The Work to Rebuild America

want to be really clear about that. And I have always said on this show that poles are poles are poles, and you know, had the polls been accurate, we would be in a completely different America than the one that

we are living through right now. And so what I continue to say is is dive into some news, take yourself out of it, focus on your self care, focus on your rituals and practices of restoration and rest because I'm telling you that what we are in for, what is before us is the very rapidly shifting political and

cultural climate in these United States. And I will tell you that regardless of whether or not Democrats are able to hold on to both the House and the Senate, breaking with history, breaking with patterns that we know all too well that the work to rebuild this country and new is generations. It's generations of work that is going

to go into this. If we lose the upcoming midterm elections, if we lose the House and the Senate or one of them again, the political climate and the culture in this country is going to continue to be tested beyond anything that we have seen before. So I say all of this to say, folks that it is incredibly important to know your limitations, right, to not tap out completely, but to understand and to know your limitations. And also what's important. What's important right now is not what's being

said on your television, on any of your screens. What's important is the actions that are being taken in real life to either vote early, either vote on election day, mail in your ballots, and then ensure that the people around you. Do not take this for granted. Do not take for granted what a phone call can do. Do not take for granted what a text message can do.

Do not take for granted what a face book post and an Instagram post and a tweet can do to your own community, and for that community to activate them, Tell them what is at risk and what is on the ballot right, You don't need to tell them that the only reason they need to vote is to vote against the Republican Party, which is fascist. That is not

what's going to sell them. Tell them that they are voting for medicare, they are voting for social security, they are voting for bodily autonomy, they are voting for public school systems that are going to teach their children the truth and how to be global citizens and be competitive. Right, they are voting for stabilized economy. Tell them the things that they are voting for when in fact they are

going to vote for Democrats. Coming up on the show today, we have Delia Coleman, who is the deputy director of Equal Rights Advocates. We get into a conversation about the importance of black women and BIPOC, black Indigenous people of color BIPOC people being uplifted during this midterm but in every election, because what we oftentimes forget, and by we, I mean the Democratic establishment forgets, is who the base

of our party actually is. While Republicans are held bends on feeding their rabid base any type of red meat that they can, whether it be homophobia, transphobia, islamophobia, misogyny, anti blackness. They're all about giving their base what it is that they need. The Democrats do not do the same. They, as a matter of fact, take for granted that their base has nowhere else to go. Well, I'll tell you where else the fuck they have to go, which is

to stay home. And we cannot afford that. Everybody has said that we need the historic numbers that turned out in twenty eighteen and that turned out in twenty twenty to turn out this time. Right now, the early voting is showing that we are on pace for that. And so with the time, the less than two weeks that we have, folks, I am urging each and every one of you to utilize your own platforms to gather your

own people to get to the polls. As I've said previously on election Day, if you're not doing any physical labor in order to bring people to the polls, volunteering at the polls, and doing things of that nature, then I need you not to be sitting in front of your television screen driving yourself absolutely mad. As they say, three percent of the vote is in and it looks like a Republican is running away with the race. That is the quickest way to a heart attack, a migraine,

and to a broken television. I'm telling you to do what you can in the space that you occupy, and then leave the rest. Just leave the rest, because worrying about it, stressing about things that you can't physically change, do not change them. But what it does do is change you internally, and that's what we do not want.

So coming up next today is my conversation with Delia Coleman, and we are going to talk about Equal Rights advocates study and research that they've done on Family Voices, a mixed method survey of family breadwinners that captures the economic reality of black and LATINEX women after two years of pandemic uncertainty. What their research has found is that nearly half of the women's surveyed could not afford all of their basic needs and cited issues like childcare costs, debt,

and workplace discrimination. So we'll get into the findings of this research that they have done, and then also Delia will offer up other narratives that we need to be paying attention to. That and much much more is coming up next. Hey, there, I want to tell you about another podcast. I think you'll love The Brown Girl's Guide to Politics, hosted by a Shanty Gooler, the president of Emerge. BGG, is the one stop shop for women of color who want to hear and talk about the world of politics.

