Episode Transcript
[00:00:02] Speaker A: Tea with Br I'm trying to live my life I just need space to grow I'm just trying to make it right these people won't let me go I'm just trying to live my life I just need space to grow I'm just trying to make it right these people won't let me go Let me grow, let me go, let me grow, let me go they should know, they should know they should know, they should know I'm just trying to live my life I just need space to grow I'm just trying to make it right.
[00:00:54] Speaker B: Welcome to the Tea with Bri. I'm your host, Bri. Thanks for listening.
The Tier 3 podcast is focused on deep, honest and vulnerable conversation.
Each week I sit down with a different guest in order to have those conversations.
Every week we'll start my guest's bio, an intro into how we know each other, and then we'll go into a deep dive conversation about whatever topic they brought to me that week. This week I'm joined by my guest, Jesse Campbell. Jesse Jamar Campbell Jr. Who uses he him pronouns, is a Connecticut based creative entrepreneur, model and storyteller exploring the connections between self expression, identity and community.
Through Campbell Creates llc, he brings together media, photography, branding and creative consulting to turn ideas into meaningful stories and experiences.
Whether he's in front of the camera, developing a concept or bringing people together, Jesse finds inspiration in helping people recognize what they have to offer. As Executive Director of Inspired Art and Assistant Director of Girls Glow Up Academy, he brings that same creativity to spaces centered on art, wellness, mentorship and connection.
His interest in modeling and fashion also extend to creating opportunities for others, including helping bring Pieces with Purpose, a student's sustainable fashion showcase to life. From digital world building and content creation to community events and creative entrepreneurship, Jesse's journey offers plenty to unpack. Finding his creative voice, building a business while supporting his community, using fashion and photography to tell stories, and learning to grow without losing himself along the way. At the heart of it is a belief that our gifts can help us connect, humanity, heal, and create something meaningful together. Hello friend.
[00:02:25] Speaker C: Hello.
So honored to be here.
[00:02:29] Speaker B: Thank you for joining me this evening on election night because apparently this is how we cope, so.
[00:02:36] Speaker C: Exactly right.
[00:02:39] Speaker B: I would like to tell people how I know my guests. So Jesse and I currently work together at this beautiful organization called Common Ground. We have a charter high school, community and children's programs, and an urban farm.
I've been there for a little over a year. Jesse's been there two years.
[00:02:59] Speaker C: Three now.
[00:02:59] Speaker B: Almost three. Yeah,
[00:03:01] Speaker C: yeah, it's been a long time flies.
Yeah, it really does. Wow. It's only been a year, though.
[00:03:08] Speaker B: September was a year.
[00:03:10] Speaker C: Wow. Wow.
[00:03:11] Speaker B: Listen, between me and you, feels like 20, so.
[00:03:14] Speaker C: Yeah, exactly.
[00:03:16] Speaker B: This year was in fact a full year. Let me tell you. We did it. We survived.
I survived my first round of seniors, which.
[00:03:26] Speaker C: Oh, man.
[00:03:28] Speaker B: I worked for preschoolers and I thought that was sad, like preschoolers going to kindergarten, but like seniors going to like the real world.
[00:03:36] Speaker C: I know, it's like terrible. Yeah. My first class, I was the same way. It was like,
[00:03:41] Speaker B: what do you mean? You're a baby. Where are you going?
[00:03:43] Speaker C: Like, what? And like, you were like, what? You are going somewhere and you're going out of the state and you're like doing big things. Like, this is too much for me. Like,
[00:03:52] Speaker B: your parents allowed this Me.
[00:03:57] Speaker C: Exactly. I know. I'm like,
[00:03:58] Speaker B: what do you mean you're leaving?
[00:03:59] Speaker C: What, your mom, dad, cool
[00:04:04] Speaker B: out. Because it was not me. I'm like,
[00:04:06] Speaker C: yeah, right. No approval.
[00:04:07] Speaker B: No approval. One of my favorite seniors, as you know, went to art school. I'm still in touch with them. The other one disappeared off the face of planet. Can't find him. I'm like, where is he?
[00:04:16] Speaker C: Yeah, I got it on a
[00:04:17] Speaker B: tourist party and I know he was going to college in state.
[00:04:19] Speaker C: Yeah, right. Exactly. Right
[00:04:21] Speaker B: now.
[00:04:22] Speaker C: Exactly.
[00:04:22] Speaker B: And not like
[00:04:23] Speaker C: a
[00:04:23] Speaker B: Liam Neeson way, but I' ma find, you know, if you're okay. Okay. I'm emotionally invested in you and your well being.
[00:04:30] Speaker C: Exactly
[00:04:31] Speaker B: right. No email, no call, no nothing. It's only been like three months.
[00:04:35] Speaker C: Exactly. Right.
No postcard, no mail. Like carrier
[00:04:40] Speaker B: pigeon, smoke signal.
[00:04:41] Speaker C: Yeah.
Maybe
[00:04:44] Speaker B: nothing.
[00:04:45] Speaker C: Yeah, right. It's okay
[00:04:46] Speaker B: because if you and them gonna ask your classmates when I start hearing from them, you're wrong. Okay.
[00:04:52] Speaker C: Right. We want to know.
[00:04:54] Speaker B: I need to know. Okay? Not. I'm. I may not have children, so I'm deeply invested in the life of other children. Okay.
[00:05:00] Speaker C: I'm
[00:05:01] Speaker B: not a mother, but I do mother. Okay? Exactly.
[00:05:04] Speaker C: Exactly.
[00:05:06] Speaker B: So
[00:05:06] Speaker C: trust me, we are
[00:05:07] Speaker B: here.
[00:05:09] Speaker C: Or you know what? We might have a common ground van that we can just transport ourselves to to the universities that these students attend. And we will be in touch. So
[00:05:20] Speaker B: I will pull up to the Porter and Chester with your face on the side of that van. Have you seen the student try with somebody
[00:05:27] Speaker C: else?
[00:05:28] Speaker B: Not me. Okay.
[00:05:32] Speaker C: They're not ready.
[00:05:34] Speaker B: This is why I don't know if I could be a parent. I'm a little.
[00:05:37] Speaker C: Yeah. I'm like, I'm a little. They're just like, yeah. And I would Be like, no, you can't. I was like, southern,
[00:05:45] Speaker B: where are you going?
[00:05:47] Speaker C: Yeah, right. Like, you would be down the street.
[00:05:50] Speaker B: When my nephew, my youngest nephew started preschool, actually, I was like, is he ready? And he's so smart. I was like, is he ready? My sister's like, he's fine. I'm like, no,
[00:05:56] Speaker C: though,
[00:05:57] Speaker B: baby. She goes, he's fine.
[00:05:59] Speaker C: Yeah. I feel like you're
[00:06:00] Speaker B: not gonna stay home with him. Like, I would,
[00:06:04] Speaker C: right?
[00:06:05] Speaker B: No one asked me.
[00:06:06] Speaker C: Yeah, right. I could.
Yeah, right. That would change the trajectory of your life,
[00:06:13] Speaker B: being a.
We have this conversation oftentimes. Do you want kids? Like, I'm good either way. And I mean that wholeheartedly. Like,
[00:06:21] Speaker C: right,
[00:06:22] Speaker B: good if I do. Good if I don't. I have enough cousins, nieces, nephews. I'm an honorary aunt. I will be fine.
[00:06:30] Speaker C: Exactly. I'm
[00:06:31] Speaker B: also like, a double income, no kids. Sounds real great to me too.
[00:06:35] Speaker C: Yeah, right.
[00:06:36] Speaker B: To travel,
[00:06:38] Speaker C: right?
Yeah, right. Because then it's like, you have to wait 18 years almost to, like, get a chance to, like, do things.
And
[00:06:48] Speaker B: I'm a big believer in, like, travel with your kids. I would be that parent that's like, oh, no. Slap that baby in that Bjorn. We're out. Out. Like, get.
[00:06:54] Speaker C: Yeah, exactly. Right. We're going. Right, Right, right, right. Get on
[00:06:59] Speaker B: the plane.
Yeah, but I was a joke. I'm like, it's easier to get someone to watch your dog than your kids.
[00:07:05] Speaker C: Yeah, that is true. That is so true.
[00:07:09] Speaker B: So she was just, you know. But we'll see. I'm 37 this year.
[00:07:15] Speaker C: Oh, my gosh. I
[00:07:17] Speaker B: know.
[00:07:17] Speaker C: Looking good.
[00:07:18] Speaker B: 25.
[00:07:19] Speaker C: Yeah, right, right.
[00:07:24] Speaker B: Moisturizing, sleeping a lot. There's
[00:07:26] Speaker C: the secret.
There's a secret. Lots
[00:07:29] Speaker B: of water, no stress.
[00:07:30] Speaker C: The secret's out.
[00:07:32] Speaker B: That's a secret. I'm like, also, just mind your business. Like, what are
[00:07:35] Speaker C: you. Yeah.
[00:07:35] Speaker B: What's everybody doing?
[00:07:36] Speaker C: Yeah, right. Like, yeah, Be like, radical about your self care, you know?
[00:07:41] Speaker B: Yeah, I ain't gotta do too much.
[00:07:43] Speaker C: Yeah, radical. Self care is the thing.
