[00:00:00] Welcome. I'm Erik Fleming, host of a moment with Erik Fleming, the podcast of our time. I want to personally thank you for listening to the podcast. If you like what you're hearing, that need you to do a few things. First, I need subscribers.
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[00:01:01] because it is time to make this moment a movement. Thanks in advance for supporting the podcast of our time. I hope you enjoy this episode as well. Thank you. Hello, and welcome to another moment where Erik Fleming. I am your host, Erik Fleming.
[00:01:41] And so this episode as we're coming up on the 4th of July, I wanted to have somebody on to try to inspire people. And the guests that I have is more than capable of doing that. And so I'm really honored to have her coming on.
[00:02:11] And also, I had the privilege of attending an event that's kind of becoming a thing in the black community. And so I'm going to give my take on that. And it was an interesting experience to say to least.
[00:02:42] So before we first of all, thank you all for listening again. Thank you all for tuning in to the podcast and keep doing that. I still got to go find me thing going. And I'll talk about that a little bit more in the closing.
[00:03:00] But before we get into any of all, any of that, about to say any of all that. Before we get into any more of this discussion, it's time for a moment of news. We grace you. Thanks Erik. President Biden and Donald Trump engaged in a spirited presidential debate,
[00:03:29] hosted by CNN in Atlanta. Julian Assange pled guilty to violating US espionage law and was allowed to return to Australia. Representative Jamal Bowman lost the Democratic primary in New York's 16th congressional district, while representative Lauren Bobert won the Republican primary in Colorado's fourth congressional district.
[00:03:52] A New York judge partially lifted a gag order on Donald Trump, allowing him to speak publicly about witnesses and the jury, but maintaining restrictions on comments about prosecutors in his criminal case. Manhattan prosecutors dropped criminal charges against pro-Palestinian student protesters who occupied a Columbia University building in April.
[00:04:12] The Biden administration will bypass a Republican hold to award nearly $110 million in security assistance to Haiti. The US Supreme Court ofheld a federal law criminalizing gun possession by individuals under domestic violence restraining orders.
[00:04:30] The US urgent general declared gun violence upon the health crisis urging actions to prevent rising firearm-related deaths and their effects. A shooter opened fire at an Arkansas supermarket, killing three and wounding ten, including two police officers before being wounded in a shootout with police.
[00:04:50] The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that the state's approval of a publicly funded religious charter school is unconstitutional. Federal judges in Kansas and Missouri partially blocked Biden's student debt relief initiative set to take effect on July 1st.
[00:05:06] Steve Bannon petitioned the US Supreme Court to delay his prison sentence for contempt of Congress while he appeals his conviction. And Democrats will allow social media influencers to cover their national convention. I am Grace G. and this has been a moment of news.
[00:05:25] All right, thank you Grace for that moment of news. And now it is time for my guest. Her name is Dita Jiles. Regarding as the CEO maker, D.I. professor and a cubicle to corner office Empress,
[00:05:55] D.I.J. Jiles is a workplace and career optimizer who advises organizations and individuals in how to chart their unique paths to success. She is a four-time TEDx speaker who has been named a top 100 HR influencer by Engagerly.
[00:06:18] And was selected by HR Gazette HR Chat podcast as one of the top 22 most influential figures in HR. Clients including Kaiser Permanente, the Centers for Disease Control, better known as the CDC, the Army Corps of Engineers, Louis Vuitton, Moette Hennessy, the National Basketball Association and the Salvation Army.
[00:06:45] Jiles shares a unique blend of advanced education and industry experience that has been described as university tested and industry approved and can be implemented by organizations of any size and across industries.
[00:07:02] Since 2007, Jiles has served as the CEO at Executive Prep and International Performance Optimization firm that works with groups and individuals all over the world to improve performance productivity and profit.
[00:07:18] In her roles, she leads the team of in her words, don't professionals who are on a mission to make businesses better from the top down and bottom up.
[00:07:27] At the same time, Jiles is the host of the happily ever-employed podcast and appears every week on the nationally syndicated radio program, the Willie Moore Jr. show.
[00:07:40] Where she shares her insights on how to navigate professional and personal success. Previously, she has served as adjunct faculty at the Federal Executive Institute, Georgia State University, Mercer University and as a faculty member for Goldman Sachs 10,000 small businesses and a Tory-Burge Foundation.
[00:08:02] From coaching, multi-b and dollar organizations to speaking at some of the largest global conferences, Jiles strategies for success have had a lasting impact on the people and audiences all over the world.
[00:08:17] The wisdom she shares sparks a change in behavior that ultimately leads to change in all aspects of work and life. Ladies and gentlemen, my distinct honor and privilege to have as a guest on this podcast, Dietra, Jiles.
[00:08:36] All right, Dietra, Giles, how you doing? Is this what you doing good? I am doing great and just the quick correction, it is Jiles.
[00:08:59] Jiles. Yeah, yeah, so in my brain I had been saying Jiles the whole time and I was so focused on making sure I got the Dietra right because on the website you explained how to say the name.
[00:09:13] So as long as I got it, so I appreciate the correction always. How you doing, sister? You doing good? I am well, just got back from Chicago at a major conference, so a little bit tired but I'm well.
[00:09:30] Well that's why I'm from Esmol Stomping grounds. I grew up in Chicago and then came down to the south in 1983 and spent about 30 plus years in Mississippi and I'm in Atlanta, so yeah, that's pretty cool. Yeah, I keep playing.
[00:09:47] Yeah and this time of year is the best time to go to Chicago by the way. Oh, this is the only time to go to Chicago. No one does summer better than the show but winter.
[00:10:00] I was like the summer has to be great because that's how you convince people to stay here because winter is oh my gosh.
[00:10:06] Yeah, so only time to go is winter and even spring, y'all messed up spring because spring can be 90 or it could be below zero at the end.
[00:10:15] Well it's because we're a big baseball town since we got two teams, you know the weather kind of fluctuates if the team is sucks then the weather's bad and they don't play many games.
[00:10:27] If they start off good it's like what is 90 degrees and may what were we doing? Yeah, that's just got it. All right, look, normally when I start off my interviews, I throw a quote at the guest.
[00:10:42] So your quote is don't let your gift take you where your character can't keep you. What does that quote mean to you? Actually, it's a quote that I heard from a pastor one time and it's interesting enough it was pastor Freddie Haynes.
[00:11:00] And he said that quote what years ago at a revival and it stuck out in my head. I was like someone stood up in the room and said, Deterra, remember this quote you will need it.
[00:11:14] And it stands out to me so much because I get the luxury of coaching high level people.
[00:11:20] I mean, I'm coaching C sweet CEO, sheep operating officers, you know, people that have that cheap title of some of the largest companies in the world not the US in the world.