Join a Shanty this season as she talks to incredible women of color who are changing the face of politics and tackling some of the most important issues basing the United States, from reproductive justice to voting rights, to climate change and more. Tune in every Tuesday wherever you get your podcasts, Folks. I am happy to welcome to woke f for the first time, Dlia Coleman, who is a Deputy director of Equal Rights Advocate and wanting to discuss the voices of black and brown women as we head

into mid term elections. You know what's funny is that I find that in general, well Republicans, in my humble opinion, don't reach out to women of color at all, But when it comes to Democrats, it only seems that we are important when it's right about that time to vote. So talk to us about what you have been noticing and hearing and why it's important that we need to tap in as we're just a few weeks out from election day, Thank you so much, Danielle. I'm happy to

be here. You know, when midterm season runs comes around, it's always like, oh, we're all on a track, and we have to get ready, ready, ready, And I think other black and brown women, particularly black women, have been getting ready for the past two years, particularly because of the pandemic. The pandemic was a major disruption in all of our lives, and it of course hit black women the hardest. And so what I've been noticing in the work that I do day to day with equal rights advocates,

but also just as a black woman myself. Yes, one of the things, some of the things that I've been noticing is how precarious our position is economically right now. And so those kitchen table issues which normally come up during mid term season. You know, what are those kitchen tab able economic issues that is at the front of black women's minds right now. How are they going to make it? How are they going to provide for their families? What do their kids need? What do their families need?

And one of the things that some of the things that we've been hearing childcare as well as elder care as a concern. You know, how can they continue to provide care for their families. How can they do that and keep a job. How can they keep a job or grow in that job. How can they make more money? Because right now the math is not math in income

is not covering all of the needs. There are so many external pressures like debt, credit card debt, student loan debt, mortgage, debt, rent, all of these things combine to put a vice like grip on black family breadwinners. And it's just one of the things that is, you know, at top of mind. In addition to things like the ongoing the ongoing crisis in our criminal justice system and the ongoing crisis around

reproductive health. You know, black women are also disproportionately affected when things like the job decision happen, and so cutting off that critical access to reproductive healthcare is an issue for a great many of us. And so that's that's what's circling around my brain right now about what black

women are concerned about. Do you think that when the media for in stance and then propped up by politicians, are talking about quote unquote kitchen table issues, that they're doing so in a way that delineates the distinctions between what kitchen table issues mean for white women and what it is that they mean for black Indigenous people of color right, because I will tell you that I hate the term kitchen table politics, you know, kitchen table issues,

because I think that everything is a kitchen table issue, particularly for those people that can't afford a kitchen table. So how how are things different? How do you see them differently? And how has your reports that you have done the research that EARA has done with family voices,

What are some of the things that were signified. So our Family Voices research, which just came out over the summer earlier this fall, was the brainchild of equal rights advocates because at that time, during the pandemic, people were talking about black and Latin X family breadwinners, but they weren't talking to black and Latin X family breadwinners. And that's what we wanted to do. We wanted to talk to them, we wanted to listen to them, and we

wanted to understand. We have an educated guess, you know, like, Okay, we think that these issues are important. We think that pay is important, we think that equity in the workplace is important. Those were assumptions that we had going in when we dug into this project with this national survey talking to Black and Latin family breadwinners across the country.

Those were certainly important, But what was different was the intensity around some of these issues, and the intensity that we saw around childcare, the intent city that we saw around debt, the intensity that we saw around generational wealth building. This was an eye opener for us because what that showed us was that there is a context this kitchen table and your question about you know, are people aware

of different kitchen tables that exist? No, I don't think that people are aware of different kitchen tables that exist. I think the learning curve, of the learning curve of America broadly is sadly lacking, especially when it comes to thinking about how different decisions affect different communities disproportionately. And so when I think about the Black community in particular, and even within the Black community, there are different kinds

of kitchen tables, right. So, how people understand these issues, how people hear these issues, how they affect the women in these communities is a matter of are you willing to listen because what you here might not be what you expect, and it might not be what you're prepared for Luckily, some of the things that we heard, like fifty percent of the women that we surveyed said that

they were struggling to make ends. Me Now, intellectually, we understand that wages have been depressed for the past forty years or more, but what we weren't aware of was the depth of that intensity they've been The women that we spoke with were so, we're so, how can I put the word the pressure of that struggle what that meant for them? We heard a woman say I can't die because I have nothing to pass on to my kids.

