SBCC Vaquero Voices

Episode 39 - Lelia Richardson

Episode Summary

Akil and Hong welcome Lelia to the show to talk about Umoja, coming back to the Santa Barbara area, and the recent Umoja mural dedication event. From there, Good Eatin' highlights some local restaurants and the best cupcakes in the area, while Higher Learning focuses on cultural picks in celebration of Black History Month.

Episode Notes

Mentioned in this episode:

SBCC Umoja - https://www.sbcc.edu/equity/umoja/

Chabot Community College - https://www.chabotcollege.edu/

Kwanzaa - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwanzaa

Umoja Practices (Ethic of Love) - https://umojacommunity.org/umoja-practices

School Integration in the United States - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_integration_in_the_United_States

Babatunde Folalyemi - https://www.independent.com/2012/04/12/babatunde-folalyemi-1940-2012/

Umoja Mural - https://www.sbcc.edu/equity/umoja/mural.php

Libation Ceremony - https://www.nytimes.com/1997/10/05/style/an-old-ritual-goes-black-tie.html

Americorps - https://americorps.gov/

SBCC SPARC Program (EOPS) - https://www.sbcc.edu/eopscare/sparc.php

Sister Web - https://www.sisterweb.org/

Tacos el Diablo - https://tacoseldiablo.com/

Tasty China - https://www.tastychinaventura.com/

Pho Gyu - https://www.phogyu.com/

Soulquarians - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soulquarians

All Flavor No Grease - https://www.instagram.com/allflavornogrease/?hl=en

Taco Mell - https://tacomell.net/

Court Cafe - https://www.thecourtcafe.net/

Sky’s Gourmet Tacos - https://www.skysgourmettacos.com/

Te’ ‘stees Cupcakes - https://www.instagram.com/te_stees/?hl=en

Soul Bites - https://www.soulbitesrestaurants.com/

Cracklin’ - https://nomnompaleo.com/chicken-cracklings

The Lion King at the Pantages Theater - https://www.broadwayinhollywood.com/events/detail/disneysthelionking

Jerry Lawson - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Lawson_(engineer)

Lonnie Johnson - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lonnie_Johnson_(inventor)

Reebok Pump - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reebok_Pump

1619 Project - https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/08/14/magazine/1619-america-slavery.html

1619 Project on Hulu - https://www.hulu.com/series/the-1619-project-7ba3407a-299c-4a10-8310-bbcdd6ab4653

A Different World - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Different_World

A Different World on HBO Max - https://www.hbomax.com/series/urn:hbo:series:GYN4-IQS-58I-wgEAAAH-

Episode Transcription

Captions provided by Zoom

 

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Akil Hill: Hello and welcome to another episode of SBCC Vaquero Voices, a podcast highlighting the unique voices that comprise our campus culture, and how we're all working together to serve our students and the community at large. As usual. I'm joined by co-host Akil Hill - what's good y'all! - and today we are honored to welcome Lelia Richardson to the show. Welcome, Lelia!

 

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Hong Lieu: and and Lelia is is the new coordinator of our Umoja program here on campus.

 

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Hong Lieu: So Lev. And this is coming back a little bit of homecoming for you kind of back to Santa Barbara. But did you know a lot about the umoja program before you got the position. Were you familiar with it? Or is this kind of an a new kind of thing, like figuring out the details and everything going on with the program for you.

 

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Lelia Richardson: Yeah, a little bit of both. So before I mean, we'll get into that, i'm sure. But I was a dean of students for a charter school in East Oakland. So part of the Dean was, you know, attended trips with students advocating for them about college and career opportunities.

 

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Lelia Richardson: and so I went to Shibo Community College specifically to tour the kind of like a center for equity and social Justice Center up there and in that center was like foster care services.

 

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Lelia Richardson: I don't remember the name, but there was like a tennis serving population group, and then the Mozart program, and I had never heard of it before that before that moment I hadn't heard of it, and I was so amazed. And I you know, so I just a little bit as we were on the tour, and then that was it. And that was man. That's like

 

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Lelia Richardson: at least 10 years ago, maybe.