[00:11:33] I am coaching them through how to be a better leader, how to improve performance productivity profits for their company. I am coaching them how to be responsible for the hundreds and thousands of lives that depend on them doing their job well.
[00:11:49] And one of the things I realize is I'm coaching some of these people is they are amazingly talented. They are amazingly gifted. They are brilliant and that character is horrible.
[00:12:02] And we people often wonder how did somebody get to this point in their career and they mess up and bezel hundreds of millions of dollars.
[00:12:10] How can an in-run happen, how can this type of thing happen is because there were people that had levels of gifting that their character could not handle.
[00:12:20] And so my job is to make sure that the people that I'm coaching the people that are responsible for lives that their character actually matches their talent. Yeah, and that quote means a lot for somebody like me that's been in politics.
[00:12:36] And you know the current dynamics that are going on. So when I came across that I said I'm gonna put that quote out there as a quote that she responds to because it's very, very true.
[00:12:51] So excuse me, if I describe you as a perveyor of manifestations, how would you take that? Oh my gosh. I would take it as an honor because that's really how I think.
[00:13:10] I really when I talk to my clients and even when I'm working either as a coach or as a consultant for a company, I really tell them you probably see my social media and I call myself the chief bridge architect.
[00:13:23] And people often ask are you architect? And I was like, oh, kind of but not by training. And I say that because I tell my tagline is I hope you build and cross the bridge from I want to be to I am.
[00:13:38] My job is to get people to the other side that chasm that they can't figure out their on this side and they can see the thing, they can imagine the thing, they can feel the thing mentally.
[00:13:52] But they just can't wrap their minds around how to manifest that thing they want to be, how to actually get there. What does it look like to get from here to there? And that's what I do. So when you say that I'm like, yeah, that might be my new tagline.
[00:14:07] Well, you know, just drop me a couple of pennies. So in your journey from Miami to now, when did you uncover and understand the belief systems that was holding you back?
[00:14:31] You know what it took a while and if I'm very honest, it's still being uncovered. So so much of our childhood we just absorb as normalities.
[00:14:43] So much so that we don't recognize that those are limiting beliefs that those are obstacles that those are barriers to the thing we say we want to do.
[00:14:52] And I think we spend the rest of our lives figuring that out oftentimes is revealed by a certain instance or something that that happened.
[00:15:00] For example, yesterday I just got back from Chicago and I had a driver pick me up sent me a message saying, hey, you know, your drivers here when you get there.
[00:15:14] Let me know and still I've been doing this for a while and I still every time the driver picks me up, I still have to remind myself that I'm getting in there way by trying to get my own bags by getting my own door.
[00:15:27] Because that wasn't how I was raised, right? Coming from not having money. I would see people helping and my I was the one helping my family was the one helping so all I thought was, how do I be of help because this is a burden for someone to have to do this for you.
[00:15:45] And stepping back and saying, you know what it's not a burden. You they are freeing you up to do what you need to be doing and they have a job to do get out of their way and allow them to do it.
[00:15:58] And so some of that is the unthinking that I have to do in my own head for myself and that's revealed every single day. Every day I have to ask myself, are you allowing the little girl that didn't have get in the way of the grown woman that needs to do things and people are here to help them do that.
[00:16:16] You want to say that a good idea at the wrong time is a bad idea and that you are okay, not knowing. I think we have a lot of people in politics that don't practice that. Why are those concepts important in leadership and relationship building?
[00:16:40] Oh my gosh. So let's talk about in politics for a second. One of the things I'm very passionate about if you all have followed me and you probably know this, I am a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated.
[00:16:51] And one of our five point thrust is around political activism and getting people involved. And one of the things I often often often pushing about is, I hate the way we do our political activism not Delta in general but it the our US in general.
[00:17:08] Political activism only happens about every four years on the masses. Those of us who are act of politically, we're active all 24, because we're like your local election matters when you're more than this once every four year election right.
[00:17:23] But on the masses it happens every four years and because of that I think we push a lot of our politicians to not have the right ideas at the right time to talk about what can get them real elected.
[00:17:37] And we know the thing that really matters is not that thing. And so when we talk about the right idea at the wrong time, we see it happen quite often we see people start to focus on things that don't really matter to the common person to the everyday person.
[00:17:53] They matter to getting re-elected because it's that hot button emotional item that people will rally around. But at the end of the day, does that change the fact that bread now calls a hundred fifty five dollars?
[00:18:05] No, does it change the fact that your school systems are still failing? Does it change the fact that you have to change your tires every other month because the pot holes in your on your streets are so deep.
[00:18:18] No, it doesn't. And so oftentimes we're consistently talking about the wrong ideas at the wrong time and they feel right for getting re-elected but they're wrong for our everyday American. And I got criticized a lot because my legislative strategy was introduces many bills as I could.
[00:18:43] I would introduce like a hundred and fifty bills of session. And you know, and people that are lobbying certain activists groups say, well we don't get it then we just have to regroup a year and blah, you know, and think about when and how to do and all that and I said look, you'll never know how a legislative session goes until you get there.
[00:19:10] And if you decide not to push for an issue that you push for last year because you weren't successful, you might miss out on your opportunity this session.
[00:19:22] So you know, and so there were bills that I would introduce for like three, four or five years. And that fifth year, for example, all of a sudden it's like oh yeah we're pushing this through to committee Eric, can you come down and talk about this blah blah, just that other.
[00:19:36] So you never know but you've got to always be out there and like you said it's not about getting elected. It's about the next generation it's about pushing ideas that are going to benefit people down the road and if it's a good idea, you know then you wait for your time, you know but you don't you don't necessarily wait on the sidelines and just like oh this might be it now you got to you got to keep pushing and you got to educate people.
[00:20:05] To get the mindset to that point. But anyway, I tell people quite often that I wish if a politician stands up and says I am running and my I am not here for reelection I will not run again after this they will probably have me backing them.
[00:20:33] Because we have too many politicians who are not working for the people they are working to be reelected. And if you're working for reelection, then you are not committed to doing what needs to be done you committed to being reelected and those are often two very different things I remember it was a.
[00:20:53] I love this person I can't think of his name right now but he is a was a prime minister over in France and he said the problem is not that we don't know what to do. The problem is that we don't know how to get reelected after we do it.
[00:21:10] And that is a quote that has always stayed with me because it was so true about how politicians are we look at them and we're sitting there like you know good well.
[00:21:20] This is not what needs to be done those of us who are truly politically active and they're not concerned about these hot topics that are concerned about the actual people that we're impacting those of us at the local level who are like no no no I care who my magistrate judges.
[00:21:36] I care who my county sheriff is I care who's on the school board.
[00:21:41] I care who's on the board of my local hospital. I'm sitting there like who we put on the board of the hospital because I need to make sure I'm going to get the quality of care and that's what matters.
[00:21:50] And the other person has really gone to the sheriff's office and you only want about 300 votes I know 400 people.