[00:07:47] Speaker B: Say it
[00:07:48] Speaker C: like radical. We don't
[00:07:49] Speaker B: talk about that enough. I'm like, why are y' all stressed?
[00:07:53] Speaker C: What
[00:07:53] Speaker B: can
[00:07:53] Speaker C: it be? We can't be the
[00:07:55] Speaker B: size.
[00:07:57] Speaker C: That's the. Especially in the work that most people do. It's like, you gotta, like, take care of yourself every single day. You have to. You have to wake up and want to be better and, like, look good at whatever age you are and, like, feel good at whatever age you are. And, like, you know,
[00:08:14] Speaker B: I read something a couple years ago that was like, everybody's replaceable. Like, take the pto. Do the thing. They're like, literally that the president died right now. They would replace him in an hour.
[00:08:24] Speaker C: Yeah, right.
I mean, they're not, not a
[00:08:27] Speaker B: doctor. This is like why I chose the career I chose.
So take the pto.
[00:08:34] Speaker C: Live life a little bit. Yeah, right. Like just a little bit. A little bit. Just to prioritize yourself, you know,
[00:08:42] Speaker B: Literally. I saw a video the other night like, of like these older people being interviewed. Like, what's one thing you would like? If you can go back and change anything, what's one thing you would do? They were all like, I would travel more. Like, I would not wait to retire because like, by the time you get ready to retire, either you're exhausted or you're worried about money or your partner has now passed. Like travel, be present. Like do everything you want to do now.
[00:09:04] Speaker C: Exactly.
[00:09:06] Speaker B: Use the pto.
I'm like, you can't take it with you. Spend the money, figure it out.
[00:09:11] Speaker C: Yeah, right, Exactly. Right, right, right, right.
[00:09:13] Speaker B: It's there. We'll get another paycheck. Like, I am like deeply irresponsible and I understand that everybody don't come for me. I'm like, I can make more money. Like if it's me picking up like a part time job or like right now I'm in Pilates instructor school or like,
[00:09:26] Speaker C: yeah,
[00:09:27] Speaker B: you know, whatever, you know. But I think
[00:09:28] Speaker C: that's, that's the Pisces like creative energy
[00:09:32] Speaker B: to always
[00:09:34] Speaker C: like. Because I feel like I always have my hands in several pots doing several things.
[00:09:40] Speaker B: Literally.
[00:09:41] Speaker C: I can't just stick
[00:09:42] Speaker B: to one thing
[00:09:43] Speaker C: and then if it doesn't work out, I need to like have other things to fall back on and like have resources and like people and
[00:09:51] Speaker B: my friends jokingly kind of like the side quest queen. I'm like, yes, you guys, I have like seven different projects at all times. Do you know your big three?
[00:09:59] Speaker C: I actually have my sun and moon in Pisces and my rising is Aquarius,
[00:10:04] Speaker B: not a double Pisces.
[00:10:07] Speaker C: I'm a mess. I'm an emotional mess. Sometimes I think
[00:10:10] Speaker B: emotional mess.
[00:10:12] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:10:12] Speaker B: I'm very, I'm very evened out. I am a Pisces sun.
[00:10:16] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:10:16] Speaker B: Sag moon chaos. I know, I know everybody don't come for me.
[00:10:20] Speaker C: I am aware of
[00:10:21] Speaker B: my problems. Okay?
Taurus, that Taurus rising, though, she really oriented about her business, gets things done. Okay. She could get from A to B.
That Pisces is the one that's like, let's do all the things.
[00:10:36] Speaker C: And
[00:10:36] Speaker B: that sag is like, figure it out. Like, it's fine. Travel, spend the money. I'm like, thanks
[00:10:40] Speaker C: girl. Yeah, yeah, right?
I'm like, yeah, always. I'm like, I'm gonna go to travel. Cuz like, it means so much to me and I wanna like, there's emotional value to it rather than it's like, I'm
[00:10:55] Speaker B: also like, if we get one life and like this is. I'm a little woo woo sometimes I'm like, I believe that when we die, we go back to dust and being part of the universe and like there's something after this. I don't know, whatever, you know, everyone has, right?
[00:11:10] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:11:11] Speaker B: But I believe like, if this is the one life you get as this person, like, this is my one chance to be Brie, what I want her to do. And like my dream has been to go to London my entire life and I haven't gone yet. I'm like, what am I waiting for,
[00:11:23] Speaker C: right? So
[00:11:23] Speaker B: I think that's gonna, I'm gonna try to go next year and not next year for my 38th birthday. Like, I was like, I gotta go. I'm gonna go
[00:11:31] Speaker C: in the next two years, right?
[00:11:33] Speaker B: Hello.
[00:11:34] Speaker C: And you know what? I think it's all about longevity, right? Because like, especially if, you know, you want to travel, especially internationally, like, you want to give yourself like a year or two to even plan that. Especially because if, you know, you want to follow through. Like, I'm somebody that has just got used to solo travel.
So like now I'm like, oh, I'll just go. Like, I'll just go if I need to go. Like, I'll just book the trip, I'll look at the hotel, I'll look at the flight, I'll just do it myself. And then I'll be like, oh, like I'm gonna go. Maybe tell a friend or two if they don't go, I still know I have my things and I will go. Because who wants to wait for people? Also, like, just go, like, be free a little bit. You know, like, just plan yourself out. Research, study, like, look at the places you want to go and go, like, you know, go. Because it is possible.
[00:12:23] Speaker B: I am the queen of solo travel. Like, to the point of like, what am I waiting for? Like, what, what is happening? Like, I will book the thing, I will figure it out. Like, I will go visit friends even.
Like, do we have to? Like, I'm like, I just need a place to crash. Like, you will probably never see me. Like, let's do dinner, let's do this thing. Like, let's go to the bar. Sure. But, like, during the day when you're at work, I'm going to go here. Here?
[00:12:50] Speaker C: Yeah. Right.
[00:12:51] Speaker B: You know, like, I've been, like, living in Chicago the last two years,
[00:12:55] Speaker C: going
[00:12:55] Speaker B: for, like, at least a week every time.
And I'm. All my friends in Chicago. Like, I have, like, 10 friends who live there. And I'm like, oh, let's do this. Like, well, I have this on this day and this on this day, and probably that. They're like, how many people do you know here? Like, 10. But also, like, I'm just gonna, like, bop around. But that's how I was. Like, every time I'm traveling, I'm like, I will sometimes let the city or the place tell me what I'm gonna do. But then sometimes I'm like, I knew I want to go to the planetarium. I knew I want to go on the boat tour. I want to do these things. I have not gone to any of the libraries in Chicago yet, which is upsetting. I did not go to Obama's situation yet because.
[00:13:28] Speaker C: Right.
[00:13:28] Speaker B: It wasn't. They just didn't have time.
[00:13:30] Speaker C: Yeah. I
[00:13:31] Speaker B: also need. I need a full day to cry. Like, I might just sit outside and cry.
[00:13:34] Speaker C: Yeah, right. Like, that's a whole, like, moment. Like, it's too iconic.
[00:13:39] Speaker B: Barry and Michelle weep. I'm gonna weep. Okay.
[00:13:44] Speaker C: Yeah.
And Bri weeped.
[00:13:51] Speaker B: She wept and she wept and she weeped. Because I always jokingly say to him, like, and don't let me run into that lady in the streets.
[00:13:58] Speaker C: Yeah, right.
[00:13:59] Speaker B: Not let me pass. Michelle Obama on the streets
[00:14:02] Speaker C: in the south side. Maybe you think it
[00:14:05] Speaker B: would be she. Her security, like, ma', am, are you okay? No, actually, deeply unwell, because I need to leave at her feet because. What do you mean? She's just walking.
Michelle.
[00:14:15] Speaker C: Right?
[00:14:16] Speaker B: Please.
[00:14:17] Speaker C: I know she's a mother.
[00:14:19] Speaker B: I literally just applied for a job there. Not because I'm leaving my job, but because, like, two jobs came up, and I was like, it's Barry, Michelle. Like, I can't not apply. I didn't get them because God said no. Which is fine.
[00:14:31] Speaker C: Yeah. It's all right for now.
[00:14:33] Speaker B: For now.
In this moment.
[00:14:36] Speaker C: Yeah. But in the future, when you get that director call, like, oh, my God, we need a director.
[00:14:42] Speaker B: Mish. Hey, girl.
[00:14:45] Speaker C: First
[00:14:45] Speaker B: ring. Hey. I always say if Michelle called me for a job or if Oprah told me to come run owned for her. Sir girl, for you. Sure.
Let me just pick up that. That little call.
[00:14:57] Speaker C: Oh, my gosh. Yeah, of course. Yes, I'm ready. Yes,
[00:15:00] Speaker B: on my way. Yeah, sorry. Yeah, obviously, like, what? Tonight, watching the polls come in, I'm like, I should have been. I should have went to politics. I always say I want to run for office and I'm like, never mind. People are nuts.
[00:15:13] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:15:13] Speaker B: But just to do like the, the commentary, like being a political like analyst, like, that would be so fun. Like on election
[00:15:20] Speaker C: nights
[00:15:21] Speaker B: just to talk about what's happening right now. I'm like,
[00:15:23] Speaker C: yeah, because it's so crazy. And I think, like, it's been so crazy on social media with everybody just name calling and being crazy and like, I would love to report on that. I would love to report on all of that. Like, I'm
[00:15:38] Speaker B: also like, what are we so divisive about? On what are we disagreeing on?
