[00:00:01]
GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TONIGHT FOR A WONDERFUL
[A Conversation with Ilyasah Shabazz ]
EVENT. WE HAVE A PROMINENT SPEAKER, MRS. SHABAZZ. WELCOME TO DALLAS COLLEGE I'VE.FUN FACT I INTRODUCED YOUR SISTER ILYASAH SHABAZZ WHEN SHE CAME TO THE ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY TO SPEAK FOR OUR B C C ASSOCIATION BLACK STUDENT ASSOCIATION BACK IN THE EIGHTIES. SO I'M DATING MYSELF.
WE'RE EXCITED TO HEAR WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY AND YOU AND WELCOME THE DALLAS COLLEGE.
AT THIS POINT IN TIME, WE HAVE OUR WONDERFUL PROVOST, DR.
SHAWNDA FLOYD, WHO IS GOING TO INTRODUCE YOU AND HAVE A FEW WORDS.
WE WANT TO WELCOME OUR AUDIENCE GUESTS TONIGHT, AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SEND THEM TO THE MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS MAILBOX.
I HAVE PLACED THAT MAILBOX ADDRESS IN THE CHAT, SO PLEASE SEND ALL OF THE QUESTIONS BECAUSE WE'RE EAGER TO HEAR WHAT YOU'RE THINKING AND WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND.
WELCOME AGAIN. GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE, AND WELCOME.
SHE IS AN AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR, EDUCATOR AND PRODUCER.
SHE HAS AUTHORED FIVE HISTORICAL NOVELS AND HAS SERVED AS A PROJECT ADVISOR FOR THE PBS AWARD-WINNING FILM PRINCE AMONG SLAVES DOCUMENTARY.
SHE IS CO CHAIRPERSON OF THE MALCOLM X AND DR.
BETTY SHABAZZ MEMORIAL AND EDUCATIONAL CENTER IN HER WORK TO PRESERVE THE LEGACY OF HER PARENTS. SHE IS DEDICATED HERSELF TO INSTITUTION BUILDING AND INTERGENERATIONAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT WITH THE TENETS OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION.
MRS. SHABAZZ HAS FURTHERED HER COMMUNITY IMPACT WITH THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK'S OFFICE OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS, WHERE SHE CREATED CURRICULUM TO ENCOURAGE HIGHER EDUCATION FOR UNDERSERVED INNER-CITY HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUTS.
SHE HAS WORKED WITH THE OFFICE OF THE MAYOR IN MOUNT VERNON AS THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND SPECIAL EVENTS.
SHE WORKED WITH THE OFFICE OF SPECIAL EVENTS.
SHE FOUNDED AND PRODUCED THE YOUNG ADULT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
THE PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM WAS TO PROVIDE INSIGHT ON SOCIAL JUSTICE, ENCOURAGING PERSONAL EMPOWERMENT. ITS PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER OF THE ILYASAH SHABAZZ ENTERPRISES, SHE PRODUCES A VARIETY OF FORUMS DEDICATED TO POWER, POSSIBILITY AND SOVEREIGNTY.
MRS. SHABAZZ IS A MEMBER OF THE SAW HIGHER CABINET COMMITTEE FOR NEW PAUL COLLEGE, A MEMBER OF THE ADVISORY COUNCIL FOR THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT COALITION, A MEMBER OF DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY INC., AND SHE SERVES AS A TRUSTEE FOR THE HARLEM SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA. MRS. SHABAZZ HOLDS A MASTER'S OF SCIENCE AND EDUCATION AND HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT FROM FORDHAM UNIVERSITY AND A BACHELOR OF SCIENCE AND BIOLOGY FROM NEWPORT UNIVERSITY.
CURRENTLY, SHE IS AN ADJUNCT PROFESSOR AT JOHN JAY COLLEGE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE IN NEW YORK CITY, WHERE SHE TEACHES PERSPECTIVES ON JUSTICE IN THE AFRICANA WORLD.
ROOTED IN THE COMMITMENTS OF HER PARENTS, MRS. SHABAZZ EMPHASIZES EMPOWERMENT AND INCLUSION IN HER TEACHING AND SCHOLARSHIP, AND IT IS TRULY OUR HONOR TO HAVE YOU HERE TODAY.
WE WILL BE ACCEPTING SOME QUESTIONS FROM OUR AUDIENCE LATER, BUT WE'RE VERY ANXIOUS TO HEAR FROM YOU NOW, SO WE WELCOME YOU WITHOUT FURTHER ADO.
HELLO, DALLAS COLLEGE, IT IS SUCH AN HONOR TO BE WITH YOU TODAY AS ONE OF SIX DAUGHTERS OF MALCOLM X AND DR.
BETTY SHABAZZ, AND TO SPEAK WITH YOU ABOUT BLACK HISTORY, BLACK FUTURES AND INFINITE POSSIBILITIES. AND SO WHETHER YOU'RE A STREAMING IN FROM BROOKHAVEN CEDAR VALLEY, EASTFIELD EL CENTRO, MOUNTAIN VIEW, NORTH LAKE, RICHLAND OR THE COMFORT OF YOUR HOME.
I'M HAPPY TO BE WITH YOU THIS EVENING.
THANK YOU FOR MAKING IT POSSIBLE.
DALLAS COLLEGE FOR ALL OF US WHO ARE HERE THIS AFTERNOON OR EVENING TO FELLOWSHIP, AND ESPECIALLY DURING BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
WE GIVE PRAISE TO THE ALMIGHTY PRAISE TO OUR ANCESTORS, PARTICULARLY THE REFINED, INDUSTRIOUS INDIGENOUS MEN AND WOMEN OF AFRICAN ANCESTRY, BLACK, INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF COLOR, THOSE WHO HAVE NOT BEEN PROPERLY HONORED IN HISTORY.
WE GIVE PRAISE TO THE COUNTLESS MEN AND WOMEN WHO BIRTHED THRIVING CIVILIZATIONS AND THOSE WHO ENDURED THE PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAUMAS, THOSE WHO ENDURED THE LARGEST FORCED MIGRATION OF A PEOPLE IN THE HISTORY OF HUMANKIND.
AND YET WE STILL STAND AND PROSPER.
WE ARE STRONG, WE ARE VIGILANT AND WE ARE FAITHFUL.
[00:05:02]
AS A NATION, WE FACE GREAT CHALLENGES.TODAY WE GATHER TO CREATE HOPE AS WE MAKE OUR WAY THROUGH A DOUBLE PANDEMIC.
ONE BEGAN IN TWENTY NINETEEN WITH THE CORONAVIRUS AND THE OTHER IN FOURTEEN NINETY TWO, WITH SPANISH SHIPS INVADING HAITI, BEGINNING THE CAPTIVITY OF BLACK AND BROWN INDIGENOUS PEOPLE ON THEIR HOMELAND.
IT WAS EXACERBATED IN 16 19 WHEN REFINED AND INDIGENOUS AFRICANS WERE TARGETED AND TRAFFICKED TO THE AMERICAS UNDER INHUMANE TREATMENT.
INDEED, NOW IN TWENTY TWENTY TWO, AS WE WITNESSED THE SYMPTOMS OF MS. EDUCATION AND GENERATIONAL TRAUMA RESULTING IN THE SENSELESS LOSS AND INCARCERATION OF SO MANY HUMAN LIVES, WE MUST CHOOSE A LEGACY OF COMMUNITY OVER CHAOS.
WE'RE HAUNTED BY THE MURDERS OF GEORGE FLOYD, AHMAUD ARBERY AND ERIC GARNER, HAUNTED BY THE MURDERS OF TAMIR RICE, SANDRA BLAND AND BREONNA TAYLOR.
HAUNTED BY THE MURDER OF YOUNG.
EMMETT TILL AND SO MANY, COUNTLESS NAMELESS, FACELESS MEN AND WOMEN, YET WE WILL NOT BE CRIPPLED BY DESPAIR IN THIS RACIAL PANDEMIC, NOR WILL WE BE BLINDSIDED BY DIVISIVE TACTICS THAT DEPRIVE US OF OUR LIBERTY AND JUSTICE.
FOR EXAMPLE, MALCOLM X AND DR.
KING ARE OFTEN PORTRAYED AS POLAR OPPOSITES.
PEOPLE OFTEN COME, AND THEY WHISPER TO ME THAT THEY WERE ON THE SIDE OF MALCOLM OR THAT THEY WERE ON THE SIDE OF MARTIN.
BUT WE DO NOT HAVE TO CHOOSE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN ONE OVER THE OTHER BECAUSE BOTH MEN CHALLENGED THIS UNJUST AND IMMORAL WORLD, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE THEIR PHILOSOPHICAL DIFFERENCES. MY FATHER'S POINT OF VIEW WAS HUMAN RIGHTS, AND DR.
KING'S POINT OF VIEW WAS CIVIL RIGHTS.
BOTH ARE NEEDED TO ACCOMPLISH OUR ULTIMATE GOALS.
YOU SEE, MALCOLM SAID, WHEN WE FACE DIVISIVENESS AND OUR OBJECTIVE IS THE GREATER GOOD, WE MUST CHOOSE TO COME TOGETHER.
YOU SEE, BACK IN MY DAY, WE WERE MADE TO BELIEVE THAT WE HAD TO CHOOSE EITHER TUPAC OR BIGGIE SMALLS, MARTIN OR MALCOLM.
RATHER THAN EMBRACE EACH FOR THEIR SKILL AND UNDYING COMMITMENT TO THEIR PEOPLE.
KING MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF HUMANITY.
AND IT'S YOUR TURN TO STAND ON THEIR SHOULDERS AND TAKE THE BATON FURTHER.
YOU MIGHT SAY EASIER SAID THAN DONE, BUT I'VE SEEN THE BEAUTY OF COMMUNITY.
I'VE WITNESSED SISTERHOOD FIRSTHAND AFTER MY FATHER AND DR.
