Native Land Pod is a production of iHeartRadio in partnership with Reasent Choice Media.
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Welcome, Hey bam, You're about to hear a replay of one of our interviews from our live stream at the Democratic National Convention.
Now.
If you want to listen to or watch the full stream, be sure to check out links in the episode description. You can also find a full list of all the guests we've interviewed.
Welcome home, y'all.
Yes, I want to wakee Brittany Britney Pregnant Cunningham. We're an activist writer and a friend of ours.
We are a part of a Machete's crew. Were waiting for one more to join us. Brittany, we are so thrilled for you to be here.
Sick.
You're an activist out of Missouri.
You also served on a council or the President Barack Obama. You do a lot of social commentating, but also a lot of work on the ground. Still have a lot of appreciation.
Then she and Latasha both do some amazing singing. But she's also as Angel said a Machety member, So thank you for being here.
But you know, I thought I'm a little bit mad because I love you all so much. But the agreement was that if I was gonna do Native lampid, I could not speak after Latasha. The word has been misinformation, Benediction has been prayed, the collection play has been passed right everybody out.
In the vestibule. Now it's the letter every time, every time she delivers a sermon.
I'm really happy you're joining us on separate because one, I just love when we all get to be together as our sister circle. We were in Mexico together a few weeks. You can check some of our thirst traps if you.
Like, but we can. I try to stand that.
What is the task for people watching at home right now? Because I think you know, I was just talking to one of the mayors earlier saying this was a The plot line here was so unbelievable. It rivals a Tyler Perry plot. If this we're in a movie, I say, this is ridiculous. It's just not believable. But yet here we are when the country turn like that. It wasn't even a month ago, uh that Vice President Harris is now our nominee. So for all the people who were
a bit apathetic who are now excited and hopeful. What beyond that hope and excitement do people need to be doing right now to make this a decisive win.
I love this question because it's action oriented. And Natasha and I were together last night having a conversation about organizing as folks.
Listen. I was going to say, you're already sweep, let's be honest about it text message. But don't worry, b They did the same thing. They watched the space together. But you really feel like I'm in the middle, midir and you the youngest, so you know you already Kitchen, I do it? Can we talk about that at some.
Point because nobody acknowledges that, but it's true. I get a real rough. But this is the right question, right because we often are talking about a lot of the things that we are dealing with, the trauma that we endure, the ways we've had to survive and be creative and innovative, and yet we often don't have the time left to be imaginative, to be strategic, to actually dream up the world that we deserve and say, let's plan backwards from
it and figure out how we get there together. Because it's not freedom if we don't get there together.
Right.
So I really think that this question about action is so important, But the action starts within. You actually have to begin to take the time to expand your imagination. Like sit outside for five minutes, stare at the sky and say, like, if I'm truly going to be my ancestor's wildest dreams.
Then how wild can my dreams get?
Because there are a lot of folks for whom this week and the culmination of it, and the nomination of Vice President Harris to the ticket will be their wildest dreams.
But guess what we here?
Yeah, so now you've got to go dream bigger. Now we have to go idy eight further. Now we have to go expand. So I think that that's the first thing we do. The second thing that we do, in particular,
is we have honest conversations with one another. There is a tendency in our community to say go vote because I said so, yeah, to say go vote because I literally has watched somebody say I'll put you over my knee and spank you, and I was like, I don't think you should be telegrown people that ay, But also like, when is the last time somebody ever concious did you into anything, like when somebody said to you you were an actual child people, As an actual child, you rebella.
So what we're going to do as an adult? Exactly?
There is a reason why people are feeling squeezed out. There's a reason why folks are saying, well, you told me four years ago is the most important election in my lifetime, and now you're telling me again, and you said that eight years ago, So how is it the most important? Every time?
I thought that was last time? Exactly Exactly.
So we have to acknowledge where people are and then encourage them, as Latasha has been saying, to actually dig deep and reach into our own power. I'm not a person who likes to leave any tool or power.
On the table.
Like if I'm trying to get something done for my son, for y'all nephew, then I'm gonna go come on and back to make it happen. Why would I not do that for my people? Why would I not vote and protest? Why would I not protest and strategize? Why would I not strategize and use continent media Like I'm not leaving nothing on the table for our freedom.
I refuse to do that.
That's the kind of activity that we have to decide to be engaged in every single day.
I love that.