[00:15:43] Speaker C: Like, like
[00:15:43] Speaker B: before you and I started recording, we're like talking about like, health care is expensive. Groceries, gas, housing, child care, education. Like, everything's expensive. And
[00:15:53] Speaker C: mind
[00:15:53] Speaker B: you, those
[00:15:54] Speaker C: are not observations. Those are facts.
[00:15:57] Speaker B: Cold hard facts.
[00:15:59] Speaker C: Like, I wish those were like observ. Like people are like
[00:16:02] Speaker B: feelings. I wish I felt like the economy was. No. Girl care and housing are like the two highest costs for family. Right. Families right now.
[00:16:11] Speaker C: Right.
[00:16:11] Speaker B: Like, it is cheaper for a two parent household. Isn't sometimes cheaper for one of the parents to stay home with the kid than to put the kid into daycare and then for both of them to work?
[00:16:20] Speaker C: It's
[00:16:21] Speaker B: insane to me.
[00:16:22] Speaker C: Yeah, no, that's not. This
[00:16:23] Speaker B: is also why I can't run for. Sorry, this going to be a politics podcast. This is also why I can't run for office because I am probably a socialist. I'm like, why are we paying for anything? We have gajillions of dollars.
When we pay. People pay those. When the, when we tax the rich.
I know, hot take to tax billionaires.
[00:16:41] Speaker C: Yeah, right. And it's just like, like the ultra wealthy, like, there's no way people should have hordes
[00:16:50] Speaker B: of
[00:16:50] Speaker C: billions. How do you. You can't even spend. First of all, you can't even put all that money in one room, let alone.
[00:16:56] Speaker B: Hello.
[00:16:56] Speaker C: You can't, you can't even. How do you even track that amount?
[00:16:59] Speaker B: It's not even like that person at that point. Like, I just read something that was like Elon Musk gave like $200 million to Ken Paxton's campaign for Texas.
That's like $2 to him. Like he does. It doesn't even like him. $200 million. But we can't afford, we can't feed kids lunch for free in school.
[00:17:20] Speaker C: We
[00:17:20] Speaker B: can't have universal health care. Like, and also, like, think about mum, what mom Donnie just did in New York. Like, taxing the ultra rich who have like all these apartments they don't even use for more than half the year. It's like their summer apartment.
[00:17:32] Speaker C: Exactly. Let's
[00:17:33] Speaker B: tax them money they're not even feeling.
[00:17:37] Speaker C: There we go, there we go. And the, the whole thing has been like, oh, they're gonna run away, People are gonna leave, like, if you start taxing them. But like, we're seeing that that's not the case.
Actually. People want to pay their fair share.
I don't think some people want that amount of wealth and then those that do have it, there should be a limit. Babe, we shouldn't be allowing anyone to hoard that amount of money, period. That should just not be a thing.
Especially like, what? Especially like teachers who are so underpaid. Correct.
And so many other, like, overworked nurses and understaffed hospitals and under resourced communities. And then you, like, I don't get it. Like, how can we have it? Yeah, the divisiveness and fighting and name call. It's so silly. Because what are we really talking about? Because the, the issue still seems the same no matter if it's red or blue. You know what I mean? Like, what's going on? What's happening with the girls?
[00:18:42] Speaker B: I think that's what gets me the most, is like, the people. I was talking to Tosh, our co worker today about this.
I was going on dates with this one man who may listen to this podcast, which he should be dragged in public, but not the point of conversation. The point is he was. He's a black man who also works in fundraising. And we were like, talking about politics because obviously I need to know what, what is occurring. He's like, oh, like, I'm, I'm Democratic, but I'm fiscally Republican. I go, what does that mean?
Because, number one, I know you make less than me. I know you make less than me. So what do you mean?
Also, your mother is an immigrant.
[00:19:19] Speaker C: So, like, what does that mean?
[00:19:20] Speaker B: What are we doing?
[00:19:22] Speaker C: And physically. And that, like, means, like, excluding people that otherwise wouldn't be able or afforded opportunities in those spaces. Because that's why there's removal of like, DEI and all of those things. Like, can we do we not forget? Like, those are all apart. Okay, but you're Republican when it comes to the, when it comes to physical,
[00:19:46] Speaker B: to the money you don't have.
[00:19:48] Speaker C: Right.
[00:19:50] Speaker B: If you want to talk about It. The money. You don't have the. The. The. The. To watch people who are never going to be billionaires twist themselves into not supporting the Republicans who are billionaires. And, like, watching the Republicans, you know, find all these things. Let's blame the immigrants. Let's blame. Let's blame trans kids. Let's blame all these things that
[00:20:08] Speaker C: have
[00:20:09] Speaker B: nothing to do what is actually happening. Because we're at a war. We don't need to be at paying all this
[00:20:14] Speaker C: money
[00:20:14] Speaker B: for whatever. Or, like, how Trump.
Whatever happened last week when they overthrew the guy in Brazil and then, like, Trump helped him get here. I'm like, but immigrants, like, y' all are so
[00:20:24] Speaker C: picky
[00:20:24] Speaker B: and choosy. And I'm like, that's the. You do know what America was. Was. No. No one here was originally from here. Unless you're Native American.
[00:20:32] Speaker C: Right.
[00:20:32] Speaker B: Everybody has immigrated. Here
[00:20:34] Speaker C: are the. His wife is.
[00:20:37] Speaker B: Which wife? Oh, the current one. Because he's
[00:20:41] Speaker C: Right,
[00:20:42] Speaker B: sorry.
[00:20:43] Speaker C: Exactly.
[00:20:43] Speaker B: Family values. Family Republicans. Family values. Go ahead.
[00:20:47] Speaker C: Yeah, exactly. Hello. Right. Multiple. With. Oh, my God. And he's so creepy and nasty and disgusting and like, oh, my God, so many people. Disgusting. A bio. Thanks.
[00:20:57] Speaker B: Having Nicki Minaj at that thing. Did you.
First of all.
[00:21:02] Speaker C: First of all, oh, my God. Nicki Minutes could be its own thing. Because her download. We can
[00:21:07] Speaker B: circle back to her. Because I have.
[00:21:08] Speaker C: But
[00:21:09] Speaker B: I have things to say. Continue what you're saying about his wife. Go ahead.
[00:21:12] Speaker C: Yeah.
She doesn't. She.
This is not even to be funny, but she speaks with an accent. She literally speaks with.
[00:21:19] Speaker B: She's an immigrant. Which is fine.
[00:21:21] Speaker C: Like, that's the point of
[00:21:23] Speaker B: this country.
[00:21:24] Speaker C: Right. Like, we don't need to villainize anyone besides the people that are. Is
[00:21:29] Speaker B: it because she's a white woman and an immigrant? So it's fine.
[00:21:31] Speaker C: Yeah. Right. Oh, we're just gonna put a pass to it.
[00:21:34] Speaker B: We can pick and choose. I'm like, this happened at a friend's wedding many years ago. I went to my. One of my friend's weddings, and her uncle. I was living in Texas still at the time. He's like, how do you feel about living in Texas? I was like, oh, I love it. Like, obviously, I wouldn't live there if I didn't. I'm like, texas is still Texas. Like, I live in Austin, which was like a blue dot.
But I was like, texas is still Texas, so that's hard.
He's like, yeah, I don't know if I could do it. Just, you know, walking into a grocery store, that's like, everything's written in Spanish. And I just took a minute. I go, tell me more about this. Which if I ever say to you, tell me more, that means I already clocked your. But,
[00:22:06] Speaker C: yeah, right, right.
[00:22:08] Speaker B: My therapist voice comes in. I'm like,
[00:22:10] Speaker C: oh, okay. Yeah. Oh,
[00:22:11] Speaker B: I
[00:22:11] Speaker C: do.
[00:22:12] Speaker B: Go ahead. Okay, proceed.
He was like, yeah. Like, we went to Florida once, and there was like, you know, everything was written in Spanish. And, you know, you move here, you learn how to speak our language, blah, blah, blah.
I go, oh, that's interesting. I was like, wait, wait. Tell me about your parents, though.
He was like, oh, yeah, my parents, they immigrated here from Italy and blah, blah, blah, blah. And I was like, oh, what did they do when they moved here? He's like, you know, it was really hard for them. They didn't speak the language. You know, they moved to a community where everyone spoke Italian. I was like, did they have a store that had maybe Italian items in it that they could understand?
He's like, yeah. I was like, kind of like, the Hispanic people might have their own markets. They can understand what they're buying so that they feel.
And his wife looked at me. She was, I'm sorry. I said, don't apologize for this man. That's. This grown man is having this conversation. Like, she was so apologetic. I was like, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
[00:23:01] Speaker C: Yeah, right.
[00:23:05] Speaker B: You are not my problem right now. Your husband and I are having it. Like, she. I. I also have a big issues, like, when women apologize for men,
[00:23:12] Speaker C: which is
[00:23:12] Speaker B: awesome, right? Like, why I'm a lesbian. That might actually explain a lot right now.
Yeah.