MY MOTHER AND AUNT, CORETTA SCOTT KING, BECAME BEST OF FRIENDS.
BERNICE KING AND I BECAME SISTER FRIENDS AS WELL.
THE SHABAZZ CENTER ITSELF WAS INSPIRED IN PART BY THE KING CENTER, SO WE CAN EITHER FIGHT EACH OTHER OR FIGHT FOR EACH OTHER.
AND WHEN WE FIGHT FOR EACH OTHER, OUR POSSIBILITIES ARE LIMITLESS.
AND THESE CHALLENGING TIMES WE MUST BECOME AGENTS OF HOPE.
CREATING A SOCIETY THAT WORKS FOR EVERYONE.
AND THIS MEANS CHALLENGING SYSTEMS THAT MAINTAIN DISPROPORTIONATE INCARCERATION RATES OF YOUNG BLACK MEN.
SYSTEMS WHERE POVERTY RATES FOR BLACK CHILDREN ARE THREE TIMES THAT OF WHITE CHILDREN.
WE MUST SEIZE UPON HOPE AND PROPOSE LEGISLATION THAT COMBATS THESE HARSH REALITIES.
THERE ARE MANY WAYS WE CAN BECOME AGENTS OF HOPE IN THE EIGHTEEN SEVENTIES, FIVE YEARS AFTER THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION.
THE YOUNG ANGELIC FISK UNIVERSITY JUBILEE SINGERS INTRODUCED THE WORLD TO THE GREAT SPIRITUALS THEY WROTE AND COMPOSED SONGS SINGING ABOUT ATROCITIES ENDURED ON AND OFF THE PLANTATIONS. FIVE YEARS REMOVED FROM SLAVERY, THEY ECHO THE REFRAIN THAT BLACK LIVES MATTER, TOO, WITH THEIR VOICES.
THE YOUNG JUBILEE SINGERS LIFTED UP UNIVERSAL HUMANITY.
THE MUSIC THEY MADE FILLED THEIR LISTENERS WITH JOY AMID OUR FIGHTS FOR JUSTICE AMID UNPRECEDENTED TIMES, WHAT WE CAN NEVER LOSE SIGHT OF IS THE NEED TO HOLD ON TO JOY AND THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MALCOLM X.
MY FATHER DESCRIBES THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF HIS LIFE.
[00:10:01]
BUT LOOKING BACK, HE WRITES, IT IS ONLY AFTER THE DEEPEST DARKNESS THAT THE GREATEST JOY CAN COME. IT IS ONLY AFTER SLAVERY IN PRISON THAT THE SWEETEST APPRECIATION OF FREEDOM CAN COME. SO WE MUST NEVER LOSE SIGHT OF WHAT AND WHO WE'RE FIGHTING.LIKE THE JUBILEE SINGERS, WE MUST USE OUR COLLECTIVE VOICE TO LIFT ONE ANOTHER UP IN JOY AND IN LOVE. WHETHER IN THE SONGS OF THE JUBILEE SINGERS, THE MARCHES OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, THE SIT INS OF THE STUDENT NONVIOLENT COORDINATING COMMITTEE, OR THE ACTIONS OF COUNTLESS YOUNG ACTIVISTS FIGHTING INJUSTICE, WE TOO ARE CREATING HOPE, SOLUTIONS AND NEW DREAMS. MY FATHER SPENT MUCH OF HIS LIFE FIGHTING JIM CROW.
HE SOUGHT SOLUTIONS TO THE HUMAN PREDICAMENT AND THE COUNTRY DETERMINED TO DIVIDE AND CONQUER. HIS MAIN CRITIQUE OF AMERICA WAS THAT IT HAD FAILED TO LIVE UP TO ITS PROMISE OF LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
IN THE 1950S. WHEN YOUNG PEOPLE WERE ASKING FOR CIVIL RIGHTS, ORGANIZING, DEMONSTRATING OR MARCHING FOR INTEGRATION FOR QUALITY EDUCATION, HEALTH CARE, HOUSING, BASICALLY RESPECT OF HUMAN LIFE.
MY FATHER CAME ALONG ALSO IN HIS 20S AND SAID WE DEMAND OUR HUMAN RIGHTS AS YOUR BROTHER, NOT ASKING.
WE DEMAND OUR HUMAN RIGHTS AS ORDAINED BY GOD.
AND FOR THE FIRST TIME, A HUMAN RIGHTS AGENDA WAS INTRODUCED TO THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND LESS THAN 12 YEARS OF HIS YOUNG LIFE.
HE BROUGHT LIGHT TO HOW THE WORLD HAD BEEN MISEDUCATED ABOUT AFRICA AS THE FIRST WORLD NATION. HE INTERNATIONALIZED THE STRUGGLE FOR BLACK PEOPLE THAT WHEREVER BLACK INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF COLOR LIVED, THEY EXPERIENCED THE SAME INHUMANE TREATMENT.
AND SO HE SOUGHT TO RE-IMAGINE THE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL LANDSCAPE.
IN APRIL OF NINETEEN FIFTY SEVEN, MINISTER MALCOLM X EXPOSED THE WORLD TO THE CORRUPTION OF POLICE FORCES ACROSS AMERICA.
WHILE MY FATHER WAS THE NATIONAL SPOKESPERSON FOR THE NATION OF ISLAM AND MINISTER AT HARLEM'S MOSQUE, ONE OF ITS MEMBERS WAS SEVERELY BEATEN.
THIS YOUNG MAN'S NAME WAS HINTZ, AND JOHNSON JOHNSON YELLED OUT AT OFFICERS AS HE SAW THEM VICIOUSLY BEATING ANOTHER YOUNG MAN, SAYING, YOU'RE NOT AN ALABAMA SIR.
NOW, THE OFFICERS DID NOT TAKE KINDLY TO JOHNSON'S COMPASSION, TO HIS EXPRESSION OF FREE SPEECH. SO THEY TURNED THEIR ATTENTION AWAY FROM THE BEATING VICTIM AND ONTO HENSON JOHNSON. THE POLICE BEAT JOHNSON WITH THEIR CLUB SO VIOLENTLY THAT HE RECEIVED PERMANENT BRAIN DAMAGE FROM MEN PAID BY THE PEOPLE TO PROTECT AND SERVE THE PEOPLE.
SOME OF YOU MAY BE TOO YOUNG TO HAVE SEEN SPIKE LEE'S FILM MALCOLM X, AND IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN IT, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO SEE IT.
AND THE MOVIE THERE'S THIS SCENE WHERE MINISTER MALCOLM X ORGANIZED MEMBERS OF HIS MOSQUE TO PROTEST JOHNSON'S MURDER.
WELL, AS A RULE, EACH MEMBER WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR TWO MEMBERS GENIUS.
EACH MEMBER WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR TWO MEMBERS.
AND SO THAT EVENING, EACH MEMBER WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR TELEPHONING TWO MEMBERS.
IT BECAME A DOMINO EFFECT, MUCH LIKE WHEN YOU YOUNG STUDENTS ORGANIZE THE SKILLFUL PROTEST FOLLOWING THE MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD.
IT WAS THE FIRST TIME OF OUR MODERN HISTORY WHERE PEOPLE OF EVERY NATIONALITY OF THE GLOBAL HUMAN FAMILY EXCLAIMED THAT BLACK LIVES MATTER.
LET'S GIVE A VIRTUAL PRAISE AND A BRIEF MOMENT OF SILENCE TO THIS GENERATION FOR BRINGING THE WORLD TOGETHER TO ACKNOWLEDGE BIGOTRY AND THE INHUMANE CRIMES COMMITTED AGAINST BLACK LIFE, THAT BLACK PEOPLE'S HUMAN RIGHTS MUST BE PROTECTED AND INCLUSIVE AND THE FAMILY OF HUMANITY. WE WORK TOGETHER BASED ON A COMMON GOAL OF HUMAN COMPASSION AND DEMANDING CHANGE. AND SO HEEDING MY FATHER'S CALL, FIFTY FIVE YEARS AGO, HUNDREDS OF BROTHERS AND SISTERS RUSHED TO JOHNSON'S AID IN A MATTER OF MINUTES THEY ORGANIZED OUTSIDE THE POLICE STATION WHERE HE WAS BEING HELD.
THEY DEMANDED THAT THEIR BROTHER BE RELEASED FROM JAIL AND GIVEN MEDICAL ATTENTION.
INITIALLY, THE PROTESTERS DEMANDS WERE IGNORED, BUT THEY DID NOT RELENT.
THEY REFUSED TO LEAVE UNTIL APPROPRIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION FOR THIS INNOCENT MAN WAS
[00:15:05]
ADMINISTERED. THEY DID NOT QUIT UNTIL THEY ACCOMPLISHED THEIR IDENTIFIED GOAL TOGETHER.THEIR SPIRIT OF ACTIVISM AS MUCH TO TEACH US TODAY.
THE WORDS OF THE LATE CONGRESSMAN JOHN LEWIS OUGHT TO HAUNT US AS WE STILL FACE INJUSTICE AMID THE CIVIL RIGHTS STRUGGLE.
A YOUNG JOHN LEWIS ASKED TWO PERTINENT QUESTIONS IF NOT US, WHO, IF NOT NOW, WHEN.
AND SO IN A TIME WHERE SO MANY IN OUR COMMUNITY STRUGGLE TO FIND AN ENCOURAGING VOICE AND A HELPING HAND, WE MUST ASK IF NOT US WHO? AND A COURT PACKED WITH JUDGES WHO SENTENCE OUR CHILDREN AS ADULTS.
AND WE WAIT FOR THE TIDE OF JUSTICE TO TURN.
WE MUST ASK, IF NOT NOW, WHEN? AND IN A COUNTRY WHERE CRITICAL RACE THEORY IS BEING OUTLAWED.