[00:21:56] So here's what we need in this community right and so it's that it's getting people to recognize I'm not here to be reelected I'm here to serve the people and that's the piece that will make the shift when we talk about our political environment.
[00:22:11] And then the other key point of that question you know it's okay to say I don't know.
[00:22:18] You know I think a lot of people get hung up is that well I've got to come across as I'm just expert and blah blah this than other you know but you're going to get a crazy question like when I was running for the US Senate this young man asked me what are you going to do about China still an oil from the Gulf of Mexico and given it to Cuba right.
[00:22:40] And my best answer was I promise you if I'm a US Senator that's not going to happen and it was easy for me to say that because it's not happening but the reality is it really.
[00:22:54] The reality is it's that if it was really happening the by question would be yeah I don't I don't really know right now but once I get in and find out you know how everything is going and what we can and can't do.
[00:23:08] You know then I'll be able to answer that and that doesn't. To me that's the sign of wisdom when you don't know what you don't know right or if you know what you don't know and and if.
[00:23:22] I don't know what what do you think about that real quick. I think I think not knowing is the most beautiful thing and the most beautiful place to be.
[00:23:33] People that know are thing thing though cannot learn right and so we have a bunch of people who are not open to admitting that they need to learn which means they didn't go there to learn.
[00:23:45] What we what we really need that was actually speaking at when I was in Chicago one of the sessions I did it was called. Followership and I talked about what prevents.
[00:23:56] Followership from being sexy and organizations is that we say we have a learning environment but we have a knowing environment and knowing environments versus learning environments are totally different learning environments embrace people saying I don't know.
[00:24:12] But if I don't know it's now my responsibility to figure it out to learn to use all of my resources to become knowledgeable. If we have a knowing environment saying I don't know is a.
[00:24:29] It's a it's a mark against you it's now this bad thing oh my gosh your inner you don't know and that's often what people are facing in this political environment we asked them dumb uninformed questions like this because when you said it I was like that.
[00:24:41] That's not happening right and so people get to ask crazy questions. And we act we as to them and and what we have is an environment people who really don't know there were people in that room that were like yeah that's a good question what you're going to.
[00:24:57] And they are even in and in informed enough to say that's not actually happening. And they will feed into that now that's a whole new narrative on social media did you all know China still in all and given the Cuba and now that becomes the latest story right.
[00:25:15] And that's the world we live in so we have to get to this this place where it's okay to know when am I favorite things I say and people laugh at me because they're they're like so how can you be.
[00:25:27] Ego statistical is self-deprecating in the same sentence and I'm like easily because I tell people I am the best in the world at what I do.
[00:25:36] And I want to be the best in the world but what I don't do I'm the most incompetent and I'm very comfortable in both of those right. What that does is it allows me to do what I do best and serve the people I serve well.
[00:25:51] But it also frees me up to say you know what in this area I need to follow someone else's leadership and client I am not the best to serve you here let's find somebody who is so you can have the best outcome because I'm going to get my clients the best.
[00:26:05] I'll come go matter with. Yeah, I saw in the interview that you said that when somebody asked you who's the weakest link in the room and you said if I'm in the room me.
[00:26:18] He knows that because you have this attitude that it's like I know a lot of stuff I'm good at what I do but I'm not great at everything and so I can always learn something from somebody else and a lot of times especially in part.
[00:26:34] I'm especially in politics humility. So what I tell people all the time is that ego is an important part of running for office. To have the concept in your mind, I can go talk to.
[00:26:49] Miss Giles and the Delta's and I can go to other groups and convince them to vote for me. In an election you have to have an ego to do that you have to have some confidence in order to do that what the trap is.
[00:27:06] Is that if you are successful then you get in. Then if you don't have your ego and check then you become arrogant and then you begin crossing lines that you can't come back from.
[00:27:19] So you know it's like when a politician says I don't have an ego is like then you shouldn't be running for office. What's your thought about it?
[00:27:30] So I often I like to separate and the two can be synonymous depending on how you are I like to separate ego and confidence right. Okay. And the reason I do that is not because of the dictionary definition if you will.
[00:27:48] It's because of the connotation what people think when they hear the words right when people hear ego they think ego. Tistical, prideful power.
[00:27:56] Wanted to be often times made think of ego they think of power over someone else this idea of superiority versus inferiority that's the connotation that's that's what comes to mind when we think of this this word.
[00:28:09] But confidence is associated with for me confidence and associated with data right when I say I'm one of the best in the world at what I do. The data especially let's say when I'm talking different things consulting speaking but let's say speaking.
[00:28:26] When I speak at a conference I come back and they will consistently in my over 15 years of being a keynote speaker consistently come back and say. Deetra you have been our highest rated speaker ever.
[00:28:43] I spoke at a conference and they said that this conference has been going on for 30 years conference having going on for 30 years.
[00:28:51] And I came back as their highest rated speaker in 30 years right so when I say I'm the best in the world at this there is data in the world is of course for you to but I have data to support that I am a really good speaker.
[00:29:08] It sounds ego-tistical but that's confidence I'm not saying you're bad you should be higher you're horrible you can speak I'm just saying I'm really good and I have a data to support that right when I think of ego it's different in saying.
[00:29:25] I'm not even in the way class it means I'm better than you I'm not better than you really it's real for all of us to be amazing right.
[00:29:32] And so when I think of ego versus confidence I think of confidence as I have the data to support what I'm saying so confidence says. I don't talk to these groups because I have something to offer them but confidence also says I want this to be symbiotic.
[00:29:48] ego says I have something for you should up listen and I'm leaving confidence says I have something for you and it's going to be really amazing but I also want to hear what you have for me.
[00:30:00] I feel you on that. Yeah I mean yeah I always have to negotiate the connotation but that's why I challenge it the way I do as far as saying ego because you have to have some pride in yourself to step out there because you talk about you talk about being an introvert.
[00:30:22] I'm an introvert my dad is always was always amazed because I grew up in only child and he said I never I knew you were interested in politics but I never thought you would be the candidate because when you you're allergic to be us and in two.
[00:30:41] You're not real you're an introvert and so it was just kind of like the watch you shaking hands and giving speeches and all that stuff I was like wow that's my child you know I'm saying.
[00:30:51] And and you you teach that you explain to people about how being an inch how you can come across as being an extrovert and truly be an introvert so that's the reason why I I couch it the way that I say it.
[00:31:08] Yes just from my my personal experience. Yeah and it's true I think people are shocked that I have people that will argue me down even psychologists when I say have a preference for introversion.
[00:31:22] I've had actual PhD practicing psychologists say no you're not first of all how you going to tell me what I am number two I have taken the same test you took and I'm certified in them as well.
[00:31:36] Number three I know people often have a misunderstanding of what those two dichotomies on the Myers Briggs MBTI the Myers Briggs exam or test.