Chic. To be gay and not to center men in your life. What a time. But, yeah, I was just like, girly, pop. And he just looked at me, and I looked at him. I was like, enjoy the rest of the wedding. Like, we were sitting at the same table. I was already a cocktail, and I was like, sir. And then my friend, her sister came over. She's like, I'm so sorry. I did not mean to sit you at his table. I said, girl, I didn't think about this, man. I'm fine.
[00:23:37] Speaker C: Right, girl, right? Like,
[00:23:39] Speaker B: you all think that this. This is going to bother me on my day,
[00:23:43] Speaker C: right?
[00:23:43] Speaker B: You have. You clearly don't know me. I was like, I ain't gonna give this a second thought. It's actually become a really great story to tell at parties. So thank you.
[00:23:49] Speaker C: Yeah, Right. Exactly. Right, Right. Yeah.
[00:23:52] Speaker B: That's
[00:23:52] Speaker C: like,
[00:23:53] Speaker B: hello. And I always laugh because, like, like, I was telling you when we first got on Election night is like my Super Bowl. I watch every single election night. I never miss a midterm election, and I always watch a presidential election. And I truly, like, watch races out of different states. Like, I'm. I am a politics girl since I was 10. And those who are old enough to remember. Not Jesse because he's a baby. The Gore bush election from 2000. I was 10 years old, and I got obsessed with politics when I was 10. Okay.
[00:24:20] Speaker C: Oh, my gosh.
[00:24:21] Speaker B: Yeah, listen, little activist. Since the beginning of time.
And so now, just, like, the. The divisiveness of, like, I think about the James Baldwin quote of, like, I can be critical of my country because I love my country.
And this whole idea of, like, go back where you came from. Do any of you understand what this country was built on?
Literal immigrants who were fleeing, essentially a dictator. As you think about the king for a new life.
This is not a Christian nation.
Is a country free to practice whatever religion you want. So a lot of Quakers when they moved here, a lot of people who weren't Catholic when they moved here.
[00:24:59] Speaker C: It's
[00:24:59] Speaker B: like, read. Do you read the Constitution? Have you looked at the Declaration of Independence? I have two. I have a copy of each. Not that they mean much these days, but I have a
[00:25:09] Speaker C: right. That's another thing. People don't know the history, and they're just so inaccurate. And they're
[00:25:15] Speaker B: loud and wrong.
[00:25:17] Speaker C: Yeah. Like, how. How are you loud and wrong? Like, you don't know nothing. And
[00:25:21] Speaker B: audacity. If people have nothing else, they have audacity.
[00:25:24] Speaker C: Yeah. And there's a lot of that going around nowadays. We could do a lot without it.
[00:25:30] Speaker B: Speaking of audacity, Nicki Minaj. So a collect, a collective sigh. Because that used to be my girl.
[00:25:39] Speaker C: Oh, my gosh.
[00:25:41] Speaker B: And RIP Nikki, because she's not dead, but she's not a person I listen to anymore. Like, I have moved her. Her and Taylor Swift are removed from my Spotify and Kanye.
[00:25:51] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:25:51] Speaker B: And Diddy and R. Kelly.
[00:25:54] Speaker C: Yeah, right. Like,
[00:25:55] Speaker B: I am a separate. I am a artist. And art. Like, I will give you up. Like, I.
[00:26:00] Speaker C: Yeah, no, Nikki. And for Nikki, like, her fan base is queer.
[00:26:06] Speaker B: Mostly gay.
[00:26:08] Speaker C: Yeah. Like, it's queer. People
[00:26:10] Speaker B: of color, women,
[00:26:11] Speaker C: trans. Like, everybody. It's everybody in the community, in the diaspora. And for her to be, first of all, turning point. Turning Point. USA
[00:26:21] Speaker B: girl.
[00:26:24] Speaker C: When I ever saw her go up there, oh, my God, this nation is dead. Like, what is happening? Nicki Minaj? You're parading around a conservative.
[00:26:38] Speaker B: It's called tokenism.
[00:26:39] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:26:39] Speaker B: Because let's not forget Nicki Minaj is an immigrant, if I'm not wrong, which means she cannot vote. She can't vote in this country.
[00:26:47] Speaker C: Not at all.
[00:26:48] Speaker B: Her husband and her brother are both on lists for child abuse.
[00:26:55] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:26:55] Speaker B: Sexual child abuse.
[00:26:57] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:26:58] Speaker B: So, girl, not you aligning yourself with pedophiles yet again.
[00:27:02] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:27:03] Speaker B: For why?
Thinking you're gonna get a pardon for them? Nope.
[00:27:07] Speaker C: No, no. Thinking.
[00:27:09] Speaker B: What, you're gonna get job security? No,
[00:27:12] Speaker C: no, no. Because
[00:27:14] Speaker B: what. What are they gonna do for you? I'm citizen. That is Lil, girl, be serious.
[00:27:21] Speaker C: It's like, I really am disappointed. I'm really. And, like, to really be considered, like, the top of the female rap chart, and then this is what you've come up with.
And then for people to still be like, oh, my God, you can still separate. And it's like, no. Like, she's doing UN Missions for Christians in Nigeria or whatever. She's doing Turning Point USA on tour with Mrs. Kirk after. He was like, yeah,
[00:27:58] Speaker B: I just looked it up to make sure I was right. Because I'm like, I hate being wrong on my podcast. She's not a u. S. Citizen. She has a permanent green heart. Green card. She's a permanent resident with a green card, but she's not an actual US Citizen, so she cannot vote. So what are you doing? What are you caping for, girl?
[00:28:15] Speaker C: Yeah, I'm confused
[00:28:17] Speaker B: deeply.
[00:28:19] Speaker C: Yeah, right? Like, you want to plane with Dwayne?
Oh, no,
[00:28:25] Speaker B: girl.
It makes me sad. I literally have to pour one out every time.
What were you doing?
[00:28:34] Speaker C: Yeah,
[00:28:34] Speaker B: it was like, were you that hard? Now I'm gonna start hypothesizing. Were you that hard up? Because Cardi B is the one. Like, the Cardi B. The political girly, which I always laugh because think she's dumb. Like, this is so smart. Like, she knows
[00:28:46] Speaker C: about
[00:28:47] Speaker B: politics. Are you kidding? Nicki Cardi B. Is so tuned in.
[00:28:52] Speaker C: First of all, I've never seen Nicki Minaj support any.
Any political.
[00:28:57] Speaker B: Silent, silent. Until recently on
[00:28:59] Speaker C: the political front, I've never seen her really be like. I've seen Lady Gaga.
[00:29:05] Speaker B: Stephanie a
[00:29:06] Speaker C: Lady Gaga. Okay? And she definitely called out Obama to a point.
Like, the artists. The artists that are really about. Yeah. Beyonce. Oh, yeah, like that. Like, now.
[00:29:17] Speaker B: Will she sometimes wait till the last minute? Sure.
Beyonce. Which annoys me. Like, the Beto election made a little too long for me. Beyonce.
[00:29:26] Speaker C: Okay. She was there for Kamala. She was there for me. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[00:29:31] Speaker B: I'm just saying, you know,
[00:29:34] Speaker C: but she. Do she be.
[00:29:37] Speaker B: She tried
[00:29:37] Speaker C: but when.
But she definitely sang at the inauguration ball and at the ceremony.
[00:29:46] Speaker B: Listen,
[00:29:47] Speaker C: yeah. She had her moment. I
[00:29:48] Speaker B: got no beef with B. Okay. My girl clocked in. Okay. She's not my problem. She's a Texan. Okay. I'm sure she's done something for James at this point, you know, James Hellerico.
But, yeah, I just. I just. I'm like,
[00:30:02] Speaker C: yeah,
[00:30:02] Speaker B: this is like, talk about, like, political power. Like, I.
I might get in trouble. I am. I am not a swifty. That woman annoys me to the ends of the earth.
[00:30:12] Speaker C: Yeah. Because she
[00:30:12] Speaker B: does what a lot of white women do and try to act like she doesn't understand, like, that. That weaponize, like, incompetence. Like, you know, as a billionaire yourself.
[00:30:23] Speaker C: Yeah. Right. In
[00:30:24] Speaker B: the platform that you have.
[00:30:26] Speaker C: Oh, girl.
[00:30:27] Speaker B: What you are doing and what power you have.
[00:30:30] Speaker C: Right.
[00:30:30] Speaker B: So for her to, you know, eventually, she has called 45, 47 out. But I'm like, girl, this is why. This is why I couldn't be famous. Because I. I would everyone be like, no, she's a yes.
[00:30:42] Speaker C: Yeah. Right. Because
[00:30:43] Speaker B: you will never have to guess who I am and how I align. Absolutely. Yes. Yeah.
[00:30:47] Speaker C: Right. Like, it would just be public.
[00:30:49] Speaker B: I vote Democratic, but I'm probably a socialist if we really think about it. Although I've never been a Bernie, girl, you guys, I can't get on the Barney train. It was never going to happen for me.
[00:30:59] Speaker C: It wasn't going to happen for you. It was going to happen.
[00:31:02] Speaker B: No.
[00:31:03] Speaker C: Oh, my God. He
[00:31:04] Speaker B: irks. I can't explain why, but he irks me.