STUDENTS NEED SOMEONE TO PROVIDE THE SIMPLE TRUTHS ABOUT EDUCATION, ABOUT HISTORY, THE TRUTH, ABOUT ALL AND NOT A SELECT FEW OF THE FOUNDERS OF THIS LAND OF MILK AND HONEY.
THE TRUTH ABOUT HOW THIS GREAT NATION WAS CULTIVATED BY THE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS AND SACRIFICES OF OUR ANCESTORS SO THAT EVERY SINGLE AMERICAN TODAY HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO CALL THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA THEIR HOME.
WE MUST ASK, IF NOT US, THEN WHO? DR. KING'S WORDS STILL RING TRUE.
THE ARC OF THE MORAL UNIVERSE IS LONG, BUT IT BENDS TOWARD JUSTICE.
THE ARC OF THE MORAL UNIVERSE DOES NOT BEND ON ITS OWN.
IT REQUIRES INDIVIDUAL AND COLLECTIVE EFFORT.
WE MUST WORK TOGETHER, PRAY TOGETHER, WALK TOGETHER AND OVERCOME INJUSTICE TOGETHER.
IT IS THE ONLY WAY WE MUST SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER AND FIND OUR WAY FORWARD TOGETHER.
ONLY TOGETHER CAN WE HEAL THE WOUNDS OF OPPRESSION.
ONLY TOGETHER CAN WE FIND SOLUTIONS.
MY FATHER SAID, IF YOU STICK A KNIFE IN MY BACK NINE INCHES AND PULL IT OUT SIX INCHES, THERE'S NO PROGRESS.
THE KNIFE IS STILL ON MY BACK.
HE SAID IF YOU PULL IT ALL THE WAY OUT, THAT'S NOT PROGRESS.
THE PROGRESS IS HEALING THE WOUND THAT THE BLOW MADE.
AND WHILE THIS PAST FEW YEARS HAVE MADE US AWARE OF OUR COLLECTIVE WOUNDS, WE MUST DO MORE TO MAKE SURE TO TEACH EVERY AMERICAN CHILD THAT BLACK HISTORY IS AMERICAN HISTORY, AND THAT AMERICAN HISTORY ALSO INCLUDES HISPANIC HISTORY, NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY AND ASIAN HISTORY.
THERE'S NO AMERICAN HISTORY UNLESS EACH AND EVERY VOICE IS HEARD ON THE PAGES OF THOSE TEXTBOOKS, AND THIS IS THE BEAUTY OF OUR AMERICA.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, TO HAVE REPRESENTATIVES OF EVERY NATION COHABITING HERE TOGETHER.
THIS IS THE BEAUTY OF OUR NATION.
I MEAN, LET'S FACE IT, IF THE HORRIFIC ATTACKS AGAINST THE ABORIGINAL AMERICANS, THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND CAPTIVITY OF SLAVERY, JIM CROW AND THE 1921 MASSACRE OF BLACK WALL STREET IN TULSA, OKLAHOMA, WERE TAUGHT IN HIGH SCHOOL HISTORY CLASSES IN THE SAME WAY AS THE NINETEEN THIRTIES EUROPEAN JEWISH HOLOCAUST IN THE NINETEEN FORTIES JAPANESE INTERNMENT CAMPS OF WORLD WAR TWO.
MORE CITIZENS WOULD UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO APPOINT A COMMITTEE TO EXPLORE FINANCIAL REMUNERATION AND THE PSYCHOSIS OF THOSE SYSTEMATICALLY TARGETED FOR EXTINCTION BY HIS FELLOW MAN.
JUST THE OTHER DAY, I READ THAT A SCHOOL DISTRICT IN MISSOURI VOTED TO BAN TONI MORRISON'S FIRST NOVEL, THE BLUEST EYE, ABOUT RACISM DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION.
ONE MEMBER WHO CAST HER VOTE TO BAN THE BOOK SAID BY ALL MEANS, BUY THE BOOK FOR YOUR CHILD, BUT I WOULD NOT WANT THIS BOOK IN OUR SCHOOL FOR ANYONE ELSE TO.
SEE? WHAT DOES IT SAY WHEN WE CHOOSE TO TURN A BLIND EYE TO BIGOTRY AND INJUSTICE? WHAT DOES IT SAY ABOUT YOU, ABOUT YOUR VALUE SYSTEM? IF STUDENTS WERE TO LEARN IN WORLD'S HISTORY CLASS THAT AFRICA IS THE CRADLE OF THE MOST ADVANCED CIVILIZATIONS, HENCE THE IMPRESSIVE KINGDOMS OF EGYPT AND NIGERIA? IN THE SAME WAY WE LEARN ABOUT ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME, WE MIGHT LEARN TO APPRECIATE THE BEAUTY AND MAGNIFICENCE OF CIVILIZATIONS IN AFRICA, ASIA AND LATIN AMERICA AS BOTH AN
[00:20:07]
EXTENSION AND THE FOUNDATION OF OUR HUMANITY.BUT HOW DO WE, AS INDIVIDUALS, REACT TO THIS MOMENT? WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP BRING ABOUT A MORE EGALITARIAN SOCIETY AND FULLY EDUCATE ALL AMERICANS AS A START? WE AS A PEOPLE MUST BE SELF-REFLECTIVE AND HOLD OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE NARRATIVE THAT HISTORY RECORDS WHEN WE TELL OUR STORY.
IT'S LIKE JANET JACKSON LIKELY PRODUCED HER OWN LIFETIME DOCUMENTARY TO SHARE THE JOURNEY OF THE MOST FAMOUS FAMILY ENTERTAINERS OF OUR TIME TO TELL HER STORY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS ACCURATELY.
AND IT'S ALSO WHY I'VE WRITTEN MY FIVE BOOKS.
KING, FANNIE LOU HAMER, IDA B.
WELLS, FREDERICK DOUGLASS, HARRIET TUBMAN, AND COUNTLESS OTHER AFRICAN-AMERICAN ACTIVISTS SEEKING RELIEF FROM THIS KNIFE WEDGED IN OUR BACKS KNEW, IS THIS EVEN IF YOU WERE NOT THE OFFICER WHO KNELT ON GEORGE FLOYD'S NECK, EVEN IF YOU WERE NOT A VIOLENT INSURRECTIONISTS CHARGING THE CAPITAL, YOU MAY VERY WELL HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE OFFICERS WHO STOOD BY AS MR. FLOYD CRIED OUT TO HIS DECEASED MOTHER WITH HIS LAST BREATH AND TURNED A BLIND EYE.
WE ALL, AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER, HAVE WATCHED AND WEATHER OUT OF FEAR OR BELIEVING IT, NOT OUR RESPONSIBILITY.
WE'VE ALLOWED INJUSTICE IN THE WORLD TO CONTINUE, BUT I BELIEVE EDUCATION, THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY IS THE KEY TO BEING WOKE TO INJUSTICE.
BETTY SHABAZZ, TAUGHT ME THIS PATH.
SHE BELIEVED EDUCATION IS THE MOST POWERFUL TOOL TO COMBAT SYSTEMIC RACISM, AND I FOLLOW IN HER FOOTSTEPS AS AN EDUCATOR.
THIS BLACK HISTORY MONTH, I'D ALSO LIKE TO SHINE A LITTLE LIGHT ON EDUCATOR BELL HOOKS.
SHE WAS A PASSIONATE ADVOCATE FOR EDUCATION, SELF-LOVE AND SELF-ESTEEM.
TOUGH TALKING YOUNG FOLKS LIKE TO EVOKE MALCOLM X, BUT THEY'RE NOT REALLY STUDYING AND LEARNING FROM HIM BECAUSE IF THEY WERE, THEY'D EMBRACE EDUCATION FOR CRITICAL CONSCIOUSNESS. THEY'D LISTEN TO THE MESSAGES HE OFFERS ABOUT THE NECESSITY OF SELF-LOVE AND CHANGE HOW WE SEE ONE ANOTHER.
AS A CHILD, I REMEMBER THAT EVERY WEDNESDAY SHAPED TAOFEEK WOULD COME TO OUR HOME AND TEACH US ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS THAT WOMEN THE CONTINENT OF AFRICA, THE DIASPORA, INDIGENOUS, FIRST WORLD NATIONS AND ISLAM MADE TO THE WORLD.
WE LEARNED ABOUT THE ONENESS OF GOD AND HENCE THE ONENESS OF HUMANITY.
WE LEARN TO TRULY LOVE OURSELVES, AND WE DID.
WE DID NOT RELY ON OTHERS TO DETERMINE OUR SELF-WORTH.
TODAY, IT ALLOWS ME TO SEE YOU AS A REFLECTION OF ME AND ME, AS A REFLECTION OF YOU.
TO LOVE YOU AS MUCH AS I LOVE MYSELF.
IF I LEARN TO LOVE ME, I CAN LOVE YOU.
I CAN'T LOVE YOU AND I WILL BE OF NO HELP TO YOU, EVER.
WHEN WE DON'T LEARN THIS LESSON, WE GET CAUGHT IN A CYCLE OF DIVISION AND SELF-DESTRUCTION. AND THIS IS LIKELY WHY SELF-LOVE AND ACTIVISM WERE PARAMOUNT IN THE SHABAZZ HOUSEHOLD.
SOMETIMES I THINK THAT WHAT RACISTS FEAR MOST IS NOT THE MEMORY OF RACISM, BUT INSTEAD HOW WE CONTINUE TO RISE, HOW WE CONTINUE TO TELL OUR STORY AND RECLAIM OUR TIME.
PROFESSOR MALONE FROM CAL STATE EXPLAINS BLACK JOY IS AN ACT OF RESISTANCE.
THE WHOLE IDEA OF OPPRESSION IS TO KEEP PEOPLE DOWN.
SO WHEN PEOPLE CONTINUE TO SHINE AND LIVE FULLY.
