Speaker 0 00:00:00 Full conversation, please visit counter stories.com.
Speaker 4 00:00:09 The viewpoints expressed in this program are the opinions of the people expressing them and not necessarily those of fresh air incorporated its staff or its board of directors.
Speaker 3 00:00:30 You can burn a whole thing down. I don't care if you are uncomfortable, we can burn a whole thing down. Couldn't care about a another zone. You can burn a whole thing down. Y'all don't really care about a brother till we burn our whole thing down.
Speaker 3 00:00:51 Yeah, we about to go to work. Yeah, we about to let it burn. Like send Quill. Yeah, I bet you will try to skip a David lynching us and till and that's really freaking generous cuz honestly they have been killing us since we were property. No stopping me from saying how it is. The ain't the whizz. Ain't no easing down the road where we live. That the biz, we can't go out for a jo or a swim fuck A dog fall asleep and the car fall asleep where we live. So we about to let it burn. Just like gusher say. They be trying do not care what gusher say? Putting back screens up. Make a few bucks. My life isn't marketing who you think you trying to play? Um, I like it better when like, nerdy was all fun and stuff. This is really angry.
Speaker 3 00:01:33 Like don't you think you said enough? Well that's freaking tough cuz I'm being loud and the people are not playing with you now. Yeah, you can burn a whole thing down. Yes. Y I don't care if y'all uncomfortable, we can burn a whole thing down. You can burn our whole thing down. Couldn't care about a another zone. You can burn a whole thing down. Burn it down, down. Y'all don't really care about a brother until we burn all thing down. Burn it down, down, down. Yeah, we about to go to work. Yeah, we about to get
Speaker 5 00:02:04 It. Come on the youngins. What I'm focused on. I'm so old then go then. I ain't know you was talking about Pokemon Ha. But I'm more like me and nerdy next to a burndown system with a candle of gas and a handful of matches and know we ain't miss some famous. Now my mission ladies be soi watching all the leaders leading bacon. No name minions, but we torture enough to take us and we give into survivors city liars making black people compliant. Coon Rapids. Who are you asking? I'm proof. Survive the boomba trick bro. Ethics got me laughing at your message. And in Black Lives Matter. You would not get so defensive. We got cops and ths and robberies and gas light us. We are not the same. We on the scene we pass typing cuz y'all don't care about us and we ain't come ask. We just mind up businessing them. People be so stuck and mad. So pass the gun and mask and pastor the athe. Nu y'all can really kill us for anything. Y'all just bend the laws the same performance art, the same performative saving the racist head of norm. It is.
Speaker 3 00:03:02 You can burn a burn the whole thing down. You can burn it all. I don't care if you uncomfortable we can burn whole thing down. You can burn it, burn it, burn it down, couldn't care about it. You can burn a whole thing down down. Y'all don't really care about brother until we burn. Yeah, we, yeah.
Speaker 6 00:03:51 Views from the ground, views from the damn ground views from the ground views from
Speaker 3 00:03:56 The damn
Speaker 6 00:03:56 Ground views from the ground views
Speaker 7 00:03:58 From the
Speaker 6 00:03:58 Damn ground. And that's on that, on that on that. All right. So, uh, this is DJ your agender host. I use data them pronouns.
Speaker 8 00:04:09 My name's Jalen. I use she her
Speaker 7 00:04:10 Pronouns. My name is Brandon. I use he him
Speaker 6 00:04:13 Pronouns. So today we're going to jump straight into our interview. Um, we've been listening to him all month. Um, Kenny Gray.
Speaker 7 00:04:24 Hey everybody. Welcome, welcome. I'm Kenny. He, him pronouns.
Speaker 6 00:04:27 Yeah. Yeah. So we've been listening to a lot of your music. Um, you're, you're one of my favorite local musicians, so I'm so excited that Thank you. Have you on the show. So I just, I want to just really get into it and go like, you know, what inspired you to get into music,
Speaker 7 00:04:46 Man? Well, you know, it started, uh, back in high school, uh, I had a good friend of mine. Uh, you know, it starts farther back than that. I'm not gonna, I can't be doing band a disservice like that. I was in band since fourth grade,
Speaker 6 00:04:59 <laugh>.
Speaker 7 00:05:00 Um, I played the clarinet, uh, all the way from fourth grade to, uh, sixth grade. And then mom said, uh, you should do it in middle school too. And I'm like, uh, all right. Then I played it through eighth grade and then mom said, you should do it in high school too. Then I played it through ninth, 10th and I was ready to quit. She was like, oh, but you know, it looks good on the college resume, so, you know, you gotta keep going. So I played all the way from fourth to 12th grade. Um, but sometime in high school I realized the clarinet wasn't getting the girls <laugh> <laugh>. No, I'm just playing. Um, but on don't a on a real note, I had a good friend of mine who actually played guitar. Um, and I, I, he was a best friend of mine actually.
Speaker 7 00:05:38 And we would go to coffee shops and he would do these little shows and it was just so cool cuz he, we would invite all of our friends from high school and they would, they'd watch him perform and, um, they'd really listen to his music. And I felt like his music was so powerful and the messages that he was delivering were powerful. And I was like, man, I really wish people could hear what I have have to say. Cuz I was a teenager and I had, I had, I was not eloquent with the words, you know, <laugh> long story short. Um, so I think I started doing music because, um, I just wanted to be heard. That's how I got into it.
Speaker 6 00:06:10 Yeah. And and you really took, uh, a leap of fate, right? Because you were making a lot of music and you had your nine to five and something just happened in, in like 2020. And can you kind of tell us about that experience and
Speaker 7 00:06:28 Yeah. And what you did? Um, yeah. So, you know, after I graduated college, I did the whole corporate, uh, stint, you know, nine to five for a couple years. Uh, a few years actually, a few years too many because every day, you know, I was just dreaming of doing my music stuff. I always had this like, mindset, or at least I was taught this mindset to, um, try to, you know, basically get my money and then use the money to succeed in the music. Um, but what happened for me was, I felt like I was saving all this money, but I was working nine to five, so I was tired all the time. And so I wasn't ever working on my music. And while I was saving up, I just didn't feel like I had a whole lot of integrity be behind my music and I didn't want to promote it. And I was like, dang, like, well, what is this? Um, and so, you know, I I decided I had a little bit of money saved up that I was just gonna quit my job. And, uh, I had enough saved for a year, you know, amazingly. Um, and so I, I quit my job and was just like, I'm just gonna go for it. Yeah.
Speaker 6 00:07:27 Yeah. And I, and I remember you like, made some really like powerful tos around that time <laugh>, um, and just like watching powerful
Speaker 7 00:07:35 Tos. Yeah.
Speaker 6 00:07:36 I mean, I think it was really cool. Like you had edited all up and, and you know, you had people like following you and I I thought it was, um, I thought it was like super
Speaker 7 00:07:46 Cool. Well, thank you. Thank you. That you find my cringe. Cool. <laugh>
Speaker 6 00:07:50 <laugh>. Um, so, so, so I feel like when we, uh, talk about your music, you, you have a very like, deep connection, um, with the deaf community, right? Because yeah. You use like a lot of asl, um, with your songs and stuff like that and your music videos, I mean, to say. And so kind of tell us about that experience and like what inspired you to do that?