[00:31:48] It is about right Myers Briggs type indicator when you talk about it's about a preference where do you and and introversion versus extroversion people often think it's about people how much do you like people are being around people and it's really not it's about where do you get your energy.
[00:32:05] And like you I was raised as an only child but unlike most only children I was the one that was like no I don't want any other siblings.
[00:32:13] I wasn't there was like oh I wish I had siblings I did not ever and still don't I'm very comfortable having been raised in only child. But I love people I love being around people I love impacting people all of that.
[00:32:30] But when I need to get my energy when I need to think when I need to revive myself and clear my head. I want to be by myself.
[00:32:39] I am that person and it's funny to me because I travel so much and I see people looking at me at dinner sometimes and they have this look of oh I feel so sorry for her she has to eat by herself.
[00:32:52] And I'm looking at them like you have no clue. I am here by myself one because I love my own company and two you have no idea how many people I'll connect it with.
[00:33:05] I never have to either loan for the rest of my life if I didn't want to. I am here alone because I choose to be and I enjoy it and so when people and I tell people I'm introvert they're like no you don't have a preference for introversion.
[00:33:21] And I'm like you wait I have been around y'all all day I cannot wait to get away from all these people and get something. I'm not thinking it.
[00:33:35] I am thoroughly enjoying myself I am thoroughly enjoying meeting people I am thoroughly enjoying people coming up and telling me oh that was such a great session I learned so much I want to do as well as even I get back.
[00:33:47] I do enjoy that but I also enjoy that can leave you. And I know you've got a strong support system and in the time we have I'm going to get that question in that addresses that. But I want to ask you this.
[00:34:03] So black women in corporate America face several challenges pay inequity microaggressions and positive syndrome, misogyny sexual harassment. How do you help black women especially executives navigate this environment and I'll combine it with this.
[00:34:21] How how does the political climate in America make that harder for you to do the work that you do? Oh you just ask a whole dissertation. I like there people doing the dissertation work on just one of those. You ask me to address that in a question.
[00:34:48] You know what it's it's complex most of the people that I'm coaching especially and not just especially black women most of the people that I'm coaching are like I said senior level executives all the way up to the C sweet.
[00:34:59] And we're coaching my coaching is a minimum of six months. So when people come and say, teacher I want to be coached by you my minimum of six months because we don't even really start tapping into the work they truly need to do until about month three.
[00:35:16] And so when you ask that question I'm telling you I have clients that I've coach for years and we're still having to learn to navigate all of that right.
[00:35:25] And so it's not a this is how you do an answer but I will say I want to pull out one in particular and I want to talk about imposter syndrome.
[00:35:35] One of the things I tell everyone I do talks about this I go into companies and help them navigate this with so many of their audiences. When we talk about imposter syndrome and posture syndrome has two parts and one part is more critical than the other.
[00:35:50] Being that impacts particularly black women when we talk about imposter syndrome is we think we're underestimating ourselves and people will say oh my gosh you have imposter syndrome because you're great and you don't believe you're great.
[00:36:05] I think that's a misnomer and it does add detriment to us the misnomer is we're underestimating ourselves and that's not true. I really think most of us see ourselves rightly what we're doing though is we're over estimating who they are.
[00:36:21] We're over estimating how intelligent they are we're over estimating how much they know we're over estimating them. So if we get that right we will stop trying to improve ourselves and realize I'm on par with where you are neither of us know.
[00:36:38] I've been in those rooms I've been in the executive suite I've been an executive myself I've been the person that hired them I've been in the strategy room and they aren't that bright.
[00:36:48] They really aren't that bright and still I'm saying no they're like teacher I don't know how to do this I don't know the answer to this they're going to get in the room and ask about their strategy and the answer is I don't know.
[00:37:01] And often I pause the men say but what if I told you they don't know either. Now like of course they know no they don't.
[00:37:12] I'm in that room I'm coaching you because I sit in that room and I coach that whole group and they don't know you know why you're having the meeting because everyone in there everyone's there.
[00:37:22] Nobody knows what we're hoping is collectively with all of the intelligence around this table as a cease we as a leadership team that you have the information and the intelligence to help them figure it out because that's what we're all doing.
[00:37:38] The second part of that is we often call it in pastor syndrome and we put it on the oneness of the person and this is the problem that I think is huge that bothers me. And I'm trying to figure out sorry.
[00:37:52] Um, we bothers me because what we've done in these scenarios is we created imposter and we put it on the person to figure it out when the problem is really the organization.
[00:38:06] The organization has not given them access to information the organization has not given them access to influence the organization hasn't done it's part to prepare them for the position they're putting them in and when they get there and recognize you know what.
[00:38:19] I don't feel like I've been properly prepared for this and I need some resources the organization says you're prepared.
[00:38:28] Go ahead you're fine and when they go forward and fail, they feel like they're in imposter when the reality is the organization created imposter and put the oneness on that on them when it shouldn't belong to the person should be long to the organization.
[00:38:43] And so we have to be very mindful that we don't allow that to happen. The last part is we talk about black women navigating in this current environment and we all know there's a tech on diversity equity inclusion.
[00:38:58] And there's backlash from when it was sexy and when everybody was all on the band wagon of yes let's put our black box up on social media and say that we're aligned.
[00:39:09] And here's the truth those of us who have been in DEI for a very long time like myself my original DES certification has a floppy disk in the back of it that's how long I've been in the game.
[00:39:21] We knew right we knew that this was going to happen we sat around and watched and say we'll wait. We'll wait to you all come back to the real professionals that know this from a strategic perspective.
[00:39:35] And so all the Johnny come lately jumped in because it was 60 and companies were spending money on it and these companies they purposefully navigated away from those of us with a bit in the field for decades.
[00:39:46] Because what they knew is we would hold them accountable for more than just having a celebration of somebody's month and a pot luck dinner and one person coming to unconscious bias training.
[00:39:57] They knew that what we've been talking about for decades is how do we change the systems within your company so that we have outcomes that are not based on a decision but they are based on processes that are equitable they did not want to do that work.
[00:40:14] So now we're trying to help people navigate this space of way are you affirmative action higher because a black person or a black woman got this position.
[00:40:25] A black woman was selected and now they have to navigate the learning of this new environment and also the navigation of pay. M. I being looked at this way now I have to prove myself even more. Yeah. I mean, amen to that. Amen to that.
[00:40:49] So let me get back to the support because I saw you on an interview and you know you were talking about your husband and your family.
[00:41:04] So the way I'm going to ask the question is what can black men do to be more supportive of the struggles of black women face. That's a loaded question oh my gosh, this is a little question. You know what I think we collectively one us as a people.
[00:41:31] We have to step out of the narratives that are given to us to divide us right.