IT IS RESISTANCE IN THE CONTEXT OF OUR WHITE SUPREMACIST WORLD.
JOY IS NOT A DENIAL OF GRIEF OR TRAUMA.
IT IS THE DEDICATION TO FINDING MEANING AMID UNPRECEDENTED TIMES AND FINDING A WAY TO LIFT UP ONE ANOTHER AS A COMMUNITY.
LIKE DANCING AT A SECOND LINE, JOY REMINDS US WE ARE NOT ALONE.
MALONE ALSO SAYS BLACK FOLK, OF COURSE, FEEL TREMENDOUS PAIN, OUTRAGE, SORROW AND DEPRESSION, AND WE STRUGGLE WITH OUR MENTAL HEALTH.
BUT THERE'S ALSO A NECESSARY LONGING AND PRACTICE OF JOY.
AS LONG AS THERE'S BEEN RACIAL OPPRESSION, THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN RESISTANCE AND BLACK JOY.
[00:25:05]
YOU REMEMBER THE WORDS OF MAYA ANGELOU'S POEM STILL I RISE, AND SHE SAYS, YOU MAY WRITE ME DOWN IN HISTORY WITH YOUR BITTER, TWISTED LIES.YOU MAY TROD ME IN THE VERY DIRT, BUT STILL LIKE DUST, I'LL RISE.
DOES MY SASSINESS UPSET YOU? WHY ARE YOU BESET WITH GLOOM? BECAUSE. I WALK LIKE I'VE GOT OIL WELLS PUMPING IN MY LIVING ROOM.
DID YOU WANT TO SEE ME BROKEN, BOWED HEAD AND LOWERED EYES, SHOULDERS FALLING DOWN LIKE TEARDROPS WEAKENED BY MY SOULFUL CRIES? THAT'S MY HAUGHTINESS.
OFFEND YOU. DON'T YOU TAKE IT AWFUL HARD BECAUSE I LAUGH LIKE I'VE GOT GOLD MINES DIGGING IN MY OWN BACKYARD.
YOU MAY SHOOT ME WITH YOUR WORDS.
YOU MAY CUT ME WITH YOUR EYES.
YOU MAY KILL ME WITH YOUR HATEFULNESS.
BUT STILL, LIKE AIR, I'LL RISE.
YOU SEE, BLACK JOY IS ONE OF THE GREATEST ACTS OF RESISTANCE.
MY PARENTS LESSONS ABOUT EDUCATION AND ACTIVISM ARE MORE RELEVANT THAN EVER.
MY PRAYER AND HOPE ARE THAT THIS MOMENT THESE MOST CHALLENGING AND PRESSING YEARS WILL PRODUCE PRESENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS OF PROBLEM SOLVERS WHO FOCUS ON A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO HUMAN RIGHTS.
AND THIS MUST BE A TRANSFORMATIVE COLLECTIVE MOVEMENT WAGED ON MULTIPLE FRONTS SHORT AND LONG TERM, WHERE EACH OF US IS INVESTED AND EACH IS AN AGENT OF CHANGE.
AS A NATION, WE'VE WITNESSED POLITICAL UNREST, A DEEP, CONSTANT GRIEF, AND YET IT HAS BEEN A MOMENT RIGHT FOR GROWTH AND POSSIBILITY.
IT HAS PROPELLED NATIONAL DISCOURSE AROUND THE MOVEMENT FOR BLACK LIVES, THE NEED FOR SYSTEMIC CHANGE IN A MORE EGALITARIAN AMERICA.
CENTRAL TO THIS DISCOURSE IS THE STRENGTH OF COMMUNITY LED INSTITUTIONS THAT REFLECT OUR COLLECTIVE VISIONS FOR WHAT FREEDOM REALLY LOOKS LIKE AND WHAT ACCOUNTABILITY, DEMOCRACY AND SELF-DETERMINATION REALLY ARE.
NOW, MORE THAN EVER IS THE TIME TO COMMIT TO THE WORK OF RADICAL INSTITUTION BUILDING.
PROGRESSIVE ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE MOVEMENT FOR BLACK LIVES, DREAM DEFENDERS, THE KING CENTER, THE SHABAZZ CENTER HAVE HEEDED THE CALL FOR STRUCTURAL, SYSTEMIC CHANGE.
BUT WE NEED MORE THIS IS OUR MOMENT RIGHT NOW, AND WE MUST PULL UP.
YOU SEE WE CAN ACHIEVE GENUINE CHANGE, JUSTICE AND LOVE WHEN WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE MUST ACT TOGETHER AS SCHOOL, COMMUNITY AND STUDENT LEADERS.
IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO BUILD AND ORGANIZE COMMUNITY NETWORKS TO STAND UP FOR THOSE WHO CANNOT STAND FOR THEMSELVES AND TO MAKE OUR VOICES HEARD BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY.
WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO BE BAMBOOZLED BY SELF-CENTERED THINKING.
WE MUST REJECT THE IDEA THAT WE CAN PULL OURSELVES UP BY OUR OWN BOOTSTRAPS.
IT DOES NOT WORK AND IT NEVER HAS.
WE HAVE TO UNITE AROUND COMMON GOALS, YOUNG PEOPLE.
MY FATHER SAID IT WOULD BE THIS GENERATION OF YOUNG PEOPLE WHO WOULD RECOGNIZE THAT THOSE IN POWER HAVE MISUSED IT AND DEMAND CHANGE.
WE MUST BE UNITED IN OUR SHARED HUMANITY AND PUT IN THE WORK.
OUR GOALS MUST BE SHARED, OUR PLANS MUST BE STRATEGIC AND WE MUST BE COMMITTED TO LOVE WITH RECKLESS ABANDON.
AS THE ACTIVIST FANNIE LOU HAMER SAID, WE ARE IN THIS BACK TOGETHER EDUCATED AND UNEDUCATED, RICH AND POOR WOMEN AND MEN.
WE ARE IN THIS BACK TOGETHER WHEN WE UNDERSTAND THAT COLLECTIVE ACTION MATTERS MORE THAN INDIVIDUAL ACTION.
TOGETHER, WE CAN CREATE A WORLD.
THAT RESONATES WITH THE WORDS OF THE AFRICAN PROVERB, IF YOU WANT TO GO FAST, GO ALONE, BUT IF YOU WANT TO GO FAR, GO TOGETHER.
ONCE WE LEARNED THAT WE CAN ONLY WIN TOGETHER, WE WILL NO LONGER FOCUS ON WHAT DIVIDES US. INSTEAD, WE WILL WORK TOGETHER.
WE WILL STAND TOGETHER IN THE MIDST OF TRAGEDIES AND TRIUMPHS.
WE WILL PLAY THE GREAT JAZZ OF LIFE IN THE TONE OF LOVE AND IN THE BLUE NOTE OF JUSTICE EVER RESISTING THE CACOPHONY OF EVIL AND HATE WHEN WE BEAR WITNESS.
CHOOSING COMMUNITY OVER CHAOS, WE WILL BE EMPOWERED BY THE TRUTH THAT EACH OF US IS A BEAUTIFUL CREATION DESTINED TO SHINE OUR LIGHT FOR THE GREATER GOOD.
[00:30:06]
THANK YOU. I LOVE YOU.THANK YOU. THANK YOU, JUST SO POWERFUL, WE REALLY JUST RECEIVE AND HONOR THE WORDS THAT YOU'VE SPOKEN HERE TONIGHT, AND LIKE I SAID, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE SOME QUESTIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE, BUT I WOULD BE REMISS MY COLLEAGUE, DR.
BEATRICE JOSEPH, HAS JOINED US, OUR VICE CHANCELLOR OF STUDENT SUCCESS.
I DON'T KNOW IF SHE WANTS TO SAY ANYTHING, BUT I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOU, FRIEND.
I'M GLAD YOU'RE HERE BECAUSE OF YOU AND YOUR TEAM THAT WE HAVE THIS WONDERFUL PROGRAM AND PROGRAMING LIKE THIS.
JOSEPH, I SEE YOU ARE UNMUTED.
SO IF YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING? SURE. THANK YOU, DR.
FLOYD. MS. SHABAZZ. WE ARE DELIGHTED THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO JOIN US TODAY.
YOUR MESSAGE RESONATES WITH OUR STUDENTS WITH A GENERATION THAT HAS A PLETHORA OF POSSIBILITY AND WE WE ARE DELIGHTED THAT YOU ARE HERE WITH US TODAY.
FLOYD, PASS IT BACK ON TO YOU.
YOU KNOW, MRS. SHABAZZ, YOU SPOKE A LOT ABOUT SELF-LOVE.
AND SO JUST REALLY AS WE BEGIN OUR CONVERSATION, JUST WONDERING HOW YOU STILL PRIORITIZE FOR YOURSELF SELF-CARE, BEING SUCH A VEHEMENT ACTIVIST, BEING AT REALLY THE FOREFRONT, DOING SO MANY THINGS, YOU KNOW HOW THAT PULLS AT YOU? SO HOW DO YOU PRIORITIZE YOUR OWN SELF-CARE? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION, AND PEOPLE KEEP ASKING ME, AND EVERY TIME I ATTEMPT TO ANSWER, I KIND OF STUTTER A LITTLE BIT.
BUT YOU KNOW, MY FAITH IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO ME.
AND I AND THE WAY THAT I UNDERSTAND LIFE, YOU KNOW, WE GIVE BACK.
MY MOTHER WOULD SAY FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER ILYASAH, JUST AS ONE MUST DRINK WATER, ONE MUST GIVE BACK.
SHE WOULD ALSO SAY, FIND THE GOOD AND PRAISE IT, RIGHT? AND SO.