Speaker 7 00:08:15 Yeah. Um, so I grew up with deaf family. Um, have a deaf grandpa, grandma, uh, and a hard of hearing younger brother. Um, and, uh, I've, I've been doing music since like I said, fourth grade. Um, and I never really, well, simultaneously as a kid, I actually actually live with my grandparents. Um, when I was, when I was before fourth grade, before music even happened. And, um, deaf culture was really a part of my life. And, um, after that, however, as I got older into my teen years, I kind of became disconnected with that as I kind of became more connected to the music. Um, and after a certain point I realized how disconnected I was with, uh, the deaf community, deaf culture, and American sign language. I wasn't using it. Um, I was a rusty. And, and as I became an adult, became an adult, I kind of felt like, dang, like I would love to have an adult relationship with my grandparents.
Speaker 7 00:09:14 Um, and so I started to feel like, dang. Like how do I, how do I get myself signing again? How do I get myself part of the community again? And music at this point was such a big part of my life that it's like, it's not like I can just stop making music, you know? I love music. So I was like, you know what? I need a, what if I blend those two worlds together and I bring American language into my music and I start collaborating with, uh, other deaf creatives, um, you know, dancers, um, artists. Uh, my cover art for a lot of my music is designed by, by deaf artists. Um, but then another big piece to it is, um, accessibility and making sure that, um, all my deaf friends and family can also enjoy my music. So, yeah.
Speaker 6 00:09:56 Yeah. And I think that's amazing, you know, accessible cuz you know, accessibility cuz uh, we say at the protests a lot that, you know, the revolution will be accessible, so mm-hmm.
Speaker 7 00:10:07 <affirmative>. Yep.
Speaker 6 00:10:08 So I think that's like really important. Uh, and so tell us about like, making the music video of your song. Wow. Right? Mm-hmm. <affirmative> a song that like, really got big and popular and has a lot of views. So tell us a little bit about that.
Speaker 7 00:10:22 Yeah. You know, it's really amazing how that came together because it happened pretty much simultaneously with me taking that leap. I quitting my job, um, bef all the people who are in that video and I'm talking, there's people in the deaf community who are, are very well known. They're popular influencers on TikTok and Instagram. And, um, and even, uh, some of the actors in that video were on a Netflix show. Um, and before I quit my job, I didn't know any of these people. And when I quit my job and I simultaneously declared that I'm making this, you know, having the deaf community, having American silent and accessibility part of my vision in music, when that happened, I feel like just everything sort of just fell into place. I started talking to all the, um, all the key people who, um, who wanted to be part of like, my journey.
Speaker 7 00:11:15 It started slow at first, but then we were in the middle of filming the music video and as we were filming it, we were kind of like, um, I think people at the same time that TikTok that you're talking about, uh, had a TikTok go viral, um, about this song that that music video is based on, or, um, made a round. And um, and then that kind of like buzz kind of attracted more people to what I was doing. And it just all came together and it was, I don't know, it was, it was pretty magical, but yeah.
Speaker 6 00:11:44 <laugh>. Yeah. And, and so how was it to go viral on TikTok? You know, cause you, you, um, went pretty viral in the deaf community with your music video with Wow. So how, how was that?
Speaker 7 00:11:55 Yeah, it was crazy. It started with the video with Wow. Um, and I also had put out my phone number on TikTok too, alongside this video. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> <laugh>. I a bit <laugh>, everybody telling me it was a bad idea, but I was like, you know, I'm trying to do this music thing. If I get big, it's gonna get out there anyway. I might as well just give it away. Now <laugh>, everybody has my number now. You guys are the day ones, you know, that's what I was thinking. Right. But little did I know it was gonna be like nonstop. My phone was blowing up for, can you not, uh, weeks straight 24 7 while I was sleeping, I had to turn my phone off to go to sleep. Cuz it was just call calls were rolling in <laugh>. And, you know, I was answering 'em all of, all of 'em for like, the whole time I was awake, like, like at least 3, 4, 5 days of that, that week I was just answering phone calls. Cause I just wanted to thank everybody for like, you know, all this attention, you know, when you're doing music for so long. And finally people are like, oh, we believe in you. Like, it's just, it's just so cool.
Speaker 6 00:12:55 Yeah. Um, that, that, that is cool. I remember reading some comments where you were like, all right, I'm gonna take a break for a day, <laugh>. Uh, I promise I've been answering everyone nonstop. I was reading, I was like, oh, bro.
Speaker 7 00:13:08 Yeah, it was fun. It
Speaker 6 00:13:09 Was fun. Um, and, and you do like a lot of, um, interactions with your fans, um, you know, using a lot of like, social media platforms and stuff like that and just how is that experience? I know like recently you just mailed a bunch of people, like stickers of your new, um, art for your new single and like, how is that experience like being so interactive with your fans?
Speaker 7 00:13:33 <laugh>, I'm not gonna lie, it's hard, you know, because you gotta make the music too. You gotta make the music video, you gotta show up to the radio interview <laugh>, you know, you gotta do all these things. But, um, I feel like those personal touches are like my way of being able to show the people who are supporting me that like, like I see them and I really appreciate it. So, you know, if I lose sleep a couple nights, you know, it's all good.
Speaker 6 00:13:57 Yeah. Uh, so where do you hope to see yourself, you know, your career going like,
Speaker 7 00:14:05 Man, um, you know, I'm, I'm trying to go for the stars. We're trying to be international baby <laugh>. Um, you know, I just want to, I just want to, I just want to be happy, you know, I just want to have peace. I want to be able to work on my music, um, as much as I want to. Um, and, you know, be with my family as much as I want to watch Netflix as much as I want to <laugh> and find that balance. It's just, um, but I'm always gonna be trying to push the music, of course. You know, try to play a bigger venue, try to collab with a bigger artist or an artist that really speaks to me musically. Um, but at the same time it's like, it's about trying to find this peace and balance. I feel like it's taken me a long time to get there. Cause when I was 16, I would've said, I'm trying to be Michael Jackson <laugh>. You know what I mean? Mean like, I'm trying to
Speaker 6 00:14:53 <laugh> who are some musical artists that influence you?
Speaker 7 00:14:58 Yeah. Um,
Speaker 7 00:15:01 I would say some of the bigger ones when I first got into music were John Mayer and Sarah Bar Ellis. They both kind of got like a singer songwriter, flared to them. I was really into acoustic guitar at the time. Um, that's what I switched to from the clarinet, by the way, <laugh>. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Um, and then, uh, um, there's this other band no one's ever heard of but me. It's called NZ Lopi, N I Z L O P I. They're great. Check 'em out. They're kind of like a folk singer, songwriter, indie kind of thing. And I'm not really even into that genre of music, but it's something about the, his lyrics and the way he sings. It's so raw and it's just, it's poetic. And that's something that I aspire to have in my music is that poetry element to, to my music
Speaker 9 00:15:46 And this sloppy collab coming sometime.
Speaker 7 00:15:48 Eh, man, we got hit them up. <laugh>.