[00:31:07] Speaker C: Who would have been the, like, dream, like the 2016 Dream candidate?
[00:31:13] Speaker B: It wasn't Hillary. My God, this is like my dream conversation. Jesse.
It wouldn't have been Hillary. Although I think she did great working on Obama's campaign, obviously, but she had a lot of scandals. I think she's always still going to be seen as Bill's wife. Sadly, even though Hillary Rodham Clinton has a whole career that was a whole ass lawyer. Doesn't matter.
[00:31:30] Speaker C: Whatever.
[00:31:32] Speaker B: I think she had too many skeletons in her closet. Also, the whole, like, her emails, like, you guys, have you looked at Trump? Anyway, the hypocrisy is not missed on me.
Kamala would not have been my choice either. I think we did her really dirty in the 24 election.
They didn't give her enough time to run and they knew. They should have known. The Republicans are going to be like, well, you know, when she was secretary, whatever was it Attorney general, Secretary of state, whatever she was.
I can't Remember, it's late, you guys. Okay. About a week.
Whatever. She was in California. They were, like, trying to villainize her for that, and we had to,
[00:32:05] Speaker C: like, yeah,
[00:32:06] Speaker B: D.L. hughley. This is actually. Yeah, this. She actually didn't do this, so I don't think she was a good choice. I have big beef with Pete Buttigieg, which is a whole different
[00:32:17] Speaker C: way. You don't like our queer transportation? Wait, okay.
[00:32:23] Speaker B: You're trying to get canceled on my own podcast.
[00:32:25] Speaker C: Okay, sorry.
[00:32:26] Speaker B: I call him Mayor Mayo because I hate mayonnaise as much as I hate Pete Buttigieg. His husband. I've met. Love. Chastain. Love.
[00:32:33] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:32:33] Speaker B: I just. Pete does. He's great at other things. He just would not have been my choice. He.
I get, like, he's a gay man married to a man. Was in the armed fort. Like, served our country. Like, whatever. Great. He.
My issue with most Democrats is, like, y' all are too nice. This whole reach across the aisle is not working for me anymore.
So there's that.
Who else? Who else? Who else? I love Elizabeth Warren. That was
[00:32:59] Speaker C: my
[00:33:00] Speaker B: girl. I love Elizabeth. Down.
Okay,
[00:33:05] Speaker C: okay.
[00:33:05] Speaker B: I wasn't. I loved Beto. When he ran in Texas. They're like, four times. He ran. No shade. That man ran, like, three, four times.
[00:33:12] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:33:14] Speaker B: When he ran for president, I was like. But, oh, please, girl. Like,
[00:33:18] Speaker C: we
[00:33:18] Speaker B: love what you have done for Texas voters. We have. We love their door knocking. Like, please, you are a Texas person. Please just stick to Texas. Like, I think he could be where James is right now.
[00:33:30] Speaker C: Exactly.
[00:33:30] Speaker B: If he did not run for president that year.
[00:33:33] Speaker C: True, true. Yeah. Right?
[00:33:34] Speaker B: Wow. Not me. With my own politics podcast.
[00:33:38] Speaker C: Right.
[00:33:40] Speaker B: Who else? Who else? Who. I'm trying to think there. Cory Booker out of New York. Out of New Jersey.
My man. My man. My man. Not recently. Let me. Let me. Let me let the. Okay. Because
[00:33:49] Speaker C: he's been a little shaky
[00:33:51] Speaker B: back back in the day before he ran for president. Before he ran for president. Like, 20. Was it 2024 when everybody ran for president that year?
He was a 24. I think it was 24. And like, everyone, their mother was in the race.
I had known about Cory Booker being from Connecticut for a long time. He was actually my best friend.
Was it 2020? I don't remember at this point. No. Because Joe Biden wasn't in.
[00:34:16] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:34:17] Speaker B: Oh, yes, he was. Yes, he was. Yes, he was. But, like, oh, yes. Yes, you're right. So it's 2020. So I knew about Booker, Cory Booker for a long. I've met that man two or three times. Like, we have mutual friends. Like, that was my man. Okay. I have pictures. Okay. Down. Bad. Okay.
But he's been the last, like, six years, eight years. I've been like, corey, you're not slick. Like, it's just been real questionable over there in those. Around those parts.
Yeah, those are the ones I can think of right now. Like, I have a lot of feelings. Like, my family friend, my play uncle Jim, and his wife Sandy, they. We go to dinner once a month, just the two of them and me,
[00:34:58] Speaker C: and
[00:34:58] Speaker B: they're both retired and, like, in their 70s, and I freaking love them. And we have a lot of conversations about politics. And so right now, they're both like, who do you think the Dems are going to put up for president? And I'm like, I have no
[00:35:08] Speaker C: idea.
[00:35:09] Speaker B: I have no
[00:35:10] Speaker C: idea.
[00:35:11] Speaker B: He was like, maybe aoc. And I was like, I don't think she would do it.
[00:35:15] Speaker C: Like,
[00:35:15] Speaker B: my other friend thinks she's, like, priming. I'm like, I don't think she can. She knows she can't win. Like, there. We're not going to go from Trump to a woman, a Latino woman president. Oh, my
[00:35:24] Speaker C: God. That's like, we're not there. We
[00:35:26] Speaker B: couldn't get Jasmine Crockett to be on the table ticket for Texas, like, you think.
And I think I think about Texas as, like, the. The marker for the United States. Oh, my God. This is like my dream. This is my dream conversation.
And so, yeah, I just. I just. I was like, we're not going to get from Trump to aoc.
[00:35:50] Speaker C: It would
[00:35:51] Speaker B: be a
[00:35:51] Speaker C: nice idea, but
[00:35:53] Speaker B: it would. I mean, I think I would say if. If what was his name who ran with Kamala? Was it Wall Waltz?
[00:36:01] Speaker C: Yeah,
[00:36:02] Speaker B: I think he'd be a great candidate, but I don't think he's doing politics anymore. I think that everything that happened when he ran for vp, I think he's just like, so,
[00:36:09] Speaker C: yeah, he's. Which
[00:36:10] Speaker B: I don't blame him. I think it's the same way. Kamala's like, no, I'm good. Like,
[00:36:13] Speaker C: we're
[00:36:13] Speaker B: good over here.
[00:36:14] Speaker C: Exactly.
[00:36:15] Speaker B: Yeah, we're fine. Thank you so much.
[00:36:17] Speaker C: Yeah, they let
[00:36:17] Speaker B: our
[00:36:17] Speaker C: girl down a few times.
[00:36:19] Speaker B: Hello. She's like, I'm fine, actually. She's
[00:36:21] Speaker C: like, okay, I'm
[00:36:23] Speaker B: gonna sit this one out. Thank you so much. Like, girl, are you running
[00:36:25] Speaker C: again? She's like, well,
[00:36:27] Speaker B: running to my massage.
[00:36:29] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:36:29] Speaker B: Right.
[00:36:31] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:36:33] Speaker B: Yeah. I. I truly don't know. I think it's gonna have to be a white dude. I just don't think America is ready.
I think like, that the Hillary decomalo jump was already a big one.
[00:36:44] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:36:45] Speaker B: I. I think us even getting Joe when we got Joe, I think that was a big jump. And I'm really shocked about. Because how we go from Obama to 45 to Joe to 47. Like that.
[00:36:55] Speaker C: Yeah, right.
[00:36:57] Speaker B: Has been wild. That back and forth. And also sidebar, when I was dating, and I tell all my friends now, when they do date, you need to ask the people who you are dating who they voted for in the last three elections. Not the last two, the last three. Trump has been on that ballot three times. Okay.
[00:37:15] Speaker C: Right, right.
[00:37:16] Speaker B: Let's not forget everybody. 2016, 2020, and 2024, he was on that ballot three times.
[00:37:22] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:37:23] Speaker B: Listen to your auntie Brie. Okay? Auntie Bibi's not gonna let you know. Okay. Check those register. Check how their vote. Do not date someone who is not going to vote in your best interests. Because why are we marrying people who are not politically aligned with.
[00:37:38] Speaker C: Yes. Right. The
[00:37:39] Speaker B: call is coming from inside the house.
[00:37:41] Speaker C: Yeah, babe, like your. Your home is being deconstructed. Right. From inside of the home. You
[00:37:46] Speaker B: cannot say you love me and then vote against my best interest.
[00:37:50] Speaker C: Yeah, right, right.
[00:37:52] Speaker B: A man is not that great.
[00:37:56] Speaker C: I'm starting to believe that. I'm starting to believe that.
[00:37:58] Speaker B: It's making me center men, everybody.
[00:38:01] Speaker C: If
[00:38:01] Speaker B: I can give anybody any advice. If you are a person who dates men, decenter them from their. From your lives. Your greatest love should be the relationship you have with yourself and your friends. Your friends will be there when your partner or your person you're dating lets you down. Invest in your friendships because they will see you through. Because when you need to vent about that man, you can go to them.
[00:38:22] Speaker C: Exactly. Right. No, they'll always be there. They'll always be there. Yeah. Invest in them, but spend more time with them.
Grab coffee. Have chats with them, too. And then. Oh, yeah, I don't know who the girls are. Just. I don't know. The girls have been in a tizzy
[00:38:42] Speaker B: about what?