YOU KNOW, IT IS THE DEEDS THAT WE DO REALLY, I THINK THAT DEFINE US MORE THAN ANYTHING AND HAVING THAT GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, HAVING THE RELATIONSHIP, YOU KNOW, WITH MY ANCESTORS AND UNDERSTANDING MY ROLE AND PRESERVING OUR HISTORY AND HELPING TO CONTROL THE NARRATIVE OF OUR HISTORY, WE CAN'T LET SOMEONE ELSE WRITE THIS HISTORY.
WE HAVE TO WRITE IT OURSELVES.
AND THERE'S SO MUCH YOU KNOW THAT WE'VE DONE AS THE THE ARCHITECTS OF CIVILIZATION, AS THE ARCHITECTS OF, YOU KNOW, HELPING TO MAKE THIS COUNTRY A LAND OF MILK AND HONEY.
WE HAVE TO KNOW THAT THEY WEREN'T OUR ANCESTORS WHO WERE TRAFFICKED HERE WEREN'T JUST SLAVES, THAT THEY WERE TRAFFICKED, THAT THEY WERE HELD IN BONDAGE AND ENDURED SO MUCH TRAUMA. BUT IN SPITE OF THAT, LOOK AT WHAT THEY'VE GIVEN US, LOOK AT THEIR TREMENDOUS CONTRIBUTIONS, AND IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE PARTICIPATE IN CONTROLLING THAT NARRATIVE.
SO FOR ME, IT'S HAVING A RELATIONSHIP WITH MY ANCESTORS AND GOD AND AND AND MAKING SURE THAT I DO MY PART AS A HUMAN BEING BECAUSE WE'RE ONLY HERE FOR A SHORT TIME.
I LOVE THAT I LOVE THAT, ESPECIALLY IN THE DEEDS AND THE GIVING BACK.
I WANT TO ASK YOU, YOU TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, NOT LETTING OTHERS WRITE HISTORY FOR YOU.
SO WHAT IS YOUR MOST IMPORTANT LEGACY YOU WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE BEHIND FOR YOURSELF? YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU SAID, WE'RE HERE FOR A SHORT TIME.
THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE THAT WILL SAY A LOT OF THINGS ABOUT US, ABOUT YOU, BUT WHAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT LEGACY YOU COULD LEAVE BEHIND FOR YOURSELF? MAKING SURE THAT OUR HISTORY SPEAKS FOR ITSELF, FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS, THAT THEY UNDERSTAND. WHO THEY ARE, THE POWER THAT THEY POSSESS.
CARTER, G. WOODSON SAID IN THE NINETEEN FIFTIES, DR.
CARTER G. WOODSON, WHO CREATED A BLACK HISTORY WEEK AT THE TIME, HE SAID THE BIGGEST RACE IS TO SEE WHO WILL CONTROL THE MINDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE.
AND SO CLEARLY THIS INDICATES THE POWER THAT YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE MOSTLY ALL OF THE MOVEMENTS THAT EXISTED, THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT WERE MADE WERE DONE BY YOUNG PEOPLE.
AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUNG PEOPLE ARE NOT GOING TO FALL FOR THE OKEY DOKE.
I THINK FORGET WHAT MY FATHER CALLED IT.
YOU KNOW, BUT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO FALL FOR, YOU KNOW, THE DISTRACTIONS BECAUSE THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE, WHAT THEY ARE AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, SOMEWHAT DESTRUCTIVE.
SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUNG PEOPLE ARE OPEN, ARE INFORMED, PROPERLY INFORMED AND UNDERSTAND THE POWER THAT THEY POSSESS.
I LOVE THAT NOT TO TAKE AWAY BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW YOUR FATHER'S WORDS BETTER.
BUT WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT BEING BAMBOOZLED, I SAID HOODWINKED WAS THAT'S THE WORD RIGHT
[00:35:03]
THERE. AND I LOVE THAT.SO AS WE'RE ALL IN THIS FIELD OF EDUCATION AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE STRATEGIES YOU THINK THAT WE CAN USE TO ENCOURAGE OUR STUDENTS TO BECOME MORE ACTIVE AND CHANNEL THEIR ENERGY FOR POSITIVE AND GOOD? WELL, I THINK WHEN THEY UNDERSTAND WHO THEY ARE, WHEN THEY UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, AGAIN.
PRIESTS, SCHOLARS, ASTRONOMERS.
THOSE THAT BIRTHED THRIVING CIVILIZATIONS, WHEN YOU UNDERSTAND THE RICHNESS OF THAT HERITAGE, THAT HISTORY AND THEN THAT.
AND IN SPITE OF THAT, ALL THAT WE CONTRIBUTED THE JUBILEE SINGERS, THEY WERE FIVE YEARS REMOVED FROM SLAVERY AND THEY INTRODUCED THE WORLD TO GOSPEL SPIRITUALS, SO THEY WERE ARTICULATING HISTORY WHAT THEY ENDURED ON THE PLANTATION, OFF THE PLANTATION.
AND SO I THINK ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
AND WHEN WE UNDERSTAND OUR HISTORY, BUT THEY SAY THE TREE CAN'T GROW PROPERLY WITHOUT ITS ROOTS. WHEN WE UNDERSTAND OUR ROOTS, IT MAKES OUR LIFE SO MUCH MORE MEANINGFUL AND PURPOSE DRIVEN.
SO TRUE, SO TRUE, POWERFUL TO UNDERSTAND WHO YOU ARE.
WE HAVE A QUESTION IN THE CHAT THAT SAYS, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MORE PEOPLE OF COLOR STAND UP AND SPEAK OUT LIKE YOUR FATHER AND DR.
KING DID? SINCE WE HAVE MADE SOME STRIDES SINCE THEIR TIME, I THINK THAT THERE ARE MANY YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING THAT.
YOU KNOW, LET'S LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED THIS TWO YEARS AGO, RIGHT? WE WERE ALL AT HOME.
FORCING OURSELVES TO QUARANTINE, WE'RE QUARANTINING SELF-QUARANTINE.
WE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT WAS, RIGHT? THERE WAS A CORONAVIRUS.
AND ALL WE KNEW IS THAT PEOPLE WERE DYING.
STRANGERS WERE DYING AND THEY WERE DYING IN MASS NUMBERS ALL AROUND THE WORLD.
AND SO IT CONNECTED THE HUMAN FAMILY.
AND WE'RE QUESTIONING OUR MORTALITY.
ARE WE GOING TO LIVE OR NOT? WHO IS NEXT? AND WE'RE FORCED TO ALSO WITNESS THIS HORRIBLE MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD BY A POLICE OFFICER, NO LESS.
AND YOUNG PEOPLE WERE OUTRAGED AND COMPASSIONATE, AND THEY ORGANIZE MASS MOVEMENTS FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT PEOPLE OF THE HUMAN FAMILY ALL AROUND THE WORLD, 18 COUNTRIES ABROAD, 50 STATES RIGHT HERE IN AMERICA PROCLAIMING THAT BLACK LIVES MATTER.
SO YOUNG PEOPLE, THIS GENERATION OF YOUNG PEOPLE LOOK AT WHAT THEY DID, AND MY FATHER SAID IT WOULD BE THIS GENERATION WHO WOULD RECOGNIZE THAT THOSE IN POWER HAVE MISUSED IT AND DEMAND CHANGE AND WILLING TO ROLL UP THEIR SLEEVES AND DO THE NECESSARY WORK.
AND SO MY BOOK CAME OUT IN JANUARY, THE AWAKENING OF MALCOLM X.
AND WHAT WE DISCOVERED IS THAT HE WAS QUOTED FIFTY THREE POINT SEVEN THOUSAND TIMES PER HOUR IN SOCIAL MEDIA, WHICH WAS AN INDICATION THAT YOUNG PEOPLE WERE ATTRACTED TO MALCOLM BECAUSE YOUNG MALCOLM SPOKE.
TRUTH AND TRUTH IS TIMELESS, AND THEY WANTED TO EMPLOY HIS STRATEGIES AND TACTICS, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW.
SO I SAY THAT WE HAVE TO CONTINUE AND NOT BE BLINDSIDED AND NOT BE DIVIDED, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THOSE ARE JUST TACTICS WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, WHERE NOW YOU HAVE PEOPLE, BLACK PEOPLE FINALLY SAYING, SAY IT LOUD, I'M BLACK AND I'M PROUD, RIGHT? BECAUSE BEFORE THEN WE WERE SO MS. EDUCATED, WE WERE PSYCHOLOGICALLY TERRORIZED AND TRAUMATIZED AND EVERYTHING ELSE, WE DIDN'T KNOW WHO WE WERE.
AND YOU MEAN TO TELL ME AFTER THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT WHERE PEOPLE WERE PUTTING UP A FIST AND THEY WERE WEARING THEIR NATURAL FURROWS AND HAIR AND EVERYTHING? YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT NOW, TEN YEARS LATER, NIXON IS ANNOUNCING THE WAR ON DRUGS? HOW DID THAT HAPPEN? SO THESE TACTICS THAT HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, AND SO WE, AS MY FATHER SAID, HAVE TO BE CRITICAL THINKERS AND NOT JUST BELIEVE WHAT WE'RE READING, BUT WE HAVE TO THINK.
DOES THIS MAKE SENSE? WHY IS THAT HAPPENING? JOIN A CLUBS ORGANIZATIONS ESTABLISH THEM SO THAT YOU GUYS CAN STAY STRONG TOGETHER.
YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ISSUES THAT CONCERN YOU TOGETHER.
[00:40:01]
YOU CAN MAKE ACCOMPLISHMENTS TOGETHER, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, THAT YOU ARE STRATEGIC, YOU ARE ORGANIZED AND YOU HAVE A CHECKLIST OF WHAT YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH SO THAT WHEN THE MARCHING AND PROTESTING IS OVER, YOU CAN GO BACK AND LOOK AT YOUR CHECKLIST AND KNOW THAT YOU'VE ACCOMPLISHED YOUR GOALS.RATHER, GO BACK HOME AND JUST WONDER, WELL, WHAT THE HECK? WHAT WAS THAT MARCHING FOR? DID I ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING? VERY GOOD NOW, THAT'S EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT, AND SORT OF YOU SPOKE A LITTLE BIT TO THIS, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW DIVIDED WE ARE AS A NATION, THIS NEXT QUESTION.
