[ Dallas County Community College District Walking in Her Shoes: Hear the Inspiring Stories of Women Leaders in Dallas]
[00:00:10]
EDDIE TAYLOR, PRESIDENT OF DALLAS COLLEGE EASTFIELD CAMPUS, AND I'D LIKE TO WELCOME YOU TO THIS MORNING'S EVENT ENTITLED WALKING IN HER SHOES.
HERE AT THE EASTFIELD CAMPUS, AND VIRTUALLY, IT IS OUR PLEASURE TO HOST ONE OF THE MANY DALLAS COLLEGE EVENTS CELEBRATING WOMEN'S HISTORY AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS TRUSTEE BRAVO AND ESTEEM PANELISTS.
WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING YOUR INSPIRING STORIES NOW.
IT IS MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE TO YOU OUR DALLAS COLLEGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES CHAIR MONICA THERE. BRAVO.
I ALSO WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT SHE REPRESENTS DISTRICT FOUR, WHICH IS OUR EASTFIELD CAMPUS, AS WELL AS OUR PLEASANT GROVE CAMPUS TRUSTEE BRAVO.
THANK YOU, DR. TYLER, FOR YOUR WORDS AND THANK YOU TO EVERYONE JOINING US TODAY AND AT HOME THROUGH LIVE STREAM.
I AM VERY HAPPY TO WELCOME YOU TO THIS INTERNATIONAL DAY PANEL, AS YOU ALL KNOW.
MARCH IS WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH.
TODAY IS INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY.
AND SO WE THOUGHT WHAT WOULD BE A BETTER WAY THAN TO CELEBRATE SUCCESSFUL WOMEN IN DALLAS? HISTORY HAS GIVEN WOMEN MANY NAMES, SOME OF THESE TITLES HAVE BEEN MORE PLEASANT THAN OTHERS. BUT DESPITE WHAT SOCIETY CALLS US, WE AS WOMEN HAVE ALWAYS HAD TO SHOUT LOUDER FOR OUR VOICES TO BE HEARD.
TODAY'S CULTURE IS NO DIFFERENT.
WE MADE GREAT STRIDES IN EQUALITY.
THE BARRIERS THAT STILL EXIST.
THIS IS WHY I'M EXCITED TO INTRODUCE TO YOU, OUR ESTEEMED PANELIST, AND HEAR THEIR STORIES ABOUT THE STRUGGLES AND STRENGTHS OF BEING A WOMAN IN TWENTY TWENTY TWO.
IT'S MY HONOR TO INTRODUCE VICTORIA CREADO JOLY, ANGEL ROBINSON AND LYNDA.
FOR OUR FIRST INTRODUCTION CAN PERSONALLY ATTEST TO THE STRENGTH AND LEADERSHIP DISPLAYED BY OUR FIRST PANELISTS.
STATE REPRESENTATIVE VICTORIA CRIADO AND I MET IN HIGH SCHOOL WHEN WE WERE BOTH INVOLVED WITH THE LILAC YOUTH GROUP, WHERE I BELIEVE BOTH OF US BEGAN OUR CAREERS AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MAY NOT KNOW, LILAC IS IS A LATINO CIVIL RIGHTS ORGANIZATION. OUR PATHS CROSSED AGAIN AFTER LAW SCHOOL, WHERE WE BOTH WORKED ON THE DALLAS HISPANIC BAR ASSOCIATION PRO BONO PUBLIC SERVICE COMMITTEE.
BEING LATINA LAWYERS IN DALLAS BRINGS ITS OWN CHALLENGES, AND WE HAVE FOUND SUPPORTING EACH OTHER AS FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES.
SO I PERSONALLY ASKED HER TO SHARE HER INSPIRING STORY WITH US TODAY.
SHE GREW UP NOT TOO FAR FROM HERE IN PLEASANT GROVE AND BECAME THE FIRST IN HER FAMILY TO GRADUATE FROM COLLEGE.
SHE EARNED HER DEGREE IN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT DALLAS.
SHE ATTENDED TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY THURGOOD MARSHALL SCHOOL OF LAW, WHERE SHE GRADUATED MAGNA CUM LAUDE IN THE TOP THREE PERCENT OF HER CLASS.
NOW, VICTORIA REPRESENTS TEXAS HOUSE DISTRICT 187, WHICH INCLUDES PARTS OF EAST DALLAS, MESQUITE, SOUTH GARLAND AND NOW PLEASANT GROVE.
REPRESENTATIVE NIOBE HAS PASSED A LANGUAGE OF MORE THAN TWO DOZEN BILLS, INCLUDING THE HISTORIC LAVINIA MASTERS ACT.
WHICH WAS COMPREHENSIVE LEGISLATION TO ADDRESS THE BACKLOG OF THOUSANDS OF UNTESTED RAPE KITS, AS WELL AS VARIOUS OTHER BILLS TO ADDRESS SEXUAL ASSAULT, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
SHE ALSO PASSED BILLS TO HELP INCREASE ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION AND MAKE COLLEGE MORE AFFORDABLE. IN TWENTY TWENTY ONE, CHAIRWOMAN NIAB WAS WAS NAMED LEGISLATOR OF THE YEAR BY THE ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS PROFESSIONAL EDUCATORS REGION 10 AND HAS RECEIVED NUMEROUS OTHER HONORS AND AWARDS FROM A VARIETY OF ORGANIZATIONS.
OUR SECOND PANELIST ON ON THE FIRST ON THE TABLE IS JOLIE ANGEL ROBINSON, WHO HAS SPENT HER CAREER ADVOCATING FOR THE MARGINALIZED AND THE VOICELESS.
SHE CURRENTLY SERVES AS A PRESIDENT CEO OF METRO DALLAS HOMELESS ALLIANCE, WHICH IS ONE IN A LONG LINE OF POSITIONS SHE'S HELD WHILE PURSUING SOCIAL JUSTICE THROUGH POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN THE DALLAS COMMUNITY.
PREVIOUSLY, SHE SERVED AS A VP OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS AND PUBLIC POLICY AT DALLAS AREA HABITAT FOR HUMANITY.
PRIOR TO HER TIME THERE, SHE MANAGED THE OFFICE OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS AND THE YOUTH OUTREACH UNIT AT THE DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT.
[00:05:05]
ALONGSIDE WITH HER TEAM, SHE WAS AN INTEGRAL PART OF FURTHERING THE MISSION OF THE DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT BY SEEKING TO ESTABLISH A PROACTIVE, CONTINUOUS AND POSITIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE DALLAS COMMUNITY.JOLIE HOLDS TWO DEGREES FROM DALLAS BAPTIST UNIVERSITY.
SHE HAS A MASTER'S DEGREE IN COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIZING IN ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT AND A BACHELOR OF ARTS AND SCIENCE AND SOCIOLOGY AND COMMUNICATION.
SHE IS ALSO CURRENTLY PURSUING A DOCTORATE IN EDUCATION, IN ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
SO VERY SOON WE WILL BE ADDRESSING DR.
ROBINSON. WITH A HEART FOR SERVICE, JOLIE ALSO SERVES ON THE NORTH TEXAS LGBT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BOARD, AS WELL AS THE BOARD OF VILLAGE TECH SCHOOLS.
AND OUR LAST PANELIST IS NO STRANGER TO ANY OF US.
DR. LINDA BRODIE SERVES AS THE PRESIDENT OF DALLAS COLLEGE'S BROOKHAVEN CAMPUS THERE.
SHE CHAMPIONS GROWTH AND ECONOMICALLY ECONOMIC STABILITY FOR AND AMONG THE STUDENTS OF DALLAS COUNTY. DR.
BRADLEY'S WIDE AND VARIED CAREER DISPLAYS THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT WOMEN CAN ACHIEVE THROUGH FOCUS, RESILIENCE AND DETERMINATION.
SHE HAS SERVED IN MANY DIFFERENT POSITIONS IN BOTH FOR PROFIT AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. SHE'S WORKED AS A TENURED PROFESSOR, A DEAN, VICE PRESIDENT, DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND PROVOST IN FORT WORTH, WASHINGTON DC AND ADA, OKLAHOMA.
PRIOR TO HER POSITION AS BROOKE HAVEN'S PRESIDENT, SHE MOST RECENTLY SERVED AS THE INAUGURAL PROVOST IN AN INTERIM CAPACITY FOR DALLAS COLLEGE.
AND SHE LED US AS WE TRANSITION FROM SEVEN INDEPENDENTLY ACCREDITED COLLEGES TO ONE SINGLE ACCREDITED COLLEGE, DALLAS COLLEGE.
DR. BRADY HAS EMBRACED CHANGE THROUGHOUT HER CAREER.
SHE WELCOMES OPPORTUNITIES TO LEAD MAJOR ORGANIZATIONAL AND CULTURAL CHANGE.
SHE HAS PROMOTED THE USE OF EVIDENCE BASED TEACHING PRACTICES THAT IMPROVE STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES IN THE PAST DECADE.
SHE FOCUSED ON PROMOTING SOCIAL JUSTICE IN SOCIETY THROUGH HIGHER EDUCATION.
LADIES, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING FOR THIS COMMUNITY, I CAN'T WAIT TO HEAR SOME OF YOUR STORIES.
AND WHILE I SIT DOWN, IF YOU JUST GRAB, IF YOU JUST WALKED IN AND WANT TO GRAB SOME LUNCH, FEEL FREE TO DO THAT, AS I'M SURE YOU CAN.
OK, NOW WE WANT TO HEAR ME NOW.
OK. ALL RIGHT, SO LET'S START OUR FIRST QUESTION WITH JOLIE TO MY LEFT.
SO AND I'M GOING TO ASK THE SAME QUESTION OF ALL THE PANELISTS TO BEGIN.
I LIKE EACH ONE OF YOU TO LET ME KNOW WHERE WHERE YOU THINK YOUR STORY BEGAN? WAS THERE A MOMENT WHERE YOU KNEW THAT YOU WOULD BE WHAT YOU'RE DOING NOW AS YOU'RE IN YOUR CAREER WOULD BE YOUR LIFE'S FOCUS? NOT AT ALL. LET ME STOP.
I TOOK A LONG, INDIRECT PATH TO BE WHERE I AM TODAY, SWORE OFF COLLEGE.
AFTER HIGH SCHOOL, I WAS DONE, GRADUATED FROM DUNCANVILLE AND I WAS LIKE, I'VE SAT ENOUGH HOURS IN A CLASSROOM AND I'M OVER IT.
AND SO I STARTED WORKING FULL TIME, WORKING FULL TIME.
I REALIZED THAT FOLKS IN LEADERSHIP REALLY HAVE A DEGREE IN ANY BASKET WEAVING POTTERY.
THEY HAVE A DEGREE IN ANYTHING.
BUT THE POINT IS THEY HAVE A DEGREE.
SO I STARTED MY COLLEGE CAREER AT DALLAS COLLEGE AND I TOOK EVERY CLASS FROM NORTH LAKE COLLEGE TO MOUNTAIN VIEW TO EL CENTRO TO I DIDN'T COME TO EASTFIELD.
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL CAMPUS. I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT WHY ARE YOU HERE NOW? BUT I'M HERE NOW, SO IT'S IT'S A BEAUTIFUL MOMENT TO ALSO BE HERE ON A PANEL REPRESENTING METRO DALLAS HOMELESS ALLIANCE AS THE PRESIDENT AND CEO.
AND THAT WASN'T THE TRAJECTORY I WAS ON.
I REALLY STARTED IN IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO JUST CLIMB THE CORPORATE LADDER AND HAVE A GOOD LIFE.
I REALLY WANTED TO GIVE BACK AND VOLUNTEER.
IT TOOK ME NINE YEARS TO GET MY UNDERGRAD, WHICH I TALK ABOUT VERY OPENLY.
FOR FOLKS WHO ARE INCH BY INCH MAKING IT, IT'S OK.
YOU'LL GET IT DONE. JUST COMMIT TO IT.
IT TOOK ME NINE YEARS TO COMPLETE MY UNDERGRAD, AND IN THAT TIME I WAS WORKING FULL TIME AND GOING TO SCHOOL REALLY THOUGHT AGAIN I WOULD JUST CLIMB THAT CORPORATE LADDER.
I TOOK A TRIP IN THE IN THE JOB.
I WAS PREVIOUSLY IN DOING DATA ENTRY TO INDIA FOR A MONTH AS THEY WERE TRANSITIONING
[00:10:05]
WORK. AND THAT'S WHEN MY LIFE EXPERIENCE CHANGED EXPONENTIALLY.I SAW THE SOCIAL FABRIC OF WHAT THAT OF THAT COUNTRY AND MANY OF THE CITIES IN THAT COUNTRY, WHAT THEY WERE EXPERIENCING AND CAME BACK HOME STATESIDE TO REALLY WITH A FIRE IN MY BELLY. SO I STARTED VOLUNTEER WORK.
I DID ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING I COULD.
I HELPED NONPROFITS WRITE THEIR NEWSLETTERS.
I PUT MY COMMUNICATIONS DEGREE TO WORK.
I HELPED NONPROFITS WRITE THEIR NEWSLETTERS AND GET THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA OFF THE GROUND.
THEN I DECIDED, YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M GOING TO GET EVERY SHEET OF PAPER THEY HAVE AT SCHOOL, SO I DECIDED TO GET MY MASTER'S DEGREE.
VOLUNTEERING AS A COURT APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATE FOR DALLAS, CASA REALLY IS WHAT ALSO CHANGED MY HEART A LITTLE BIT TO.
I WANT TO DO THIS WORK EVERY DAY.
I WANT TO WAKE UP FEELING LIKE I'M MOVING US FORWARD IN OUR CITY AND IN MY COMMUNITY.
AT VERIZON YELLOW PAGES AND IT IT ALLOWED ME TO BUY MY FIRST HOUSE IN CARROLLTON.