I just want to tell y'all real quick while the show's going on, this is actually one of my favorite parts of the Democratic National Convention. But it's real special today. The role call is happening right now.
I love it.
And Britt, while you were talking about imagination, you saw Wes Moore holding Mike like a hip hop artist, right, Governor, it was dope Governor Wes Moore, our black governor from Maryland.
Governor from Maryland, but our black.
Governor because we ain't got enough, okay, saying that Maryland is committing its votes to Kamala Harris.
What a historic moment.
You talk about imagination all the time, You talk about it all the time. They're also holding everybody, including our dear sister Eron, So talk about imagination that is.
But can we just take a moment to acknowledge that though yes said the historic candidate at the first black woman president or the president alex because I speaking into existence, Holilausha you I hope you don't mind me violent lating our confidentiality agreement.
And talk about.
Yesasha, what hell? It's fine, But Latasha, we were all at the Machete group chat. We were in there and we talked eight thousands. Have you missed the group chat for an hour?
You come back in the s this is this is worth violating?
Is she on the stage with three when we were.
Talking about the chances for vice president here and Latasha wrote this, I'm like this is going in my book. It was a dissertation where Latasha was saying, essentially, we are spiritual beings having a human experience and it's just time, like there was no other option, that it is time the work that black women have done. And you I can't echo your words as beautifully and poetically and lyrically as you do, but I've read that and got teary. I because there is no other option other than for
this to happen. We talk about the dream and the hope of the slave, and some would argue the dream and the hope of the enslaves was not to succeed here in America, but to go home, back to our roots. And here we have a convergence, a confluence of all of that happening. We have gone to the motherland together and now we have this bridge of the enslaved everywhere.
She is the daughter of immigrants.
Yes, people don't realize that the enslaved were also in Jamaica.
Exactly.
We are reaching across continents, We are reaching across nations and leading the way here in America. And I'm just I have goosebumps. So for what gives you? Because I share that spirit with you? What gives you that self assured, unshaken faith that the wind is at our back?
Now, this is going to.
Happen because we're here, and I need people to sit in it. We are here. We are literally the children, the great great great grandchildren of those who there. They were so the family, our families, our ancestors were so dehumanized, they weren't even considered full human beings. Right that to be able to read right here, we are literally running colleges, creating colleges, establishing them.
Were one carries.
So let me people.
We are joined by two additional machete members, part of our machete group chat. We have the amazing Carrie Champion, you all know Ferry Champions.
She has done amazing work in media and sports.
She's constantly calling me asking me to explain something sports related to her as exhausting, but she is amazing. You've seen Carrie everywhere. I call her the Catwalk Assassin. You can see why and be my sister in journalism. Aaron Haynes. I know you all see her, and so many people tell me how much they enjoy Aaron Haynes, who is the face of the nineteenth Please check out her newsletter
in that platform. But so many people Aaron always tell me how amazing you are on television, and I was telling Angela on the way here, I'm like, they don't even know the real Errand because as great as she is.
On MSNBC at listen the swats ear.
She is the wittiest and funniest in our group test, but also just so smart. Your scope on things so it is I just feel like this is a dream, just a technical thing.
Who are you brand? And you can lift up your shar I'm so sorry my fickness is pushing you out.
You're just one.
You had to tell the people that let's start. Let's start with Aaron and will work our way down.
Aaron.
As as a journalist, you take a different scope of things. What what does this moment mean for you? Because I feel like some people enter this space as a journalist. Some people enter this space as a woman. Some people enter this space as a black person. Where are you right now?
In what order?
Yeah?
I mean, look, got to unmute her. Listen to black women. I'm speaking.
I'm speaking exactly from freaking to the d n C.
Here, here we go.
She's not kidding.
I mean, listen, I'm all of those things obviously at once. I bring all those lived identities to who I am as a journalist. Don't apologize for that, but you know, I really thought about, you know, boarding my plane in Chicago on Sunday. Sunday was the one hundred and fourth anniversary of the nineteenth Amendment, which is the amendment for which my newsroom is named, an amendment which guaranteed the
right for some, but not all, women, the right to vote. Hello, we had to fight twice as hard or even longer before we had our full access to the franchise. We're still fighting right our access to this democracy still being challenged.
You see that.