[00:41:37] One of the thing I posted one time is I remember when the NFL draft was going on they had all these pictures posted of the black NFL recruits that were involved with white women. And they put it up as like this was the overarching narrative.
[00:41:55] And I immediately and I could see people underneath a black people black men black women they're all commenting on this and that and other news black man saying well y'all black women together that's why we going over to white women and black women saying y'all don't like us.
[00:42:09] And I thought it and I interjected and I very, really interject on social media and it's pretty self like this but I put in you all do realize. That over over 80% of partner black men are partnered with black women.
[00:42:26] And of that 20% that aren't partner with black women in that 20% because you know they're changing what qualifies as what these days and so when I grew up back in my day if you were a buy ratio and the other buy was black you were black.
[00:42:45] So now they're changing that so in that 20% the 20% to the aren't partner with black women are people who are partner with buy ratio people. And one of those races of the buy ratio person being black right.
[00:43:00] So an overarching overwhelming number of black men are a partner with black women which says black men do love black women here's the thing I work with professional sports and what I also know is that an overarching number of those people professional athletes black professional athletes and overarching number are also partner with black women.
[00:43:22] But we're fed this narrative that we don't like each other. We don't love each other. We aren't supporting each other and the first thing we have to do collectively both of us black men and black women is take ourselves out of the lie because there is we have to ask ourselves who benefits from this life.
[00:43:39] Who benefits from us believing this and until we step out of the matrix and realize someone's benefiting from us being into the throw around something that's not even true.
[00:43:49] We will always have this discord. The other thing that has to happen is for us to recognize that after each other what the support look like it's really on an individual basis is not the same for everyone but we have to have this symbiotic relationship of support.
[00:44:06] What does support look like for you? Support for me looks very different from a girl for the my who is like Deterah. You could have a I don't want to run anything. I want to be a stay at home mom to these kids.
[00:44:19] And so what I want to support to do is I don't want to have to pay anything on the word about anything she is we call her a pampered princess because when she travels all she knows is someone shows up and picks her up.
[00:44:33] You're hey, she doesn't know how it happens. She knows that magically someone appears. So I think we have to be willing to say what does my partner need.
[00:44:42] But overall for black women in general we need to know that we are supported that we are love and that it's not a competition it's a collaboration. We want to know that we are not seeing our success is not seen as a threat to a man's masculinity.
[00:45:01] We want to know that we are seeing as truly when someone says hey queen I want to know that you see me as a queen, but also that you know that I see you as a king.
[00:45:14] Yeah, yeah, I think that's important. I'm the last person to give me her to a vice, but I believe that that's the ultimate goal.
[00:45:24] So, but also I think, really quickly before we go out. I think we have to especially as a people we have to back it up and don't see support just as partnership right when I'm an corporate environment I'm looking at my brother is saying how how can I hold you down there is nothing romantic here, but we're in this together.
[00:45:50] So how can I support you outside of this whole romantic environment but in this environment how can we collaborate so that we both win here so that there's a collective win for everyone and so support for me.
[00:46:05] And so, we're our black women and our black men is not just about romantic relationships is how do we support each other in this political environment and it's supported each other in this corporate environment.
[00:46:15] How do we make sure that when I look to my shoulder and I see a skin folk that they really are caring for and that we're going to I can go about my day not even worried about if they have my for not I know it's automatic.
[00:46:29] All right, so normally how I end the interview is that I get to what I call my favorite part and have the guess plug what they do.
[00:46:40] So, but I'm going to do you a little different we're going to do the plug now and then I got one more thing that I want you to do so go ahead tell people how they can get hold to this phenomenal dynamic high-end fashion speaker to be there coach or to come and speak at the end of the day.
[00:46:56] So I tell people you can reach me on several platforms you can reach me on Instagram at detra underscore jiles that is D.E.T. H. R.A. on discord G. I. L.E.S. but you can also find me on LinkedIn I say I was my employee per newer and if you are following me, you know what an employee per newer is.
[00:47:21] You can find me on LinkedIn and there I'm just detra jiles and then I also have a podcast the happily every employee podcast everywhere you get your podcast but ultimately if you truly truly truly are serious you're really serious about booking me.
[00:47:33] You can hit me a detra at executor.com that's detr at at ex e c u p r e p dot com.
[00:47:45] Yeah and so one of the main reasons why I wanted you on in the timing couldn't be greater as far as the the sandwich between June 10th and July to 4.
[00:47:59] You are an inspirational speaker and you are on high demand. So I guess to give a taste of that. My question is what inspiration would you give the nation to get through the remaining months of 2024?
[00:48:20] I love that question and one because often tell people I'm not an inspirational or motivational speaker I'm a transformation speaker.
[00:48:29] And what I mean by that is when people bring me in they never book me as a motivational speaker. They book me as a person that's an expert on a business topic whether it's conflict management, whether it's performance optimization, whether it's improving strategies for their organizations to improve their performance, profits or productivity whatever it is they're booking me because what I'm doing is going to give them tools to improve the bottom line of their company that's what they know me for right performance optimization and getting to a better body.
[00:48:58] And the reason I make that clarification is because because I do and I know what I know and I do it in the way that I'm gifted to presented people are inspired.
[00:49:12] I know that people say, oh my gosh, I felt so motivated and I motivated to do X. I'm now I have what I need you gave me the tools to go back and make the change but in your delivery you motivated me to implement those tools.
[00:49:28] And the reason I think that's important is because if you're going to get through the craziness that's around you, you have to one know your stuff.
[00:49:38] Go out and get educated and ask yourself, what value do I add to people companies whatever it is, what's the value I added, what does that work.
[00:49:48] And then on top of that, how do I deliver the message about that value in a way that makes people want to take what I say it actually do it.
[00:49:59] Because here's the thing everyone wants a value add and they want someone that can make them feel like they should do it.
[00:50:11] So go out and be that person be the person that is the best in the world at what you do and be so good at it that it's undeniable.
[00:50:21] That takes time, practice and investment in you but there is no better investment than the investment you will make yourself. Well I appreciate that and I appreciate you, you are an incredible person as far as not just what you do but how you present yourself.
[00:50:48] And I'm really honored that you took the time to come on a podcast, I'm honored that we're connected. And anytime you want to come back on feel free to do so.
[00:51:04] Every guest has an open invitation but I definitely wanted to extend that to you because you bring something to the table that is constructive of lifting and is directly needed in this time. So, Deja Jail, I salute you and I thank you again for coming on a podcast.
[00:51:28] My pleasure, my pleasure. All right guys and we'll catch all on the other side. Hello, this is Eric Flaming, host of Moment with Eric Flaming and I need your help.
[00:51:49] We have an opportunity to cover the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this August but I need to raise some money. So I need you to go to gofundme.com slash help a moment with Eric Flaming broadcast from DNC 2024.