Speaker 9 00:15:51 You got, do you know 'em? You got their number? I, I do not. I do not. But I mean, you said nobody knows 'em but you so
Speaker 7 00:15:57 Well, they're big over in like, uh, the uk. Gotcha.
Speaker 9 00:16:00 Well maybe you'll be their door into the
Speaker 7 00:16:02 Ux. Yeah. I'm hoping that if I keep speaking their name, especially on your guys's platform, maybe they'll hear this and then, then they'll hit me up like mm-hmm. <affirmative>, because I'm a big fan of them. They don't even know <laugh>.
Speaker 6 00:16:12 Yeah. So it's actually real funny. Um, the way that we met was actually, um, playing chess.
Speaker 7 00:16:19 Yeah. I love chess.
Speaker 6 00:16:20 Yeah. Uh, and remember, we better that who,
Speaker 9 00:16:23 Who's better?
Speaker 7 00:16:24 Don't, don't ask that question. <laugh>. We're standing next to him.
Speaker 9 00:16:28 A deity right here.
Speaker 6 00:16:29 Oh, you doing too much chess,
Speaker 9 00:16:31 Deity,
Speaker 6 00:16:32 <laugh>. It's just, just moving some pieces. <laugh>. Uh, y'all doing too much. But, but, um, yeah. And I just remember meeting you and, and I was like, what do you do? He was like, uh, I make music. I was like, oh, okay. What kind of music? He was like, I make sad boy music. I was like, oh, okay. That's the type of music I like, you know? And I remember I was like, okay, okay, you make music. So I went home and I just remember listening to your whole discography, man, thank you. And I was just like, oh, wow. Like, like, I'm just like really excited. I remember calling you. I was like, oh yeah, I like your new song. He was like, my new song dropped. I was like, last night, <laugh>. That was great.
Speaker 7 00:17:08 That, man, I appreciate that, man. That's, it's so cool when people tell you that kind of thing. Like, oh yeah, I went listen to all your music. Like, what?
Speaker 6 00:17:15 Yeah,
Speaker 7 00:17:15 Sometimes I tell my, my cousins listen to my music and they, they're like, I'll get back to you. <laugh> <laugh>.
Speaker 6 00:17:21 So, um, so yeah. So after, uh, this interview, you're actually gonna be taken off. Why don't you go ahead and tell where pe tell people where you're going?
Speaker 7 00:17:29 Yeah. So we actually got a show, um, over at Seventh Street Entry. First Avenue. Um, doors open at seven, uh, show starts at eight and I think we're getting close to that, so I gotta rush back over there. But yeah. Um,
Speaker 6 00:17:44 Yeah, I'm super excited. I'm gonna go over there.
Speaker 9 00:17:47 Is it just you playing or do you have someone opening or any other acts
Speaker 7 00:17:50 Performing? Yeah, we got a few other acts. Um, soda Supreme Bloodline Juice, Lord XO Kids, Swami, we got a few people over there. Um, it's being put on by, uh, a good friend of mine, piano player, uh, in this production band production, uh, company he runs called Chaos. Um, so super grateful to be part of that.
Speaker 6 00:18:11 All right. Well, uh, I just appreciate you coming on to the show and sharing your, um, you know, your origin story, if you will, <laugh>, and, you know, sharing your music all month long. And I just really appreciate it. Thank, and, and I just appreciate how accessible you make your music. And
Speaker 9 00:18:30 Is there, is there anything you wanna say to the people before you get out of here? Anything? Any last words?
Speaker 7 00:18:36 Man, it's Wednesday. We're almost there. <laugh>
Speaker 6 00:18:39 Man. <laugh>.
Speaker 7 00:18:42 Nah. But, um, yeah, thank you for having me.
Speaker 6 00:18:44 Yeah, for sure. So with that out the way, um, I'm gonna wish you a good concert and I'll see you
Speaker 7 00:18:50 Soon. Thank you. All right?
Speaker 6 00:18:52 Yep. All right. With that we'll be, uh, taking a quick break here.
Speaker 10 00:18:58 Come join K F a I live at the State fair on Labor Day Monday, September 5th from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM at the Ampers booth in the education building. See you live broadcasts of No Stress Express with Tony, Paul and Elmar At 10:00 AM a very edition of everything, Minnesota Music with Benjamin Ray at noon and Upside down with Chris Barry at 2:00 PM We'll see you there at the State fair on Labor Day 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM And you can also catch the broadcast by tuning in to 90.3 fm, Minneapolis, or
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Speaker 11 00:19:35 Programming is supported by the Science Museum of Minnesota, wrapping up a summer of outer space adventures as summer draws to a close guests can experience the science of space right in St. Paul on the planet Earth, featuring new and existing exhibits and displays, new omni theater experiences, events and more. More information about planning your extraterrestrial trip
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Speaker 12 00:20:16 <unk> recycles com.
Speaker 9 00:20:47 All right, welcome
Speaker 6 00:20:48 Back to Views From
Speaker 9 00:20:49 The Ground. Views From the Damn Ground. All
Speaker 6 00:20:51 Right, so go ahead and take it away, Brandon.
Speaker 9 00:20:54 All right. So all month we have been here on Words of Freedom, listening to Miss Ma and her lovely, beautiful, inspiring, incredible, captivating words and, and some amazing sounds that went along with it. Um, and y'all are in for a treat because we have her in the studio here today to talk with you guys. So, in the building, miss Ma, go ahead and talk to the people here. You can turn the mic and Okay. Get it all situated. Don't be afraid to get close to it. Okay.
Speaker 13 00:21:23 Hi, everybody. Hello. Hello, everyone. <laugh>. I'm try, I'm trying to act too cool about this, but I, I am very excited, <laugh>, how are you guys? Oh, it's such an honor though. Seriously. I'm like, I am beyond humble to even be featured on something like this, like seriously when Brandon asked me, I was like, I know I'm being punked right now. Gotta be, gotta be
Speaker 9 00:21:45 <laugh>. No, I'm just, I'm just, uh, thankful for DJ for, uh, coming up with this idea and giving me the platform to put other people on. You know what I'm saying? So who better to have, uh, uh, their words given out to the people than Miss Mar, you know? So just trying to put my homies on, uh, you know, and, and share the love and what me to have. But yeah, so, you know, we'll go through some questions. Talk about let's from the jump, like how did you get started with like, art in general? Yeah. If you can think back to young little Miss Ma. Oh my God,
Speaker 13 00:22:18 Jesus Christ <laugh>, um, getting started with art. Um, so, oh, yes, please, please. Um, so, uh, it originally started as a very like, therapeutic kind of thing. Um, I mentioned in the podcast that I did with Untangible that, um, it started off as like a, um, like a self-care thing. I didn't want to really write out in journals. It felt like too obvious to try to write out my inner thoughts in a journal or diary. I'm like, this should, if somebody's gonna find this, but, you know, of course. Um, but, um, I wanted to, uh, so I, I figured poetry was like the easiest way to kind of just scribe out things that I was thinking, um, in my sketchbooks and my poetry and all of that. And so, um, it started off as just a purely very personal ritual. Thank you. Started off as a very personal, uh, ritual and everything.
