our community in the way that I expect him to.
00:57:59.039 --> 00:58:06.639
It's interesting how he has united both the more moderate black establishment and the progressive DSA wing.
00:58:06.800 --> 00:58:08.800
Of course, he is DSA.
00:58:09.599 --> 00:58:19.039
Uh, he was endorsed by not just the Metro DSA, but the the National DSA organization that's the Democratic Socialist of America Working Families Party.
00:58:19.280 --> 00:58:22.400
Uh and Sri spent a considerable amount.
00:58:22.639 --> 00:58:27.039
He was outspent by Sri Tanadar in his TV ads.
00:58:27.199 --> 00:58:40.000
Donovan had a few TV ads himself, but there was a uh uncertainty leading into last Tuesday that didn't come in the Abdul Haley race.
00:58:40.159 --> 00:58:42.800
The insiders did expect Abdul to win.
00:58:42.880 --> 00:58:46.079
That the Haley folks even expected Abdul to win.
00:58:46.320 --> 00:58:49.440
Um the Shree folks did not expect Donovan to win.
00:58:49.519 --> 00:58:52.880
There were some folks in the Donovan camp that did not expect Donovan to win.
00:58:53.039 --> 00:58:58.880
And so it was to see, and I mean, the the it jumped around that night, too.
00:58:59.039 --> 00:59:07.440
I mean, he he took the lead early on, he lost the lead midway point through there, I think, because of the the uh absentee ballots.
00:59:07.599 --> 00:59:13.280
And so Shree Tannadar, um, you know, I've been speaking to Democratic Party officials.
00:59:13.440 --> 00:59:19.039
I asked them, you know, what have your conversations with Shree been like since Tuesday night?
00:59:19.920 --> 00:59:22.480
I haven't spoken to someone who's spoken to Shree.
00:59:22.960 --> 00:59:23.440
Yeah.
00:59:23.679 --> 00:59:25.920
You know, let me say this about Shree.
00:59:27.039 --> 00:59:33.840
When you lose or when ugly, it's really hard to have a lot of compassion.
00:59:34.559 --> 00:59:37.440
He could have done anything to get people to vote for him.
00:59:37.760 --> 00:59:43.920
But he said things like Donovan McKinney um voted against the minimum wage bill.
00:59:44.239 --> 00:59:50.559
He said Donovan McKinney's accepting money from Crown Enterprises, the Maroons, whatever those people are.
00:59:50.719 --> 00:59:51.519
He said that.
00:59:51.920 --> 00:59:58.320
He said things that were not only provocative, but also not true, and he had to know it.
00:59:58.480 --> 01:00:05.119
So why would I ever trust somebody who is willing to lie his way into office with office?
01:00:05.440 --> 01:00:07.519
And that's who Sri is to so many of us.
01:00:07.599 --> 01:00:08.800
I mean, I watched it.
01:00:09.119 --> 01:00:13.920
He targeted seniors, sending seniors handbills with information.
01:00:14.079 --> 01:00:22.480
I talked to a senior who said, I was just about to send in my absentee ballot and I got something in mail from Sri and I had to say, wait a minute, let me see who this guy is.
01:00:23.199 --> 01:00:32.239
And this is not a person who is not intelligent, not well informed, but somebody who cares enough about these issues that Sri's lies resonated.
01:00:32.400 --> 01:00:38.480
I'm so glad he lost because I don't want lies to be able to succeed in the public sphere.
01:00:38.639 --> 01:00:40.079
It's not even his politics.
01:00:40.239 --> 01:00:41.360
That was just wrong.
01:00:42.079 --> 01:00:47.679
McKinney won um 51.9% to 48.1%.
01:00:48.639 --> 01:00:56.239
Uh that race was not called until uh the day after by the Associated Press.
01:00:56.559 --> 01:01:10.639
Um Mainstream Democrats did not care about Sri Tanadar as much as they did about other Democrats facing insurgent progressives in other races, right?
01:01:10.719 --> 01:01:13.599
We did not Hakeem Jeffries did endorse Tanadar.
01:01:13.840 --> 01:01:19.280
The black congressional caucus did endorse over a black candidate.
01:01:19.519 --> 01:01:20.800
It's like it's disgusting.
01:01:21.199 --> 01:01:26.960
And it's not it's not because he was, you know, it's because of the DSA thing.
01:01:27.039 --> 01:01:42.159
And that's interesting that the CBC is threatening to not um invite in or you know accept the membership of that young woman whose name I cannot pronounce and don't know all the names of from New York.
01:01:42.480 --> 01:01:43.519
What is her name?
01:01:43.760 --> 01:01:45.840
Um I d I don't even know the first one.
01:01:46.239 --> 01:01:47.679
I she has a four-word name.