[00:38:44] Speaker C: Everything. I think they've just been so conflicting.
You know those. There was two interviews in the last two years that I've seen. One was Katt Williams and then the other one was Monique.
Both. Both. Right. Both very interesting. And I love both of them. I feel like they're. They're great comedians.
[00:39:08] Speaker B: They're like staples in comedy. Yeah, yeah,
[00:39:11] Speaker C: they really are.
But I felt like the way that, like, we're talking about the political world, the way that they shook up the, like, acting world in a way to really, like, call out some of the people that.
Because it's just. I don't know, it's really hard having conversations about the black community.
Yeah. In each other. Because, like, she was talking about, like, girls shouldn't wear bonnet. Like, they shouldn't go out to the store and bonnets. And everybody was like, oh. Or, like, people on Facebook and TikTok or going against it. But my thing is. Right, like, when you have to advocate that hard for something like, like, I get it. Okay.
I personally wouldn't go. Or I might have gone in the store. Younger me in a bonnet. Now, I personally wouldn't do that because, like, hello, like, my hair look good or I'll have my hair braided. So, like, I just wouldn't. But I think it's. Yeah. The generational gaps between, like, older people and, like, understanding all of how all of these different communities intersect and, like, they're not mutually exclusive.
I think it's pretty cool because, like, even, like, the mashups where you see, like, Like, AOC at the Met or Keke Palmer talking to a politician or, like, when the campaigns are happening. But I say all that to say, How do you think, like, politics are, like, shaping the current, like, black community? Or, like, like, how. How. Yeah, because, like, yeah,
[00:41:12] Speaker B: I think we need to have a really big conversation, number one, about the.
The recent uptick on black people becoming Republican.
That's a big one. I think about.
I think about the disparity in wealth on black people compared to other races, especially if we talk about the d. The recent, like, rollback of DEI since 47 has been back in office.
I think it's a lot of infighting that really isn't necessary. And this isn't, like, obviously, black people aren't a monolith. Right. Like, we are all, you know, different. But I think it's a really big conversation because I think so many people think. Automatically think black. They think Democratic, and that is not it. Like, I've been explaining to my nephews. They're 11. And so we've been talking a lot about politics this week because we live in Connecticut, but we live in a town that's red, which don't ask how that happens, but it does. And so last night, my. One of. My. One of the. One of the twins was asking me, like, whoa, are you voting? Are you voting for this person or this person?
And I was like, oh, I'm going to align with the Democratic person. And they were like, why? And so we had this conversation, like, our whole family votes Democratic. And I'm like, sometimes it's like the same, like, blue, no matter who. And I'm like, that's because we need to align ourselves with the choice that we think is not going to only affect us, but other people. Like, for me, when I think in these conversations and as we talk about, like, black people and as black people get wealthier or more educated and all these things of, like, I literally was just watching Brittany Packnett yeti, who I love, she's a political commentator. She was just talking about Ayanna Pressley. And Ayanna Pressley had been saying that your vote isn't just about you. You're voting for folks who are incarcerated who can't vote. You're voting for a youth who's not 18 yet, and you're considering them when you vote. You're voting for their future without them having any say about it. You're voting for the folks who make who are, you know, quote, quote, unquote, illegal. I don't like to use that. But people who are. Who aren't US Citizens yet your vote, who get paid under the table and, you know, may use state insurance. You're voting for Medicare costs or other things we've talked about, right?
[00:43:24] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:43:24] Speaker B: And so I. I take that very seriously. I'm like, this is why I truly vote in every single election. The first thing I do when I move anywhere is make sure I'm registered to vote there. Because I'm like, you can't complain if you're not a part of trying to make things better. Like, it has been so frustrating, specifically after the last election, having so many of my friends, specifically black women who are like, oh, I didn't vote this time. I'm like, the fuck do you mean you didn't vote in this election?
Like, well, I couldn't vote for Kamala.
I was like, so.
So you. You inadvertently voted for Trump,
[00:43:57] Speaker C: right?
[00:43:58] Speaker B: You didn't vote for him. I'm like, but you voted against her. You did not vote for her, and therefore you voted against her. And now when you give commentary for the next two years about how she didn't do X, Y and Z or why is Trump. Well, I'm like, I am a deep believer that if you're not investing, you cannot say anything.
[00:44:13] Speaker C: Yeah, right.
[00:44:14] Speaker B: And that's like, that's in school. Like, that's it. Like, where we work. If you. Like, we just had that huge event. People like, well, I'm like, you didn't help me plan this Thing. So you can't have a commentary about it.
[00:44:23] Speaker C: Exactly. That's
[00:44:24] Speaker B: how I feel about politics. If you have not voted, I will hear you out because we're neighbors. We live in the same community. Sure. But if you did not vote.
And I, as a, again, I grew up, I grew up in a very activist family. I've been an activist my entire life. I am a politics nerd.
The fact that I am what, four generations maybe, if we think about me, my mom, my grandmother, my great grandmother. My great grandmother probably couldn't vote. My grandmother, I don't even think she could have voted. Like, I do not. Probably couldn't even have
[00:44:56] Speaker C: a debit card. Or could it have.
[00:44:58] Speaker B: A woman could not have her own credit card to like the 80s, 70s or 80s without her husband or her father signing for it. Like,
[00:45:06] Speaker C: like
[00:45:06] Speaker B: I've been. There's a trend on Instagram and Tick Tock right now, like the first in my bloodline to X, Y and Z. I'm like, did you do a lot of.
[00:45:12] Speaker C: Yeah, right. And
[00:45:13] Speaker B: I don't, I could get emotional about like, I do not take that lightly because I know what people had to do to vote.
[00:45:19] Speaker C: Yeah, right. Jesse.
[00:45:22] Speaker B: Tuesday night on election night, I take that so seriously because I'm like, how are you going to sit here and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and let your voice be squandered because you don't like the options. None of us like the options. The two party system is. Supreme Court justices shouldn't have lifetime life. Like life term, whatever. I can't.
[00:45:49] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:45:51] Speaker B: So yes, this, the electoral college is. We know.
Okay. But I cannot change this overnight if none of you are voting.
[00:45:59] Speaker C: Exactly.
[00:45:59] Speaker B: And so I think this goes back to like the disenfranchisement of black people. Sorry, everybody, I'm like getting a tissue. The disenfranchisement of black people, people of color, immigrants. Like, if our voice did not matter, they would not try to take voting from us every single election.
[00:46:15] Speaker C: Right.
[00:46:16] Speaker B: So.
[00:46:17] Speaker C: Or be trying to do other things. Right, right.
[00:46:19] Speaker B: Or like, because I think about the tokenization of Nicki Minaj right now, I'm like, bitch, they are using you and you don't even fucking see it.
[00:46:26] Speaker C: Yeah, right.
[00:46:26] Speaker B: They know the power and pull you had. When he had her, literally Trump said something like, something about seeing like the best ass or whatever. And he made her stand up. And all I could think about was like, back in like the times of slavery when they had, they paraded black women around like circus freaks.
He's
[00:46:45] Speaker C: using
[00:46:46] Speaker B: you. Don't Even see this. You are a woman of immense means. You came from nothing.
Like, I will not take that from her. Nicki Minaj came from nothing.
[00:46:54] Speaker C: Right.
[00:46:54] Speaker B: She's an immigrant. She had no, like, she'll tell you she had no money when, before she.
[00:46:58] Speaker C: Right, right.
[00:46:59] Speaker B: I will. I will never, like, downplay a woman's success.
And now what are you doing? What are you
[00:47:06] Speaker C: doing?
[00:47:07] Speaker B: Like, you should be using your platform to make sure folks can have a streamline to becoming citizens. You know, giving back money, helping the community. You grew up in New York. Like, oh, you know, I'm not telling people how to spend their money, but, like, girl, what are. What are you talking about?
[00:47:22] Speaker C: Right?
[00:47:22] Speaker B: So all that to say is, like, I. I look at celebrities who are still human, obviously, and trying their best to, like, use whatever platform they have, and they might not be perfect and I might still get them canceled sometimes. Like, we're all doing our best.
But yeah, I mean, Monique, she has her times. Cat Williams has his times.
But I, I will say whatever they say, I know they love their people. I know they love people. I love. They love our community, our diaspora. Diaspora. And I don't take that from them. But I think it is so important in whatever platform you have, I don't care if you have two followers or two million. You. You have. Everyone has impact. What are you doing with that impact that you have, is my constant question.
[00:48:07] Speaker C: Yes, right, right, right. Continuing to.
No, it's just really. I'm sorry, but it's real. It's real. Like, people.
[00:48:17] Speaker B: I get so emotional about me voting. Like,
[00:48:19] Speaker C: it's
[00:48:20] Speaker B: just not something
[00:48:21] Speaker C: to play. It's just something to play about.
[00:48:24] Speaker B: And, like, having lived in Texas and watching, like, what they did in, like, a lot of. I was there for eight years, so I was there for at least two elections. Two presidential elections. Oh, no, three. I moved there in 2016. I was there for three presidential elections in two midterms.
And so to watch what they were doing of, like, I worked with a number of, like, different organizations of, like, we would get people to the polls, we would have events we would like. But you could not hand out water to people in line like, they make it. Yeah, you cannot hand out water or snacks to people online to, like, make. Like, they would tell people, like, oh, well, the voting, it's closing. Like, they're open till 8, and if you're in line by 8 o', clock, you have every right to vote.