LIKE IT WAS A REALLY NICE, NICE LIFE.
AND I KNEW THAT IF I WANTED TO GO INTO NONPROFIT OR COMMUNITY ORGANIZING OR SOCIAL WORK OF SOME SORT, I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE A PAY CUT.
BUT I SAID, IF I'M GOING TO DO IT, I BETTER DO IT NOW.
I WAS NOT QUITE 30 AND I WAS LIKE, I KNOW I DON'T LOOK LIKE I'M EVEN CLOSE TO 30, BUT I WON'T PASS 30. LET ME DO IT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, AFTER VOLUNTEERING AT DALLAS CASA, I REALLY STARTED TO SEEK OUT A JOB.
THAT'S WHAT LED ME TO DPD TO BE IN COMMUNITY OUTREACH.
ANOTHER PLACE THAT I WOULDN'T HAVE SEEN MYSELF AS A BLACK WOMAN IN UNDERSTANDING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BLACK AND BROWN FOLKS IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND LAW ENFORCEMENT.
BUT I WAS LIKE, GOD, IF IF THIS IS WHERE YOU HAVE ME TO BE, THEN YOU KNOW, I KNOW YOU HAVE A PLAN FOR ME.
THERE WAS I WAS THERE SEVEN AND A HALF YEARS.
IT WAS TIME FOR ME TO MOVE ON.
THAT'S WHEN I BECAME. I GOT REALLY PASSIONATE AT DPD ABOUT TWO THINGS PUBLIC EDUCATION AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT I'M A I'M A PROXIMATE TO ISSUE PERSON.
SO I SOLD MY HOUSE IN CARROLLTON, MOVE TO THE CITY OF DALLAS BECAUSE I WANT TO BE PROXIMATE TO THE ISSUES THAT I'M DEEPLY PASSIONATE ABOUT AND LIVING IN THE CITY OF DALLAS. THOSE WERE THE TWO THINGS I WAS MAKING FORTY THOUSAND DOLLARS IN COMMUNITY OUTREACH AT THE DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT IN TWO THOUSAND WHAT? THIRTEEN WHERE WAS I GOING TO LIVE? FORTY THOUSAND. I HAD MY BACHELORS WORKING ON MY MASTERS, SO IT WASN'T EDUCATION.
AND SO THAT'S WHY I REALLY GOT FIRED UP.
I'M WAY LONGER THAN YOU ASKED, BUT I'M ABOUT TO CUT IT OFF.
SO I GOT REALLY FIRED UP ABOUT AFFORDABILITY, AFFORDABILITY, AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT I SHOULD HAVE THE AUTONOMY AND THE FREEDOM TO LIVE WHEREVER THE HELL.
EXCUSE MY LANGUAGE I WANT TO LIVE.
I SHOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY AND THE AVAILABILITY OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING STOCK TO BE WHEREVER RIGHT, NOT ONLY IN SOUTHERN DALLAS OR SOUTH DALLAS, OR RIGHT WHERE THERE'S NO SIDEWALKS IN ALL OF THE COMMUNITIES.
I'D FEEL UNSAFE WALKING MY DOG IN THE MORNING OR LATE IN THE EVENING AND THEN PUBLIC EDUCATION. I STARTED VOLUNTEERING AT ROOSEVELT HIGH SCHOOL BECAUSE I I REALLY DID SEE THE IMPACT THAT PUBLIC EDUCATION HAD ON PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND THE IMPACT THAT RIGHT, THAT PUBLIC SAFETY HAD ON PUBLIC EDUCATION AND ALL OF THE ABOVE AND AND WHAT OUR BABIES WERE HAVING TO WALK THROUGH.
FIGURE TWO, FIGURATIVELY AND LITERALLY TO GET TO SCHOOL EVERY DAY IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, SO I DIDN'T I DID NOT SEE MYSELF THERE, BUT IT'S ONE THING ONE FOOT AFTER THE OTHER REALLY DROVE ME TO BE WHERE I AM TODAY.
AND THEN THE CALL CAME OUT OF THE BLUE THAT THEY WERE HIRING FOR THIS PRESIDENT AND CEO.
IT WAS ON MY PASSION PLANNER FOR LIKE THREE TO FIVE YEARS OUT.
I'M A PLANNING INSANE LADY FOR THREE TO FIVE YEARS OUT.
BUT WHEN THE CALL CAME, I REALLY KNEW THAT AGAIN.
IT WAS JUST DIVINE CALLING AND I REALLY NEEDED TO STEP INTO THAT SPACE.
THAT'S GREAT, AND I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT DALLAS COLLEGE PLAYED A PART IN YOUR TRAJECTORY.
YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT. THAT'S GREAT.
BRAD. OK, SO I THINK I STARTED REALIZING WHERE I WANTED TO GO AFTER I BECAME A MATH PROFESSOR, SO THAT ALL CAME ABOUT WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE.
I USED TO STUDY WITH A GROUP WHEN WE WERE IN THE CALCULUS SEQUENCE, RIGHT? SO I'M A MATHEMATICIAN AND ONE OF MY FRIENDS, VANESSA, WHO I NAMED MY DAUGHTER AFTER, WOULD SAY, YOU'RE REALLY GOOD WHEN WE WOULD STUDY, YOU'RE REALLY GOOD AT EXPLAINING IT.
YOU GO TO THE BOARD AND EXPLAIN IT TO YOU SHOULD BE A TEACHER, YOU SHOULD BE A TEACHER.
SHE USED TO TELL ME THAT ALL THE TIME.
SO AT ONE POINT I TOOK THE CLASS WHERE YOU GO, OBSERVE AT HIGH SCHOOLS AND I WAS LIKE, DON'T WANT TO DO THAT. AND SO I DECIDED TO GO INTO TEACHING, YOU KNOW, IN HIGHER ED AND BECOME BECOME A MATH PROFESSOR.
SO THAT HAPPENED, YOU KNOW, I WAS PROBABLY A JUNIOR OR SOMETHING WHEN I DECIDED.
[00:15:02]
SO WHEN I BEFORE I CAME BECAME A PROFESSOR, I HAD STAYED HOME WITH MY KIDS.ONCE THEY GOT IN SCHOOL, I WENT TO GRAD SCHOOL.
MY VERY FIRST SEMESTER, I WAS IN A CLASS, SO I WAS GOING TO GET A MASTER'S DEGREE IN MATH. SO I WAS IN A CLASS THAT WAS MOSTLY PEOPLE TAKING ENGINEERING CLASSES FOR AN ENGINEERING MASTER'S DEGREE.
BUT IT WAS IT WAS AN APPLIED MATH CLASS.
SO I WAS IN THERE WITH 50 STUDENTS.
THEY WERE ALL MEN. AND YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHEN I KIND OF WAS LIKE, WHERE ARE ALL THE WOMEN? SO THAT'S WHEN I STARTED HAVING A REALIZATION THAT WOMEN ARE UNDERREPRESENTED IN STEM AS OTHER AREAS.
AND SO I REMEMBER ONE TIME WHERE SO NOW I'D ALREADY HAD MY KIDS, THEY WERE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND I REMEMBER ONE TIME THE PROFESSOR WAS LIKE, COULD YOU JUST COULD SOMEBODY COME TO THE BOARD AND LET ME TALK YOU THROUGH THIS PROBLEM? EVERYBODY WAS HAVING TROUBLE WITH IT.
AND THEY WERE ALL JUST SITTING THERE AND I'M THINKING, YOU KNOW, COME ON, BE BE BRAVE ENOUGH TO GO UP THERE. SO NOBODY WOULD DO IT.
SO I STOOD AT THE FRONT OF THE ROOM AND SAID, I DON'T KNOW.
HE WOULD SAY, WHAT'S THE NEXT STEP? AND I'D GO, I DON'T KNOW.
I WAS CONFUSED. SO ANYWAY, HE WALKED ME THROUGH IT.
AND SO THAT WAS A REAL, I GUESS, A POINT FOR ME WHEN I REALIZED THAT I COULD BE, I DON'T KNOW, BRAVE ENOUGH TO LIKE, I'M OLD ENOUGH NOW.
I DON'T REALLY CARE AS MUCH WHAT PEOPLE THINK ABOUT ME IN THAT REGARD.
AND SO AS I WENT THROUGH GRAD SCHOOL, THE MAJORITY OF MY MY MATH CLASSES WERE WITH MALES AND NOT SO MUCH FEMALES.
SO I KNEW THAT THAT WAS A THING BACK THEN.
SO WHEN I FINALLY BECAME A MATH PROFESSOR, I STARTED TO REALIZE THAT GENERALLY SPEAKING, WE SUCK AT TEACHING MATH.
AND SO SO I FELT LIKE THAT WAS REALLY A PASSION FOR ME WAS I.
I CAN EXPLAIN THIS IN A WAY THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, STUDENTS WOULD COME BACK AND SAY, OH, I LEARNED SO MUCH IN YOUR CLASS OR WHATEVER. SO I STARTED REALIZING THAT, OK, IF I WERE A DEPARTMENT CHAIR OR A DEAN, MAYBE I COULD INFLUENCE THE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES OF OTHER STUDENTS.
I COULD INFLUENCE OTHER FACULTY TO DO ACTIVE LEARNING IN THEIR CLASS, BECAUSE RESEARCH SHOWS THAT IF YOU IF YOU DO ACTIVE STUDENT ENGAGEMENT IN MATH IN PARTICULAR, BUT OTHER SUBJECTS, THEN STUDENTS ARE, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN LEARN BETTER.
AND SO SO THAT'S WHEN I THOUGHT, WELL, I WANT TO BE A PRESIDENT.
AND SO. SO IT WAS A LONG TIME COMING AND I DID GO TO D.C.
FOR A FEW YEARS AND WORKED AT THE MATHEMATICAL ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA.
I WAS THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR THERE, BUT WE FOCUSED ON UNDERGRADUATE MATH EDUCATION AND THAT WAS OUR MISSION. AND SO THAT WAS STILL IT FELT LIKE A CONTINUATION.
IT WAS KIND OF A HIGHER ED ADJACENT SORT OF THING, BUT IT STILL FELT LIKE I WAS IN HIGHER ED AND I WORKED WITH FACULTY, SO.
SO I THINK I DID SEE IT COMING.
AND AND ONE OF THE THINGS IN ACADEMIA WITH FACULTY, SOMETIMES IT'S SEEN AS A BAD THING THAT YOU WANT TO BE AN ADMINISTRATOR LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THESE RELUCTANT ADMINISTRATORS OR DON'T REALLY WANT TO BE A DEAN, BUT THEY CONVINCED ME TO DO IT WHILE I WAS NEVER THAT WAY.
AND SO PEOPLE, I THINK THAT ALSO WAS SOMETIMES FROWNED UPON, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SHOULD BE, I SHOULD NOT WANT TO DO THIS.
AND I THINK THAT'S A MALE FEMALE THING SOMETIMES, TOO, THAT WOMEN ARE CRITICIZED FOR FOR BEING AMBITIOUS OR IF YOU'RE SEEN AS BEING AMBITIOUS, IF IT'S A GUY, RIGHT? OH, HE'S A GO GETTER. HE'S REALLY AMBITIOUS.
BUT YOU TALKED ABOUT WOMEN HAVE BEEN CALLED THINGS THAT SOMETIMES ARE NOT FLATTERING.
AND SO. SO THERE ARE SOME, SOME GENDER ISSUES THERE, TOO.
SO I I HAD A PASSION FOR HELPING STUDENTS LEARN MATH, MAKING IT EASIER FOR THEM TO LEARN MATH AND THEN HAVING A BETTER EXPERIENCE.
AND IT KIND OF WENT FROM THERE.
AND REPRESENTATIVE CRIADO, SAME QUESTION, THANK YOU, AND I WANT TO SAY HOW HONORED I AM TO BE ON THIS PANEL WITH THESE PHENOMENAL LADIES, AND I KNOW EVERYBODY HAS JUST DONE INCREDIBLE WORK, SO I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE AND HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY.
I KNOW THAT Y'ALL ALSO COULD BE SOMEWHERE ELSE.
AND THE FACT THAT YOU'RE HERE RIGHT NOW, THE ENERGY THAT WE HAVE AND THE CHANGES THAT ARE HAPPENING NOT JUST HERE LOCALLY BUT ACROSS THE OUR OUR GLOBE REALLY ARE EXCITING.
THEY'RE INSPIRING, AND I KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO MAKE CHANGE.
HOPEFULLY, WITH ANOTHER FEMALE ON THE SUPREME COURT THAT WAS JUST RECENTLY NOMINATED AFRICAN-AMERICAN FEMALE, THE FIRST WOULD BE REALLY, REALLY SIGNIFICANT.
SO MY MY PATH STARTED LIKE TRUSTEE.
BUT I SAID WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL, I THINK IT'S WHEN I FIRST GOT THE BUG FOR PUBLIC SERVICE. I TAGGED ALONG WITH MY DAD TO SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS, AND I'LL JUST SAY THAT MY MY DAD CAME TO OUR COUNTRY AS AN IMMIGRANT.
HE CAME WITHOUT PAPERS, AND WHEN HE CAME, HE CAME WITH WITH THE SIXTH GRADE EDUCATION, BUT ALSO A DREAM. AND I SHARE THAT WITH FOLKS BECAUSE HIS PATH HERE IS NOT UNLIKE THE PATH OF
[00:20:01]
MILLIONS OF OUR FELLOW AMERICANS, MANY OF WHOM ARE LIVING IN THE SHADOWS RIGHT NOW.AND SO MY DAD AND MY MOM REALLY EMPHASIZED TO ME THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION.
THEY SAID, YOU CAN DO WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU WANT TO BE FOCUSED ON YOUR EDUCATION, BUT ALSO DON'T FORGET WHERE YOU CAME FROM.
AND SO I KEEP THAT VERY CLOSE TO MY HEART.