01:01:47.760 --> 01:01:49.760
It's gonna be hard to remember your name.
01:01:49.920 --> 01:02:07.039
I'm gonna look it up right now so I don't know that what happens is um, you know, that people overplay their hands and people can't read the tea leaves and cannot understand that their politics have become somewhat outdated.
01:02:07.360 --> 01:02:14.800
There are people who want things to go back to normal before Trump, either before Trump one or before Trump two.
01:02:15.519 --> 01:02:21.360
But there are a lot of young people before Trump one and before Trump two who wanted things to change.
01:02:21.599 --> 01:02:26.239
And those young people, it's it's 10 years since Trump first got elected.
01:02:26.480 --> 01:02:27.119
10 years.
01:02:27.280 --> 01:02:29.519
So if you were 20 years old, you're 30 now.
01:02:29.679 --> 01:02:31.920
If you were 30 years old, you're 40 now.
01:02:32.159 --> 01:02:39.199
You've had 10 years to grow your political ideologies, and those people are not trying to turn back the clock.
01:02:39.360 --> 01:02:47.599
The clock doesn't go backwards, and it will not reverse itself because black congressional caucus is making those demands.
01:02:48.079 --> 01:02:52.079
Darelisia Avila Chevalier.
01:02:53.039 --> 01:02:54.719
I'm probably pronouncing her first name wrong.
01:02:55.039 --> 01:02:55.920
Chevalier, is that it?
01:02:56.079 --> 01:02:57.519
Chevalier, yes.
01:02:57.760 --> 01:02:58.639
Oh my gosh.
01:02:58.800 --> 01:03:04.000
I'm not watching enough national news, clearly, or reading the New York Times enough.
01:03:04.159 --> 01:03:11.119
Uh she is the uh woman from New York's 13th, New York's 13th Congressional District.
01:03:11.360 --> 01:03:13.119
Um yeah.
01:03:13.199 --> 01:03:15.760
So why why why isn't he supporting her?
01:03:16.000 --> 01:03:18.719
Why why is why is a black congressional because I haven't read that.
01:03:18.800 --> 01:03:19.440
I don't know.
01:03:19.599 --> 01:03:23.119
Because they're skeptical because they're screw, you know, scrutinizing Jeffries.
01:03:23.199 --> 01:03:28.639
They're saying that they might not support Jeffries, along with other issues.
01:03:28.800 --> 01:03:42.719
One senior CBC member told Andrew Solender, my former Axios colleague, um Malak Kairos and Chris Rabb, they want to be in there too, according to this Axios story.
01:03:42.960 --> 01:03:50.159
But um, yeah, CBC is certainly something that I think progressives could just eventually take over one day.
01:03:50.320 --> 01:03:51.840
I mean, I don't, you know.
01:03:52.400 --> 01:04:02.800
You know, there's the progressive caucus, and the progressive caucus is one that Bernie Sanders, I believe, founded when Keith Ellison was in Congress, he was a member of the Progressive Caucus.
01:04:02.960 --> 01:04:13.840
What you might see is the displacement of the CBC in terms of its um collective influence, the displacement of that with the progressive caucus.
01:04:14.239 --> 01:04:18.800
Um just because you have a caucus does not mean your caucus has impact.
01:04:18.960 --> 01:04:27.760
And it's really interesting because the dean of um Congress, John Conyers, actually formed the CD, the CBC.
01:04:27.920 --> 01:04:28.320
Yes.
01:04:28.559 --> 01:04:40.960
And I think he would be rolling over in his grave to see the way that those members are being punitive to younger, more progressive people who are coming into office, including the young man who bears his name, right?
01:04:41.119 --> 01:04:42.559
I think that it's ridiculous.
01:04:42.719 --> 01:04:47.199
I think it's sad, and I think it is going to be self-defeating in the long run.
01:04:47.440 --> 01:04:48.719
Change happens.
01:04:48.880 --> 01:04:54.159
You cannot hold 2026 candidates to 1966 standards.
01:04:54.480 --> 01:05:04.400
There's been 60 years between then and now, and we have to acknowledge that the world that we were facing in 1966 is not the world that we're dealing with right now.
01:05:04.960 --> 01:05:13.440
The Congressional Black Caucus remains committed to fighting for issues that support black communities, including the police accountability bill, protecting voting rights and jobs bill that helps our community.
01:05:13.519 --> 01:05:18.000
We will work with those who share our values and priorities for the constituents we serve.
01:05:18.320 --> 01:05:30.559
That statement from a CBC spokesperson to NBC was not about the progressive insurgent um newcomers to Congress.
01:05:30.719 --> 01:05:36.639
That was about Byron Donald's, because they actually didn't allow Byron Donald's to be in the caucus either.