[00:49:06] Speaker C: Right. It's
[00:49:07] Speaker B: like, things like that are, like, just educating people. Like, you don't know you don't have to show anyone your paper to vote. You show your ID and you call it a day. Or like how they purge the polls. Like my middle name has an accent in it. And so I had to be very specific when registered to vote because if my middle name has an accent on my license but not on my voter registration, they make you're not the same person.
[00:49:30] Speaker C: Wow. And they
[00:49:30] Speaker B: do that to a lot of people of color who have accents like in their names. And it's like
[00:49:35] Speaker C: right
[00:49:36] Speaker B: girl, just spell it the quote American way or just spell it, you know, however, without the accent just to like. Because they will. Oh I'm sorry, it doesn't match. And Texas doesn't have same day ro registration.
You have to be 60 days. I think it's 30 or 60 days out from election.
Yeah. There's all these different things to do.
Yeah. So tell people check your voter polls. Often,
[00:49:59] Speaker C: often, often.
[00:50:00] Speaker B: Cuz they'll purge you and not tell you you've been purged
[00:50:05] Speaker C: and
[00:50:05] Speaker B: then you can't register and it's. Yeah. So I take elections very seriously.
[00:50:11] Speaker C: Right, right, right.
And I think people like take for granted like the fact that they live in safe places where it's not so undemocratic in other places. You know what I mean? Like there's, you know, some places,
[00:50:28] Speaker B: the sense of safety, they get lulled. Like if you live in a blue state, they're like oh, I'm like no, no. Like
[00:50:34] Speaker C: no.
Because in all of those states you still see the same issues occurring just in different formats. Right. Like education is an issue all across the country. Healthcare is an issue all across the country. Right. Access and Right. Like rural country. Are rural states like having less access and information just generally compared to other states that do have access. And even those places that have all of this access to information, you still see there's homelessness, there's hunger, there's all of these things that exist. Like you can't be fooled by, by this idea that oh like these people have been doing this forever. Like we can trust them. Guys like that doesn't work and it's not working
[00:51:15] Speaker B: well. I also think too like, and people hate this. I'm like everything's political. I'm sorry to tell you, this guy I follow I saw on Instagram once, like if you're a runner, that's political because if you don't have clean water to drink after your run, if you don't have clean air when you're running, like if you can't afford running shoes in this economy, like every, like no matter who you are, there is something political.
Like,
[00:51:38] Speaker C: right.
[00:51:38] Speaker B: Like I'm a gas. That's political because we're at war with Iran, who we get gas from. Like, there's. Everything is political. And so when people are like, well, you know, I'm like, don't get lulled into a sense of safety. You should always be paying attention and just be
[00:51:53] Speaker C: like, right.
[00:51:54] Speaker B: Like, currently, do I have a problem with our current government? Governor? Yes.
[00:51:59] Speaker C: Ned
[00:51:59] Speaker B: Lamont is not my favorite Democratic governor, quote, Democratic.
But I was like, he's my candidate. Right? Like, and I'm like. And it's. And I was listening to something like, who do you think when you vote that would actually listen to you? And yes, everyone's
[00:52:18] Speaker C: like,
[00:52:18] Speaker B: also, no one should be fans of politicians. That's also like a weird thing to me. Like, they're, they work for you. Politicians work for you. Do not forget that. Do not be scared of them. You sign their paychecks. What are you talking about? Ned Lamont works for me. Okay. Personally,
[00:52:34] Speaker C: no, literally,
[00:52:36] Speaker B: she's like, I have things to say.
Yeah. I'm like, these people work for you. And so my, literally, I was up my friend yesterday and she's like, I think I'm gonna vote for the other guy that's running in, in Connecticut. Right? I was like, emma, I'm pretty sure he's a Republican. She's like, no. I was like, yeah, girl. So she's going down his list of things and his. All sounds good. I'm like, great. Has it occurred to you that this is the way he's going to try to get into this office and then do the old switcheroony?
I don't know if I believe that because if he was really running as a Dem, he could have read, he could have said, I'm an independent, I'm a Green Party. But he decided to be the Republican nominee.
That was a choice. That was a choice you made.
[00:53:18] Speaker C: Exactly.
Making that choice,
[00:53:21] Speaker B: actively making that
[00:53:22] Speaker C: choice. And
[00:53:23] Speaker B: so like, when people like, are you gonna run for office? Like, guys, I'm not a Democrat. Like, I'm a socialist.
[00:53:29] Speaker C: Yeah, right. And
[00:53:30] Speaker B: I know that about.
[00:53:31] Speaker C: On that platform. I couldn't run on the platform
[00:53:33] Speaker B: again. The two party system is, it, is, it has been set up for failure.
[00:53:39] Speaker C: And I'm
[00:53:39] Speaker B: like, and my, my family, you should run because you just would unpack the systems. Like, guys, I'd probably be assassinated in like a week. Like, I,
[00:53:46] Speaker C: I'm
[00:53:47] Speaker B: like, why are you paying for
[00:53:48] Speaker C: anything?
Yeah, right. Like, people there are Some people who.
[00:53:51] Speaker B: Medicare for all universal health care. And people are like, we don't have the money. If we can pay to go to war, we can pay our teachers. We can play and take care of our veterans.
[00:54:02] Speaker C: Universal
[00:54:03] Speaker B: health care
[00:54:05] Speaker C: missiles are expensive. Those materials. We can have
[00:54:08] Speaker B: gun reform. Stop playing in my face about this. The guns, everybody. I am an American and I have read the Constitution in the declaration. You have a right to bear arms, but you do not. No one needs an AK47.
[00:54:22] Speaker C: Hello.
[00:54:23] Speaker B: Anyone under the age of 18 should not have access to a firearm.
[00:54:26] Speaker C: Thank you.
[00:54:27] Speaker B: Everyone who owns a gun should be a safe gun owner
[00:54:32] Speaker C: checks.
[00:54:34] Speaker B: Jesse.
[00:54:35] Speaker C: Oh, my gosh. Like, can we just like, not have background checks?
[00:54:38] Speaker B: A universal background. Universal back. How progressive of you.
[00:54:42] Speaker C: Right? She
[00:54:42] Speaker B: says sarcastically, for those who can't see me, like,
[00:54:45] Speaker C: exactly.
[00:54:47] Speaker B: And every. The thing is that what gets me is like poll after poll after poll every time a majority of Americans vote for safer gun laws.
[00:54:58] Speaker C: Right,
[00:54:59] Speaker B: but because we keep voting in Republicans, because a lot of it is gerrymandered. I understand the districts are redrawn often, but because Republicans keep winning and they are paid off by the nra.
Yeah.
[00:55:12] Speaker C: And because.
And because people like the guy that said Sandy Hooks was a hoax.
[00:55:21] Speaker B: Oh, who got sued
[00:55:23] Speaker C: and made that his whole platform. Like, he made millions of dollars using his platform to tell.
Imagine telling the parent of the children that were massacred. And Sandy,
[00:55:41] Speaker B: like, what the is that man? Alex Jones, who got sued and the families won.
[00:55:45] Speaker C: Yes, yes, yes, yes. Because how could you ever.
[00:55:50] Speaker B: Families of the victims soon chose for defamation, emotional distress. The cowards found him liable and juries ordered him to pay over a billion dollars in damages. This is in 2012.
This was recently.
Yep.
[00:56:05] Speaker C: It's crazy.
[00:56:08] Speaker B: It was 1.25 billion. They just got slashed to 50 million. Still.
[00:56:13] Speaker C: Yeah,
[00:56:14] Speaker B: yeah. Sorry, Sadie Hook. Hook happened in 2012. Anyway, yeah. When he. I was like, bro, what.
[00:56:22] Speaker C: How can you even. How people
[00:56:24] Speaker B: just be saying, like.
[00:56:27] Speaker C: And then that people were believing it and he made a platform and you made money off of this. Like, what money?
[00:56:33] Speaker B: I think that's like a thing. Like, I can't wait till we're older because I want to see the smarties who do research to be like, what was it about Alex Jones, Joe Rogan, Elon Musk and Trump that has this like, Republican MAGA red pill, cult like mentality. What was it about the messaging that got into people's head? Because it's. It's a cult to me. Like, this is
[00:56:57] Speaker C: like
[00:56:58] Speaker B: cult indoctrination. And how does that happen?
Like, I my research nerdy brains. Like, as a person who studied sociology, I'm like, I can't wait for those research papers because how the do we get here?
[00:57:09] Speaker C: Yeah, right. Because like it just happened one night. Like, I don't even.
[00:57:14] Speaker B: No one took him seriously until like 2014, 2015. And I was like, oh, he's the actual nominee.
[00:57:21] Speaker C: Yeah, right.
But that's the thing. People play around too much. Entirely too much. Like how? Well,
[00:57:27] Speaker B: this is why I also say, go ahead. No, no, go ahead, go ahead. How are you?
[00:57:31] Speaker C: Like, how. How are you gonna play about somebody that you people's lives?
This man was an entertainer, a failed businessman.
[00:57:43] Speaker B: Failed.