I GREW UP IN PLEASANT GROVE, LIKE THE BARRIO PART RIGHT BACK BEHIND COMSTOCK AREA.
I HAVE A LOT OF FAMILY THAT STILL LIVES THERE.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE SIDEWALKS, YOU KNOW, ALSO, THEY STILL DON'T.
AND WELL, SOME STREETS NOW HAVE, YOU KNOW, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME IMPROVEMENTS.
BUT WHAT MY YOU KNOW, MY PARENTS REALLY SAID JUST.
GET BACK TO OTHERS. GOD'S GOLDEN RULE DO UNTO OTHERS, AS YOU WOULD HAVE DONE UNTO YOURSELF, AND I FEEL LIKE WE DON'T SEE THAT IN POLITICS A LOT.
AND WE AND SO I AND I GUESS THERE'S A QUESTION LATER ON WITH THAT THAT I'LL THAT I'LL GET TO. BUT FOR ME, IT WAS SEEN JOINING THE BLACK YOUTH ORGANIZATION AS A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT AND LEARNING ABOUT INJUSTICES IN OUR COMMUNITY IN THE DALLAS AREA, AS WELL AS IN SMALL RURAL TEXAS.
I WOULD TAG ALONG WITH SOME OF MY MENTORS WHO ONCE WORKED AT THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE WHEN WORKED AT EEOC BACK IN THE DAY AND WOULD LEARN ABOUT, FOR EXAMPLE, THE LATINO CHILDREN AT THE SMALL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN RURAL TEXAS WERE NOT ALLOWED TO GO TO THE BATHROOM, BUT OTHER STUDENTS WOULD BE ALLOWED.
SO THE IMPACT WAS THESE STUDENTS, THESE LATINO STUDENTS WERE UNFORTUNATELY WHAT WOULD HAPPEN. AND SO AND THERE ARE CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS THAT PROTECT AGAINST DISCRIMINATION.
AND SO AS I STARTED TO HEAR AND LEARN MORE, I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW WHAT? THE PEOPLE WHO ALWAYS SEEM TO HAVE THE ANSWERS ABOUT SOME OF THESE TOUGH ISSUES WERE LAWYERS. AND SO I THOUGHT, I WANT TO LEARN THE LAW SO THAT I COULD ADVOCATE FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND HOPEFULLY MAYBE ONE DAY WRITE LAWS.
AND THAT'S WHAT I DECIDED TO DO AS AN ATTORNEY.
I ALSO TOOK COURSES HERE AT EASTFIELD, AT NORTH LAKE AND BROOKHAVEN AND THE, YOU KNOW, WANTED TO GO TO LAW SCHOOL AND I WENT TO LAW SCHOOL.
I GRADUATED FROM MY UNDERGRAD FROM UT DALLAS AND STAYED A PART OF THE ORGANIZATION, AND WE JUST WANTED TO ABSORB AND LEARN AS MUCH AS I COULD.
I ALSO INTERNED FOR A STATE REPRESENTATIVE IN VALENCIA, WHO IS STILL IN OFFICE TODAY AND LEARNED A LOT FROM HIM AND JUST REALLY THE I THINK MY LIFE PATH HAS JUST.
IT WHAT HAS BEEN AT THE CORE REALLY IS GIVING BACK AND SEEING THAT WE CAN BREAK BARRIERS, NOT LETTING ANYTHING STAND IN YOUR WAY OF KNOWING WHAT'S JUST WHAT'S RIGHT.
THE CHANGES THAT WE NEED TO TO MAKE IN OUR LAWS.
AND I'M HAPPY TO GET INTO THAT LATER ON BECAUSE I KNOW WE HAVE LOTS OF EXCITING QUESTIONS COMING UP, BUT I'M JUST REALLY HONORED TO BE HERE.
I REPRESENT HOUSE DISTRICT ONE HUNDRED SEVEN.
I WAS ELECTED IN TWENTY SIXTEEN THE YEAR THAT WE THOUGHT HILLARY WAS GOING TO BE OUR FIRST FEMALE PRESIDENT.
AND THE AND WE FLIPPED A SEAT AND IT REPRESENTED.
SO WE REPRESENT THE AREA THAT IS IS IN PART OF GAS, GASOLINE, THE PART OF GARLAND.
AND NOW WE HAVE PART OF PLEASANT GROVE AFTER REDISTRICTING, WHERE I'M FROM ORIGINALLY.
SO I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
BUT WE HAVE WE HAVE LOTS OF WORK TO DO AND I THINK ESPECIALLY FOR WOMEN, WE HAVE TO UPLIFT EACH OTHER, YOU KNOW, IN THE WORKPLACE, IN OUR CLASSROOMS AND THROUGHOUT EVERY INDUSTRY, AS YOU SAID, AND SUPPORT EACH OTHER BECAUSE THE HELP LIFT EACH OTHER UP RIGHT LIKE PEOPLE PAVED THE ROAD FOR US TO BE ABLE TO SERVE OR BE WHERE WE ARE OR BE WHERE YOU ARE. AND WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT FROM THE SUFFRAGETTES, WHO THE SUFFRAGETTES WHO TO WHO ADVOCATED FOR US TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A RIGHT TO VOTE TO PEOPLE WHO ALLOW US TO SIT, YOU KNOW, FILE LAWSUITS TO BE ABLE TO ALLOW US TO SIT ON A JURY.
SO SO ON THIS DAY, I'M JUST REALLY EXCITED TO BE HERE WITH Y'ALL AND AND SHARE IN THIS MOMENT. THANK YOU.
OK, SO OUR NEXT QUESTION, WE'RE GOING TO START WITH DR.
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER IS THE GREATEST OBSTACLE TO WOMEN, NOT JUST IN THE WORKPLACE BUT ALSO IN LIFE? AND HOW WOULD YOU OVERCOME ONE OF THESE OBSTACLES AND WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE? ARE PEOPLE HERE WITH US TODAY? I THINK I KNOW WE HAVE A QUESTION, I THINK WE HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT STEREOTYPES, BUT I DO THINK THAT THE STEREOTYPES AND THE BIASES THAT PEOPLE HAVE CAN REALLY BE DIFFICULT FOR ALL DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF FOLKS, WHETHER IT'S GENDER OR ITS RACE, ETHNICITY, WHATEVER IT HAPPENS TO BE.
BUT I DO THINK THAT THAT THERE ARE ISSUES THERE, THEIR GENDER ISSUES THERE THAT WOMEN HAVE TO FACE THAT ARE THAT ARE OBSTACLES.
[00:25:01]
AND SO WE HAVEN'T YET BROKEN THE GLASS CEILING.I WAS READING THIS WEEK THAT WHILE FIFTY TWO PERCENT OF THE JOBS IN THE COUNTRY ARE HELD BY WOMEN, LESS THAN 15 PERCENT OF THE TOP LEVEL LEADERSHIP ROLES ARE HELD BY WOMEN.
AND SO THAT'S NOT BECAUSE WE AREN'T CAPABLE.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT BECAUSE WE AREN'T CAPABLE, NO MATTER WHAT LARRY SUMMERS SAYS.
AND SO SO THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON THERE.
I DON'T THINK IT'S BECAUSE WE'RE NOT AMBITIOUS.
RIGHT. SO SO THERE'S SOME THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON.
AND SO YOU MENTIONED WE NEED TO HELP EACH OTHER, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, MEN KNOW HOW TO DO THAT BETTER THAN WE DO.
WE WOMEN, I THINK SOMETIMES WE'RE OUR OWN WORST ENEMY.
FIRST OF ALL, WE ARE SELF-CRITICAL.
WE'RE REALLY HARD ON OURSELVES TO BEGIN WITH.
AND THEN WE ALSO DON'T BRING EACH OTHER ALONG AND WORK TOGETHER ON THINGS.
WE SEE IT AS A ZERO SUM GAME, RIGHT? IF I WIN, SOMEBODY HAS TO LOSE.
THERE'S A LIMITED NUMBER OF POSITIONS.
AND SO IF THIS WOMAN GETS A POSITION, WELL, THAT'S ONE LESS OTHER WOMAN WHO DOESN'T GET THAT POSITION. AND I MEAN, I KNOW MEN CAN BE SORT OF CUTTHROAT TOO, BUT THEY DON'T.
THEY JUST DON'T. THAT'S WHAT THE GOOD OLD BOY SYSTEM IS.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS IF PEOPLE SAY THAT MUCH ANYMORE.
BACK IN MY DAY, WE SAID IT A LOT.
AND SO, YEAH, AND SO WE NEED A GOOD OLD GIRL SYSTEM, RIGHT? SO THAT WE HELP EACH OTHER THE SAME WAY THAT THAT GUYS DO.
AND WE NEED MEN TO HELP, YOU KNOW, HELP PROMOTE WOMEN AND AND THAT KIND OF THING.
I MEAN, WHEN YOU'RE SITTING IN A MEETING AND A WOMAN SAYS SOMETHING AND PEOPLE SORT OF GO RIGHT PAST IT, AND THEN MIKE SAYS IT AND THEY GO, OH, THAT'S BRILLIANT.
THAT'S A GREAT THING. LET'S DO THAT.
YOU KNOW, MIKE CAN START OFF BY SAYING, YOU KNOW, LINDA SAID A MINUTE AGO THAT THIS RIGHT AND SO THERE ARE THINGS MEN CAN DO TO HELP WITH THOSE INEQUITIES THAT EXIST.
AND SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE'S STILL THE ISSUE OF THE GLASS CEILING AND THERE'S STILL THE ISSUE OF PAY INEQUITY.
YEAH. YOU KNOW, THAT'S AN OBSTACLE IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, YOU WERE TALKING EARLIER ABOUT, YOU'VE GOT TO MAKE ENOUGH MONEY TO BE ABLE TO LIVE, HAVE A HOUSE OR WHATEVER.
AND SO SOMETIMES WOMEN CHOOSE CAREERS BASED ON WHAT THE PAY IS, THEY HAVE TO OUT OF NECESSITY. SO WOMEN CURRENTLY MAKE ABOUT EIGHTY TWO CENTS ON THE DOLLAR FOR THE SAME WORK THAT MEN DO.
AND AGAIN, IT'S LIKE, WHY IS THAT? IT'S IT'S THE SAME WORK, YOU KNOW, AND WE'RE JUST AS CAPABLE.
AND SO SO YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SYSTEMIC ISSUES THERE.
AND IF YOU BREAK IT DOWN, THAT'S ALL WOMEN.
IF YOU BREAK IT DOWN BY RACE ETHNICITY, IT'S EVEN WORSE FOR WOMEN OF COLOR, RIGHT? IT'S MAYBE IN THE SEVENTIES CENTS ON THE DOLLAR, RIGHT? FIFTY FIFTY FIVE.
OH MY GOSH, OK, I DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS THAT BAD.
I LOOKED I SAW THE THE NUMBER FOR THE OVERALL.
SO YEAH, IT'S IT'S THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON THERE, RIGHT? AND SO WE CAN ALL WORK TOGETHER, AS YOU MENTIONED, TO HELP EACH OTHER OUT.
WE NEED A MENTOR EACH OTHER AND HELP BUILD EACH OTHER UP AND BRING EACH OTHER ALONG AND HELP ENCOURAGE EACH OTHER NOT TO BE SO HARD ON OURSELVES, TOO.
SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE, I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF ISSUES THERE, BUT THOSE ARE TWO OF THE ONES THAT I FEEL LIKE ARE STILL THEY'VE BEEN A PROBLEM FOR A LONG TIME AND THEY STILL ARE A PROBLEM. OK, THANK YOU.
REPRESENTATIVE MEABH, I'M GLAD THAT THE DOCTOR RAISED THAT BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE EQUAL PAY LAWS IN TEXAS AND WE NEED AND WE'VE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR YEARS.
THE FACT IS, WE NEED MORE WOMEN ELECTED TO THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE RIGHT NOW.
THERE ARE WE HAVE 30 WOMEN, SO WE NEED MORE THAN 40 MORE WOMEN JUST TO HAVE 50 50 PARITY IN THE TEXAS HOUSE.
SO I'M VERY HONORED TO BE ONE OF THE THIRTY EIGHT AND I THINK WHEN I FIRST GOT THERE, IT WAS, YOU KNOW, IN THE LOW THIRTIES.
SO WE'VE MADE PROGRESS, BUT WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO AND IT CAN BE DONE.
THE NEVADA, TEXAS, THE NEVADA LEGISLATURE IS MAJORITY WOMEN, WHICH IS VERY, VERY EXCITING. AND THEN I SAW SOMETHING ON INSTAGRAM WHERE CNN HAD AN ARTICLE ABOUT FINLAND AND THEIR PRIME MINISTER IS A FEMALE AND THE HEAD OF ALL OF THE PARTIES IN FINLAND.
ARE ALL WOMEN IN THEIR THIRTIES RUNNING THAT COUNTRY, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, INCREDIBLE.
BUT IT SHOULD BE THE NORM FOR US RIGHT TO TO TO SEE IT AS AS AS THE NORM.
AND SO WHEN YOU KNOW, KAMALA HARRIS WAS ELECTED HER FIRST FEMALE VICE PRESIDENT FOR, I SORT OF THINK ABOUT THE LITTLE GIRLS AND IN THE YOUNGER GENERATION WHO.
SEE THAT IT'S POSSIBLE AND THAT THEY CAN ASPIRE TO THAT AS WELL, BUT THE PAY ISSUE, THE FACT THE FACT IS THE LAWS ARE WRITTEN BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN WRITTEN BY MEN FOR GENERATIONS. THEY ARE STACKED IN THEIR FAVOR.
AND SO A LOT OF THE LAWS THAT I FOCUS ON AND I'VE BEEN CRITICIZED FOR IT IN THE PAST, IT'S WHY DO YOU WHY ARE YOUR LAWS MAINLY FOR ISSUES THAT IMPACT WOMEN? AND I BECAUSE IT'S BEEN A CERTAIN WAY FOR SO LONG.