01:05:36.880 --> 01:05:41.760
So it's not just you know, it's not quite that you you're but you do have to share the values.
01:05:41.840 --> 01:05:43.199
But if these are the values, right?
01:05:43.280 --> 01:05:47.199
I'm you know, I'm pretty sure all those progressives do agree with those.
01:05:47.360 --> 01:05:56.960
So it is interesting that whether or not to support the leader that happens to be a member Michelle Alexander wrote a book, The New Jim Crow, Mass Incarceration.
01:05:57.039 --> 01:05:59.840
It used to say in the age of Obama, and then she changed it to Mass Incarceration.
01:06:00.639 --> 01:06:02.320
In the age of color blindness.
01:06:02.639 --> 01:06:10.880
And then the forward to her book or the prologue to her book, whatever it is, she noted that she was studying mass incarceration.
01:06:11.039 --> 01:06:24.880
And over the years when she was studying it, there was not a single policy prescription, there was not any discussion by the NAACP, by the Urban League, by the Congressional Black Caucus, by any national organization that's focused on people's rights.
01:06:25.599 --> 01:06:31.119
She put mass incarceration into public conversation through publication of that book.
01:06:31.599 --> 01:06:36.159
I learned about mass incarceration about 10 years prior to her publishing that book.
01:06:36.400 --> 01:06:45.199
My point is this the CBC has been slow on the uptake to issues that are impacting the majority of black people in this country.
01:06:46.159 --> 01:06:59.519
When you start talking about homelessness and housing justice and public housing, and when you start talking about welfare, when you start talking about environmental justice, those issues are not centered by the CBC in ways that I've seen.
01:06:59.679 --> 01:07:14.639
And so I think it's your traditional civil rights platform in a world where civil rights had no answer for mass incarceration, no answer for sacrifice zones created by toxins, no answer for the level of police brutality that we're seeing.
01:07:15.679 --> 01:07:20.400
They're either going to find an answer or they're going to be displaced.
01:07:20.559 --> 01:07:22.079
That's my prediction.
01:07:23.599 --> 01:07:38.800
My prediction is that uh there's gonna be moderate dem the black Democrats upholding the black establishment from 2026 in 2046 and beyond.
01:07:39.039 --> 01:07:52.960
I think uh young people are young and they do have a lot of good ideas, but they also have a lot of ideas that they take from other people who they assume it to be people of authority.
01:07:53.360 --> 01:07:57.920
I I'm working on this, I'm working on my next book, and my next book is in the future.
01:07:58.400 --> 01:08:02.480
What do you think the climate is gonna be like in 2050 and 2046?
01:08:02.880 --> 01:08:03.840
It's gonna be a lot different.
01:08:04.719 --> 01:08:06.559
It's gonna be a lot different.
01:08:07.039 --> 01:08:09.360
You cannot afford it, will be.
01:08:09.519 --> 01:08:12.960
What do you think access to water is gonna be like in 2046?
01:08:13.280 --> 01:08:15.280
There's already water wars.
01:08:15.599 --> 01:08:45.600
So when we say the establishment, if the establishment, black establishment is not prepared to try to protect Mother Earth, is not prepared to protect water and address the enormous poverty gap that's grown since I was a kid, then it will be irrelevant because the reality is that even as people age, do you know what happens in 2027?
01:08:46.399 --> 01:08:49.600
I think it's in 2027 or 2008 with the big beautiful bill.
01:08:50.079 --> 01:08:51.520
Okay, let me tell you something.
01:08:52.239 --> 01:09:00.079
The college loan deferments for financial emergencies and unemployment end.
01:09:00.560 --> 01:09:05.680
You will have to pay your college debt regardless of whether or not you have income coming in.
01:09:06.479 --> 01:09:15.520
And the people who are going to be in office in 2027, a lot of those people are going to be representing people who have to pay their bills.
01:09:15.760 --> 01:09:24.560
It's not just about usefulness, it is about real economic harm that people are real harm that people are experiencing.
01:09:24.800 --> 01:09:31.279
It's about so many people have already dropped out of the political process because they don't trust politicians.
01:09:31.760 --> 01:09:37.279
So if 20 years from now, people are doing the same thing, I don't think the world is gonna be the same.
01:09:37.439 --> 01:09:38.319
And I don't think you can.
01:09:38.800 --> 01:09:48.079
Because by 20 years from now, everything that the Republicans are doing to tear up the world as we know it is gonna be in place, and there's gonna have to be somebody who's trying to push back.
01:09:49.840 --> 01:09:56.560
I want to go back to our conversation about Detroit's new legislative delegation.
01:09:56.960 --> 01:10:01.199
There's one more race that we didn't mention, but is um well, there's a couple.
01:10:01.600 --> 01:10:04.479
Uh the Crystal Bailey, Candace Callaway race.