[00:52:05] That's gofundme.com help a moment with Eric Flaming broadcast from DNC 2024. Thank you so much. All right and we are back. So I want to go into any event that I went to that has kind of become a thing in the black community during this election cycle.
[00:52:59] And I want to give my take on that event but before I do that, let me thank Deja Jails for coming on. If you have never heard of her before, she is amazing.
[00:53:21] If you, I should just a child, Google heard that you YouTube her to understand why I wanted this sister on. Again, it's a political podcast but we also celebrate black excellence. And black excellence is tied into American politics.
[00:53:49] If it wasn't for black excellence, I don't know where would be as a country. I sure wouldn't be having a podcast. At this point in time, you know, and if I did it, it'd be so underground, it'd be ridiculous, right?
[00:54:06] But so I'm really, I really was honored that once she even accepted the come on and that she was willing to share her thoughts. And how there's an intersectionality with politics and the work that she does.
[00:54:33] Because it's about leadership development, it's about building people up so they can achieve at their best level, right? So I want to thank her for that. But I want to tie in what I just said with what I experienced at this event.
[00:54:58] And the event is called Congress, Conyac, and Segar. So there's a Republican congressman. And you made me, so I don't know if you remember when I did the podcast about how was proud that there were
[00:55:20] Black men involved in that whole speaker's thing that, you know, I came Jeffries was nominated by Randall's was nominated. And it was a black man.
[00:55:34] I want to say John Jones or John James and infregive me Congressman for mispronounce your name because I'm trying to do it off the top of my head without notes.
[00:55:45] He's from Michigan who introduced Kevin McCarthy or nominated Kevin McCarthy, and then you had a black woman running to proceedings as the clerk of the house.
[00:55:59] And how that was a proud moment for me. And I also mentioned the fact that there were along with the Congressman for Michigan. There was two other congressmen that was in that congressman's class at West Point.
[00:56:16] I was a white gentleman who is a Democrat and the congressman, Michigan, and this gentleman Wesley Hunt, or two black gentlemen, they are there now Republicans, which I found that I was kind of ironic and interesting.
[00:56:40] But it's congressman Hunt who came up with this concept about congress, cognac, and cigars. So the purpose is to go into cities in swing states.
[00:56:57] There first was in Pennsylvania. You may have heard of that because as we're by Randall's was trying to make the argument that policy wise black folks were better off As a family it was able to maintain a family, even during the turbulent times of Jim Crow.
[00:57:20] And he was trying to, and you heard my explanation. He was trying to say that because of great society policies of Lyndon Johnson, others that the black family deteriorated. The conservative viewpoint was better for black families. But they didn't come across that way.
[00:57:46] So that was the first event in Philadelphia at a cigar shop. The whole concept is that they go into these cities in the swing states. So terms of vanities of swing state, Georgia is a swing state.
[00:58:05] And they go into and then they're going to go to Milwaukee for the convention. Excuse me. And you know, and Wisconsin is a swing state. So the concept is to go to a cigar shop and cigar lounge.
[00:58:29] And invite people, primarily members of the black community to come and listen to the conservative viewpoint and try to convince people to vote for Donald Trump as president and support Republican candidates.
[00:58:52] For Congress in the US Senate if those states are having those kind of races. Georgia does not have a Senate race. This time, you know, it seemed like we was having the Senate race every year, but for every cycle but not this time. The Pennsylvania does.
[00:59:13] And so their whole purpose is to try to reach out. And one of the things that Congress went on said was that it was a mistake for the Republican Party not to aggressively go after black vote.
[00:59:40] I totally agree with that. If you are going to be an American political party, doesn't matter if you're the Democratic Party, doesn't matter if you're the parliament, doesn't matter if you're the green or the libertarian party.
[00:59:55] If you want to win the election, if you want to have control of Congress, you've got to reach out to black voters. You have to reach out to Latino or Hispanic voters. You have to reach out to Asian American Pacific Islander voters.
[01:00:15] As well as rural and urban white voters, you have to reach out to everybody. Howard Dean will always be my favorite national chairman of the Democratic Party because he, the liberally stated, we are going to have a 50 state strategy. He was physically spoke in all 50 states.
[01:00:37] He actively made sure that the party apparatus was functional in all 50 states during his tenure. And as a candidate for a federal office, it was like when he was in town, we had to have a sit down meeting to assess where the campaign was, what was needed.
[01:01:00] And what was realistic, right? So I applaud the congressman from Texas for having the gumsion to push his party to try to have the conversation. And then byron Donalds is kind of like the black Republican. There's only four of them, by the way.
[01:01:30] There's a possibility for a fifth in Connecticut. There's only four right now. And the fourth one is I think Burgess Owens, who's a former NFL player who got elected to congress. He's kind of biohys biological age and his tenure in congress.
[01:02:00] He's kind of like the Dean of those four. He's been there to longest. We've had black Republicans throughout history. Gary Franks comes in mind, JC Watts. Edward Brooke in the Senate from Massachusetts. You know, in my lifetime. So, Tim Scott.
[01:02:31] So, you know, we've always had in historically before the big shift. The Republicans, a lot of the Republicans, especially from the Southern States, were black men, especially during reconstruction. So there's always been black Republicans in congress. But as of right now, there's only four in the house.
[01:03:02] And then you have Tim Scott in the Senate. So, you know, Donalds and heart, let me hunt. I'm sorry, felt that they were the type of people to be able to relate to black people and pull this off.
[01:03:31] I don't know who was the moderator in Philadelphia, but the moderator here in Atlanta was Sage Steel. In Sage Steel, was a anchor on ESPN for a long time. And over the last few years, she's running to...
[01:03:58] I would say controversy because she has taken a position on certain issues that a lot of black folks didn't feel comfortable with. And so, she's no longer with ESPN. And I don't know what she's going to do next. I think she has a podcast.
[01:04:26] And you know, so they did a podcast prior to the event and then started, you know, having to dialogue. And in first of all, the facility that they had it in studios, cigar-long is a beautiful facility.
[01:04:51] If you are a cigar, a fish, a nodo and you're on the south side of the Atlanta metro area, I would check that out. Like two stories, really, really nice, really fits the mode of a nice cigar sound.
[01:05:14] And yeah, and I'm a cigar for this year, I don't know. So, you know, it is what it is. Nonetheless, it was a good venue and it was packed. You know, at the very beginning of it, standing remotely.
[01:05:38] But it's not like a stadium or anything. It's a cigar-long. So, it's not going to take a whole lot of people to pack it, but it was packed. And then the thing that I was really, really cool because, you know, I felt kind of like,
[01:05:52] I don't know if you all remember this movie and the book, The Spook, who sat by the door, right? How does black man had infiltrated? Or even better, more modern reference, Judah and the black Messiah, right? Judah is in the black Messiah, as you say.
[01:06:15] How are they black man, you know, fitting, trying to fit in in a situation that's not really there. So, I was relieved when I got there that a good number of the people. I would say it was 60-40 Democrat.