When we heard that in our and we had focus groups that we called kitchen table conversations because we wanted to build a table where our survey participants could gather and we were doing this all on zoom, so that they could share with one another and see that they weren't alone and have a conversation about their common experiences. And it was a deeply rich conversation. And we heard

stories like this continually. And so what does it mean to not just advocate for a policy that says, yes, black and brown women need equal pay, but to know that if they don't get equal pay, it is creating mental and economic pressure so large that they feel that they have to stay alive in order for their families to make it, rather than you know, having enough so that they can go through healthcare crisis, um, job crisis, any kind of crisis, confident that their families are taken

care of. We also heard I just I want to interrupt for a second, because you know that sentiment from from from one of your participants just hits so deeply, right, um, And I think you know, one of the things that I find really troubling is that in American society, we have mainstream has become comfortable with black suffering and pain.

So while we know these things to be true, while we know that these you know, economic gaps and gaps in um, in instability and wealth um persist and we're created on purpose, how do you utilize the information that you have gathered to not say, oh and so here's another way, right that that that that black and brown women are down trodden. But how do you how do you make the case that their plight is a plight

on our overall success? You know, because I think that that to me is where is where the problem is. We know that black and brown lives in this country don't matter right like that is that we are. We are showcased that every single day. And so how do you connect you know, the reality of what this participant is saying, which I'm sure millions of black and brown women can relate to and relate it to the whole, so that the mainstream that dismisses us in general realizes

that their struggle is a shared struggle. I love that, Um, I love that question. Um. Shared struggle is uh something that we talk a lot about here at r A. And when we were having these kitchen table talks with the survey participants, one of the questions I asked was, what does the story you want to change about you and your community in the media, in public perception. And by and large, the main story that they wanted to change about themselves was We're doing everything right. We are

doing exactly what has been asked of us. We're going to school, we are working. The majority of the people that we surveyed had jobs. The majority of the people that we surveyed were married or partnered. The overwhelming majority of the people that we surveyed had kids. Those are literally the marker of the American dream. Get married, have kids, have a home, get an education, do good. These people are doing good. Black and brown women are doing good.

We believe the dream, and I think what is important is to not concentrate on the trauma or the poverty, porn of Oh, here's another community that is oppressed what we want. I believe that in order to change what needs to be changed, everyone needs to agree on that shared vision of what it means to be here. All of us deserve a chance to thrive. All of us deserve an opportunity, and I think that is what the

crisis is facing us right now. We all need to agree that we all deserve a chance to thrive and take care of our families, or we don't. That's the choice that's in front of us. And the way we come at it as an organization is presenting that future to the people who have the ability to help us reach that future. They need to know this is what our communities are experiencing and if we believe that there is a path forward, these moms are just as important

as the top one percent. We cannot have a great society if we are only thinking about what the top one percent need. Indisputable with doctor Rashie Ricci, is one of the latest shows on the TYT network and also the fastest growing news show in America. On his show, Doctor Ricci plays no games regarding policy, delivering a heavy dose of fact based truth and penetrating analysis on all the top news stories focusing on racism, criminal and social justice, politics,

police brutality, karents, and much more. Listeners can also expect interviews with fascinating guests, political leaders, commentators, and even fiery debates with conservatives on a wide range of policy topics. In the Bullpen, it is an indisputable fact that you will love this show. Listen to Indisputable with Doctor Rashad Ricci on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you like what you hear, be sure to subscribe

so you never miss a new episode. Do you think, Delia, that there are more people that are invested in the oppression then there are people invested in the idea of shared struggle. And what I mean by that is I want people to have deeper empathy, right, like to have

empathy outside of how things affect them. But what we've seen over the last three years is that a majority of people are maybe half fifty percent are in it for themselves, right, Like we couldn't get people to wear a mask, a thin paper cloth right to protect themselves and also by virtue, protect people around them. They didn't care. Right,

this is a this is a community societal issue. And so I'm just wondering, like, is there more people who don't care and are invested in the continued oppression of said group because they're part of the one percent? Right? The one percent only functions if you have a permanent working class that is desperate, right, that will accept your low wages, that will accept your lack of healthcare, that will accept your dangerous work environments because they are treading water.