01:10:04.640 --> 01:10:04.800
Yeah.
01:10:05.039 --> 01:10:07.119
Candace won that by 20 points.
01:10:07.600 --> 01:10:12.319
Candace was endorsed by Detroit mayor Mary Sheffield.
01:10:12.720 --> 01:10:20.960
Crystal Bailey um had the backing of former state senator Virgil Smith.
01:10:21.600 --> 01:10:23.279
Was he ha was he in the House or Senator?
01:10:24.159 --> 01:10:25.920
What was Virgil Smith when he was in the legislature?
01:10:26.319 --> 01:10:27.039
I think he was in the house.
01:10:27.439 --> 01:10:28.000
He was, yeah.
01:10:28.319 --> 01:10:29.359
He was in the senator.
01:10:29.680 --> 01:10:30.560
Excuse me.
01:10:30.720 --> 01:10:39.359
Um Crystal and and Candace, it was also a contentious race between the two of them.
01:10:39.680 --> 01:10:42.239
There were people on both sides that didn't really like the other.
01:10:42.399 --> 01:10:49.840
I don't think anything between Crystal and Candace themselves, but people that worked for Candice is of course the daughter of Angela Whitfield Calloway.
01:10:50.399 --> 01:10:50.640
Yes.
01:10:50.880 --> 01:10:56.319
So we have two city council members who will have daughters representing in the States.
01:10:57.039 --> 01:10:57.680
Isn't that interesting?
01:10:58.319 --> 01:10:59.039
I think that's interesting.
01:10:59.199 --> 01:11:00.000
I do think so too.
01:11:00.159 --> 01:11:16.319
And then in the fourth, the former um you know, Karen Whitsett district uh on the west side overlaps with this district seven city council represented by Denzel McCampbell.
01:11:16.479 --> 01:11:19.680
Who is gonna replace Karen Whitsett?
01:11:19.920 --> 01:11:25.359
Who was texting me last night about her coming out as a white woman as a joke?
01:11:25.680 --> 01:11:28.319
Regina Ross, Karen Witsett's friend.
01:11:28.560 --> 01:11:31.119
And so people have known Regina for a long time.
01:11:31.279 --> 01:11:32.960
Uh they have a lot to say about her.
01:11:33.039 --> 01:11:37.840
Um, but uh she is not Karen Whitsett, is what I'm told.
01:11:38.000 --> 01:11:38.319
Yeah.
01:11:38.560 --> 01:11:42.159
Not to say that there's anything wrong with Karen, but you know, she is a Republican.
01:11:42.479 --> 01:11:44.560
You are you are her biggest cheerleader.
01:11:44.960 --> 01:11:46.640
Why she's Karen is a conservative.
01:11:46.800 --> 01:11:47.199
I know.
01:11:47.520 --> 01:11:52.159
And she is no longer a member of the Democratic Party uh as of the day.
01:11:52.399 --> 01:11:55.039
She is no longer in the state legislature.
01:11:55.279 --> 01:11:57.039
She is still a state representative.
01:11:57.359 --> 01:12:00.079
She might even go to office sometimes if she can find a dog sitter.
01:12:00.239 --> 01:12:04.399
Um I think I'm not gonna ever blame anybody for what their friends do.
01:12:04.560 --> 01:12:08.399
Again, um, she'll be moving in a different legislature.
01:12:08.560 --> 01:12:22.239
The legislature is gonna look a lot different than it did under Joe Tate, with the, you know, the putative leader of the um the state house and the black Detroit congressional, you know, um legislative caucus, whatever that is.
01:12:22.399 --> 01:12:23.840
Um it's gonna be a lot different.
01:12:24.000 --> 01:12:28.960
And so I expect people who are elected to office to be pushing for things.
01:12:29.119 --> 01:12:32.560
If you look at the history of the United States, this is the other thing I want to point out.
01:12:32.720 --> 01:12:36.880
If you look at the history of the United States, we've had ups and downs and ups and downs.
01:12:37.119 --> 01:12:42.720
A hundred years ago in 1926, you had Herbert Hoover as um president.
01:12:42.880 --> 01:12:45.199
Herbert Hoover was taking things away.
01:12:45.439 --> 01:12:50.079
And then in 1930 or thereabouts, they elected Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
01:12:50.239 --> 01:13:00.000
Franklin Delano Roosevelt opened up the policy debate to a whole bunch of progressive, you know, movements and came up with the New Deal.
01:13:00.159 --> 01:13:06.560
You had New Deal people making movies, you had them, you know, interviewing um people who had been enslaved.
01:13:06.640 --> 01:13:08.640
I don't know if you've seen the slave narratives.
01:13:08.880 --> 01:13:20.319
He had um people working to build the, you know, the was it the WPA, the work, work, you know, the people were building all of the um the electrification of America.