[01:06:43] You could say 50-50, but it was a lot more Democrats in the room than it was Republicans. Based on some of the side conversations I was picking up on. I didn't really talk to anybody. I just was ear hustling, especially standing by the bar.
[01:07:02] Just a lot of the side conversation all that. But, you know, the fact these were two black congressmen coming to a place where a lot of these folks hang out. You know, it was an honor.
[01:07:16] So, I'd respect a lot of them came and did their normal hanging out at the cigar-long, without, you know, and got a perk. And that was kind of a thing in Mississippi.
[01:07:31] It was like there was a spot called Habano, smoke shop that we used to hang out at back in the day. And, you know, Haley Barber came through. And, you know, cognac and cigar, same thing. And, it was talking to people. And, he used me as a prop.
[01:07:56] He was like, trying to get along with folks like Representative Flimin over here. You know what I'm saying? He was kind of one of those things. But that was an outreach thing. So, that's the thing where you're reaching people who are active voters, who have a story.
[01:08:18] A certain amount of wealth in the black community. And, you know, our intelligent people. So, again, there's a good place to try to do persuasion. But it was majority Democrats in the room. And, as the congressmen were telling their stories about why they were Republicans,
[01:08:50] the audience was very, very respectful. And, you know, listen to what they had to say. Why they are in the positions therein. And, and do you need to think about both of them is that they represent majority white districts.
[01:09:11] And, they both lost the first time they ran for congress. So, in one way you can say it's a testament that these black men were able to crack the code and get in.
[01:09:38] Because I knew a lot of black Republican friends in Mississippi who ran for office, who I felt were more qualified than their primary opponent. But, because they were black, they didn't get in. And, you know, you can say what you want about that.
[01:10:03] But it is what it is. So, considering the dynamics of the Republican party today for two black men to represent majority white districts. You have to respect that. And, as somebody that has gone through an elected process run for federal office. Yeah, you have to respect that.
[01:10:36] So, having said all that. Came down to talking about the issues. That's when it got lit. That's when you know this. Who was on what side of the aisle? When the issues started coming up. You know, the main thing they wanted to stress was education. Inflation and immigration.
[01:11:16] Those are three things they're trying to push. Those are three things that they feel that they can swing black those three issues, the things that they can swing black voters on.
[01:11:29] And, the immigration one got really, really heated to the point where the law enforcement that was there had to kind of act like a referee. Because you have some black folks who were very passionate about the number of immigrants coming in.
[01:11:54] The perception that the border is wide open. That Democrats don't care about wide open borders. You heard that. But then you heard a lot of black people saying, what are you talking about?
[01:12:12] It's like most of us, including one of the congressmen, you know, a descendants of immigrants from either Africa or the Caribbean islands. Right? And so, you know, I heard one guy say, you know, I'm Dominican. You know what I'm saying is like, I'm not feeling what he's saying.
[01:12:37] So it was very, it was very passionate about that issue. Even more so than education or inflation. And that was the just of the challenge. And, you know, one of the people who asked, well, why didn't you support what President Biden offered, which congressmen don't respond to.
[01:13:04] Well, our plan was better, which was not exactly true for because whatever the Republicans had in their plan was in the bill that Biden was signing off. Right? That was some compromises made on the Conservatory side, but not many. It was pretty much their bill.
[01:13:26] And, you know, I mean, somebody even challenged the fact that it's like, you know, Donald Trump killed that bill. And the congressmen are fully dodged that comment. But, you know, it was really, really comforting to see.
[01:13:55] And I'll get into the other issue that really kind of really got the crowd going. But it was comforting to see these black men deal with black people in an environment that was not friendly to them.
[01:14:18] It was a comfortable environment, but once people started getting into the issues, it was not a friendly environment. So the other issue that really stoked is one, one audience member asked the question,
[01:14:45] why did you to support reinstating or keeping a monument to Confederates or to a Confederate soldier at Arlington National Cemetery? And Wesley Hunt, if you don't know his background, he was military guy. Surveys country in combat went on 55 combat missions.
[01:15:22] He told the story about his experience at West Point, and the fact that during his time there, he had to stay at the Robert E. Lee barracks.
[01:15:36] Robert E. Lee is a graduate of West Point, and even though he was a Confederate general, he was considered one of the great, he still considered one of the great American military strategists to whatever I can't say, he wrote.
[01:15:56] But he was one of the great American generals in a lot of military scholars in his story, his eyes. So there's a barracks at West Point named after him.
[01:16:13] And Congressman Hunt said that if he had not stayed in that barracks, he wouldn't be the person he is today. To which somebody in the audience replied, yeah, you would be better.
[01:16:31] Right? So I'm telling you, the vibe was not, you know, I think it was depicted in Philadelphia as black Republican love fest. It was not that in Atlanta, Georgia. It was not a black Republican love fest.
[01:16:48] There were people that the chairman of Republican Party even showed up for this event. Of course, if you've got Republican Congressman comes to your town, you're going to be there. But he was there. And there were a lot of the people that were seated, you know,
[01:17:14] where either pro-Trump or Republican folks. But yeah, it was not a friendly crowd. It was a road game. You'd use sports for an accurate. It was not a home game. It was a road game. So the other issue that came up that really was contentious was reparations.
[01:17:47] This elderly gentleman who had also served in a military wanted to know their position on reparations. And so Donald, whose background is in finance and, you know, being in a financial advisor and all that stuff. Basically, made the argument that it's not feasible.
[01:18:18] He highlighted the fact about all the years of slavery and all the years of Jim Crow. And he was basically making an argument that, you know, too much time has passed to make it feasible. But that's a mindset of writing a check.
[01:18:49] And so that's why he's opposed to it. But it's not necessarily writing a check for reparations. The issue in America, and, like I said, I didn't ask a question. I just was there to observe. But I did go to another event prior to this event I'm talking about.
[01:19:26] In which the authors of a book called 15 cents on the dollar, the wee story and Ebony Reed, who I believe both were journalists at one point, co-wrote a book,
[01:19:42] and there was basically a research book on the wealth gap between African Americans and white Americans in the United States. And the 15 cents on the dollar means, for every dollar that a white person has, a black person has 15 cents, but well.
[01:20:07] The issue is the wealth gap. How do we fix that? That is the ultimate reparation. And at the pace we are going, according to the system's story and read, the best case scenario is that, at the pace we're going,
[01:20:34] we will receive a cheap parity in 91 years. That's the best case scenario. At the current rate we are at, that's the best case scenario of narrowing the gap. We will achieve that in 91 years. So to me, if we are going to have a serious discussion about reparations,
[01:21:01] this is not about the day she pills get. It's not about any other discussions about just writing a check to appease black people, or any other former reparations like with the Japanese Americans and others. It's about repairing the damage.