AND YOU SPOKE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT CRITICAL RACE THEORY, BUT HOW DO YOU THINK WE COULD BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER IN THIS CURRENT ENVIRONMENT TO REALLY LOOK AND SEE THE VALUE OF US REFLECTING ON OUR HISTORY, CRITICALLY LOOKING AT IT, TALKING ABOUT IT FOR THE BETTERMENT OF OUR SOCIETY. AND IT'S A LOT OF RHETORIC OUT THERE RIGHT NOW WITH BOOKS.
AND, YOU KNOW, NOBODY WANTS TO BE SEEN AS THE COLONIZER OR THE ABUSER, BUT HOW DO WE BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER TO LOOK AT THAT HISTORY CRITICALLY? I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO REALLY BE HONEST.
YOU KNOW, NOW IS THE TIME WHERE WE CAN INSTILL VALUES THE TEACHERS, THE EDUCATORS CAN INSTILL VALUES IN THE CHILDREN, RIGHT, THAT THEY CAN MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE LEARNING TRUTHFULLY ACCURATE INFORMATION.
YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T WANT TO WAKE UP IN HIGH SCHOOL OR COLLEGE AND SAY, OH, I NEVER LEARNED ABOUT MALCOLM X.
OH, I NEVER LEARNED ABOUT I DIDN'T KNOW THIS ABOUT SLAVERY OR I DIDN'T KNOW, YOU KNOW THAT AFRICA, THAT EGYPT WAS IN AFRICA.
I DIDN'T KNOW THE FIRST BOOKS WERE IN MALI, YOU KNOW, WEST AFRICA.
ALL OF THIS INFORMATION WE WE SHOULD MAKE.
I THINK ALL PARENTS, ALL ADULTS.
WOULD WANT ALL OF OUR CHILDREN TO BE PROPERLY EDUCATED.
THERE IS A TIME WHEN DURING SLAVERY WHO THOUGHT THAT IT COULD EVER END RIGHT, BUT IT DID END. AND THAT'S BECAUSE THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE CRITICAL THINKERS WHO ARE ACTIVISTS WHO CONTINUE TO WORK AND WHO HAVE LOTS OF FAITH, AND THEY'RE WILLING TO DO THE WORK.
IF WE THINK THINGS AREN'T GOING TO CHANGE, IT MEANS WE'RE NOT WILLING TO DO THE WORK.
SO WE HAVE TO KNOW MANIFEST AND MAKE THE THINGS HAPPEN AND UNDERSTAND THE POWER THAT YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE AND NOT TO BE BLINDSIDED, HOODWINKED, YOU KNOW, BY THESE DIVISIVE TACTICS AND AND THINGS THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT WE HAVE TO BE SMARTER, YOU KNOW, THAN THAT. MM HMM.
MM HMM. AND WHAT IS THE GREATEST CHALLENGE YOU THINK TO COALITION BUILDING? THE GREATEST CHALLENGE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF I THINK I'M ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT THINK EVERYTHING CAN HAPPEN, RIGHT? IF WE'RE IF WE'RE BEING CHALLENGED ON THE LEFT, THEN WE'VE GOT TO MOVE OVER TO THE RIGHT.
RIGHT. AND WE HAVE TO KEEP AT IT.
AND IF THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE BEING DESTRUCTIVE, THEN THEY HAVE TO MOVE OVER, RIGHT? BECAUSE IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE ACCOMPLISH THESE GOALS AND THAT WE DO IT NOW THAT WE TAKE ADVANTAGE NOW THAT WE ARE INSTILLING IN YOUNG PEOPLE THE VALUE OF COMPASSION, THE VALUE OF HONESTY, THE VALUE OF ACCOUNTABILITY, ALL OF THESE THINGS, THE VALUE AND VIRTUE OF LOVE. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, SELF-LOVE, AND THAT IS THE REASON THAT I WRITE MY BOOKS.
AND THAT IS THE REASON THAT MALCOLM DID THE WORK THAT HE DID, AND MY MOTHER DID THE WORK THAT SHE DID BECAUSE WE LOVE OURSELVES AND WE LOVE OUR PEOPLE.
YOU CAN SEE ME AS A REFLECTION OF YOU AND I CAN SEE YOU AS A REFLECTION OF ME.
AND IF I SEE YOU IN ANY KIND OF PAIN, I'M GOING TO DO MY BEST TO HELP YOU.
WHAT IF I DON'T HAVE IF I DON'T UNDERSTAND THESE THINGS THAT I'M NEVER GOING TO BE ANY GOOD TO ANYONE, NOT EVEN MYSELF? THAT'S TRUE. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, AND I JUST WANT TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO REMEMBER TO SEND THEIR QUESTIONS THROUGH TO THE CHAT.
BUT I DO HAVE A QUESTION HERE AND I'M GLAD THIS PERSON ASKS BECAUSE THEY SAID, DO YOU THINK SPIKE LEE DEPICTED ACCURATELY YOUR FATHER IN THE MOVIE MALCOLM X? AND I KNOW YOU WERE YOUNG WHEN YOUR FATHER DIED, BUT YOU ASKED IF PEOPLE SEE IT? I LOVE THAT MOVIE.
I HAD READ THE BOOK BEFOREHAND, BUT I FELT LIKE IT REALLY BROUGHT HIM TO LIFE.
SO WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT MOVIE AND WHAT YOU KNOW OF YOUR? WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I HAVE TO SAY, SPIKE LEE IS MY FRIEND, AND IT'S SO FUNNY.
DURING THE PANDEMIC, HE WAS LIKE, HEY, SINCE I LOVE YOU AND I'M LIKE, I LOVE YOU TOO, BECAUSE I THINK WE ALL THOUGHT WE WERE DYING.
RIGHT. AND AND IT WAS A LITTLE FRIGHTENING BECAUSE YOU GET THESE LITTLE LATE NIGHT TEXTS, EVERYTHING OK, YOU KNOW? SO I THINK THAT SPIKE DID A GREAT BUT HE DID A GREAT MOVIE, RIGHT? AND THERE WAS SO MUCH MORE TO MY FATHER, BUT FOR THREE HOURS.
FOR A NATION THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE WHAT DO THEY CALL US, ATTENTION DEFICIENCY AND ALL THAT STUFF TO STILL WATCH IT AND EVEN YOUNG CHILDREN ARE, YOU KNOW, GRAVITATE TOWARDS THE
[00:45:01]
MOVIE AND THEY WATCH IT.AND SO I THINK HE DID A GREAT JOB WITH WITH THE FILM AND IT WAS, YOU KNOW, TRUE TO THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY. AND WHAT IT DID DO IS THE SALES AND THE AND A LOT OF MALCOLM X BOOKS ROSE BECAUSE IT WAS AN INTRODUCTION FOR THOSE WHO DIDN'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT HIM OR WHO HAVE BEEN MISINFORMED ON WHO HE WAS.
EXCELLENT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR THAT, AND THIS IS A QUESTION, REALLY, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY A VERY WELL EDUCATED YOUR WELL SPOKEN BUT IN BLACK HISTORY, RIGHT? AND THE HISTORY AND ORIGINS OF AFRICAN PEOPLE AND PEOPLE OF THE DIASPORA.
WHERE WOULD YOU TELL PEOPLE TO BEGIN, RIGHT? WE'RE SITTING HERE HAVING A DISCUSSION ABOUT CRITICAL RACE THEORY AND PEOPLE NOT WANTING US TO KNOW TRUTH, WANTING US TO KNOW REAL HISTORY, OUR EDUCATION, OUR ORIGINS.
AND I REMEMBER FOR MYSELF SOME OF WHAT YOU WERE SPEAKING ABOUT.
I WAS GRATEFUL FOR A HARLEM RENAISSANCE CLASS WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE.
BUT WHERE CAN PEOPLE REALLY BEGIN IF THEY WANT TO DO A STUDY OF THEMSELVES AND THEIR PEOPLE TO EDUCATE THEMSELVES AND BEGIN TO EXPERIENCE THAT SELF-LOVE THAT COMES THROUGH THE EDUCATION OF? UM.
WHAT IS THE SELL IN? THIS BOOK, I HAVE A LIST, RIGHT, AND I'M NOT TRYING TO KNOW, BUT THERE IS A LIST IN THIS BOOK, RIGHT? ONE. SOME BOOKS THAT I ENJOYED READING WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE AND EVEN NOW AND ON MY LIST FOR MY STUDENTS. THE DESTRUCTION OF A BLACK CIVILIZATION BY CHANCELLOR JAMES CARTER, G.
WOODSON'S BOOK. I CAN'T THINK OF THE NAME OF IT RIGHT NOW, BUT I HAVEN'T READ IT UP.
BEFORE COLUMBUS, I THINK IT'S CALLED THE BIRD.
YEAH, THAT'S THE BOOK THAT I MAKE SURE THAT MY STUDENTS READ NOW.
I CAN'T EVEN THINK OF THE NAME OF IT.
WELL, HE DIDN'T JUST PUT IT TOGETHER.
IT'S BEEN ON THE INTERNET SHAKE AND TO DEAL AND YOU CAN WATCH LIKE MAYBE 12 SERIES OF THE EVOLUTION OF MAN.
IT'S NOT LIKE. YOU KNOW, IT'S A IT'S A REALLY, REALLY WELL DONE SERIES SHAKE AND TO DEAL.
THOSE ARE GREAT PLACES, GREAT PLACES FOR INDIVIDUALS TO START.