Speaker 13 00:23:09 And then, um, uh, bringing it to high school. Um, it st it, the, on the first time it ever became, like, kind of brought it to people was, um, through like a homework assignment that I did in high school and stuff. And, um, uh, the teacher that assigned it to us was very moved by what I did. And then, um, it kind of, it kind of was accidental after that. It was just like, more people found out, asked me to perform, or like asked me to contribute to this cause or that, or whatever through high school. And then college was the time that I kind of like stopped, like ev like didn't touch pen to paper at all, all mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Um, and it wasn't until befriending certain artists, um, certain artists, you know, certain spoken word artists through college that like, it kind of reinvigorated that love all back again, you know, to, to perform.
Speaker 13 00:23:57 And so, um, uh, started back up around like 2018 or so, like just kind of going to little, the tangible open mic mm-hmm. <affirmative> and stuff like that. Like, that was like a really pivotal moment about like, bringing the art to the actual public intentionally rather than just being asked a bunch of times to do stuff. Um, and so yeah, it, it kind of just ballooned, like a lot of it was started off me resisting it and just kind of doing it out of like, if, like out of o obligation or by request and stuff. Um, if it wasn't for myself personally. And then, um, the more like affirmation that I kind of got from people and from, um, the larger universe or whatever, <laugh>. But the, the more affirmations I got kind of is just like, okay, maybe like, actually pursue this for real, for real. So
Speaker 9 00:24:41 That's what's up. Yeah. You had mentioned the science, you had mentioned that little, uh, assignment that you had to do. That could be the answer to this question, but the next question I have is like, what was the first time that you could think of where you were like, like, I know all artists have their own little insecurities when it comes to their own work, but what, what was one time you were like, yeah, I did that. Like, that was, oh shit, that was gold. I did that. Like, there's no telling me otherwise.
Speaker 13 00:25:05 Yeah. Oh, snap. Um, let me see. I'm really, really proud. Okay. There is one piece that I'm very proud of, and that, that would be the George Floyd one, like mm-hmm. <affirmative>. I'm very, very proud of that. And so much so that I wanted to create something like physical out of it. Um, so, uh, um, as I have mentioned a couple times, there is a, like, excerpt of the pond that like now exists at the George Floyd Square. Um, and it's now part of the, like, memorial archives. And I remember like writing that about a month after his passing and, um, being moved by like all of the things that were happening in the city. Like my sister was someone who was like directly involved in the, like, some of the worst protest days. Um, so like, having people that close to me who were a part of that, um, just like, uh, was extremely resonating with me, like on a painful level.
Speaker 13 00:25:56 So that was me, like, similar to like, kind of how all of this started as a personal ritual, just very much like stream of consciousness, consciousness, word vomit, just like get all the thoughts out. Like, and, and, you know, eventually after some editing, like, make it sound better. But like, so much of that was just like really like taking opposite the images I was seeing on the screen, the, the conversations I was having with my people, with my folks, with friends and stuff. And then just like putting that into the poem and then, um, and then watching and, and watching it, like reach different audiences from there, you know? Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Um, um, there's been a few people who have like told me about like, who, I don't know personally, but like I'll mention if they ask me like what I do or something and I mention, um, the George Floyd poem, they'll like tell me that they have have like, family in different parts of the world who have pictures of that thing mm-hmm. <affirmative> on their, in their phone and stuff, because it's like something that resonated with them. So that's something I'm like really, really proud of is the George Floyd, um, poem for sure.
Speaker 9 00:26:54 For sure. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, what, um, gave you the, um, idea or, or the, like, so you had it obviously written, you've probably spoken it, but what made you think like, I, this has to be something physical and to place it in the square? Like, what made you decide to do that? Yeah. Um, or were you asked to do that or,
Speaker 13 00:27:11 Yeah. That, that was, um, def that was inspired by the protest art I was already seeing mm-hmm. <affirmative> in, in downtown and stuff. Um, like, I'm trying to decide whether to talk like, it's not that bad, but like, okay. So
Speaker 9 00:27:26 I was just make sure we keep it
Speaker 13 00:27:27 PG 13. Of course. Of course, of course. But like, point blank. I was inspired by the protest art, like, by seeing people, um, by seeing people, uh, be so, um, uh, compelled by their own art that they were willing to post it and place it anywhere in the city. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And so, um, seeing the bravery and the courage and like the, the like the, the like, just the compulsion that people were having to just like, make tangible these like mm-hmm. <affirmative> these, um, words and these feelings like beyond just like chanting it into the air, but like, make sure that it is physical and stuff like that was something that was so moving to me. Um, and so, yeah, I was inspired by that by just, and then the, and just the offerings that I was seeing, like placed at the square itself. Mm-hmm.
Speaker 13 00:28:10 <affirmative>, you know, like people were placing, uh, paintings were placing, um, photography that they have that they had posted. And so you, you've seen it. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, like, we've all gone to it so many times. And so just seeing the growing memorial that was, that pu and the different ways that people were choosing to honor, I was like, okay, well I'm a writer. How do you make writing tan? Like, how do you bring it to like, physical world? You know, like outside of a book or something like that, or like an article in a magazine or something, you know, which has its own like, challenges. So, um, yeah, I was, I just saw that there were these posters and stuff and kind of like went over the idea with my dad cuz he was the one that constructed the thing and, um, uh, decided like that this would be the way that a writer could honor, um, honor, uh, this moment, um, without it beyond just like, the performance mm-hmm. <affirmative>, because even performances can sometimes be elusive. Like it's a fleeting moment mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Um, but like, this means that like, it stays there. Yeah. It's solidified, it's solidified there, you know, so, um, yeah. Yeah. So. Got
Speaker 9 00:29:11 You. Yeah. <laugh>. So speaking of like, tangible and you being a writer. A writer, sorry, like actual tangible things Yeah. You being a writer, um, you also have ventured into some different mediums of art. Yeah. Right? Like, whenever I hear you, I always think of composition and like the total picture, for lack of a better term, but like, thank you. You have the words. Mm. But then you'll also like incorporate sounds, you also incorporate visuals. Mm. Um, and I mean, in this particular instance, you incorporated something physical mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Right. But what, uh, just talk a little bit about you venturing into different mediums and adding different, uh, elements into your art mm-hmm. <affirmative> and that creative process.
Speaker 13 00:29:50 Yeah. Um, great question. Um, <laugh>, um, I, the, the idea of venturing into different mediums is, um, it's like the, the root cause of it is pretty superficial, which is that like, I'm someone that like, uh, likes a lot of sensory, like, output, you know, like, I, I like things to be, um, exciting and stuff like TikTok. I don't know if TikTok has something to do with that, but like, you know, just the constant, like Instagram mm-hmm. <affirmative> cool things like happening, like, you know, sensory wise. Like, I, I just am that type of person that just really enjoys my senses to be like, played, you know, tickled or played with Stimulated. Stimulated, that's the word I was looking for. All these other words, <laugh>. Um, I like my senses to be stimulated. And so, um, by virtue of that, like again with, um, writing, there's like, um, there's like a few traditional means to which we can like really receive that, that medium, you know, like, like I said, performance acapella where you're just purely reading or, or speaking the thing or off the page where you're just literally reading the thing.