[00:30:03]
WE HAVE TO MAKE UP FOR YEARS AND DECADES OF THE LAWS NOT BEING WRITTEN IN OUR FAVOR.SO A LOT OF THE WORK THAT I DO IS ON ISSUES THAT DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACT WOMEN BECAUSE SOMETIMES FOLKS SAY IT'S WOMEN'S ISSUES.
BUT IT'S NOT JUST A WOMEN'S ISSUE, IT'S EVERYBODY'S ISSUE.
SO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, THE RAPE KIT BACKLOG THAT THE TRUSTEE BROUGHT UP ARE SOME OF MY MAIN PRIORITIES.
AND SO IT'S JUST SO THOSE OBSTACLES THAT WE'RE BREAKING THEM DOWN.
I WANT TO PUT ONE ON YOUR RADAR, A PIECE OF LEGISLATION I PASSED THIS PAST LEGISLATIVE CYCLE, WHICH. I THINK IS GOING TO MAKE A BIG IMPACT FOR SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE WORKPLACE IN PARTICULAR.
THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS IN TEXAS HAD BEEN REALLY SHORT.
IT WAS ONLY ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY DAYS.
MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT THEY THE REALLY SHORT STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS.
SO IF SOMETHING HAPPENS AT WORK, SOMETIMES YOU DON'T WANT TO SHARE WITH SOMEBODY WHAT HAPPENED OR YOU'LL KEEP IT TO YOURSELF.
AND THEN EVENTUALLY, WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE IT'S ABOUT TIME, YOU'LL LEARN, OH, THE STATUTE PASSED LIKE YOU KEPT YOUR WEIGHT, YOUR RIGHTS ARE FOREVER WAIVED.
SO WE EXTENDED THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS IN TEXAS FOR TO MIRROR FEDERAL, WHICH IS THREE HUNDRED DAYS. I THINK IT SHOULD BE LONGER, BUT IT WAS A HUGE, HUGE START AND THAT GIVES.
AND IT'S NOT JUST WOMEN, IT'S MEANT TO, BUT MORE TIME TO BE ABLE TO REPORT THAT THEY ARE A VICTIM OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE WORKPLACE.
AND SO THAT IS FOR FOR TEXAS, AS YOU KNOW, I THINK AS CONSERVATIVE AS SOME OF THE LAWS ARE FOR US TO EXPAND THAT FOR FOR FOR SEXUAL HARASSMENT SURVIVORS IS A BIG DEAL.
SO AND WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
SO I'M SHARING WITH YOU ALL. BUT THE OBSTACLES, WE JUST HAVE TO CONTINUE TO KNOCK THEM DOWN. I THINK ONE OF THE OTHER PROBLEMS AND I'LL WRAP UP HERE IS THAT WE ALSO HAVE TO HAVE FAITH IN OURSELVES AND BELIEVE IN OURSELVES.
AND YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU TOUCHED ON THIS, DR., BECAUSE THE IF WE DON'T THINK THAT WE CAN DO IT, WE CRITICIZE OURSELVES.
OFTEN WE HAVE TO BELIEVE IF YOU BELIEVE YOU CAN DO IT AND AND NOTHING WILL, NOTHING WILL STOP YOU. SO JUST HAVE FAITH.
BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. GREAT AND THANK YOU FOR WORKING ON THAT LEGISLATION THAT I'M SURE WILL BENEFIT MANY WOMEN AND MEN IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I MEAN, THE OTHER TWO PANELISTS SAID SOME AMAZING THINGS.
VICTORIA MENTIONED THE SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY OF HOW WE TALK ABOUT OURSELVES TO OURSELVES, RIGHT? THAT INSIDE VOICE.
I THINK THERE'S ALSO CULTURALLY SOME DIFFERENCES.
I THINK WHAT'S REALLY DOPE ABOUT BEING A PRESIDENT AND CEO IS I GET TO SET CULTURE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. LIKE THAT IS AN EXCITING REGARDLESS IF WE MOVE THE NEEDLE ON HOMELESSNESS. I'M IN A POSITION TO BE ABLE TO NOW SET CULTURE.
SO SPECIFICALLY, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? WE DO A PAY EQUITY AUDIT BEFORE SOMEBODY COMES TO US AND SAYS, I DON'T FEEL LIKE WE'RE I'M BEING PAID RIGHT EQUITABLY.
THAT MEANS WE GO IN AND WE SEE THAT BLACK WOMEN AREN'T BEING PAID EQUITABLY.
SO BEFORE YOU EVEN ASK, WE'RE GIVING YOU THE INCREASE IN YOUR PAY.
RIGHT. THAT'S SETTING A CULTURE OF NOT WAITING FOR YOU TO HAVE TO SPEAK UP.
BUT REALLY, YOU'RE IN A POSITION OF POWER AND YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO SERVE THOSE EQUITABLY, SERVE YOUR STAFF EQUITABLY.
SO NOT JUST IN A PAY EQUITY AUDIT.
WE HAVE A MINDFULNESS AND LACTATION ROOM.
BEFORE YOU ASK RIGHT BEFORE YOU ASK, WE GET TO SET A TONE, WHICH IS REALLY EXCITING.
I THINK SOME OF OUR OBSTACLES AND CHALLENGES IS SOME WOMEN JUST WANT TO PERPETUATE A MALE DOMINATED ATMOSPHERE BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT YOU THAT'S ALL, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE AIR YOU BREATHE LIKE A FISH AND WATER, RIGHT? WHEN WE TALK ABOUT EQUITY IN MY SPACE.
WE TALK ABOUT THE TOXICITY OF WATER TO FISH, RIGHT? OR SALTWATER, A FISH.
WHEN YOU TAKE THEM TO FRESHWATER, THEY'RE GOING TO DIE.
AND SOMETIMES WE'VE LEARNED TO OPERATE AND BREATHE AND DRINK SALTWATER FOR SO LONG THAT WHEN GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO SET POLICY FOR FRESH WATER, WE LOSE OUR MIND, RIGHT? AND SO THE BEAUTY IS Y'ALL CAN TELL I'M REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS.
THE BEAUTY IS WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH, ARE ALL OF THE WOMEN THAT SAID NO MORE, NO MORE TRANSGENDER WOMEN THAT SAID NO MORE.
THIS IS NOT HAPPENING. YOU'RE NOT COMING TO BUST UP US AS WE'RE TRYING TO PARTY AND HAVE A GOOD TIME IN CELEBRATION.
NO MORE. I'M I'M BURNING MY BRA.
NO MORE. ARE YOU GOING TO TELL ME I CAN'T VOTE NO MORE? ARE YOU GOING TO TELL ME I CAN'T WORK IN THE ARMED FORCES AND I'M GOING TO DO WHAT I WANT TO DO? SO THERE'S PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN HERE AND THAT CONTINUE TO BE HERE, LIKE VICTORIA, LIKE THE DOCTOR.
NO MORE, RIGHT, AND WE'RE GETTING AN OPPORTUNITY THAT IS DOPE AF TO SET CULTURE, TO SET POLICY LEGISLATION BECAUSE IT'S LIKE IT'S NO MORE.
[00:35:02]
SOMETIMES IT'S IT'S FOLKS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO BE.FORCED TO MAKE THE CHANGE AND THOSE POLICIES BEST BELIEVE OUR POLICY ABOUT PAY EQUITY IS GOING IN IN THE EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK.
RIGHT NOW, YOU CAN TRY TO REMOVE IT ONCE I'M GONE, BUT IT'S IN THE EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK AND WHAT I'M DOING IS FOSTERING AN ENVIRONMENT THAT MY STAFF UNDERSTANDS IS OFF, TOP OFF TOP.
WE'RE THINKING ABOUT EQUITY, WE'RE THINKING ABOUT VACATION.
I HAVE I HAVE A POWER OF REST.
PREACH SERMON THAT THEY PROBABLY TIRED OF HEARING ME TALK ABOUT.
OUR THEME FOR THIS YEAR IS DIG IN, NOT ONLY DIG IN PROFESSIONALLY, BUT DIG IN TO FINISH THAT BOOK YOU THOUGHT YOU WANTED.
DIG IN. TAKE THOSE COLLEGE COURSES THAT YOU HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO.
DIG IN WITH YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS RELATIONSHIPS.
BUT THAT'S THE UNIQUE POWER, IN MY OPINION, OF FEMININITY.
IN ALL OF ITS ESSENCE, RIGHT? RELATIONSHIPS MATTER, A CULTURE THAT WANTS TO SEE YOU THRIVE AND MATTERS, AND WE DON'T HAVE TO ACQUIESCE.
WE DON'T HAVE TO ACQUIESCE TO DOMINANCE THAT HAS BEEN HERE.
WE DON'T HAVE TO PERPETUATE THE DOMINANCE THAT'S BEEN HERE.
WE ALL CAN SAY NO MORE AND THEN GET IN THESE POSITIONS.
THAT'S REALLY ALSO ONE OF MY MOTIVATIONS CONTINUE TO TO STRIVE IS BECAUSE I'M SAYING NO MORE. AND WHERE CAN I GET INTO A POSITION OF POWER BY GETTING ALL THESE DEGREES? Y'ALL HAVING A BUILDING RIGHT THAT I CAN GET INTO A POSITION OF POWER THAT I CAN SAY NO MORE? IT'S NOT GOING TO BE DONE THIS WAY, IT'S GOING TO BE UNCOMFORTABLE FOR ALL OF US BECAUSE WE'VE LEARNED TO SWIM IN SALTWATER FOR SO LONG AND EVEN FOR MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN AND OTHERS, CHANGING THAT FILTER IS TOUGH.
BUT WHAT? WE'RE GOING TO GET THERE.
I'M TAKING NOTE, BECAUSE AFTER THIS, I'M GOING TO ASK YOU TO SHARE YOUR PAY EQUITY POLICY WITH ME AND THE POWER OF BRASS BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT I OFFER MY MY EMPLOYEES LIKE A MENTAL HEALTH DAY BECAUSE SOMETIMES YOU JUST NEED TO LIKE STAY HOME OR NOT, MAYBE NOT STAY HOME, BUT NOT GO TO WORK. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR POWERFUL WORDS.
SO OUR NEXT QUESTION WE'LL START WITH REPRESENTATIVE ADAM.
WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR INSPIRATION TO SUCCEED AND DO EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO? I. FROM OTHER PEOPLE'S COURAGE.
I'LL GIVE SO ONE PERSON IN PARTICULAR, LAVINIA MASTERS, WHO ALLOWED ME TO NAME A BIG BILL AFTER HER WAS RAPED AT 12 YEARS OLD WHEN SOMEBODY CRAWLED THROUGH HER WINDOW HERE IN THE DALLAS AREA AND SHE WENT TO A HOSPITAL WHERE THEY CONDUCT A RAPE KIT.
SAME EXAM IS WHAT IT'S CALLED, AND EVIDENCE GOES INTO A BOX ABOUT THIS BIG AND IT'S CALLED A RAPE KIT. HER KIT SAT ON THE SHELF, UNTESTED FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS, 20 YEARS BEFORE IT FINALLY GOT TESTED.
AND WHEN SHE TELLS HER STORY AND THE HOW SHE NEVER GAVE UP TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED WITH THAT EVIDENCE, SHE CONTINUED TO HAVE THIS CONCERN THAT THIS INDIVIDUAL WAS OUT ON THE STREET.
STILL, HE WAS EVENTUALLY ARRESTED BECAUSE HE COMMITTED IT MORE THAN ONCE.
BUT HER STORY, THE STORIES OF WOMEN ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHO RAISE THEIR VOICES DURING THE METOO MOVEMENT JUST AND THE THAT THE POWER THAT COMES WITH THAT IS SO INSPIRATIONAL AND IT GIVES US IT GIVES ME THE DRIVE TO CONTINUE TO WANT TO CONTINUE TO TO KNOCK THOSE BARRIERS DOWN IN THE LAW SO THAT WE CAN SO THAT THEY'RE NOT THERE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
SO THAT'S WHAT I'M INSPIRED BY.
I ALSO SORT OF THINK ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHEN WE KNOCK ON DOORS TO TO LISTEN TO THE NEEDS OF OUR CONSTITUENTS AND ALSO TO WHATEVER.
WE ALSO ASK FOR THEIR SUPPORT.
BUT WHEN WE GO THERE KNOCKING ON DOORS, I'VE HEARD FROM SO MANY PEOPLE ABOUT STORIES, THINGS THAT ARE IMPACTING THEM, WHETHER IT'S HEALTH CARE OR WHATEVER.
BUT I OFTEN THINK ABOUT THESE LITTLE GIRLS THAT I MET WHILE KNOCKING ON DOORS IN THIS APARTMENT COMPLEX OFF OF GARLAND ROAD.
AND THEY WERE IT WAS A LOWER INCOME APARTMENT COMPLEX, AND THESE LITTLE GIRLS WERE OUT THERE PLAYING, AND I DON'T THINK ANYBODY HAD EVER KNOCKED IN THE DOOR THERE TO TALK TO FOLKS. AND I TOOK A PICTURE WITH THEM AND PUT IT ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA, ON OUR INSTAGRAM.
AND ONE OF THE LITTLE GIRLS REPLIED TO THE THE INSTAGRAM POST AND SAID, THANK YOU FOR TALKING WITH US.
AND IT WAS SOMETHING LIKE VERY SIMPLE AND BASIC LIKE THAT THAT THEY SAID AND I SORT OF THOUGHT ABOUT.
I HAVE THAT. I HAVE THEIR PICTURE IN MY OFFICE.
SO WHEN WE'RE HAVING LIKE THOSE TOUGH VOTES, I THINK BACK AT MY CONVERSATION WITH THEM AND I KNOW THAT LIKE, I'M HOPEFUL THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE
[00:40:05]
A BRIGHT FUTURE. AND SO THEY INSPIRE ME.AND AND JUST SOMETIMES IT'S JUST LITTLE THINGS LIKE THAT THAT THAT DRIVE US TO CONTINUE TO DO THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING. AWESOME.