[00:57:44] Speaker C: And a number of other unattractive characteristics that you would want in a president. Like, I'm pretty sure. And this is. I'm not any Republican or democrat. But it's like there's. I'm pretty sure there was a better Republican nominee. Like, I'm pretty sure there was a more competent and more capable candidate the whole entire time. And yet they produced that. And then.
Yeah, you guys voted for this
[00:58:13] Speaker B: twice. Three times. Some of you.
[00:58:16] Speaker C: Yeah,
[00:58:17] Speaker B: yeah, I will. I just, I can't wait to see that. I'm like, how did we get here?
[00:58:23] Speaker C: Because,
[00:58:24] Speaker B: like, this is wild.
Like,
[00:58:26] Speaker C: yeah, the wild is even though I can imagine the thesis on. The thesis on that is going to be insane.
[00:58:34] Speaker B: Like, he was so against Barack being president.
Remember this? Like, he was like,
[00:58:38] Speaker C: oh my God,
[00:58:39] Speaker B: like against Obama for so long. I'm like, that man's a u. S. Citizen, girl.
[00:58:44] Speaker C: Yeah,
[00:58:45] Speaker B: because he's brown.
And
[00:58:47] Speaker C: the fact that again, yet again, another instance of people being able to say things that are so untrue and people believe it and people are using it to build a platform. Like he's literally using the fact that he. He knew that he was not from no Kenya or wherever he was from, but this man still decided to go nationally and be like, oh yeah, this man is Kenya. And then people to be like, oh my gosh, you're right, he can't be the president.
[00:59:17] Speaker B: Also, those who listen to the show know that I'm a true crime nerd back. You gotta go down the rabbit hole of the Central park five. I think it was. Okay five case
[00:59:27] Speaker C: okay.
[00:59:28] Speaker B: Trump was living in New York still at this point. This happened.
Jesse and I. This is why I gotta side goog everything Central park five or six, Central park five, who are now known as the exonerated five. But essentially it was this group of five black and brown kids who. This woman was raped in Central park and this whole crusade was like, these five kids did it.
No evidence, no nothing. But they said these kids Trump took out like a front page ad on the New York Times, I think it was at the time, asking for these children to be murdered, like to be arrested and killed.
And then you find out that it wasn't them. They're all wrongfully convicted of a 1989 rape and beating of this 38 year old, 28 year old woman. They didn't do it.
But Trump. And then Trump never apologized or took back his statement.
Yeah, go down that rabbit hole later.
[01:00:22] Speaker C: Yeah, we're gonna get into that. We're gonna get into that. Tea. We're getting to that. That's a new piece. Yeah, yeah, yeah,
[01:00:26] Speaker B: that, that's another one. Oh,
[01:00:28] Speaker C: yeah, okay. Oh, yeah, girls,
[01:00:32] Speaker B: I'm always like, imposter syndrome can no longer exist. If Trump can be president, you could do anything you want.
[01:00:39] Speaker C: Yeah, right. I mean, like,
[01:00:40] Speaker B: you want to become a doctor, do it.
[01:00:43] Speaker C: And you don't need to. Need the credentials. I mean, at this. Go to medical
[01:00:46] Speaker B: school. Go to medical school. I am not about to be held liable because you did not go. Go to medical school, become a full ass doctor. I'm just saying anything you want to do, you can do. If this man can be president with no fucking experience in politics at all.
[01:00:59] Speaker C: Yeah, true,
[01:01:01] Speaker B: please.
[01:01:01] Speaker C: Yeah.
I mean, because it's like the girls can't even get a job at a regular, like fast food joint because they wouldn't even hire a felon.
Most places wouldn't even hire a felon.
Most normal places that are paying minimum freaking wage wouldn't hire a freaking felon. So you're telling me the most. The highest office in the land.
54 counts.
54. Imagine 54 counts of.
[01:01:36] Speaker B: I was like, yeah, Trump was convicted of 34. It was 34 felony counts back in.
34 classy felony counts related to disguised money slash hush hush money from the 2016 election. He was found guilty by a jury in May of 2024. Like, when was that case? 2024. Two years ago.
And then ran for office again. You know, he only ran so that he wouldn't go to jail.
[01:01:59] Speaker C: Exactly.
[01:02:00] Speaker B: He hid behind the presidency. And you all let him do that. He's been.
He's a convicted pedophile.
He's
[01:02:06] Speaker C: in
[01:02:07] Speaker B: the Epstein files.
[01:02:09] Speaker C: Oh, more
[01:02:10] Speaker B: than Epstein himself?
More than Epstein himself.
[01:02:14] Speaker C: Oh, my God. Like the photos.
Oh, my God, the photo. And it's just like, oh, he. I knew there was a problem. And this, this is the most vivid video I'VE ever seen. There was. And this is the craziest thing. This. It was an immigrant woman or maybe a Latina woman. And she basically was on stage, like, saying, like, I love Donald Trump. I love Donald Trump. And he went up behind her and, like, grabbed her. Like, literally grabbed her.
Grabbed her in the area. Like. Like,
[01:02:48] Speaker B: do you not, like, grab him by the. Do you not remember this?
[01:02:51] Speaker C: Like, oh, my God.
[01:02:53] Speaker B: Yeah. I'm like, you guys, he was like, wasn't he, like, judging Miss America contest or something? I'm like, yeah, this dude had access.
[01:03:02] Speaker C: Yes. Yes. To all types, girls and women. Yeah, right? Like,
[01:03:08] Speaker B: not new news, everybody. So.
[01:03:10] Speaker C: No.
[01:03:12] Speaker B: Well, this is not our political comp. Our political podcast. This is our new weekly chat about politics. Because this is even our topic for tonight. This is.
Let's just talk about what we're feeling today at the election.
Yeah, I'm just. I'm nervous. I gotta go and watch the results. I am tuned in to Angie. Angie Nixon, out of New York. I mean, out of Florida, the gov. The gubernatorial, which I hate that word, gubernatorial racing.
Georgia, right now. We're going for Keisha. Lance Bottoms, obviously. Talarico, out of Texas.
The Michigan race. Right now. My goodbye.
[01:03:52] Speaker C: The
[01:03:52] Speaker B: Alex, the Alaska race. Right now. Everyone. My family's like, do you just watch podcasts? I mean, do. Hold on. My friends might be calling to ask how I'm feeling about this. Like, my friends know. They're like,
[01:04:03] Speaker C: this
[01:04:03] Speaker B: is. I told. This is my Super Bowl. Like, I had a watch party during the last one election. Like, I was still living in Texas and I had. I was packing my apartment and I was like, everybody, come over.
I'll make snacks and we'll just watch the election numbers roll in. I, like, blacked it out, my friend. Just like, you had a party. I was like, I blocked it out. Thank you for reminding
[01:04:19] Speaker C: me.
[01:04:20] Speaker B: I wanted it to go.
And so at the 2016 election, I was at a watch party, and by like, 9 o', clock, we were all like, yeah, we're gonna go home. Like, really? This is not. It was at a, like a wall woman's party. He's like, we're at a good. We're gonna leave. Woke up the next morning, went to work. I was like, mostly all women staff at my job.
None of us talked all day. We had, like, a collective cry in the office.
We all went back to our offices. My boss was like, you can close your door if you need to. I was like, thank you, girl.
[01:04:47] Speaker C: So
[01:04:48] Speaker B: we had a day. It was a day.
[01:04:50] Speaker C: Yeah.
These elections
[01:04:53] Speaker B: Deal with. These are elections.
Anyway, I will be sure to link everything in the show notes that we talked about today. All of our hard hitting journalism.
[01:05:03] Speaker C: Yes,
[01:05:04] Speaker B: we'll have you back to talk about your actual topic, I promise.
Also you can come talk to me whenever. This was just like thank you for appeasing me this evening. This is what I needed. I was really happy today. Thank you for creating that space for me.
[01:05:15] Speaker C: Yes, no, I'm happy to create this space and be here for you.
[01:05:18] Speaker B: Thank you. I felt really Pisces to Pisces. The yappers know.
At the end of every episode I ask like a sort of palate cleanser question and the question is it's a two parter. You just have to answer one part.
What is the best advice you've ever been given? Or what's a piece of advice you would give to your younger self?
[01:05:42] Speaker C: I think I'm always being given really good advice but like I can never recite it.
So I'm just gonna give advice to my younger self because I feel like that advice that people have given me like I'm turned it into my own thing.
But the biggest thing I would say to my younger self is your plan is all in the execution.
Because I felt like there were a lot of things that I just didn't consider in the same ways that I would consider now. Like financially or mentally or educationally or like understanding my path and my place and like knowing my worth and like understanding like it's all like everything is there for you. You just really need to like find the way that is authentic to you and like execute it in that form and fashion.
Like just be authentic. Be true.
Yeah. And like execute. I think I just did not execute in the ways that I could have. So younger self execute and, and be great and be bold.
[01:06:53] Speaker B: That's it for this week's episode of the Tea with Bri. Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram at the Tea with Bri. Send me an email at the tea with bri gmail.com or visit the website the Tea with Brie podcast.com you can find me your host, Brianna Jenkins on Instagram at Brianna Jenkins. Don't forget to rate, review and follow on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. A special thanks to Mama Duke for our theme music and I will catch you next time. Bye.