We could have seen that this week coming into this convention, right, which could have been a contested convention, open convention. That's not what we're seeing here. We are seeing a democratic party that is unified behind a black woman who could become the first woman president of the United States. That is not a moment that we necessarily saw coming when
we started the Nineteenth four almost five years ago. Literally the Nineteenth started after the twenty sixteen election, when we saw these tired tropes around electability, around readiness, around and right, and we knew that there was a different way to talk about women, to talk about our leadership, to talk about gender and our politics in this country, in the emerging small de democracy that you talked about so much, Tiffany,
that you continue to talk about. So yeah, I mean, I come to a convention where the diversity that I'm seeing in the arena is reflected on stage as well as in the audience. That's not something that I saw just a month ago at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. That is striking to me. I think, we know it's real, but to see it happening, to see it in reality, a true representative democracy really in this arena, and abortion, which we knew was on the ballot, was on stage
last night. That's still remarkable to think about. So, I mean, I don't know, as a journalist, this is just a remarkable moment to cover as a black woman. I am thinking about everybody from Shirley Chisholm to Jesse Jackson to I mean, just so many people that paved the way for this moment to be possible. Mignon Moore, Donna Brazil, Lea Daughtriyolanda Carroll, I mean all just front and center in this moment. They helped to manifest the moment in
which we now find ourselves. And as a journalist, I mean I can't not mention them in this conversation. So yeah, there's a lot there. And obviously the Nineteenth is feeling pretty good about, you know, the idea that we had four years ago, because it's all on full display this week.
And your comridge is constantly beautiful good.
Also the host of the Amendment podcast, which we didn't say, And speaking of podcast hosts, we also have Carrie Chamber the podcast hosts, all the podcast hosts, but we also have Carrie Champion here. What I love about you being here, Carrie is this isn't something where you had to come. You felt compelled to come. I know you have that headset on, but if you don't mind picking up that mic we'd love to talk to you about what made
you want to be here. And Andrew Gillham just because the women are occupied with six of these seats.
The way in here at double.
Dutch first, second, first, and foremost, thank you guys for having me. I was just with I'm standing I just want to talk about my machetes for a minute. I'm standing out front. I'm waiting for someone to bring me a credential. And who do I see just walk up on me and was like, no, I got you, follow me, I have a pass. We so are in sync with
one another. Of all the people that I could see standing in front of the United Center, Aaron walks up on me and gives me of all the people, and it was just like, I.
Love you so much.
I love this, I love the sisterhood.
I love what you all are doing.
You all know that, Andrew, I love you, and I love I love Britt because she's letting one of my butt cheeks.
Just come to.
Yet holding it is yet holding on. This is the workout for the day. So I am a CNN contributor, but I did not have to come. But I was like, if I missed this moment, I miss I miss Barrock's moment. But if I missed this moment, this to me felt so substantial and so bigger than us. And I felt like this appointment in which Kamala Harris has in this moment, felt divine. It is a testimony to everything can happen
in a blink of anyma over overnight. My God is so real, and so I was able to witness what happened to this woman three, four or five months ago. Nobody could have told me this is where we would be, And in an instant, I am sitting here and I'm all like, this is a testimony to those who believe and who have chosen. So what's meant for you is meant for you and no one can take it away from you. And I'm watching in real time, and so I had to be here because I live that. I
believe that we all do. We've been in these moments and it's something special in my world of sports. As we all know. I said this, it's not an accident where you have these two entities where women's athletics is taken off in a way in which we have never seen before. And then when we look at women in the world fighting and we're saying, and I've said this before, not on my damn watch, you want to take away these things bit by bit. You played your hand, you
over played your hand. And now we are here and we are righteous, and we are taking back what is ours. There is this idea in sports that everyone needs a good a good story, a good rivalry story, always needs a really good person, and they need a foil. Right, they need a good athlete and they need a foil. But in this instance, women, black women are the foil. We are taking it and we're taking it back. You thought you were a superhero, but the story is ours.
And I am so grateful to be here. And I'm more excited because I thought I was coming on tomorrow, but since you guys have me on to day, I'm just hanging out but checking.
Well, we are so grateful, y'all. We promise y'all, we need it.
Only about five minutes say your time, so we gonna let y'all head on out. Natasha got people to see in, things to do. We got some other guests coming up, but we are so so grateful for you.
Yes, you're welcome.
Let me put eyes on you.
Hey, y'all, thanks for listening, remember to rate, review, subscribe, and tune into our regular episode that drops every single Thursday.
Welcome Home, y'all.
Native Land Pod is a production of iHeartRadio in partnership with Reasent Choice Media. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.