[01:21:26] And the biggest damage that slavery and Jim Crow did was deny black people the opportunity to attain wealth. And they basically said that they were against the student loan forgiveness, saying, and the argument was again, this was Donald's saying that two-thirds of America didn't even go to college.
[01:22:03] So she does two-thirds pay for the people who did attend college. Well, there's a substantial amount of Americans who don't like us going to war. But our taxes go to the Department of Defense. There's some Democrats who are voters don't like Democrats don't like Republicans or Republicans,
[01:22:48] or Democrats, but if you sign that box to say that $3 goes toward that presidential campaign fund to allow people to get public money to finance their campaign for President-of-States. Money is going to go to the other person.
[01:23:25] If the Democrat is making raising all his money and the Republicans not, that Republican can tap into that money. I'm not voting for the Republican, but I paid the taxes and I checked off the box.
[01:23:43] Because I think public financing would kind of eliminate a lot of stuff that's going on in politics now. That's a whole new discussion for another day. Nonetheless, when Mr. Donald said what he said and then, Congressman, I'm called up on that and double down on that.
[01:24:11] That was not received very well. Nobody called the names. Nobody was disrespectful in that regard. Nobody was using the term Uncle Tom or sell out of anybody. It was those two gentlemen describing some of the stuff and the vitoral they've gotten for their positions.
[01:24:37] Even say he was really, really emotionally even though she was the moderator. She shared the fact that she's even gotten deaf threats for some of the positions she took as an anchor ASPN, which should never be the case.
[01:25:01] Regardless of which side you want, it's like you can pass in as it passionately disagree with people. But it's like, yeah, I hope you die. I hope your kids get raped. You know what I'm saying? That's not part of the conversation we need to be having.
[01:25:21] It doesn't matter if it's Trump supporters or Biden supporters. That matter how you feel on either side of Israel or Hamas conflict. How you feel about anything that's not accepted, right?
[01:25:45] But let's just say that the black men and women in that room, the majority of them were not happy hearing two black congressmen say they're not for reparations. In any way, it's super cool.
[01:26:10] There was good debate about the immigration thing to a degree and you kind of got a sense of where they are. And the system is broken. But it's broken more because it'd be rockercy and political rhetoric than it is about bodies.
[01:26:36] And the real culprits, who Republicans will never address is big business. When Ron dissent us decided to go after immigrants, the way that he did, the biggest people who were complaining to him about his stance was big business,
[01:27:09] especially those in the construction industry, especially those in agriculture industry. They were very, very upset. And they tried to bypass him by getting in legislators' faces.
[01:27:25] So it was an amazing experience in the sense that I commend those two gentlemen for doing what they were doing on behalf of their party. But I was really impressed with, especially the black men that were in that room.
[01:27:53] And how they also appreciated the fact that these men showed up, but they let them know what was really on their mind and let them know that, yeah, just because you hear we're not going to be silently polite.
[01:28:15] They got a sense of how black people really feel about reparations, how they really feel about immigration, how they really feel about inflation, economics. And they never really dabble in that too much other than trying to, you know, he talked about the debt and all that stuff.
[01:28:42] Enderality is that based on what happened over the last four years with Donald Trump, the debt is out of whack. It shouldn't be that high, but because you wanted to play Kate folks that could contribute to most, and kind of disregard everybody else that's working for 11.
[01:29:09] You put the debt high, and then COVID didn't help, right? You've heard some guests come on talk about that government spending, and tributes to inflation, but it was necessary spending. It was dealing with an immediate crisis, both during Trump's administration and early part of Biden's administration.
[01:29:42] And debt forgiveness, you know, kicks in there too. However, the biggest people that really are complaining about the debt forgiveness is not the guy who didn't go to college. He's being told to complain about it. It's the banks. It's the folks that's baked a load.
[01:30:04] Those are the folks that are upset. That's their losing to money, especially the interest, their losing money. So, yeah. But I was really, really impressed with the way that folks took their information, took their pitch, and challenged them on issues.
[01:30:31] And that was refreshing to me because, but also it brings up another point real quick. That, you know, the whole focus of the media has always been over these last 10 to 20 years about white men being angry. Black folks are angry too. Black folks are not happy.
[01:31:06] And those gentlemen saw that, but it wasn't a way that they could manipulate it. It wasn't a way that they could persuade it was something they had to digest. Some of the had to take in and they had to give a report.
[01:31:24] It's like, yeah, George is going to be a problem. These black men, these black women in Georgia are not. They're not drinking the coolant. And to be honest, that may have been what happened in Philadelphia.
[01:31:46] The whole focus came off one quote that by her Donald said, but it wasn't the vibe. If the vibe was the same in Philadelphia as it was in Atlanta, yeah. Good luck on getting that 26 30% of the black folks. You say that you're going to get that's not happening.
[01:32:09] Donald Trump did get 20% of the vote last time he ran. I don't think he's getting anything higher, I think he's getting less. And a good barometer of that was what I saw at the Congress, Conyek and cigars form here in Atlanta.
[01:32:41] So I just wanted to give a report on that. I think if you're a Democrat, if you remember the Democratic Party, it's not time for despair. It's not time to be overconfident, but it's not time for despair. Joe Biden can't get reelected.
[01:33:09] The house can shift where a king of jaffers can become the speaker. The Senate can be maintained, maybe even gain aced. That might be pushing it, but they gain aced then, a lot of advice president doesn't have to set a record in breaking ties.
[01:33:43] Aced did this term, so it's a very, very competitive race. Do not get it twisted. It should not be competitive based on who the Republicans are offering as their nominee, but it is. And it's very, very important that we as black people show up and show up.
[01:34:19] So that's my thoughts on that. The GoFundMe campaign is still going. I need to help the number is getting smaller, but not quick enough. And, you know, I appreciate those who have donated already. I appreciate those who are thinking about it.
[01:34:45] Those who are trying to assist in getting the word out. But we've got a hard deadline. J.J. live 15th. Got to get certain things in. Secure reservations and all that. Trying to get the cheapest airfare possible.
[01:35:09] So go to www.momenteric.com and click on the link and make that donation. And the insight that I'm giving you from what I witnessed at the Congress, Kanye, I can cigar as a vent. It's kind of the summaries that I'm going to give about the convention.
[01:35:38] We're going to put that on Patreon for free. The daily stuff and there will be some interviews. The big interviews will be on the podcast. The regular podcast after the convention. So again, it all depends on who I will get access to.
[01:36:03] Put it in a request for people. But I got to get there. So I need y'all to go to www.momenteric.com or you can just go to go fund me and put in air-flement or a moment with air-flement. And it should come right up.
[01:36:25] And whatever you can give, I'll greatly appreciate. And you'll appreciate it too from the coverage that we'll give you at the convention. So with that, until next time. Thank you.