AND I'M JUST CHECKING OUR CHAT TO MAKE SURE I DON'T MISS ANY QUESTIONS AND REALLY ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO SEND QUESTIONS, BUT YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE I COULD TALK TO YOU ALL DAY, JUST GENERALLY SPEAKING, NOT A LOT OF THINGS, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IN THE ERA THAT WE'RE IN, TO YOUR POINT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, TRUTH, YOU SAID SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT THAT TRUTH IS SORT OF LIKE INFINITE.
IT'S GOING TO ALWAYS BE THERE, RIGHT? BUT I FEEL LIKE WE LIVE IN AN ERA THAT DOESN'T REALLY RESPECT TRUTH OR REALLY DESIRE IT.
SO HOW DO WE PROCESS LIKE THROUGH THAT? YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? I FEEL LIKE PEOPLE WANT TO BE TOLD LIES.
THEY DON'T WANT TO HEAR THE TRUTH ABOUT THEMSELVES OR ANYONE ELSE, FOR THAT MATTER, BECAUSE THE TRUTH IS HARD.
SOMETIMES IT'S NOT ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, FRIENDLY OR SOFT AND FUZZY, BUT IT IS RIGHT, SO HOW DO WE REALLY WALK THROUGH AS A PERSON WHO MAYBE LIKES TRUTH AND APPRECIATES IT IN THIS WORLD THAT SEEMINGLY HAS NO RESPECT FOR IT? WOW. YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES IT SAY ABOUT THE PERSON THAT CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH? RIGHT? I DON'T WANT TO BE THAT PERSON.
AND THAT'S WHY I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO INSTILL SPECIFIC VALUES THROUGH EDUCATION.
I THINK EVERY CHILD DESERVES AN OPPORTUNITY TO KNOW THAT THEY'RE WORTHY OF AN HONEST, QUALITY EDUCATION.
THEY'RE WORTHY OF SELF-LOVE AND THAT THEY'RE WORTHY TO PARTICIPATE IN MAINSTREAM SOCIETY, RIGHT? I WANT TO KNOW THE TRUTH.
I DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO JUST, YOU KNOW.
GAS MEAT, YOU KNOW, GIVE ME INFORMATION THAT HAS NO VALUE AND NO TRUTH.
THAT'S NIKE SAID, YOU JUST DO IT, JUST DO IT.
I LOVE THAT, I LOVE THAT, AND I HAD A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS HERE.
CAN YOU SHARE HOW YOU FELT WHEN YOU SAW THE GLOBAL IMPACT OF THE BLACK LIVES MATTERS MOVEMENT IN RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR FATHER'S HUMAN RIGHTS LEGACY? YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS JUST SO AMAZING HOW YOUNG PEOPLE.
THEY ORGANIZE THOSE MOVEMENTS.
IT SAYS A LOT ABOUT THE CAPACITY, YOU KNOW, OF OF OF OF WHO WE ARE AND AND WHAT WE CAN DO AND ACCOMPLISH TOGETHER 18 COUNTRIES ABROAD OF PEOPLE PROCLAIMING THAT BLACK LIVES
[00:50:03]
MATTER. FIFTY STATES OF PEOPLE, THE HUMAN FAMILY NOT, YOU KNOW, SAYING BLACK LIVES MATTER. THEY WERE GETTING IT.RIGHT. THAT IS BECAUSE OF THIS YOUNG GENERATION.
SO IF THEY COULD DO THAT, IMAGINE WHAT MORE THEY CAN DO.
AND I'M LOOKING OFF TO THE SIDE BECAUSE I JUST WANT A TECHNICIANS TO KNOW THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE HAVING TROUBLE ACCESSING THE CHAT.
SO I GOT A QUESTION THROUGH MY EMAIL AND IT SAYS, WHAT WOULD YOU SHARE WITH DALLAS COLLEGE AFRICAN-AMERICAN ERG? THAT'S OUR EMPLOYEE RESOURCE GROUP AND OR ALL THE ERGS.
WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF FORMING THESE ERGS FOR EMPLOYEES, AND THE ARG'S CAN HURT OR HELP THEIR CAREER PATH.
SO WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO THE EXECUTIVE TEAM AS WE SET THESE ERGS UP AND SUPPORT THEM? IS THAT THE EMPLOYEE RESOURCE GROUP? THIS GROUP, WE HAVE ONE FOR DIFFERENT POPULATIONS HERE, FOR OUR EMPLOYEES, AND THIS IS THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN RESOURCE GROUP THAT'S ASKING SPECIFICALLY.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THESE KINDS OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE IMPORTANCE AND NECESSITY OF TRUTH AND EDUCATION, THAT'S MY PLATFORM.
OUR VALUE SYSTEM HAS TO CHANGE, RIGHT? I DID A WHOLE PRESENTATION ON ON ON THIS TO AIR TO SEVERAL ERG GROUPS.
NO, THANK YOU, I KNOW IT'S A LOT THAT COULD BE SAID ABOUT THAT.
WE ALSO HAVE A QUESTION A LOT AND IT'S A GREAT RESPONSIBILITY TO HAVE.
AND IT'S GOOD THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT COMPRISE THAT TO CREATE WHATEVER IT IS THAT. HE WENT TO CREATE WHERE THE EMPLOYEE SAW SEVERAL PEOPLE ACCESSING, AND I'M JUST TRYING TO HIGHLIGHT SOME POINTS, BUT OKAY.
YEAH, I THINK IT'S IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE PRESENTATIONS, CONVERSATIONS, YOU KNOW, SO THAT WE'RE ARE UNDERSTANDING ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE JUST DID NOT KNOW.
AND MAKING, AND WE'RE THE ONES THAT CAN MAKE THE CHANGE.
RIGHT NOW, THAT'S GOOD, THAT'S GOOD.
ONE OTHER QUESTION THAT I HAVE HERE TALKS ABOUT YOUR MORNING RITUAL, SO TO SPEAK.
HOW DO YOU GET UP? HOW DO YOU GREET THE DAY? DO YOU HAVE A RITUAL? WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU RISE? WELL. THE FIRST THING I DO, YOU KNOW, I'M.
AND THEN I REACH FOR MY PHONE.
YOU KNOW, I REACHED FOR MY PHONE AND THEN I GO OUT IF IT'S NOT TOO COLD AND DO MY SPEED WALK. AND THAT'S YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT.
AND THEN I HAVE IN MY HOME OFFICE AS MY, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF A LOT OF MY WORK IS SURROUNDING AROUND MY MOTHER AND FATHER.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS HAVING THEM WITH ME.
NO, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, AND I'M JUST GOING TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE BECAUSE I'M RECEIVING SOME PERSONAL EMAIL, BUT THERE WAS AN EMAIL THAT WAS LISTED, SO IF YOU'RE ON SWAGIT, YOU CANNOT ACCESS THE CHAT.
I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR, YOU NEED TO EMAIL THE ADDRESS.
AND FOR THE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE EMAILED ME.
AND SO AT THIS TIME, I DON'T SEE A WAIT A MINUTE.
HOW DO WE GET A COPY OF MRS. SHABAZZ BOOK ARE YOU? IS IT ON AMAZON? JULIA SAID, IT IS. IT'S EVERYWHERE.
AND IT ACTUALLY JUST WON THE YOUNG ADULT LIBRARY SERVICES AWARD.
SO THERE YOU HAVE IT, IT'S ON AMAZON, YOU COULD ACCESS IT, IT'S THE AWAKENING OF MALCOLM X IN THERE.
SHE PROVIDES A READING LIST THAT MIGHT GET YOU STARTED ON YOUR JOURNEY AND MRS. SHABAZZ. GO AHEAD. I'M SORRY.
YES. AND WHAT I I JUST WANTED TO ALSO SAY IN THE BOOK.
IT'S DURING THE TIME THAT MY FATHER WAS IN JAIL AND WE KNOW THAT MALCOLM WAS THE STAR DEBATER AND THAT THIS PRISON, WHICH WAS AN EXPERIMENTAL PRISON, DEBATED IVY LEAGUE SCHOOLS HARVARD AND MIT, ALL OF THE TOP SCHOOLS IN BOSTON, AND THAT MALCOLM WAS THE STAR DEBATER AND MALCOLM READ THE DICTIONARY NOT BECAUSE HE COULDN'T READ OR WRITE MALCOLM READ THE DICTIONARY BECAUSE HE WANTED TO KNOW THE ETYMOLOGY, THE ROOT WORDS SO THAT HE COULD BE THE BEST AND HE WAS THE BEST.
IT'S A IT'S A STORY ABOUT HIS TRUE FOUNDATION.
WONDERFUL, NOW, THAT'S WONDERFUL, I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION THAT JUST CAME IN.
YOU MENTIONED FAITH IN RELATION TO THE SELF CARE BY HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN YOUR FAITH IN
[00:55:01]
THIS CURRENT ENVIRONMENT OF WHAT FEELS TO ME IS FILLED WITH HATRED, DIVISIVENESS, HOODWINKING AND BAMBOOZLING? WOW, WHAT A GREAT QUESTION.IT'S ALSO FILLED WITH THE THINGS OF WHO YOU ARE.
YOU KNOW, SO I THINK THAT WHATEVER OUR VALUE SYSTEM, WHATEVER OUR BELIEFS ARE, THAT IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE.
SO WHEN SO WHEN WE SEE THESE OTHER THINGS, IT DOESN'T RESONATE SO.
MY MOTHER RAISED US, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, SO THAT WE WERE SELF-RELIANT.
WE DON'T LOOK TO OTHERS TO DETERMINE OUR SELF-WORTH.
WE DON'T LOOK TO OTHERS TO DETERMINE WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BELIEVE AND NOT BELIEVE.
WE READ, WE RESEARCH AND WE ARE SELF-RELIANT.
HMM. AND ILYASAH, BECAUSE YOU ARE SUCH A PERSON OF FAITH AND YOU KNOW, THAT REALLY RESONATES WITH ME, THE SAME PERSON WHO ASKED THAT QUESTION JUST FOLLOWED UP SAYING BECAUSE THEY FEEL AFRAID THEY REALLY DO.