01:13:20.640 --> 01:13:30.319
In fact, Idaho, Michigan was born out of in part the work of um the WPA.
01:13:30.960 --> 01:13:40.640
And so people in 1926 could not predict that in 1936 she would have all of these new programs.
01:13:41.119 --> 01:13:54.880
And then between 1936 and, you know, little say 1980, there was an effort to repeal and retract all of these social programs that were known as the New Deal and then Great Society over Johnson.
01:13:55.119 --> 01:13:59.439
So politics never stays the same in the United States.
01:13:59.840 --> 01:14:02.319
It's not going to be the same 20 years from now.
01:14:02.720 --> 01:14:11.439
The people who are in office now will mature into leadership roles where they have the power to execute some of the ideals that they have, you know, held on to for some time.
01:14:11.600 --> 01:14:25.119
I'm excited about the future because I think the change that's needed has been a long time coming, and we have people in place who will lead the charge and others who will adapt themselves so that they follow the charge.
01:14:28.000 --> 01:14:36.560
We are talking about Detroit's new members of the legislative caucus delegation.
01:14:36.800 --> 01:14:38.479
Is there a Detroit caucus?
01:14:38.560 --> 01:14:39.359
Yes, there is.
01:14:39.840 --> 01:14:42.000
Uh is there a legislative black caucus?
01:14:42.159 --> 01:14:42.800
Yes, there is.
01:14:43.680 --> 01:14:49.520
Is there um a power structure that really defines and makes up that group?
01:14:49.680 --> 01:14:50.960
I don't know, you know, I really don't know.
01:14:51.119 --> 01:14:58.399
And that's something that I've really wondered um in context of Mary Sheffield and of course Fred Durhal.
01:14:58.800 --> 01:15:03.520
Uh he is her sort of Lansing political director of sorts.
01:15:03.680 --> 01:15:08.560
Um who are they leading on in Lansing?
01:15:08.640 --> 01:15:23.680
Oh, that's because what happens in Lansing, but you know what a lot of Mary Sheffield's goals were uh during her campaign are actually items that need to be dealt with beginning in state government.
01:15:23.840 --> 01:15:24.159
Yep.
01:15:24.479 --> 01:15:38.720
As we know, uh former Republican Governor John Engler, his administration made it extremely difficult for Detroit to create their own policies, um, set their own rules.
01:15:39.039 --> 01:15:43.039
My shirt says self-determination is a lifestyle.
01:15:43.279 --> 01:15:46.000
Boy, did John Engler know that.
01:15:46.239 --> 01:15:48.399
And so that's why he took it away from Detroiters.
01:15:48.800 --> 01:15:51.199
And haven't been able to get it back since.
01:15:51.279 --> 01:15:52.560
That was the late 90s.
01:15:52.880 --> 01:15:53.199
What do you mean?
01:15:53.279 --> 01:15:54.399
What did you take away from Detroiters?
01:15:54.560 --> 01:15:58.640
Well, I just mean the all the you know home rule stuff.
01:15:59.039 --> 01:16:00.560
I mean, the home rule has been there.
01:16:00.720 --> 01:16:02.800
The emergency management grew under his leadership.
01:16:03.119 --> 01:16:05.119
But you have to acknowledge that it's been bipartisan.
01:16:05.199 --> 01:16:13.840
Jennifer Granholm also imposed emergency management, and um, you know, charter schools and school dismantling has happened under both administrations.
01:16:13.920 --> 01:16:17.600
That's one of the reasons why you're seeing this progressive pushback now.
01:16:17.840 --> 01:16:25.760
Mary Sheffield is the most powerful Democrat in the state of Michigan right now because she has the largest um constituency, I think.
01:16:25.920 --> 01:16:29.680
She has the ability to really move mountains if she is savvy.
01:16:29.840 --> 01:16:34.880
Um, Fred Durhal is a very savvy kind of um you know broker.
01:16:34.960 --> 01:16:39.520
I think he's that's a good role for him because he can get along with you know different kinds of people.
01:16:39.600 --> 01:16:45.600
Um he certainly is a little bit more conservative than me, but he has the ability to sit into spaces and build bridges.
01:16:45.680 --> 01:16:52.079
And so I imagine he's gonna be very working very effectively with the um the de delegation from Detroit.
01:16:52.399 --> 01:17:06.880
Yeah, and again, you know, we're thinking of Tyrone Carter, Stephanie Young, uh Tanya Maris Phillips as the most senior members of those um new of those lawmakers, that group of of legislators.
01:17:07.279 --> 01:17:09.920
Um is Chris the youngest?
01:17:10.079 --> 01:17:12.319
I think Chris is now gonna be the youngest.