Speaker 13 00:30:52 Um, and so for me, um, as, as much as I relish in the traditional, um, methods and ways that we, um, that we do, uh, consume poetry, um, being somebody who does love, like exciting, like nuances and different things happening, I, I just knew, I just was just tended to be more, um, gravitating towards things that we're going to kind of make the experience a little bit more nuanced, a little bit more different than like, what we are, what we tend to experience when it comes to poetry. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> sound was one of the easier things, I think. Like, just the, and we're, and we're already used to it, you know, songwriting is in a lot of ways, like music in itself is in a lot of ways is poetry. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> put together to music. So this is just kind of doing something that already comes natural to a lot of us.
Speaker 13 00:31:41 We already are used to these things, but now within a different context mm-hmm. <affirmative>, you know, that maybe wasn't, um, wasn't like imagined before. Um, and then visuals and stuff like that is also really important to me because I like, um, I like, I like exciting, I like to look at exciting things, to be honest. It's very superficial, I promise <laugh>. It's nothing deeper than that. Um, it's just, I like exciting things and I like things that are different and interesting, um, and that like resonate and stick with me. And so, um, visuals are things that, like I'm a very visual learner mm-hmm. <affirmative>, things like that. And so, um, I just figured like if these were things that I know I would be interested in, maybe others would also be interested and maybe they would also be taken by that experience as well. Um, so yeah, just following like the things that I know, um, excite me and just kind of gambling that it'll maybe excite others too. <laugh>.
Speaker 9 00:32:30 Got you. Yeah. So, um, so you've had plenty of success doing shows, uh, winning poetry slams. Oh, thank you. Um, with, with your work that's posted, people from all around the world Yeah. Have seen it. Um, what is something that you have yet to accomplish, that you wish to accomplish at some point? With art?
Speaker 13 00:32:49 Yeah. Oh God. <laugh>, um, geez. I would say, okay. Well, everyone, everyone around me knows that I say this all the time and I'm gonna put it on the airwaves. Okay. I'm put it on the airwaves, but I would absolutely love to work with Kendrick, Kendrick Lamar. Like, he is like,
Speaker 9 00:33:10 Kung fu
Speaker 13 00:33:11 Kate. Oh my God. What Mr. Lamar. Like, that is, that's so much of the inspiration behind, like, behind my writing. And, and like, that's the, that's the standard. That's the bar that I'm like always trying to reach as far as like, cleverness and like wittiness and, and all of that and metaphors and stuff. So writing kind of like what Kodak did mm-hmm. <affirmative> on this last album.
Speaker 9 00:33:33 The interlude,
Speaker 13 00:33:34 The interludes and stuff. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, boy, if I let me get one phone call from, from PG Lang, let me get one phone call. <laugh>. Uh, yeah. Because that's what we, I'll do the accent everything. I'll tell whatever you want me to sound like. I'll do it. You. Oh, fun fact. Okay. Crazy. Kodak Black and me share the same birthday.
Speaker 9 00:33:53 Well, there we go. So
Speaker 13 00:33:54 I feel like the universe is kind of, I don't know, baby
Speaker 9 00:33:58 Thank
Speaker 13 00:34:00 <laugh>.
Speaker 9 00:34:00 Right. Um, we only have about a minute or maybe two minutes left, but, uh, this last question I ask just about everyone that comes on in my segment is like, it's a two part question. Both very difficult parts to answer, but it's being an artist. Yeah. It's, it's a lot. Right. A lot that we asked ourselves. And if you let other people ask things of you, that's fine. Other people are like, nah, I don't care what nobody think shit. At the same time, you know, you still kind of care a little bit of, of course, of course. To you, what is the most rewarding or fulfilling thing about being an artist and what is your least favorite part about being an artist? Ooh, I'll give, I'm gonna give you like a minute time, please. That's all you, that's all you get. A minute or less, I have to say soon.
Speaker 13 00:34:37 And I got a lot to, I got a lot on my chest. Uh,
Speaker 9 00:34:41 <laugh>. 50 seconds. No good.
Speaker 13 00:34:43 <laugh>. Okay. I think the most rewarding thing is the easiest to answer the, the most rewarding thing is, um, is when, uh, after performances and stuff, when cert when people come to me with two, uh, two comments, either talking to me about how ins like how whatever it is, what, whatever I did either in the performance or online, um, inspires them or like makes them, like, has now like, kind of made them rethink about poetry again. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, because I, I've been getting that a lot of, uh, people coming to me, um, um, discussing that they too used to do poetry back in the day and they don't do it anymore. And so seeing me find all these ways to do it has kind of like, um, piqued their interest and stuff. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. So people who are kind of turning back into poetry or any other art form, but like, being inspired by something I'm doing to like, be more brave and to be more courageous with their own stuff.
Speaker 13 00:35:35 Mm-hmm. <affirmative> regardless of the results or outcome. Um, and then other comments that people will make, which is, um, whenever someone, if, if something I did or said, um, resonated with them personally, like happened to like, touch on something that they're going through in that moment, um, that always is like such a rewarding thing. Cuz that feels like my job has been done here. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, you know what I mm-hmm. And I know that every artist feels that. Like, but man, that, that always feels like my job has been done. Um, it's always that over the numbers on social media and stuff like that. It's that one-on-one, those one-on-one moments. And then, um, on the flip
Speaker 9 00:36:11 Saturday, the thing like
Speaker 13 00:36:13 Out, I'm, I'm gonna be real, I'm gonna be so real performances the nervousness. I'm not kidding. The nerves. The nerves, bro. The nerves of that, of the day of, of the performance, like, is something, it just drives me nuts. So I don't know if that's necessarily something I like, but, um, cuz I love the performance being in it is cool. The lead up is always crazy. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Um, and then, uh, other challenging thing is like, uh, sometimes certain poems can be like, uh, it can, the trigger can come back to you. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, like some, uh, some, some of those heavy topics that you just wanna really inform and, and bring honor to, to others and stuff like that sometimes has the, you
Speaker 9 00:36:53 Have to relive
Speaker 13 00:36:54 It. Yeah. You have to relive it on stage and keep composure and stuff like that. And that's always challenging. So, but Yeah.
Speaker 6 00:36:59 Yeah. And, and I just want to say I really appreciate you. Like, you're just like, it's just like pure artistry, you know what I mean? Thank you. Oh my God. <laugh>. Like this what I was like, cause usually we got like the poets, I was like, oh, you got an artist, this one. Oh
Speaker 9 00:37:16 No. Shade. All of our other artists and poets that have been amazing and beautiful. Yeah. Yeah. No, I'm just messing <laugh>.
Speaker 6 00:37:22 But yeah, I just like it because like, it's just like a whole vibe, you know what I mean? And I just like appreciate that.