JOLIE, SAME QUESTION, WHAT INSPIRES YOU? OH, YEAH.
OH, MAN, WHAT INSPIRES ME, I AM A CHRISTIAN BY FAITH.
SO GOD AND HIS ULTIMATE WISDOM, GRACE AND MERCY.
I'M ALSO REALLY CAUGHT UP ON ON A HASHTAG LEGACY WORK.
IT'S JUST THE HASHTAG I MADE UP, BUT IT REALLY DON'T TRY.
DON'T TRY TO FIND IT. I GOT REALLY SERIOUS.
I'M A CO-CHAIR OF THIS ORGANIZATION KNOWN AS DALLAS TRUTH, RACIAL HEALING AND TRANSFORMATION, AND WE REALLY TALK ABOUT ABOUT THAT WORK OF OF TRANSFORMING OUR SYSTEMS THROUGH TRUTH TELLING AND RELATIONSHIP BUILDING.
BUT WHEN I SAY YES TO SOME THINGS LIKE BEING A CO-CHAIR OF THAT OR JOINING THIS ORGANIZATION OR SAY NO TO SOME THINGS BECAUSE I HAVE LEARNED THE POWER OF NO.
TWO, RIGHT? SURE, THAT'S BEEN A BLESSING FOR ME.
IT'S LIKE, HOW IS THIS IMPACTING MY LITTLE CORNER OF THE WORLD, WHAT LEGACY AM I LEAVING? NOT A LEGACY AND LIKE A STATUE OR A PLAQUE OR A STAR ON THE HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME? BUT HOW AM I? IS YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE FACE OF THOSE YOUNG GIRLS? LIKE, HOW AM I IMPROVING THE SITUATION THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE GROWING UP IN? HOW AM I IMPROVING THE WATERS IN WHICH THEY'RE GOING TO BE SWIMMING IN? SO REALLY, THAT'S MY INSPIRATION TO KNOW THAT TRULY, I ONLY HAD ITS YOLO, RIGHT? WE ONLY HAVE ONE LIFE TO LIVE.
AND HOW AM I GOING TO LIVE THESE THESE DAYS AND THESE YEARS KNOWING THAT I'M I'M FOCUSED ON LEGACY, ON LEAVING A LEGACY AND MAKING IT BETTER FOR THOSE THAT THAT MAY NOT EVER GET INVITED TO A ROOM ONTO A PANEL CONVERSATION OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
HOW AM I LEAVING IT BETTER THAN THAN WHEN I CAME INTO IT? IT'S GREAT. VERY POWERFUL.
I DON'T KNOW. IN CASE YOU WERE TAKING A NAP.
THERE YOU GO. OH, A LOT OF CLOUD, OK, AM I GET? ALL RIGHT. WELL, SO I HAVE TWO SOURCES.
SO MY DAD WAS BORN IN MISSISSIPPI, WENT THROUGH SECOND GRADE AND HAD TO STOP AND WORK IN THE COTTON FIELDS, AND THEY HAD 13 KIDS.
AND SO HE ENDED UP MOVING TO CALIFORNIA.
THAT'S WHERE I WAS BORN AND WE WE ENDED UP MOVING BACK TO THE TO THE MIDWEST.
BUT HE ALWAYS TOLD ME, GET ALL THE SCHOOL, YOU CAN GET ALL THE SCHOOL, YOU CAN GET ALL THE SCHOOL YOU CAN'T GET. I MEAN, THAT'S JUST LIKE PLAYS OVER AND OVER AND OVER IN MY HEAD. SO I DO.
I MEAN, HE REALLY DID INSPIRE ME TO.
I GOT A BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN MATH, I GOT A MASTER'S DEGREE IN MATH AND I GOT A DOCTORATE IN MATH. YOU KNOW, IT WAS SORT OF THAT GIVE ME ALL THE DEGREES YOU HAVE.
AND IT WAS REALLY, I MEAN, TO BE A MATH PROFESSOR, I NEEDED A MASTER'S DEGREE.
BUT BUT IT WAS MY DAD THAT REALLY WAS THERE IN THE BACKGROUND, AND HE PASSED AWAY WHEN I WAS IN MY EARLY TWENTIES.
SO HE HASN'T BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME, BUT THOSE WORDS HAVE ALWAYS ECHOED IN MY HEAD.
SO ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS, NOW IT'S REALLY THE STUDENTS THAT WE SERVE, AND IT'S ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT STUDENTS AND LEARNING, YOU KNOW, AS MY AS MY CAREER HAS MOVED ON AND AS I'VE GOTTEN OLDER, MORE MATURE AND MORE SELF-REFLECTIVE ON WHAT REALLY MOTIVATES ME, I'VE REALIZED THAT FIRST IT WAS, YOU KNOW, MATH IS HARD.
AS AS THE YEARS HAVE GONE ON, I'VE REALIZED IT'S ABOUT INEQUITY IN EDUCATION, AND SO GOD KNOWS WE'RE ONE OF THE WORST IN MATH ABOUT.
WE GUARD IT LIKE A SECRET CLUB.
YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT TO BE JUST SO YOU'VE GOT TO BE SMART ENOUGH OR WHATEVER TO BE ABLE TO GET A DEGREE IN MATH AND SHOULDN'T BE LIKE THAT.
AND SO WHEN I WAS IN D.C., WE WROTE A DOCUMENT CALLED A COMMON VISION AND WE PUT A MANIFESTO IN THE FRONT.
AND WHEN WE SENT IT OUT TO MEMBERS OF THE MATH COMMUNITY TO REVIEW AND GIVE US FEEDBACK BEFORE WE ACTUALLY PUBLISHED IT, THEY WERE LIKE, ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO CALL IT A MANIFESTO? AND WE WERE LIKE, WELL, SO WE HAVE THIS LEADERSHIP GROUP, SO WE'D GET ON THE PHONE FOR AN HOUR AND TALK ABOUT, DO WE WANT TO CALL IT THAT? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF IN YOUR FACE TO CALL IT A MANIFESTO.
AND SO AT THE END OF THE CALL, WE THOUGHT, YEP, WE WANT TO CALL IT A MANIFESTO, AND THEN WE'D SEND IT OUT TO SOME OTHER GROUP AND THEY'D GO, ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO CALL IT MANIFESTO? SO I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY CONVERSATIONS WE HAD ABOUT THAT, BUT WE DID FINALLY
[00:45:03]
PUBLISH IT AND IT SAYS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT TO GET OVER OURSELVES, YOU KNOW, AND THE ARROGANCE AND THAT KIND OF THING.SO THAT IDEA OF OF INEQUITABLE ACCESS TO EDUCATION, YOU KNOW, TO MATHEMATICS AND THAT SENSE, BUT TO EDUCATION ACROSS THE BOARD.
AND SO THAT IS A DRIVING PASSION FOR ME, AS WELL AS UNDERSTANDING WHAT EDUCATION CAN DO FOR YOU IN TERMS OF SOCIAL MOBILITY, RIGHT? AND SO SOMETIMES YOU DO JUST NEED A DEGREE FOR WHATEVER THE JOB IS.
IT MIGHT BE IN BASKET WEAVING, BUT IT MIGHT BE IMPORTANT THAT YOU HAVE A DEGREE.
AND SOMETIMES IT'S THE TRAINING AND THE SKILLS THAT YOU GET AND A DEGREE DOESN'T MATTER.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR, RIGHT? WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOUR GOALS ARE SO THAT YOU CAN INCREASE YOUR YOUR ECONOMIC STATUS AND BE ABLE TO TO EXPERIENCE THAT SOCIAL MOBILITY AND BETTER YOURSELF THAT WAY.
THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR.
SO THAT'S DEFINITELY THE DAILY.
THE DAY TO DAY INSPIRATION FOR ME IS THE STUDENTS THAT THAT WE SERVE.
GREAT. OK, SO THE NEXT QUESTION.
AND IF ANYBODY WANTS TO JUMP IN, FEEL FREE.
DO YOU HAVE ANY MANTRAS OR QUOTES THAT REALLY SPEAK TO YOU? A REPRESENTATIVE IN MIAMI, THANKS, RALPH.
THANK YOU. SO WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL, I LEARNED ABOUT CARPE DIEM, SO SEIZE THE DAY AND I LIKE RAISE YOUR HAND.
IF YOU'RE INSTEAD OF, JUST BE NERVOUS ABOUT ANSWERING SOMETHING AS COOL, LIKE SEIZE THE DAY, JUST RAISE YOUR HAND. OR IF IT'S A CLUB THAT YOU WANT TO TRY OUT FOR, YOU KNOW, SEIZE THE DAY. NOW, AS A NOW, I THINK IN THE LAST FEW YEARS AS I'VE SORT OF READ SOME BOOKS AND MY MY PHILOSOPHY IS MORE OF THAT, THAT BE POSITIVE ATTITUDE THAT, YOU KNOW AND.
WE SOMETIMES CRITICIZE OURSELVES, AS WE DISCUSSED, BUT JUST SORT OF HAVING TRIED TO LOOK AT THE SILVER LINING AND THINGS AND THEN ALSO WHAT WE HAVE DECIDED AS A AS A TEAM IS OUR OFFICES, OUR THEME FOR THE YEAR AND THE NEXT SESSION IS LEADING WITH LOVE IN THE LEGISLATURE. AND SO FOCUSING, IF WE LED WITH LOVE, THEN A LOT OF OUR LAWS WE WOULD HAVE MEDICAID EXPANSION IN TEXAS.
FOR LOTS OF FOLKS WHO ARE NOT COVERED.
IF WE LED WITH LOVE, WE WOULDN'T HAVE HAD A SITUATION WHERE CHILDREN WERE IN CAGES ON THE BORDER. IF WE LED WITH LOVE, WE WOULD HAVE EQUAL PAY FOR FOR WOMEN.
IF WE LED WITH LOVE, WE WOULD HAVE A STATEWIDE NONDISCRIMINATION LAW WHERE FOR OUR LGBTQ COMMUNITY. SO THERE'S SO THAT THAT'S THE LENS THROUGH WHICH I'M WE'RE LEADING OUR OFFICE AND THE LEGISLATION THAT WILL BE FILING IS GOING TO BE THROUGH THAT.
I HAVE TWO ONE IS FROM A COUNTRY SONG.
I'M NOT A FAN OF COUNTRY, BUT THIS LYRIC, I DON'T WANT YOU TO GET THE WRONG IMPRESSION TO ME. BUT THIS ONE LYRIC I HEARD IN A SONG AND IT WAS AMAZING BECAUSE I CAN.
I'M A I CAN THINK A LOT AND INTERNALIZE LIKE WHAT PEOPLE, WHAT I THINK PEOPLE ARE THINKING IN THIS COUNTRY, LYRIC SAYS.
AND I HEARD IT SOME YEARS AGO.
NOBODY IS THINKING ABOUT YOU AS MUCH AS YOU THINK THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT YOU.
AND SO IT FREED ME JUST A LITTLE BIT FROM LIKE THAT SELF-TALK WE DO.
AM I TALKING TOO MUCH OR AM I TALKING TOO LITTLE? AM I TOO LOUD? AM I TOO BOISTEROUS? AM I NOT DRESSED APPROPRIATELY LIKE RIGHT IN MY DRESS LIKE A CEO? EVEN IN THIS NEW SPACE, RIGHT? THE IMPOSTER SYNDROME IS REAL FOR US AS WOMEN, AND EVEN IN THIS NEW ROLE THAT I STARTED AT THE END OF AUGUST, IT REARED ITS UGLY HEAD AGAIN.
AM I DRESSED LIKE A CEO OR AM I ACTING LIKE A CEO? AM I STANDING LIKE ONE? AM I WRITING, AM I RIGHT? ALL OF THOSE THINGS CREEP INTO MY HEAD.
AND SO THAT COUNTRY SONG LYRIC JUST IS MY WAY OF LIKE GIRL EXIT IS WHAT IT'S LOOP THINKING. I HAVE A BUNCH OF TERMS. THAT'S LUPE THINKING, THAT'S UNPRODUCTIVE UNTIL I TELL MYSELF AND MY FRIENDS EXIT.
IT'S TIME TO TURN ON YOUR BLINKER AND EXIT.
AND SO THAT PHRASE HELPS ME EXIT FROM THAT INTERNAL DIALOG THAT REALLY CAN CAN SPIRAL YOU DOWNWARD. NOBODY IS THINKING ABOUT YOU AS MUCH AS YOU THINK THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT YOU.
WE'RE ALL PRETTY SELFISH PEOPLE.
RYAN, WE'RE REALLY THINKING ABOUT OURSELVES MOST OF THE TIME, NOT EACH OTHER.
AND THEN THE OTHER ONE IS BE THE CHANGE WE WISH TO SEE IN THE WORLD THAT THAT QUOTE HAS BEEN MY FAVORITE, PROBABLY SINCE I WAS A TEENAGER, AND I CAN'T CONTROL ANYTHING ELSE BUT MYSELF, AND I JUST WANT TO SHOW UP IN THAT WAY TO BE THE CHANGE THAT I WANT TO SEE.
YEAH, SO MY MOST INSTRUCTIVE FOR MYSELF IS MAYA ANGELOU.
PEOPLE WILL FORGET WHAT YOU SAID, THEY'LL FORGET WHAT YOU DID, BUT THEY'LL NEVER FORGET HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.
SO THAT IS NOT MY IS, NOT MY THING.
I'M I'M LIKE, YOU KNOW, CAME FROM WORKING CLASS FAMILY.
IT'S LIKE, DO YOUR JOB, SUCK IT UP, QUIT YOUR WHINING.