01:17:12.399 --> 01:17:12.960
He's 26.
01:17:13.119 --> 01:17:15.920
Candace um is probably right right there.
01:17:16.000 --> 01:17:21.439
I don't know exactly how old she is, but she can't be over 31, 30 if she even is that.
01:17:21.760 --> 01:17:24.159
Um it was interesting.
01:17:24.319 --> 01:17:29.680
You know, I I was kind of surprised that Regina won by as much as she did.
01:17:30.000 --> 01:17:35.520
Um Rosalind Ogburn did not make the ballot, but she ran right-in campaign.
01:17:35.680 --> 01:17:39.119
Um, only about 240 right-in votes.
01:17:39.279 --> 01:17:46.159
Uh Crystal Larsosa trailed Regina by uh almost 3,000 votes.
01:17:46.319 --> 01:17:47.680
So it wasn't particularly close.
01:17:47.840 --> 01:17:51.760
Regina won 54% to Crystal Larsosa's 30%.
01:17:52.079 --> 01:17:58.560
Crystal Larsosa had been uh really supported by Horace Sheffield's uh folks over there.
01:17:58.800 --> 01:18:00.960
Yeah, Chantel Watkins was her campaign manager.
01:18:01.359 --> 01:18:12.880
And so Crystal uh, as well as um, you know, a person that ran in uh Oakland County was Amanda Trepa.
01:18:13.119 --> 01:18:22.239
She ran against Natalie Price, who is a state representative for um, I believe the 10th State Senate District.
01:18:22.319 --> 01:18:25.600
Natalie Price won that race.
01:18:25.920 --> 01:18:34.640
Um Amanda Trepa and Crystal Lar Sosa are two people that you will also are gonna see on a ballot again.
01:18:34.800 --> 01:18:40.239
Yeah, um Amanda did a really, really robust door knocking job.
01:18:40.399 --> 01:18:46.319
Um I hadn't been following Crystal's race as closely as I had just been sort of seeing Amanda Trepa all over the place.
01:18:46.560 --> 01:19:06.159
And so for the candidates that came up short, right, I think about people like um Amanda Trepa or or Crystal or Arthur Harrington or or um Deanne Austin in the eighth district running against Chris and Helena Scott.
01:19:06.319 --> 01:19:12.640
Um, I think about um people like you know Bryant Hep or Tony Muah.
01:19:12.960 --> 01:19:25.520
Um hadn't seen Daryl Irvin around as a candidate, but even you, Daryl Irvin, all these folks have plenty to give Cranstana Anderson in the 11th.
01:19:25.680 --> 01:19:30.079
Uh she came up short um to Kimberly Fisher and Michael Howard.
01:19:30.319 --> 01:19:32.239
She actually got 13% of that vote.
01:19:32.319 --> 01:19:34.079
She she got 833 votes.
01:19:34.159 --> 01:19:43.680
She is a serial candidate, and so that's how it happens when you know early on I said, Arthur, Willie has been on the ballot a number of times.
01:19:43.840 --> 01:19:45.279
You have never been on a ballot.
01:19:45.840 --> 01:19:50.479
There is something to be said about putting yourself on a ballot over and over and over again.
01:19:50.640 --> 01:19:52.720
And that's exactly how Regina Ross won her race.
01:19:52.800 --> 01:19:56.880
I mean, people have been seeing her name on the west side of Detroit on ballots for years.
01:19:57.600 --> 01:20:02.079
And if you keep doing it, it gives you the allure of credibility, I suppose.
01:20:02.239 --> 01:20:04.560
But with great power comes great responsibility.
01:20:04.640 --> 01:20:07.760
So, you know, all of these new lawmakers, congratulations.
01:20:07.840 --> 01:20:15.760
But of course, now you will have to be scrutinized by Sam Robinson and many others who are less nice and care less about you than me.
01:20:15.920 --> 01:20:21.279
Uh, if you have not gotten your Gongware or MERS news subscriptions, sign up now.
01:20:21.520 --> 01:20:22.000
Yeah.
01:20:22.239 --> 01:20:28.159
You know, just you know, we need candidates need a candidate school.
01:20:28.640 --> 01:20:32.960
You know, it's not always obvious how to come out and campaign.
01:20:33.119 --> 01:20:35.359
Um, people do their best, how to raise money.
01:20:35.439 --> 01:20:43.039
And one of my dream jobs, I just, you know, do that and show people how to um position yourself, right?
01:20:43.199 --> 01:20:48.399
Because people don't always know how to position themselves, how to articulate issues, and all of that matters.
01:20:48.720 --> 01:20:58.079
And then when you don't have anybody who's doing it especially well, then you have somebody like Regina Ross slip in because of name recognition, not because she did anything well, right?