Speaker 13 00:37:28 Ugh. That like, it, it that, first of all, I know that I'm in a room of artists, so I know like, to, to be recognized in that way by others that I have such respect for and stuff like that. Cause I know about you too, so let, let's not I know about what you doing. So Yeah. Yeah. I be trying that. Cool. But, um, to, to get that recognition back is like, as I said before, it's affirming, if nothing else, it's humbling. It's a massive privilege to be in the studio with you guys. Seriously. Like, it means, it means the world to me. It's one of like the, the z one of the biggest highlights of this year. For sure. For sure. Um, so yeah. I, I just, I take all that and give it back
Speaker 9 00:38:05 To y'all. Well, thank you very, very much. Real quick before you go, where can people find you? Give Awesome. Give them ads and then we gotta
Speaker 13 00:38:12 This thing up. Hey, the ads is, uh, very, very simple. Okay. It's how she writes on all platforms. Okay. How she writes, how it's exactly spelled <laugh>. Uh, yeah. Find me talk about it. We can do whatever. Um, I'm out here for collabs and
Speaker 9 00:38:30 Whatnot. <laugh>. Well, thank you Miss Ma. Thank
Speaker 13 00:38:32 You to you.
Speaker 6 00:38:34 Yay. All right. So we're gonna take a quick break right now. Woo.
Speaker 11 00:38:39 Programming is supported by the Science Museum of Minnesota, wrapping up a summer of outer space adventures as summer draws to a close, guests can experience the science of space right in St. Paul on the planet Earth, featuring new and existing exhibits and displays, new omni theater experiences, events and more, more information about planning your extraterrestrial trip
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Speaker 6 00:39:05 All right, everyone. All right. So we, uh, we are back at it here, um, on another, uh, segment, um, from views From the ground. Views from the damn ground. So we are actually, um, doing this segment. Oh, good. I'm sorry. This is, um, the eyes from the ground segment. So, you know, we just bring in people who have been, um, boots on the ground, f um, you know, that I just know, like from the movement spaces. And so today, um, we have, uh, my friend Steve here with us. Huh?
Speaker 14 00:39:42 Hey. Hello everybody. Thank you very much for tuning to the show.
Speaker 6 00:39:47 Yeah. So, um, so Steve, um, does a lot of like marshing, um, in the movement. And marshals are very important. Um, Marshalls is what keeps our streets safe because they shut down the streets to make sure that people can take them over. And it, um, and they also like, you know, car Marshall and bike marshals, like they have cars and bikes which shut down different streets. They really keep us safe and they put their lives on the line. Sorry for interrupting. Yeah. They put their lives on the line, like every single time we have a protest. So, you know, um, you know, and we have a lot of, um, we have several orgs that are dedicated to it, like justice frontline aid, and, uh, and Brap Brat. Yep. So, um, so go ahead, Steven. Like, tell us, um, what, what's, uh, got you going to a lot of protests.
Speaker 14 00:40:39 So yeah, it was a pretty long journey from just attending protests to eventually marshaling at protests. Uh, long journey. It felt like it, it's only been since the, uh, the aftermath of George Floyd getting murdered that I've been active. But, you know, we just kept going out and about, we was out there the first week, um, not gonna get into that exactly <laugh>, but we just kept showing them and kept showing up, you know what I mean? So, you know, we started going to like, uh, protests that were organized by like, longer term organizations, you know, people you can really learn from people that have been doing this thing too. And then what happened was, I just kept going to these protests and listening to these speeches and learning a lot from these speeches. And I remember the first person whose name stuck with me from the fire that she was spitting was Ms. Kim Handy Jones.
Speaker 14 00:41:26 You mean when you hear her speak, you going to hear it? <laugh> <laugh>. So it, it is just like, it is just like acknowledging all the truth that's being spit in, spit out there, taking it home, internalizing it, you know what I mean? Formulating and understanding around it, and then referencing it back in the future. So like, just as an example, I remember like two quotes that like I remember from the first month being out there that just like have always stuck with me is one of 'em is your intent doesn't trump your impact. And then another one, your intent doesn't trump your impact. You know, keep that. Yep. And then, uh, another one is people are experts in their own pain. So they're experts in how to alleviate that pain and find solutions to that pain. You know what I mean? So when you, when you think of a social issue, you gotta think of who's really being affected.
Speaker 14 00:42:11 And that's why I bring up Ms. Kim, handy Jones, mother of Cordell Handy. Uh, Cordell Handy was killed by St. Paul pd, you know what I mean? So justice for Cordell handy. Mm-hmm. And then, you know, you just keep going. I, I just kept going to speeches, uh, not still not marshaling at this time, still just being observant, just being present. And then you keep hearing from these justice families, right? And then there was one day in particular that really struck, stuck with me. It was from the, the march of how many weren't filmed. And if you think about it, uh, big shout, Asad, Darnell Frazier, very courageous young woman, you know what I mean? A lot of this was made possible because of her courage and exposing what happened to George Floyd. And also justice for Lionel Frazier too. We gotta say that. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. But at this march for how many weren't filmed, you know, cuz it's hard to get truth and accountability when you don't have that evidence.
Speaker 14 00:43:03 Uh, miss Amity Dimoc was giving a speech, right? And this is the speech that will always stick with me. And I really can't replicate the pain that I heard in her voice. I just, it just, it's, it'll, if you ever, if you heard it, it stuck with you. But like George Floyd was making international news and she was given the speech and she was, she was talking about how she was like hearing about George Floyd hearing about George Floyd. But it was like, what about Kobe Heisler? What about Kobe Heisler? And that's right. It is, it, it is like we had to acknowledge all the lives that were stolen, even if they weren't filmed, even if they're not making news. You know what I mean? And today is actually Kobe Heisler's, uh, third Angel bursaries. So justice for Kobe Heisler and am Miss Amity Dimock. That's, that's his mom.
Speaker 14 00:43:50 You know what I mean? So we're out here listening to all these grieving mothers, you know, re like, like similar to what Mari said about poetry. I mean, it's like when you're doing these speeches and giving these speeches, you're bringing up that pain again. So the least we can do is be present and support them through that fight of them. You know, cuz they still don't have their loved ones. So it's like, there's, it's, it's justice for Kobe Heisler, you know what I mean? Just support these families however we can. And I do want to get to the point, uh, similar to what I alluded to before, like Ms. Kim, Ms. Amity, uh, mothers of these, uh, victims of police violence. These are the, the center of the message. You know what I mean? And I'm gonna come back to the idea, the center of the message, the reason, the why we're out there.
Speaker 14 00:44:37 That's the reason we're out there. So I, I will come back to that as like, uh, throughout this, but as a general principal, right, with a lot of social issues missing and murdered, murdered indigenous women, those kids in cages, you know what I mean? Just like those kids, uh, being victims of bombings in Palestine, if you think about all these issues, right? There's a mother that's out there grieving the loss of her child. So that should strongly inform you of what side you should be supporting, you know what I mean? Especially when that loss was entirely preventable. So that, that's a lot of my perspectives. I just like built, built up through, through the me being active.