[00:50:03]
I MEAN, LITERALLY, THAT'S THAT PLAYS IN MY HEAD, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S MY PERSONALITY, RIGHT? LIKE, JUST DO YOUR JOB RIGHT, MINE.AND SO AND SO I HAVE WATCHED OVER THE YEARS.
WHEN I WORKED THERE, I WAS A VICE PRESIDENT AND SHE WAS OUR INTERIM PRESIDENT AND SHE WAS THE BEST I'D EVER SEEN AT THAT POINT IN MY LIFE.
SHE SHE WOULD DO SMALL THINGS LIKE WE WERE GOING TO HAVE A LUNCHEON, AND IT WAS HER FIRST LUNCHEON THAT SHE HOSTED AFTER SHE CAME INTO THE INTERIM AND SHE STOOD AT THE LINE LIKE WHEN PEOPLE WERE COMING IN BEFORE THEY GOT TO THE FOOD AND SHE SHOOK EVERYBODY'S HAND, SPOKE TO EVERYBODY.
PEOPLE TALKED ABOUT THAT FOR MONTHS AROUND THERE.
AND I JUST KIND OF SAT BACK AND WATCHED AND I THOUGHT, THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE REMEMBERING IS HOW SHE MADE THEM FEEL THAT THEY WERE IMPORTANT ENOUGH FOR HER ANYWAY.
AND THEN NOW KAY EGGLESTON, WHO'S OUR PRESIDENT, ONE OF OUR PRESIDENTS HERE AT DALLAS COLLEGE AT RICHLAND.
I MEAN, SHE'S SHE'S VERY COGNIZANT OF IT, AND I HEAR THINGS THAT SHE SAYS AND I'M LIKE, OH YEAH, I GOT TO REMEMBER THAT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I'M NOT THINKING ABOUT THAT.
AND SO, SO THERE HAVE BEEN SOME GOOD EXAMPLES THAT I'VE SEEN IN MY CAREER, AND I TRY TO REMEMBER THAT. BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE QUOTES THAT I THAT I ALWAYS TRY TO REMEMBER BECAUSE THAT'S NOT MY NATURE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT, AND I KNOW IT IS IMPORTANT.
SO. AT WHITE, WOMEN WERE GIVEN THE RIGHT TO VOTE IN 19 20.
IT WOULD TAKE ANOTHER FORTY FIVE YEARS FOR MINORITY GROUPS SUCH AS LATINA AND BLACK WOMEN TO BE GIVEN THE RIGHT TO VOTE BY PRESIDENT LYNDON B.
JOHNSON THROUGH THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT IN NINETEEN SIXTY FIVE.
DO YOU THINK THERE ARE STEREOTYPES OR IMPLIED GENDER ROLES THAT PREVENT WOMEN FROM SUCCEEDING? AND I KNOW DR.
BRADLEY TOUCHED ON THIS A LITTLE BIT EARLIER, BUT IF ANYBODY WANTS TO CHIME IN ON IN YOUR PERSPECTIVE, YOUR THOUGHTS.
I, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S SO MANY ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND I HAVE BLIND SPOTS I DON'T HAVE, I DON'T HAVE KIDS.
I HAVE A DOG WHO'S 10 YEARS OLD.
HER NAME IS JORDAN. DANIELLE ROBINSON.
IF YOU ALL WANTED TO KNOW AND I, I HAVE MY STAFF, YOU KNOW, I'VE GIVEN PERMISSION IS NOT THE WORD, BUT BUT MY CEO IS A IS A WORKING MOTHER.
AND I'VE SAID IF THERE'S EVER POLICY OR PRACTICES OR ANYTHING, I SHOULD BE MINDFUL OF THAT I'M NOT AWARE OF.
CHECK ME. LET ME KNOW WHAT, WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? I THINK THERE'S THERE'S GENDER, YOU KNOW, RESTRICTIONS, STEREOTYPES, ROLES THAT WE ALSO FALL INTO.
I COME FROM WORKING CLASS STOCK TO WRITE, MY STEPDAD IS A FIREFIGHTER.
MY MOM WAS AN IN AND WE WERE LIKE, GET IT TOGETHER, WHAT ARE YOU? THERE'S NO CRYING IN BASEBALL.
BUT THERE'S ALSO AN EXPECTATION FOR ME IN MY ROLE TO BE THIS NURTURER, RIGHT, TO BE THIS MOTHERLY FIGURE TO SHOW UP AT WORK AND AND IT'S AN ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITY THAT I DON'T I DON'T THINK MEN HAVE THAT ADDED LAYER OF CARING FOR YOUR EMOTIONS IN A WORKPLACE.
AND SO THERE'S ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITY NOT ONLY TO MEET THE TARGETS OF ENDING, OF MAKING THE EXPERIENCE OF HOMELESSNESS RARE, BRIEF AND NON-RECURRING.
BUT THERE'S THESE MOVING EXPECTATIONS OF WELL, THEN CARE FOR YOUR STAFF AND TAKE THEM TO LUNCH AND AND BE FRIENDLY.
LIKE ALL OF THESE, THESE DIFFERENT EXPECTATIONS.
THAT'S THEN ADDED ON TO ME THAT QUITE FRANKLY, GETS TO BE A BIT MUCH RIGHT.
YOU THEN ARE IN A POSITION WHERE YOU'RE YOU'RE YOU ARE ACCOUNTABLE TO MEETING THE NEEDS AND DEMANDS OF YOUR ORGANIZATION AND COMMUNITY.
BUT THEN ALL OF THESE OTHER GENDER EXPECTATIONS ARE ON IN A BACKPACK THAT YOU'RE CARRYING AROUND WITH YOU THAT ADD TO THE LOAD THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO DO.
I HAVE TO ORDER LUNCH ONE DAY, HAS A MALE CEO AT EVER HAD TO THINK ABOUT ORDERING LUNCH, RIGHT? I ALSO DEMAND THINGS OF MY STAFF.
WHY WOULD YOU THINK I NEED TO ORDER LUNCH? WHERE IS MY EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT? THE MALE CEO HAD AN EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT.
HE DIDN'T HAVE TO DO HIS OWN CALENDAR.
WHY DO I HAVE TO DO MY OWN CALENDAR? WHY DON'T YOU HAVE AN EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT? I'M GETTING ONE. JUST THAT I'M GETTING ONE.
YEAH, SO I THINK THOSE THOSE ADDED.
AND I DON'T KNOW THAT UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT EQUITY WORK, WE TALK ABOUT NOT ONLY THE INTENTIONAL CONSEQUENCES AND IMPACT, BUT THE UNINTENTIONAL.
AND BEING A WOMAN AND THE EXPECTATIONS AND DEMANDS THAT ARE PLACED WITH YOU ARE A LOT OF UNINTENTIONAL. YOU SHOULD BE DOING THIS.
YOU SHOULD NOT DRESS LIKE THIS, YOU SHOULD SPEAK LIKE THIS.
YOU SHOULD ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT ARE THEN LUMPED ON YOU THAT JUST CREATE EXTRA.
BLAIR? YEAH, ESPECIALLY AS A CEO AND LEADER AND TALKING ABOUT WE'VE BEEN WE BEEN CALLED
[00:55:01]
WORDS THAT I WILL NOT SAY HERE, BUT THE SAME BEHAVIOR BY A MAN.BRADLEY, WOULD YOU LIKE TO EXPAND ON HOW WE CAN OVERCOME SOME OF THESE STEREOTYPES? I THINK I THINK IT'S HARD BECAUSE WE DO WORRY SO MUCH.
I THINK, GENERALLY SPEAKING, WE WORRY A LOT ABOUT WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK ABOUT US, AND THAT'S REALLY HARD SOMETIMES.
YOU MENTIONED ALSO BEING SO HARD ON OURSELVES.
AND SO I THINK WE WE HAVE TO TO BAND TOGETHER, RIGHT, WE HAVE TO JOIN TOGETHER.
IT'S IT'S NOT A I DON'T FEEL LIKE IT'S A WE DO IT IN ISOLATION THING.
YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S THE TRIBE OF WOMEN OR WHETHER IT'S THE TRIBE AT DALLAS COLLEGE OR WHATEVER, IT HAPPENS TO BE RIGHT.
I THINK THAT THERE ARE SOCIETAL NORMS FOR FOR THESE KINDS OF THINGS, AND WE JUST HAVE TO WE JUST HAVE TO STAND UP AND SAY, NO, YOU SAID EXIT, RIGHT, YOU GOT TO EXIT THAT.
WE'VE GOT TO CHANGE THE CULTURE AND SORT OF, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT OK TO JUDGE PEOPLE BY, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE.
I MEAN, THAT'S THE THING I WAS THINKING OF.
THAT MAYBE IS THE THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM, MAYBE WE DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT AS MUCH IS WHAT PEOPLE LOOK LIKE BECAUSE I HAVE GOTTEN THAT MY WHOLE CAREER.
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE YOU'RE ON THE PLANE AND YOU SIT DOWN AND YOU KNOW, WHAT DO YOU DO AND WHAT DO YOU DO WHENEVER I SAY, YOU KNOW, I'M A PROFESSOR OR WHATEVER? WHAT DO YOU TEACH MATH? PEOPLE GO, REALLY? I MEAN, LIKE AND I'M LIKE, WHAT? I LOOK SMART. I MEAN, WHAT? WHY IS THAT SUCH A SURPRISE? BECAUSE I'M NOT A MAN. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I DON'T OBVIOUSLY, I DON'T SAY THAT TO THEM, BUT IT ALWAYS I'VE GOTTEN THAT SO MUCH.
YOU DON'T LOOK LIKE ANY MATH PROFESSOR I EVER HAD LIKE THAT KIND OF THING, OR EVEN WHEN I WAS IN D.C.
SO I'VE BEEN KNOWN TO WEAR PINK OR PURPLE SPARKLY NAIL POLISH.
AND I'LL NEVER FORGET THERE WAS LIKE IT WAS MY FIRST YEAR THERE AND THERE WAS AN OLDER WOMAN WHO WAS MATHEMATICIAN WHO HAD BEEN REALLY INVOLVED IN AN ORGANIZATION.
WE WERE IN A MEETING AND SHE WENT LIKE THIS.
SHE GOES, LET ME SEE YOUR NAILS.
SHE GOES, WOW, YOU'VE GOT SPARKLY NAIL POLISH.
YOU DON'T LOOK LIKE A MATHEMATICIAN.
AND I'M LIKE, WHAT? WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT? YOU KNOW? AND SO THERE THERE ARE THOSE THINGS THAT SOMETIMES PEOPLE THINK THEM AND THEY DON'T SAY THEM, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT GUILTY OF THAT KIND OF THING AND EVEN THAT WE'RE NOT DOING THAT IN OUR HEAD RIGHT AND JUDGING PEOPLE BY WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THE CLASSIC NOT NECESSARILY ABOUT WOMEN, BUT, YOU KNOW, A BLACK MAN WALKING DOWN THE STREET IN A HOODIE.
WHAT KIND OF CONCLUSIONS DO WE JUMP TO? SO THERE'S LOTS OF BIASES THERE BASED ON WHAT PEOPLE LOOK LIKE, AND WE NEED TO JUST STOP.
WE NEED TO EXIT AND STOP DOING THAT KIND OF THING.
SO. SO I THINK IT TAKES A VILLAGE DEFINITELY IN THIS KIND OF FOR THIS SORT OF A THING TO OVERCOME IT. I MEAN, YOU CAN WORK ON YOUR OWN SELF-CONFIDENCE, GET A MENTOR, SOMEBODY WHO CAN HELP YOU WITH THAT AND WORK ON YOURSELF.
BUT IT'S ALSO BIGGER THAN JUST ANY ONE OF US.
I THINK WE ALL HAVE TO DO OUR PART IN THIS.
DO WHAT YOU CAN DO WHERE YOU ARE.
YES. REPRESENTATIVE MIAMI, I WOULD JUST TOUCH ON THE VOTING RIGHTS THING IF THAT'S OK BECAUSE THERE IS A NATIONAL MOVEMENT RIGHT NOW TO TRY TO ROLL BACK THOSE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT LBJ, THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT.
THERE IS A NATIONAL MOVEMENT TO TO CHANGE THE LAWS IN TEXAS LEGISLATURES.
IT'S WAS SUCH A HUGE AND WE KNOW ONE VOTE HAS THE POWER TO CHANGE THE TRAJECTORY OF A COUNTRY. ONE VOTE HAS THE POWER TO CHANGE OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES IN THE PEOPLE THAT WE ELECT AND CHOOSE TO REPRESENT US.
SO THIS PAST YEAR, THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION, WE LEGISLATURE MEETS ONCE EVERY ODD NUMBERED YEAR. AND THEN IF THERE'S AN EMERGENCY SPECIAL SESSION THERE IN 30 DAY INCREMENTS THAT ARE CALLED BY THE GOVERNOR, WE I KNOW THIS NONPARTISAN AREA.
I'M A DEMOCRAT, VERY PROUD TO BE A DEMOCRAT, AND WE DEMOCRATS BROKE QUORUM AND THIS PAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION TO TRY TO SHINE A NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT ON WHAT'S HAPPENING IN TEXAS AND WHAT HAPPENED WITH RESPECT TO OUR RIGHTS THERE BECAUSE OUR VOTE IS SO POWERFUL.
AND I REALLY THINK BECAUSE THE THE CENSUS DATA SHOWED THIS PAST CENSUS OCCURS EVERY TEN YEARS THAT PEOPLE OF COLOR ACCOUNTED FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE GROWTH IN OUR STATE IN THE PAST TEN YEARS.
NINETY FIVE PERCENT OF THE GROWTH WAS DUE TO PEOPLE OF COLOR THAT ACCOUNTED FOR TEXAS.
GETTING TWO NEW CONGRESSIONAL SEATS REPRESENT REPRESENTATIVES IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
THOSE NEW SEATS WERE DRAWN BY OUR COLLEAGUES ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE TO BE IN WHITE MAJORITY AREAS.