01:20:58.159 --> 01:20:59.760
And I don't mean that as an insult.
01:20:59.840 --> 01:21:06.319
I'm just saying that when you don't have anybody who does it especially well, it allows name recognition to prevail over other kinds of things.
01:21:06.399 --> 01:21:11.760
But you see those people who figured it out first time on the ballot and they won anyway.
01:21:12.000 --> 01:21:14.800
And I want to, you know, congratulate all of them.
01:21:15.039 --> 01:21:29.920
Um, we have almost everybody that was newly elected this year, this you know, well, newly selected as through the Democratic primary um process in Detroit.
01:21:30.079 --> 01:21:34.319
So many of them are either millennials or Gen Xers, Gen Zers.
01:21:35.439 --> 01:21:49.279
That is a population shift, that's a leadership shift that is worth taking a moment and saying, wow, I remember when um Sarita Scott wrote a couple years ago, it's time for Detroit to have a Gen X mayor.
01:21:49.600 --> 01:21:52.079
And instead, we got a millennial mayor.
01:21:52.880 --> 01:21:59.920
And um Gen X kind of has not met the moment that some of these younger candidates are meeting.
01:22:00.079 --> 01:22:01.279
I think it's exciting.
01:22:01.760 --> 01:22:06.720
Yeah, we are going to continue to see a new generation of young people, and they're gonna be even younger.
01:22:06.800 --> 01:22:09.920
I mean, it's gonna be a bunch of 20-year-olds running for office, I think.
01:22:10.000 --> 01:22:21.039
By 2036, it's gonna be a thing where people graduate high school and then age 19, 20, 21, 22, they plan and strategize in by 23, 24, 25, 26.
01:22:21.760 --> 01:22:36.800
I really do think that we might be in for a funny era where you know, people who are really skilled at um content creation and public speaking, you know, there's a uh uh overlap of those skills.
01:22:37.039 --> 01:22:42.800
Um obviously you guys gotta know how to raise money and talk to people that you know you you don't know.
01:22:43.119 --> 01:22:52.239
Um, and so yeah, I share the applause to everybody that was confident enough to put their name on the ballot.
01:22:52.399 --> 01:23:02.640
Um, we are gonna take a short break, and when we come back, we're gonna go through what we are grateful for, who we are thinking about this week in shout-outs.
01:23:02.720 --> 01:23:04.479
Keep it locked, authentically Detroit.
01:23:04.560 --> 01:23:05.680
We'll be right back.
01:23:13.760 --> 01:23:20.239
Join the Eastside Community Network for our senior send-off celebration at the Stademeyer on August 15th from twelve to three PM.
01:23:20.560 --> 01:23:28.560
The senior send-off is an open house honoring the high school graduates of the Eastside Youth Collective as they prepare for college, university, and military programs.
01:23:28.880 --> 01:23:38.239
Celebrate their achievements, offer words of encouragement, and help support their next chapter by bringing a gift from their recommended wish lists or dropping off donations to our youth development team.
01:23:38.479 --> 01:23:43.199
Visit ecnetroit.org slash youth for more information.
01:23:43.439 --> 01:23:48.399
Together, we can help send our graduates into their future with confidence and community support.
01:23:55.760 --> 01:23:56.640
Welcome back.
01:23:56.800 --> 01:24:14.720
We have been discussing uh Detroit's new crop of lawmakers heading to Lansing to represent us in state government, talking about how a lot of what we want to see happen, people asked Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield to do needs to start in Lansing.
01:24:14.880 --> 01:24:22.079
So it's good to be familiar with who the heck these people are uh that are representing you.
01:24:23.039 --> 01:24:27.520
Um at MichiganCronicle.com, uh, there's a story up.
01:24:27.680 --> 01:24:31.279
Conyers Burton, Gilmer Hill highlight new members of Detroit's legislative caucus.
01:24:31.359 --> 01:24:37.199
You can get the full breakdown of all of those races, how they turned out.
01:24:37.359 --> 01:25:01.760
Uh, Donna, it is time, almost time, we want to remind you that if you guys want to come on our show, if you have suggestions for topics that you think we should be discussing on Authentically Detroit, please hit us up on our socials, authentically Detroit on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or you can visit our website at authentically-detroit.com.
01:25:02.319 --> 01:25:06.960
It is time for the end of our program today.
01:25:07.119 --> 01:25:09.119
We want to thank Tierra Jones.
01:25:10.319 --> 01:25:13.760
Of course, we want to thank you for listening in.
01:25:14.079 --> 01:25:17.760
Donna, you want to start out with our weekly shout outs?
01:25:18.000 --> 01:25:18.399
I do.
01:25:18.640 --> 01:25:32.000
I want to shout out um Brent Johnson and the Detroit Friends Committee for convening a picnic that uh on the at like Detroit Lakewood East Park, um, which many people have never seen before.