Speaker 6 00:45:14 Yeah. And, and I think it's important to have those, um, the intersectionality and the Sol International solidarity. Like we talk about that a lot at a, at a lot of our like local BLM protests and, you know, have, um, people from all, um, different oppressed minorities, you know, speak on, you know, their pain and suffering. So, um, I think that's really important. So, um, my next question's gonna be, what inspired you to be a Marshall
Speaker 14 00:45:44 <laugh>? Okay, so that, that, that is a really good question, right? And like, before I get it into like marshaling and justice spaces, I want the, the listeners to think about the space of like a therapy, like being in therapy for mental and emotional health, right? Like, yeah, yeah. I'm, I'm going places with this, you know, that's y'all DJ looking, okay, let's go, let's go. Steve is the hobby. Y'all listening? Yeah. Yeah. I I'd be getting all you distracted. But in therapy, right? It's designed to be check, it's designed to be a safe space, a safe space for you to feel through your feelings fully. And, you know, to be able to process them like from front to back, like without disturbance or anything like that. You know what I mean? And the goal is to go front to back through those feelings and process 'em to get to a better place.
Speaker 14 00:46:30 And that space for you, doing that in therapy needs to be a safe space. So if you think about like, uh, these justice spaces, right? Being out in protests, it's a similar justice families, uh, bringing up past pain, uh, and processing through it and trying to get to a better place to get justice and accountability, getting in a better place for that fight. So that's like what's being processed out there, that's the center of the message, again, just alluding to that. And then what we do as marshals is maintain that safe space for that processing, for that fight. You know what I mean? So there's the message and here's the avenue through which it's being delivered. We help maintain that avenue. You know what I mean? It's, it's, it's maintaining that space. Wow. Yep. So it's like, it's like, you know, if you, if you think about, if you think about Maslow's hierarchy, right? You know, I mean, the most, the most, yeah. We going everywhere. We're going everywhere. You know what I mean? The most base level
Speaker 15 00:47:24 That from indigenous ideology also. What's that? Yeah. Maslow, shout out.
Speaker 14 00:47:27 Sorry. Shout out out. Yeah.
Speaker 8 00:47:29 <laugh> Decolonize Maslow. But yes, continue.
Speaker 14 00:47:31 Okay. From, from the ideology that Maslow, uh, hijacked <laugh>. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Uh, at the most base level is survival, right. You know what I mean? And then at higher levels is like self-actualization and getting to a better place with your feelings, et cetera, et cetera. You know what I mean? And like, you can't be giving your feelings full consideration and doing that on the mic if you're busy, like checking your six, you know what I mean? Looking over your shoulder, like scanning the perimeter, you know what I mean? So what we as Marshalls do is devote our attention to maintaining that space, to keeping an eye out so that fam, that way these families, you know, can give their full attention to delivering these messages that are again, at the center of this movement. So it's like, if you think about it, the families are why we're out there, but like what we do is like, like we help how it gets done.
Speaker 14 00:48:17 So that, that's like, that's like putting how, and then Yes. Yeah. And then just like, just like getting to what Marshalls do. Right. You know what I mean? Like, I like dj, DJ was like bringing me up in the middle, you know what I mean? <laugh>, they, they, they were like, they were like really bringing up what Marshalls do. But I will say this, you know what I mean? Just like, just like a lot of what being a Marshall is, is just being attentive, just like keeping an eye out, taking note of what's happening and then acting accordingly. That's what it is. It's just being observant. So like when I talk about a martial or a martial minded person, I refer to 'em as like, eyes up, eyes out. You know what I mean? So, you know, I'm scanning and then just acting accordingly. And then the focus, the focus is on prevention and deescalation. So, you know what I mean? Like, which,
Speaker 6 00:49:01 Which M p d sucks
Speaker 14 00:49:02 Up. Yeah, yeah. So to
Speaker 8 00:49:05 Do, but can't seem to do.
Speaker 14 00:49:08 So like going off of that, you know what I mean? It's like you got, you can have somebody that's all ready for war, right? Ready for whatever, ready for conflict, you know what I mean? And then one of the people that's most ready for conflict in the history of history is Sun Zoo. Yeah. I'm going places. <laugh> Sun Zoo, right? Art of War. But Sun Zoo was that, was that,
Speaker 8 00:49:29 No, keep going. To the
Speaker 14 00:49:30 Art of war. With art war. So Sun Zoo has this one idea, it's like the smartest general is one that doesn't have to go to war. Cuz conflict always comes outta cost. You know what I mean? So that's why the, the, the focus is on prevention and deescalation.
Speaker 8 00:49:46 That's on period. That's
Speaker 6 00:49:49 <laugh>. Um, thank you. I, uh, really appreciate, um, um, you breaking that down. Um, so like, what keeps you going to protest?
Speaker 14 00:50:02 What keeps me going to protest? It's like, um, like you, you know this about me dj, because we have shared similar interests like chess and then like other interests, such other interests, they lean towards a tactical mindset. You know what I mean? I'm not good at, uh, writing, writing really heartfelt pieces like Brandon over here. You know what I mean? That's just not my skillset. <laugh>, I'll be doing things. Yeah. Yeah. We, we do know you'll be doing things. I mean, and we, we be, we'd be big it up because it is you doing the thing, you know? Thank you, thank you, thank you. But like, that's just where my mind is, that's where my skillset is. And I just know it's like, it's like if there's, if there's, uh, what people call me is like a jump in Marshall. You know what I mean? Because it's very rarely that I like actually officially sign up to Marshall. I don't like being out there officially necessarily, but people will say that I will jump in. So they refer to me as a jump in Marshall. It's like, oh, there's a need. I'll fill it.
Speaker 6 00:50:56 <laugh>
Speaker 14 00:50:56 <laugh>. So yeah.
Speaker 6 00:50:59 So, um, uh, so, so what do you, what do you think needs to happen for us to get some real change?
Speaker 14 00:51:08 So that's a, there, there's a lot of different ways I can go about that, right? Like, but I'm not, again, like, I'm not an artist. I'm not exactly a expert on policy and procedure either. You know what I mean? I'm just tactical mindset type of guy. So policy and procedure isn't necessarily how I'll approach this question, but I will talk about it from like a personal mindset type of, uh, perspective. Um, I just wish that, like, I, uh, I just wish that a lot of, a lot more people understood that like, it shouldn't have to affect you for you to care about the issue. It's like if you're arguing for one side or another, it like helps for, for people to understand if you're like, you wouldn't ha want this to happen to your father, you wouldn't ha want this to happen to your son.
Speaker 14 00:51:54 You wouldn't want this to happen to your sister, but it's already happening to someone's father. It's already happening to someone's son, it's already happening to someone's sister. So it's just like, from a base level, it's al it's like empathy, you know what I mean? And I think if we, if we became more empathetic and we cent centralized the grief, the grief that families are feeling, when we're discussing these issues and approaching these issues, I think we're gonna come about it with like a much better mindset. You know what I mean? And I do just wanna say this, it's like we all each have our own like limited mindset, myself included. You know what I mean? I have my own personal biases, but I just wanna leave y'all with this quote. It's like you only gain perspective when you step outside of your own perspective. Mm-hmm.
Speaker 6 00:52:37 <affirmative>. Ooh. Okay. Alright, let's go. Steve, my man came prepared for today.
Speaker 14 00:52:46 This just, I be talking, yo, he just like going everywhere.