Or do you believe that there is there are more people who are invested in this significant societal shift, but we just need to message to them better. So I am an idealist, and I also read national polls, and so both of these things together show me that the average American person actually believes in equality when they are presented with questions about economic fairness. Yes, they do believe that people need to earn more than a minimum wage. They believe that the sub minimum wage is not enough

to get by. They believe that women should be paid should be paid as much as their male counterparts get paid. They believe that reproductive healthcare should be available to pregnant people. So the majority of the American voters out there actually believe in the same things that we believe in. So

what's the issue. The issue is that the other side has a really big and really well funded megaphone, and that megaphone has been loud, constant, and super disruptive over the past five to six years, and that is a lot of noise to get through. Now. Is messaging the only way to get through that noise? No, But I do think that messaging does help, and I'm really happy to see that there have been some significant changes in

the past couple of years. When I think about the me invigorated worker justice movement that's going on right now, and reinvigorated worker justice movement is being led by women, young people, and people of color. That is not your granddad's union, are, you know? And that gives me so much hope, so much fire and the rest of us normal everyday people need to take inspiration from that and help that along. And so how do we do that

on a community to community person or person level. I think about what I think about when I have a conversation with a grocery store worker, I have to become empathetic to their situation. I am not going to lose my issue because someone is having a bad day at work, because I know, but they're getting paid. They are getting paid minimum wage. They have probably been passed up for promotion multiple times, and so our system it is hard to change the system, and there are many, many people

lined up to prevent us from changing the system. And you can't just change a system with one vote. You need multiple votes. You also need some community and people power to go with that, and we need to start telling different stories in the public square about why this matters. There are some fantastic activists out there. When I think about the people that we work with who are working to change the mind parts and minds around the care economy.

Why are caregivers important to our society because without caregivers, women drop out of the workforce. Why is a thriving, more robust minimum wage important because without it, women who work in certain industries get sexually harassed because they're held hostage to their economic situation. And so the vision of this world needs to be one based on liberation, freedom, autonomy, and opportunity, and everyone deserves that, particularly the communities that

have been shut out of that. So long, Dahlia, last question for you, what is your singular message to voters right now who say things like both parties aren't doing anything, I'm not going to vote, nothing's really going to change. Nothing has ever changed, plenty has changed, plenty has changed. I personally, which that I could snap a finger and incremental change could go by the wayside. But I know

that that is not how things work right now. Things haven't changed because the numbers aren't working in our favor. The margin that we have is too small to actually mitigate the barriers that are in front of us. So first we need to change the numbers voting in order to change the numbers. I never look at my voting practice as a one shot, a one shot deal that solves everything. It is one tool in many tools that I have available in front of me, and so one

tool is voting. Change the numbers, get rid of the barriers. Second tool, hold the new numbers accountable. Most people don't even talk to their elected officials, and so if you don't talk to your elected officials, how do they know what you care about. I think another thing is for elected officials, and this was something that we heard from our survey participants. Black and brown people know what they need. They know exactly what they need, and they're not electorally

ignorant either. They know who's up for office, they know who represents them, and they are looking at those offices going I don't see in my community. I don't see in my community. I don't see you helping us out with what we need. And we remember, and certainly, I think when I hear people say that both sides are the same, that's just inaccurate. Both sides are not the same as what is in front of us and what

is going to be affecting us going forward. We have already seen how precarious our precious system of democratic process is, and we need to protect that. We need to make it more robust, and we need to make it more accessible for everyone, because right now, the less people that participate, the easier it is for authoritarian forces to do what they want to our system of government, and so at the very least, there needs to be a firewall against that.

Delia Coleman, thank you so much for making the time to join Willkate F and thank you for the work that Equal Rights Advocates is doing to lift up these themes and these messages that people need to care about get fired up about. We appreciate you, We appreciate you. Thank you so much for letting me get on my soapbox and rant and ray for a few minutes. Absolutely, okay,

take care. That is it for me today. Dear friends on Woke a f as always, Power to the people and to all the people power, get woke and stay woke as fuck.