01:25:32.159 --> 01:25:38.720
Um, I had an opportunity to hang out with people that I grew up with in Northwest Detroit, and it was a lot of fun.
01:25:38.880 --> 01:25:43.600
Um, it took a lot of work, good music, good food, and good camaraderie.
01:25:43.680 --> 01:25:50.239
And it's always good to remember to celebrate life and celebrate each other while you're still here, and so it was a good time.
01:25:50.880 --> 01:26:04.159
I want to shout out to all of the people I have spoken to uh in the last few days who have uh told me good job.
01:26:04.239 --> 01:26:06.399
I gotta I gotta reach back out to a number of people.
01:26:06.479 --> 01:26:10.880
If you guys are listening and you've sent me a text message saying, Oh my god, you did such a good job.
01:26:11.039 --> 01:26:14.239
Gideon DiaSandro is one of those people.
01:26:14.479 --> 01:26:16.640
Um thank you.
01:26:16.800 --> 01:26:17.920
I really appreciate it.
01:26:18.079 --> 01:26:23.840
Uh, as I said at the top of this show, I have not been getting a lot of sleep, which means you know, not a lot of food, also.
01:26:24.239 --> 01:26:25.680
So it's been fun.
01:26:25.760 --> 01:26:32.159
I I, you know, I went all out and I had the ability to do that.
01:26:32.319 --> 01:26:35.359
Um nothing other than work.
01:26:35.760 --> 01:26:46.640
You know, it's fun in a season, in a cycle, but I'm like realizing how why Malachi Barrett is now an EMT firefighter and no longer a journalist.
01:26:47.760 --> 01:26:50.960
I don't I'm not I'm not gonna join him, but I'm not gonna join him.
01:26:51.119 --> 01:26:56.960
I do uh as I kick my Chick-fil-A, I only get Chick-fil-A because I got it for free for a year.
01:26:57.199 --> 01:27:05.840
Um I do want to remind everybody that you gotta sleep, you gotta eat, and you gotta do both multiple times a day.
01:27:06.000 --> 01:27:13.119
Well, the sleeping it should happen maybe like an eight-hour stretch, but man, falling asleep like all day yesterday was like not good.
01:27:13.199 --> 01:27:15.920
I don't like to take naps because I feel like it wastes a day.
01:27:16.000 --> 01:27:18.079
And I completely just wasted my day yesterday.
01:27:18.560 --> 01:27:19.760
That's that hustle culture.
01:27:20.000 --> 01:27:22.399
And it is, and so I want rest is resistance, Sam.
01:27:22.640 --> 01:27:23.520
Shout out again.
01:27:23.680 --> 01:27:29.119
This is like probably my third shout out to Malachi, but oh my gosh, you take care of yourselves, guys.
01:27:29.359 --> 01:27:33.680
Well, shout out to Sam for continuing to do the work because we need you doing the work.
01:27:33.840 --> 01:27:40.399
You are doing a really great job, and you are representing Detroiters in ways that Detroiters want to be represented.
01:27:40.479 --> 01:27:50.720
And one reason that politics can change is because people like you are sh spreading daylight over things that have been in the dark and people haven't known.
01:27:51.039 --> 01:27:51.439
I hope so.
01:27:51.520 --> 01:28:06.000
I hope to continue doing that um all across the state as our relevancy nationally extends beyond the Democratic primary to the general election with Abdul Al-Sayed versus Mike Rogers.
01:28:06.159 --> 01:28:11.760
We didn't even talk at all today about Jocelyn Benson and John James.
01:28:12.159 --> 01:28:14.479
Um that's another conversation.
01:28:14.720 --> 01:28:15.439
No, it wasn't.
01:28:15.760 --> 01:28:16.560
It was not.
01:28:16.800 --> 01:28:17.600
Good thing.
01:28:17.760 --> 01:28:18.800
Um, I'm sure.
01:28:18.960 --> 01:28:21.439
I'm sure we'll have that conversation another day.
01:28:21.600 --> 01:28:29.760
And until then, uh, we just want to thank you guys so much for for joining us, being a part of this Detroit uh conversation.
01:28:30.000 --> 01:28:37.439
Um, Donna, thank you for showing up and shout out to ECN and all the people that are doing our show.
01:28:37.520 --> 01:28:39.680
Griffin Michael, thank you guys a lot.
01:28:39.840 --> 01:28:40.880
We appreciate you.
01:28:41.119 --> 01:28:42.800
We're all gonna get some sleep.
01:28:42.960 --> 01:28:44.800
We hope you guys do too.
01:28:45.039 --> 01:28:45.520
Thank you.
01:28:45.600 --> 01:28:46.880
We'll hear from you next week.