Speaker 9 00:52:50 I took like a, I took like a, I don't know what psychology class it was in college, and I'm not talking highly of higher education, nothing like that. But like one of them said, um, like, you can only experience your own experience, right? So the only way we can never get a glimpse into other people's experiences is through communication. Yes. Right. And that has always stuck with me. Not that I liked that professor or anything, but I was like, you know what, that's true. Like, if you can't listen to somebody, if you can't communicate with them, you'll never know what their life is like. And,
Speaker 14 00:53:18 And building off of what Brandon just said, this is a tweet that my one friend shared that will always stick with me and always inform my perspective. And she was like, if a black person says something is racist, you shut up and listen. If a woman says something is sexist, you shut up and listen. If a queer person says something is homophobic, you shut up and listen. And if a Muslim person says something is islamaphobic you shut up and listen. And the reason the re this is crazy, the reason it stuck with me is that this person that shared that tweet was all four of those things. Mm. So it's like, if you talk about intersectionality, you know what I mean? And we've heard a lot of speeches from young black women, um, that talk about the intersectionality of the struggle of being both a black person, a woman, and a black woman. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Like, it's just like from listening to those speeches I hear and try to internalize what they say. And then it's just like that level of intersectionality with four factors, it's just like a minefield that I can't even help navigate. So I just wanna bring about a better world where people treat all those issues, racism, sexism, homophobia, Islamophobia with the care and consideration it deserves while caring, being empathetic towards your fellow person.
Speaker 6 00:54:29 Yeah. Um, thank you. The, my next question's gonna be like, tell us about like one of the first times that you marshed or like what got you into marshing? Like,
Speaker 14 00:54:40 Like Well, let me ask you this. What, what's our time looking like? No,
Speaker 6 00:54:43 No. You good? You good? You
Speaker 14 00:54:45 Got it. Because it, it is gonna talk about the government center during the Derek Chauvin trial. And I'm not sure we're gonna have to talk about all of
Speaker 6 00:54:52 Yo. Yeah, yeah. You got it. We got like five minutes. So,
Speaker 14 00:54:55 Okay. So it's really, look, when I started marshaling, I called it my Marshall Origin story. <laugh>,
Speaker 14 00:55:02 It was, it was starting in the frying pan into the fire. Really. Like, almost literally, almost literally. Uh, I started at the government center. And what we were doing is we were just staying, staying out overnight, uh, uh, trying to raise awareness for the nine bills that the justice families were pushing. Some of 'em included and qualified immunity, some of 'em included. Um, having mental health professionals accompany to, uh, accompany with police to, uh, mental health checks. So justice for Travis Jordan, justice for Colby Heisler, both of those were mental issues or mental health, uh, mental health calls. You know what I mean? Yeah. Um, and then some of 'em were like, uh, body cam footage has to be released within 48 hours, you know, cuz they, they'll, they will delay that, but they will release it within two hours if it like releases of blame. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, so mm-hmm.
Speaker 6 00:55:51 <affirmative>. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. So that part.
Speaker 14 00:55:52 Yep. So all of these bills pretty much directly touch upon the struggle that of justice family faced in getting justice and accountability. So we were saying overnight to do that, right? And it's overnights in March at the government center where the Derek Chauvin trial was happening, and it's, uh, some days it was, uh, like 25 degrees outside. So we had to deal with the warrants. We had to count for that. Um, food and hydration, you always gotta account for that. That's what a lot of marshals do too, is preventative. So we are gonna give you food and water before you're malnourished or dehydrated. So that's another thing. But it's like we're out there in the elements just doing that. And then again, similar to what I was saying earlier, just being observant of the space around you, including anybody who's coming around. You know what I mean?
Speaker 14 00:56:33 So just being observant of that. And if you observe somebody coming around who had a need, say they were hungry, they needed water, they, they needed warmth, we had a bunch of extra blankets, we had a bunch of extra jackets, we had a bunch of extra like pizza, water, you know what I mean? So it was just like, like I said, being a al is maintaining that space. And I started out maintaining the spaces overnight, outdoors in the government center. And normally marshaling and mutual way don't necessarily intersect, but in that space, it did become like a little mini mutual aid. Hu uh, like a, like a little place for anybody who had a need. Like, uh, food, water, warmth. And then like, you know what I mean, some people had, I didn't have cigarettes, but some people, like, if they need a cigarette, you know, people got them.
Speaker 14 00:57:15 You know what I mean? So it's like, we'll look out for y'all to the extent that we can, you know what I mean? Cuz we got it. We got it. So you got it. You know what I mean? Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. But like, this is a funny story. So like, we're, we're, we're giving out food and water as needed, but one day we bring a hot plate out there so we can give hot meals like bacon and eggs and stuff to anybody coming by. It don't matter who you are, you know what I mean? <laugh>. And you wanna know how petty the government is, right? Like this, this is our fifth, fourth or fifth day out there, just like throughout the whole Chauvin trial, right? You wanna know how petty the government is?
Speaker 6 00:57:44 How petty are they?
Speaker 14 00:57:46 <laugh> like we, we was, we were out there like feeding people, like with this hot plate, you know, bacon, eggs, whatever. And then these, these people, the government cut the power on us. Yeah. <laugh>, we out there trying to do something, you know what I mean? For anybody come by, it's like, nah, you can't <laugh> you wanna hear something else through Did this funny too on the similar line, like anything that we have that people can just come through and grab, we had it on a table, then they came out with a ordinance just to mess with us. It's like, no, you can't have a table out here. So we just turned a bin upside down, put a plank on it and you know, it's just a platform now. It's not a table
Speaker 6 00:58:19 <laugh>,
Speaker 14 00:58:20 But it's just like so petty. Like we so petty that we not even gonna let you help people out here <laugh>.
Speaker 6 00:58:25 Wow. We paying them. Yeah. <laugh>. That's the crazier part. We're paying them to make sure we don't give out resources to our community. That's
Speaker 14 00:58:33 Crazy.
Speaker 6 00:58:34 Wow.
Speaker 14 00:58:36 And also like, like another thing, like we was just parking right outside the, like the government center. Then they paid a whole city worker with a whole truck to bring a whole cement barrier to just drop it down where we were parking, you know, <laugh>. It was just like, <laugh>. Let, let me like, lemme just say like, being in government and government is basically just having power and power to abuse that power. You know what I mean? And that's why we need accountability.
Speaker 6 00:59:00 Or take the power or take the Yeah. Options. So options. So, but I, I do want to say that I really appreciate that you came into the studio today, Steve, with
Speaker 14 00:59:11 Notes,
Speaker 6 00:59:12 <laugh> with notes, dropping the knowledge, you know, educating the masses. We extremely appreciated. Steve. Uh, I want to give a shout out to, um, all our guests that we got the interview Kenny Gray and, um, Ms. Murray, Ms. Murray. And it, it was just amazing. Thank you so much, um, for Jalen and Brandon for being here. So I appreciate it. With that, we are actually out of time, so we'll see you next week. So thank you everybody for tuning in.
Speaker 16 00:59:42 Nice organized away with all the lies. All the lies. All the lies. They come in with the of the black and the 45 in between the protests, we protest. Yes. We, we away with all the lies. All the lies, all the lies.