THEY FEEL LIKE WE'RE GOING BACKWARDS.
YOU KNOW, AS A COUNTRY SOCIETY, PEOPLE, WHAT'S THE WORD OF HOPE? A WORD OF FAITH, A WORD OF INSPIRATION THAT YOU MIGHT SHARE, EVEN AS WE'RE, YOU KNOW, COMING TO A CLOSE OF THIS QUESTIONING PERIOD? YEAH, I THINK COMING TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, WE ARE NOT AFRAID WHEN WE WHEN WE'RE IN, YOU KNOW, WHEN THERE ARE MANY OF US WITH LIKE MINDS, RIGHT? WE'RE AFRAID WHEN WE ARE ALONE AND ANY WAY THAT WE WENT TO ACCOMPLISH WHATEVER IT IS THAT WE WANT TO ACCOMPLISH, WE CAN ONLY DO IT TOGETHER.
I LOVE THAT, I LOVE THAT, THANK YOU SO MUCH, I'M REALLY GOING TO TURN IT BACK OVER TO DR.
JOHNSON RIGHT NOW, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THOSE WONDERFUL WORDS OF WISDOM.
MY NAME IS TRACEY JOHNSON, AND I SERVE AS ASSOCIATE VICE CHANCELLOR FOR STUDENT WELLNESS AND SUPPORT AND MY MY DIRECT SUPERVISOR, DR.
BEATRICE JOSEPH HAS WELCOMED EVERYONE.
MRS. SHABAZZ. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE WITH US TONIGHT.
I KNOW THAT WE HAD SOME ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS IN THE CHAT.
MRS. SHABAZZ WHAT WOULD THE WORLD LOOK LIKE IF WE IN YOUR VISION FROM YOUR VISION? SO WHAT DO YOU ENVISION FOR THE WORLD? OH MY GOSH, WHAT WOULD IT LOOKS LIKE? WHAT WOULD THE WORLD LOOK LIKE? YES, YES, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
OK. WHAT WITH THE WORLD LOOK LIKE? WELL, FOR ME, YOU KNOW? WHEN I THINK OF THOUGH, ALL OF THOSE THAT CAME BEFORE US, THEY WANTED TRUTH.
THEY WANT IT. THAT'S A REALLY INTERESTING QUESTION.
WHAT WOULD YOU TELL ME, WHAT WOULD THE WITH THE WORLD? WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE THE WORLD TO LOOK LIKE FOR ME? YOU KNOW, IT'S THAT WHOLE ADAGE WHEN WHEN I WAS READING THE QUESTION, IT'S LIKE IF I COULD TEACH THE WORLD TO SING IN PERFECT HARMONY, RIGHT? AND SO FOR ME, THE WORLD WOULD BE FILLED WITH LOVE.
IT WOULD BE FILLED WITH PEACE.
IT WOULD BE FILLED WITH WHAT YOU WERE SPEAKING ABOUT THESE COALITIONS.
WE WOULD SEE OURSELVES AS HUMANS, AS BROTHERS, AS SISTERS, AS QUEENS AND KINGS.
THE VIOLENCE WOULD WOULD CEASE BECAUSE LOVE WOULD PREVAIL.
I SO SO SO THAT'S I SAY YES, YES, YES.
I SEE ANOTHER QUESTION IN THE CHAT.
NOW THEY'RE COMING IN NOW THE QUESTIONS ARE ROLLING THEM.
WHEN WE WERE ABOUT TO WIND DOWN BUT KEEP QUESTIONS COMING FROM DR SOSA HAGERTY, SHE WANTS TO KNOW WHAT WOULD YOU SHARE WITH A YOUNG WRITER, ADVICE FOR HIM OR HER TO WRITE ENCOURAGEMENT ADVICE.
SO WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A YOUNG WRITER? TO PERSEVERE.
KEEP WRITING, BECAUSE I STARTED WRITING WHEN I WAS A CHILD AND I NEVER KNEW THAT I WOULD, YOU KNOW, PUBLISHED BOOKS, IT WAS JUST SOMETHING THAT I ENJOYED DOING.
I LOVED WRITING, I LOVED BEING INTROSPECTIVE.
I THOUGHT WORDS WERE HEALING AND POWERFUL.
AND SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE ANYONE WHO LIKES TO WRITE TO KEEP WRITING.
IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AND ALSO, YOU KNOW.
WHAT WHAT MY BOOKS FOR ME, THEY.
MY BOOKS ENABLED ME TO HEAL FROM MANY THINGS, AND.
[01:00:01]
ONCE I BEGAN WRITING BOOKS, I WISH I HAD ASKED MORE QUESTIONS, RIGHT? I WISH I SAT DOWN WITH MY GRANDMOTHER AND, YOU KNOW, AND ASKED HER, WHAT WAS IT LIKE FOR HER? WHEN DID SHE FIRST EXPERIENCE PAIN? WHEN DID SHE FIRST EXPERIENCE LOVE? YOU KNOW, JUST A WHOLE BUNCH OF THINGS, BUT WANTING TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO HER? WHAT INFORMATION DOES SHE LEARN FROM HER PARENTS AND SO FORTH AND SO ON? I THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO KNOW DETAILS ABOUT OUR PARENTS STORIES ABOUT THEIR CHILDHOODS. ULTIMATELY, THAT'S CRITICAL REHEARSING THAT HISTORY, RIGHT, YOU MENTIONED THE LEGACY OF GENERATIONS THAT HAVE COME BEFORE US AND HOW WE STAND ON THOSE SHOULDERS.THIS IS A QUESTION FROM ME TO YOU.
HOW WAS IT GROWING UP CARRYING THE MANTLE THAT YOU CARRY? WHAT WAS IT LIKE BEING YOU? BECAUSE YOU YOU STAND ON SOME VERY POWERFUL SHOULDERS.
RIGHT. SO, SO WHAT WAS THAT LIKE? WELL, WHEN I.
LOOK, MY MOTHER RAISED SIX OF HER DAUGHTERS IN THIS BUBBLE OF LOVE.
AND SHE SHIELDED US FROM THE HARSH NEGATIVE REALITIES BECAUSE SHE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GREW UP WITH THIS SENSE OF SELF-LOVE.
SO THAT AGAIN, WE WEREN'T RELYING ON OTHERS TO DETERMINE OUR SELF-WORTH, BUT THAT WE KNEW WE WERE WONDERFUL JUST AS WE WERE.
AND PEOPLE STARTED CHASING ME ACROSS CAMPUS, ARE YOU MALCOLM X'S DAUGHTER? OH MY GOD, YOU'RE MALCOLM X'S DAUGHTER.
I WAS OVERWHELMED, BUT I REMEMBER CALLING MY SISTER AND ASKING HER, WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO? WHO AM I SUPPOSED TO BE? AND SHE SAID. YOU ALREADY ARE MALCOLM X'S DAUGHTER.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO PASS THE TEST, SO WHOEVER YOU ARE IS IT'S GOOD ENOUGH.
RIGHT. AND IT WASN'T, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED OVERNIGHT.
BUT YOU KNOW, I JUST CAME TO UNDERSTAND THAT.
GOD IS THE ONLY JUDGE, AND SO IT'S REALLY HAVING A RELATIONSHIP AND MAKING SURE THAT WHATEVER YOU DO IN GOD'S EYES IS THE RIGHT THING AND AND AND BECAUSE OF THAT, I THINK I'VE ALWAYS BEEN FINE JUST AS I AM.
REALLY GOOD. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT.
AND THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING THE LEGACY AND ALSO NOT ONLY THE LEGACY OF YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER BECAUSE YOUR MOTHER IS A VERY POWERFUL, POWERFUL FORCE UNTO HER OWN SELF, RIGHT? AND SO ARE YOU.
AND SO ARE ALL OF YOUR SIBLINGS, YOUR DAUGHTERS, NOT YOUR DAUGHTERS.
BUT MAYBE, MAYBE DAUGHTERS ARE COMING AND SO ARE YOU.
SO ARE YOU? YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU ANSWERED THAT QUESTION JUST SO BEAUTIFULLY THAT REALLY WARMED MY HEART? THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY FOR SHARING THESE PEARLS OF WISDOM WITH US AND SHARING YOUR TIME AND AND NOT JUST EDUCATING US, BUT ENLIGHTENING US AND GIVING US FOOD FOR THE JOURNEY THAT IS AHEAD OF US.
I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO DR.
JOSEPH TO CLOSE US OUT, AND I WANT TO THANK THE MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS TEAM FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT AND EVERY ONE OF OUR PARTICIPANTS WHO WERE HERE ON SWAGIT AS WELL AS WEBEX.
WE THANK YOU A LOT OF THINGS WE'RE TAKING PLACE BEHIND THE SCENES.
AND SO WE WANT TO SAY THANK YOU.
WE ARE HUMBLED BY YOUR APPEARANCE AS WELL AS SHARING THIS TIME AND SPACE WITH US, DR.
JOSEPH. YOUR COMMUTE BACK TO JERUSALEM.
THIS IS THIS IS THE STORY OF MY LIFE.
I STILL HAVEN'T LEARNED AFTER ALL THIS TWO YEARS, BUT THANK YOU, MR. SHABAZZ, FOR SPENDING A BIT OF TIME WITH US TODAY.
DR. FLOYD. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR AGREEING TO MODERATE THE CONVERSATION.
DR. JOHNSON, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP IN MAKING SURE THAT WE GOT THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THE RIGHT MESSAGE THAT WE THAT WE NEEDED TO HEAR THE MULTICULTURAL TEAM, EVERYBODY AT DALLAS COLLEGE THAT'S WORKED VERY INTENTLY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PROVIDE THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR STUDENTS AND OUR STAFF.
SO ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. BYE BYE.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.