PEOPLE OF COLOR NOW THAT WE'RE BECOMING THE MAJORITY, THAT WE ARE THE MAJORITY IN THE
[01:00:02]
STATE OF TEXAS, THE THE WAY THAT THE LINES WERE DRAWN, WE WENT FROM HAVING, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN NUMBER OF DISTRICTS THAT WERE MAJORITY PEOPLE OF COLOR AND A CERTAIN NUMBER OF WHITE. IT IS NOW EVEN MORE LOPSIDED TO WHERE THERE ARE MORE SEATS THAT ARE DRAWN FOR THEIR WHITE MAJORITY.DISTRICTS, EVEN THOUGH ARE, YOU KNOW, ANGLO COMMUNITY IS NOT THE MAJORITY IN OUR STATE, SO I SHARE THAT WITH YOU ALL BECAUSE OUR BECAUSE OUR VOTES ARE SO POWERFUL AND WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO CHANGE THE LAWS.
THERE'S THIS MOVEMENT TO TRY TO TAKE THAT AWAY.
THERE ARE LOSSES THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE HAS FILED AND HERE IN TEXAS TO TRY TO ROLL BACK SOME OF THOSE REALLY EGREGIOUS PROVISIONS IN THE LAW THAT WAS PASSED.
WE NEED OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO PASS NATIONAL VOTING RIGHTS STANDARDS TO EXPAND, TO EXTEND, TO PASS A JOHN LEWIS VOTING RIGHTS ACT, AMONG OTHERS, BILLS.
THEY WHY DO YOU THINK THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO TAKE IT AWAY IF YOUR VOTE WASN'T SO POWERFUL? SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'LL BE MY MY LITTLE POLITICAL, YOU KNOW, DISCUSSION FOR NOW, I CAN TALK ABOUT THAT ALL DAY, BUT THEY'RE REALLY WE'RE IN A TIME WHERE WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO CHANGE LAWS TO ALLOW EVERYBODY, REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU'RE FROM, EVERY AMERICAN CITIZEN THAT HAS THE RIGHT TO VOTE, TO BE ABLE TO DO SO AND TO BE ABLE TO REGISTER.
THERE ARE OTHER WHERE ONE OF THE FEW STATES THAT DOESN'T ALLOW ONLINE VOTER REGISTRATION.
IMAGINE AND I SHARE WITH STUDENTS ALL THE TIME IF YOUR ENTIRE SENIOR CLASS OR 18 YEARS OF OLD REGISTER TO VOTE AND WOULD VOTE IN A LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD OR A LOCAL CITY COUNCIL ELECTION, DO YOU REALIZE THAT YOU WOULD WIN? I SHARE WITH THEM, AND SO IT'S IT'S WE HAVE TO SPREAD THAT WORD.
WE NEED TO REGISTER TO VOTE AND VOTE IN EVERY SINGLE ELECTION CYCLE BECAUSE OUR VOTES ARE THAT POWERFUL AND WE HAVE ABILITY TO BRING CHANGE.
GREAT. SO I'M GOING TO SKIP TO SOME OF OUR AUDIENCE QUESTIONS, AND THAT WAY I CAN OPEN IT UP IN CASE ANYBODY WANTS TO SPEAK TO ANY OF THE PANELISTS AFTER WE SPEAK.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO YOUNG WOMEN IN COLLEGE WHO HAVE NOT FOUND THEIR PATHS YET? WELL, PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT YOU GET EXCITED ABOUT AND PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT YOU GET MAD ABOUT. THOSE CAN GIVE YOU INSIGHT INTO YOUR PASSIONS, RIGHT? AND I I'VE HEARD STUDIES LIKE FOUR YEARS THAT LIKE NINETY EIGHT PERCENT OF PEOPLE HATE THEIR JOB AND I'M LIKE, WHAT? I MEAN, THAT'S THAT'S CRAZY.
YOU KNOW THAT SO MANY PEOPLE DON'T LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING THEM GOING TO WORK IN THE MORNING. I JUST THAT WOULD JUST BE MISERABLE, YOU KNOW? AND SO. SO I THINK YOU YOU NEED TO BE OPEN TO ANYTHING LIKE DON'T DON'T HAVE A PRECONCEIVED IDEA THAT, YOU KNOW, MY DAD WANTED ME TO BE A SO-AND-SO, YOU KNOW, DEFINITELY KEEP THAT ON THE TABLE.
BUT BUT BE LOOKING FOR THINGS, TAKE CLASSES OR ATTEND, YOU KNOW, WORKSHOPS AND SYMPOSIUMS AND THAT KIND OF THING JUST TO LEARN ABOUT OTHER STUFF.
READ A LOT AND JUST SEE WHAT IT IS THAT'S REALLY INTERESTING TO YOU.
AND YOU KNOW THAT CLICHE, WHICH IS NOT ONE OF MY FAVORITE QUOTES, BUT IT'S TRUE IF YOU LOVE YOUR JOB, YOU'LL NEVER WORK A DAY IN YOUR LIFE, THAT KIND OF THING.
I THINK IT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD ALL STRIVE TO SORT OF BE IN A ROLE THAT WE JUST WE LOVE GOING TO WORK, AND WE LOVE THINKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN HELP DRIVE THE ORGANIZATIONAL MISSION AND HELP MEET THOSE GOALS AND THAT KIND OF THING.
SO, YOU KNOW, LOOK FOR WHAT YOU GET EXCITED ABOUT AND LOOK FOR WHAT YOU GET ANGRY ABOUT.
AND I WOULD ADD THAT GO IN TURN PLACES TO CHECK IT OUT AND SEE IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU LIKE. I WANT TO JUST RECOGNIZE OUR INTERN, MEHSUD, WHO RECENTLY STARTED WITH US AND AND SAW THAT OUR DISTRICT DIRECTOR STARTED OFF WITH US AS AN INTERN, AND NOW SHE'S RUNNING OUR OFFICE IN, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE YOU GET TO SAMPLE OR LEARN ABOUT DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE IN THE LAW, THEY SAY IF THERE'S A CERTAIN AREA OF LAW THAT THAT YOU HAVE AN INTEREST IN, GO CHECK IT OUT OR GO PRACTICE WITH AN ATTORNEY WHO PRACTICES THAT LAW SO THAT YOU SEE ONE OF MY PRACTICE AREAS IS FAMILY LAW.
SO DIVORCE, CUSTODY, CHILD SUPPORT.
THAT'S NOT FOR EVERYBODY BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO HAVE A CERTAIN LEVEL OF THEY'RE REALLY TOUGH ISSUES FOR FAMILIES WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH VISITATION RIGHTS OR THINGS LIKE THAT THAT IMPACT CHILDREN.
SO JUST REALLY TRYING DIFFERENT THINGS TO SORT OF WEED OUT WHAT YOU DON'T LIKE AND THEN, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY FIND YOUR CALLING.
I'M ALSO LIKE A VERY LIKE BLACK AND WHITE, THE GRAY AREAS ARE STRUGGLES FOR ME.
[01:05:04]
THE FIRST TWO YEARS, FOUR IN MY OLD SCHOOL LIFE WERE BASICS ANYWAY.SO THE FIRST TWO YEAR CLASSES, YOU'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE SOME OF THE SAME THING.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE IT FIGURED OUT.
I THINK THERE WAS A SENSE WHEN I WAS YOUNGER THAT DAY ONE IN COLLEGE, WHICH IS SO DAUNTING, YOU HAD TO HAVE IT FIGURED OUT.
BUT YOU GOT TWO YEARS ON YOUR SIDE REALLY TO TO TO BECOME AN INTERN.
FIGURE IT OUT. THE OTHER THE OTHER THING THAT I DID THAT I GIVE ADVICE FOR PEOPLE VERY TANGIBLY IS.
WHEN I WAS STILL TRYING TO PIECE IT TOGETHER, FIND A COMPANY THAT I THOUGHT I WANTED TO WORK FOR. BACK IN MY DAY, IT WAS MARY KAY OF THE NORTH.
MARY KAY, YEAH, THE MAKEUP OFF OF THE NORTH DALLAS TOLLWAY.
I WAS LIKE, IF YOU'VE EVER SEEN THAT MARY KAY BUILDING, IT IS LIKE, I WAS LIKE, OH, I WOULD LOVE TO WALK IT TO THE BUILDING OF MARY KAY.
EVERY DAY IT JUST I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN THERE, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO WORK.
AND SO I WENT TO THE MARY KAY WEBSITE AND JUST STARTED RESEARCHING JOBS THAT WERE THERE.
THAT INTEREST, YOU KNOW, THAT WERE OF INTEREST TO ME, AND COMMUNICATIONS WAS THE ONE THAT CAME UP. I WANTED TO WRITE PRESS RELEASES.
I WANTED TO BE A SPEECHWRITER.
I WANTED TO DO INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS AND LIKE THAT WAS LIKE, OH, I LOVE THAT I REALLY THRIVE OFF OF THAT.
AND THEN I BUILT MY COLLEGE PLAN, MY COLLEGE DEGREE OFF OF IF I WANTED THIS VP OF COMMUNICATIONS JOB AT MARY KAY.
THIS IS WHAT MY DEGREE PLAN NEEDED TO LOOK LIKE TO ACHIEVE THAT, AND THAT HELPED ME WRITE. IT HELPED ME SET A GOAL.
AND THEN HOW DO I WORK TO THAT NOW? I NEVER APPLIED FOR MARY KAY EVENTUALLY BECAUSE THE DOORS OPENED UP FOR OTHER THINGS, BUT IT WAS LIKE A REALLY GOOD WAY FOR ME TO FOCUS SOME ENERGY ON A VERY TANGIBLE JOB THAT I KNOW I COULD APPLY FOR AND PREPARE MYSELF FOR.
SO THAT'S SOME OF THE ADVICE I GIVE YOUNGER FOLKS IS THEY'RE TRYING TO FIGURE IT ALL OUT.
I THOUGHT I WANTED TO BE A FLIGHT ATTENDANT.
I TOOK DANCE THE MAJORITY OF MY LIFE.
I THOUGHT, I WANT TO DO TAP JAZZ AND BALLET.
I THOUGHT I WANTED TO BE ON BROADWAY.
I THOUGHT I WANTED TO BE A MUSEUM CURATOR.
I THOUGHT I WANTED TO BE MY MOM.
EVERY OTHER WEEK HEARD ME SAY I WANTED TO BE SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
BUT WHEN I FINALLY, WHEN I FINALLY GOT LIKE WITH IT IN RESEARCH, THOSE DIFFERENT JOBS AND COMPANIES, THAT'S WHEN I FIGURED OUT HOW TO REALLY BUILD MY DEGREE AND OPEN UP THE DOORS FOR THOSE THINGS. AND I'VE DONE THAT.
WHEN CHIEF BROWN WAS HERE, I WOULD WRITE SOME OF HIS SPEECHES.
SO I DID ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT I KNEW I WANTED TO DO.
IT WAS JUST IN A DIFFERENT PLACE.
AWESOME. OK, SO I'M GOING TO GO A LITTLE BIT OFF SCRIPT AND JUST LAST QUESTION TO KIND OF CLOSE IT OUT. WHAT IS EITHER ANSWER WHICHEVER ONE PART OF THE QUESTION YOU WANT? WHAT IS THE YOUR BIGGEST FAILURE THAT YOU LEARN THE MOST FROM? OR WHAT IS YOUR PROUDEST ACCOMPLISHMENT? GO WITH. I'LL I'LL GO WITH MY PROUDEST ACCOMPLISHMENT IS THAT LAVINIA MASTERS ACT BECAUSE.
UM, THERE ARE SO THOSE RAPE KITS THAT I SHARED WITH YOU ALL ABOUT THEY.
THERE HAVE BEEN THOUSANDS OF THOSE SITTING ON SHELVES ACROSS OUR STATE, UNTESTED WAITING, YOU KNOW, AND SURVIVORS HAVE BEEN WAITING TO HAVE THOSE TESTED.
SO WE HAD THIS HUGE PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT TOOK AND I WANT TO THANK EACH BILL BECAUSE Y'ALL ALLOWED US TO MEET HERE MULTIPLE TIMES THROUGHOUT THE PAST FEW YEARS WITH SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS TO DO A DEEP DOVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO SOLVE IT.
AND OUR STATE, THE LAVINIA MASTERS ACT, IS A COMPREHENSIVE BILL TO TACKLE THE RAPE KIT BACKLOG IN OUR STATE PUT STRICT TIMELINES, BUT THE WE GOT AN UNPRECEDENTED 50 MILLION DOLLARS FROM THE TEXAS BUDGET TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
OUR STATE HAS NEVER INVESTED THAT MUCH MONEY INTO ADDRESS AN ISSUE THAT IS SO PERSONAL TO INDIVIDUALS. THAT'S SO, YOU KNOW, RAPE IS.
IT'S SUCH AN INTIMATE VIOLATION OF A PERSON'S BODY AND FOR THE STATE TO NOT HAVE DONE SOMETHING ABOUT THIS FOR YEARS IS UNACCEPTABLE.
SO I JUST FEEL VERY PROUD THAT WE WERE ABLE TO GET THAT SIZE OF INVESTMENT INTO TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. SO I THINK THAT'S MY PROUDEST ACCOMPLISHMENT.
CAN I ADD OR CAN YOU CAN YOU ADD, I KNOW YOU'VE TOLD ME THIS BEFORE.
HOW WHAT ARE THE RESULTS OF YOU PASSING THIS LEGISLATION? HOW HOW MANY RAPE KITS HAVE NOW BEEN TESTED SINCE THIS LEGISLATION GOT PASSED? THANK YOU. THERE HAVE BEEN THOUSANDS TESTED, AND WE HAVE REDUCED THE BACKLOG BY MORE THAN 80 PERCENT IN OUR STATE BECAUSE I THINK WE STILL HAVE WORK TO DO IN OTHER AREAS.
BUT YEAH, NO, I, LAVINIA, IF Y'ALL SHOULD LOOK HER UP AND LOOK UP HER STORY, JUST GOOGLE
[01:10:03]
HER. SHE'S SO INSPIRING.AND FOR HER, HER WILLINGNESS TO BE ABLE TO SHARE WHAT HAPPENED TO HER REALLY HELPED US GET THIS SIGNED INTO LAW.
AND ISN'T THERE A WAY WHEN PEOPLE RENEW THEIR DRIVER'S LICENSE THAT THEY CAN DONATE? YES, THAT'S RIGHT. THANK YOU.
YEAH, THANK YOU. THERE'S MY VERY FIRST BILL.
YEAH, GREAT FRIEND WAS WHENEVER YOU APPLY FOR OR RENEW YOUR DRIVER'S LICENSE OR YOUR MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRATION, YOU'LL SEE A BOX WHERE YOU CAN CHECK TO CONTRIBUTE A DOLLAR OR ANY AMOUNT, AND THAT WILL GO TOWARDS THE TESTING OF EVIDENCE IN SEXUAL ASSAULT CASES.
THAT WAS A VERY FIRST BILL THAT WE FILED.
WE HAVE RAISED MORE THAN $2 MILLION WITH ONE DOLLAR CONTRIBUTIONS SO THAT THAT SORT OF OPEN, THEN WE HAD METOO THAT HAPPENED RIGHT AFTER THAT.
THAT JUST SORT OF OPENED THE DOOR FOR US TO BE ABLE TO PASS THIS EVEN BIGGER LAW TO MAKE THE STATE PUT ITS FAIR SHARE.
WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BE COMING TO OUR FELLOW TEXANS TO CONTRIBUTE.
BUT ALL OF THAT COMBINED JUST REALLY HAS MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE ON THE LIVES OF SURVIVORS.
I PROBABLY SPENT TOO MANY YEARS WALKING A PATH THAT OTHERS HAD SET BEFORE ME, RIGHT? THE FEAR OF OUR PARENTS AND HOW YOU SHOULD WHAT YOU SHOULD GO TO SCHOOL FOR IN THE JOB THAT YOU SHOULD DO. AND I THINK I SPENT TOO MANY YEARS.
I DON'T WANT TO CALL THEM WASTED YEARS, BUT JUST TOO MANY YEARS TRYING TO ALIGN TO THE VISION THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE FOR ME AND KIND OF LIVING IN THE FEAR BOX THAT THEY THAT THEY HAD, THEY HAD SET FORTH FOR THEIR OWN LIVES, THAT THEY DON'T REALLY REALIZE THAT THEY'RE IMPOSING ON YOU.
SO SO THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE THE FAILURE.
I THINK THE PROUDEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS HAVE BEEN JUST TAKING RISKS CAREER WISE.
MOVING FROM THE FOR THE THE FOR PROFIT PRIVATE SECTOR WAS A TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLAR PAY CUT. AND I WAS LIKE, I.
THAT MONEY IS YOU FEEL IT RIGHT, BUT I WAS LIKE, IF I NEED TO EAT PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY SANDWICHES FOR A YEAR OR SO, THEN LET IT BE.
BUT THEN I GAINED THAT BACK, RIGHT? SO THAT FEAR AGAIN, LIKE KNOCKING THROUGH THAT FEAR.
MY MOM, IT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE TO MY FAMILY WHY I WOULD MAKE SUCH A DECISION TO LEAVE A NICE FOREIGN ONE K AND STABLE CAREER.
I'D BEEN AT THAT COMPANY NINE AND A HALF YEARS.
BUT THEN I WOULDN'T BE IN THIS PLACE THAT I'M I'M IN NOW.
MY MY FATHER HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS FOR THE PAST 12 PLUS YEARS IN ATLANTA, AND THIS IS LEGACY WORK, RIGHT? I'M MAKING I'M WORKING IN A SYSTEM THAT WASN'T EVEN IN MY SIGHTS THAT MY FATHER IS BEING IMPACTED BY IN ANOTHER, IN ANOTHER STATE AND ANOTHER CITY.
AND SO THAT'S MY HUGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT.
MY PROUDEST ACCOMPLISHMENT IS LIKE PUSHING PAST THAT FEAR THAT WOULD TELL YOU THIS IS A GOOD JOB. AND I THINK I THINK THE FOLKS WHO DON'T, WHO AREN'T, WHO ARE IN A CERTAIN SOCIOECONOMIC SPACE, WHO DON'T HAVE ALL OF THE THE PARACHUTES AND AND AND SAFETY MECHANISMS LIKE THAT. FEAR IS REAL BECAUSE WE SEE HOW IT IMPACTED OUR FAMILY AND OUR FAMILY HAS THAT FEAR. BUT I THINK PUSHING PAST THAT WALL OF FEAR REALLY A COUPLE OF TIMES HAS REALLY BEEN MY PROUDEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING BOTH OF THOSE.
AND DR. BRAD. OK, I'LL DO BOTH OF THOSE QUICKLY, SO I THINK THERE ARE SO MANY FAILURES TO CHOOSE FROM, I THINK THE CATEGORY THAT I CAN THAT I CAN SAY HAVE HAVE BEEN MY MY BIGGEST FAILURES HAVE HAD TO DO WITH PEOPLE THAT I'VE DEALT WITH AT WORK IN MY CAREER EITHER.
I'M REALLY GOOD AT DELEGATING.
I'M NOT A MICROMANAGER, BUT THEN I DON'T FOLLOW UP SOMETIMES THE WAY I SHOULD, AND SOMETIMES BALLS GET DROPPED, AS I ASSUME.
THEY'RE LIKE ME, AND IF YOU GIVE IT TO ME TO DO, I'M GOING TO GET IT DONE, YOU KNOW, THAT KIND OF THING. AND SO I DON'T.
AND THEN I'VE HAD SOME PERSONNEL ISSUES, ONE IN PARTICULAR WHERE I KIND OF CAME INTO A NEW POSITION AND THERE WAS A THERE WAS A PROBLEM AND I TOOK SOMEONE'S WORD FOR IT THAT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TRUST ABOUT, YOU KNOW, AND I DID OBSERVE FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS, YOU KNOW, AND THAT SORT OF THING, BUT ANYWAY, TRUSTED THAT PERSON SAT DOWN TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION AND THEY KIND OF HUNG ME OUT TO DRY ON IT.
YOU KNOW, THE IT WAS IT WAS AN HR PERSON THAT YOU THINK.
AND SO THEN I SAID, WELL, AFTERWARDS, WELL, LET ME SEE THE FILE ON THIS.
AND SO I WAS LIKE, OH, THAT WAS REALLY DUMB.
WHY DID I DO THAT? SO SO MY MY FAILURES, I THINK, HAVE REALLY CENTERED AROUND, YOU KNOW, DEALING WITH PEOPLE.
IN HINDSIGHT, I SHOULD HAVE DONE IT DIFFERENTLY.
I WISH I HAD DONE IT DIFFERENTLY.
AND USUALLY IT'S ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW YOU MAKE PEOPLE FEEL.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE WE JUST GOT TO GET THIS DONE AND EFFICIENCY.
AND, YOU KNOW, LET'S GET THE JOB DONE.
BUT BUT I HAVEN'T ALWAYS THOUGHT ABOUT THEIR FEELINGS OR WHATEVER LIKE LIKE I SHOULD.
SO BUT THE THE YOU SHOULDN'T BE AFRAID OF FAILURE, RIGHT? YOU HAVE TO EMBRACE FAILURE AND SAY, NOW, WHAT DO I LEARN FROM THIS? AND WHAT DO I DO DIFFERENTLY MOVING FORWARD?
[01:15:01]
SO WHEN I'VE HAD PEOPLE THAT LIKE WORK FOR ME AND SOMEBODY MAKES A MISTAKE, IT'S LIKE, OK, SO WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? I DON'T REALLY WANT TO REHASH WHO DID WHAT AND WHY, AND WHERE'D THE BALL GET DROPPED? I WANT TO KNOW, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO MOVING FORWARD SO THAT THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN? THAT'S WHAT WE REALLY WANT TO FOCUS ON.SO. SO DON'T BE AFRAID TO TO MAKE A MISTAKE, TAKE A RISK, RIGHT? AND I THINK MY BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT, I THINK OF IT AS IN THE SENSE OF BEING WILLING TO TAKE A RISK. SO, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO SAY MY BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT IS GETTING THE PRESIDENCY AT BROOKHAVEN, WHICH WHICH IT IS BECAUSE THAT WAS A GOAL OF MINE.
BUT ALONG THE WAY, I TOOK A RISK AND I WENT TO WASHINGTON, D.C.
AND WORKED AT THE AAA, AND I DIDN'T THINK OF IT AS A RISK AT THE TIME.
AND I REMEMBER ONE TIME I WAS WITH, YOU KNOW, I HUNG OUT WITH A LOT OF MATH FACULTY ACROSS THE COUNTRY BECAUSE WE WORKED ON GRANT FUNDED PROJECTS WITH THEM.
SO I WOULD GO TO SAN DIEGO FOR A MEETING OR WHATEVER.
SO I KNOW WE WERE WALKING TO DINNER ONE NIGHT AFTER WE'D HAD A PROJECT MEETING AND A GUY A MATHEMATICIAN SAID TO ME, MAN, I REALLY ADMIRE HOW BRAVE YOU ARE TO TAKE THAT RISK.
AND I WAS LIKE, WHAT? I MEAN, LIKE, I HADN'T REALLY THOUGHT OF IT AS A RISK.
BUT THEN IN HINDSIGHT, I DID REALIZE, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS A RISK.
I COMMUTED, MY HUSBAND STAYED HERE, YOU KNOW, AND IT WAS BACK AND FORTH AND ALL THAT.
AND SO IT WASN'T ALL FUN, BUT IT WAS IT WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR ME.
WE GOT 20 19 OF THE 20 GRANTS THAT I SUBMITTED WHILE I WAS THERE, GOT FUNDED, I MEAN, ABOUT THREE AND A HALF YEARS.
AND SO OF COURSE, THAT WAS NOT ME DOING IT BY MYSELF.
ON MOST OF THEM, IT WAS WITH A BIG TEAM OF PEOPLE.
BUT ANYWAY, BUT THAT WAS ALL FOCUSED ON MATH EDUCATION, RIGHT? ALL OF THE MONEY THAT WE GOT WAS FOCUSED ON, AND SOME OF IT FOCUSED ON GIRLS AND UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITIES IN MATH AND THAT KIND OF THING AND HELPING THEM TO SUCCEED IN MATH AND ALL OF THAT. SO I THINK THAT WAS PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, A RISK I TOOK AND AND I FEEL LIKE IT WAS AN ACCOMPLISHMENT TO SURVIVE THAT.
YEAH, AND THEN BE ABLE TO COME BACK TO ACADEMIA AFTER THAT.
AND SINCE I PUT YOU ON THE SPOT WITH THAT QUESTION, I'LL SHARE MY ANSWER TO THAT.
I THINK FOR ME AND FOR THOSE OF YOU DON'T KNOW, I AM AN IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY.
WHEN I WAS A SENIOR AT SMU IN COLLEGE, I TOLD EVERYBODY, I'M GOING TO LAW SCHOOL LIKE, THIS IS WHAT I'M GOING TO DO.
I APPLIED TO SEVERAL LAW SCHOOLS AND I DIDN'T GET INTO ANY OF THEM.
SO THEN I HAD TO GO AROUND WITH MY HEAD DOWN AND TELL EVERYBODY, YEAH, I DIDN'T GET INTO LAW SCHOOL, BUT YOU KNOW, PERSEVERANCE.
I HAD WORKED FOR A LAW FIRM ALL THROUGH UNDERGRAD PART TIME.
THANKFULLY, THEY OFFERED ME A FULL TIME JOB.
I STUDIED FOR THE LSAT, TOOK IT AGAIN.
I APPLIED EARLY THIS NEXT TIME BECAUSE BEFORE I WAITED TILL THE DEADLINE AND THEN I, I WIDENED MY SCOPE OF WHERE I APPLIED AND I ENDED UP GETTING INTO SEVERAL LAW SCHOOLS.
I CHOSE TEXAS TECH BECAUSE ECONOMICALLY IT MADE THE MOST SENSE FOR ME AND I.
I I DID SO GREAT IN LAW SCHOOL BECAUSE I KNEW WHAT FAILURE WAS LIKE AND I KNEW THAT I DIDN'T WANT TO FAIL IN LAW SCHOOL.
SO I OVERPREPARED, DID VERY WELL FOR MYSELF.
AND NOW I CAN SAY, YOU KNOW, ONE OF MY PROUDEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS IS BEING BOARD CERTIFIED IN IMMIGRATION LAW IN TEXAS, WHICH LESS THAN FIVE PERCENT OF ATTORNEYS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS CAN SAY THAT IT'S AN.
THAT YOU HAVE TO BE PREQUALIFIED FOR.
YOU CAN'T EVEN SIT FOR IT UNLESS YOU'VE MET SEVERAL REQUIREMENTS.
AND SO I SAY THAT BECAUSE IF I HADN'T GONE THROUGH FAILURE, I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO APPRECIATE IT MORE.
SO I WANTED TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU.
AND THANK YOU TO EACH OF YOU FOR TAKING YOUR TIME TO BE WITH US TODAY AND TO OUR AUDIENCE ON INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO REMEMBER HOW MUCH WE HAVE OVERCOME ALREADY, BUT ALSO THAT THERE'S STILL A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE.
I I INVITE YOU TO COME SPEAK TO OUR PANELISTS AFTER THIS, AND IF YOU DID NOT GRAB SOME LUNCH, PLEASE HELP YOURSELF.
THANK YOU. HAVE A GREAT DAY.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.