 

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Okay.

 

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Lelia Richardson: Yeah.

 

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Lelia Richardson: yeah, it was some time ago.

 

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Hong Lieu: and it feels like a program that's, you know. Not that it's a new program, but that it's a an a kind of a new word program when you compare to programs like El Ps and things that sort of have been around.

 

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Hong Lieu: you know, 50 sixtys. This is within, I think, the first emotion programs 1,988. And then the you know, community California Community college is kind of organized You know this this century. So it is a relatively new program. But the the principles are, you know, timeless, and you know, and and ideas of timeless. So if you want to break down kind of the the

 

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Hong Lieu: the kind of spirit and ideas behind emoji and things that's right, and how you're kind of, you know, bringing that to the students here on campus.

 

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Lelia Richardson: Sure, I mean, I think the first number one things about unity, right? And so you homo. It means unity, right? It's a key, Swahili term, and

 

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Lelia Richardson: the term that's really well known, like especially in the black community of folks that celebrate Kwanza right, which are a list of principles that are also key Swahili terms. So you know, the the idea and the concept of a umoja community is to bring together all of these

 

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Lelia Richardson: practices and rituals are really about like black, but since belonging across the diaspora, right? And so there are a lot of the, you know. Some of the rituals or ceremonies are like centered in West African spiritual practices. But really it's encompassing. You know everything from like the seventies to the to now, right when we think about black unification, black pride, even with their principles around, like, since belonging everybody's business having things like the porch.

 

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Lelia Richardson: Ethics of love, you know. I think, about You know, Dr. Marlowe's kind of shared about ethics of love and a newsletter recently talking about the molten mural, and they reminded me of bell hooks, you know, and so emoji community brings in.

 

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Lelia Richardson: you know, scholarly information as well, and so it's rooted in that work, and that's part of it, too. Live Learning right? Is another practice of emoji program. So the program in itself is bringing in, you know, just this.

 

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Lelia Richardson: I think it's like an ethos of love for the black

 

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Lelia Richardson: community right? And like blackness, is is everything right like it is saying, we're not a monolith, it is saying, like success can look like this. It is saying, You know you belong in a place. I think it's really

 

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Lelia Richardson: timely right now. What's happening in, you know, across the nation as far as like black folks when we think about safe sanction, violence and reduce. You know, college graduation rates.

 

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Lelia Richardson: You know what's happening in our high schools and what's happening in critical race theory, right? What's happening all the things. And so, having a program like a merger in Community college, especially in California and Washington, there are like 3 programs. I believe in Seattle, you know, at this time.

 

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Lelia Richardson: is it's not lost on me right when we think about this idea of bringing folks together in a place on an institution and saying you belong here in your success matters, and then we're going to connect you with a bunch of resources. These are things that did not see right I did not see. But

 

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Lelia Richardson: I will say I didn't see at the college level. But I had community right that pulled in all of these aspects, so

 

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Lelia Richardson: in many ways, much it feels at home for me, because

 

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Lelia Richardson: I see the roots in the foundation of the work, because of what I was able to be. You know how I was able to be brought up in Santa Barbara with this community. He, you know, in Santa Barbara of like black folks getting together. And I was having a conversation last night with someone, too, you know, about like elders in that community, and what that look like. And so the motor program is bringing

 

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Lelia Richardson: all of that together, and it's beautiful to see that it's a statewide Chancellor's office, you know, supported program, and a lot goes into it. It's a very intentional work. So that's yeah, it's it's great to be a part of it.

 

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Akil Hill: Yeah, go ahead. No, I i'm like this listening. You kind of just, you know, an UN impact that for us, you know. I think you really, for me hit on such a key term, and that is resources.

 

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Akil Hill: You know it. We kind of talk about

 

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Akil Hill: the integration of schools in the sixties in this country, and we don't even talk about resources. We knew when schools were segregated that black students in black schools were not appropriately funded. So then, now we introduce integration and schools, integrate

 

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Akil Hill: and resources, Aren't being put in the proper place. So we are just allowed to integrate and expected to assimilate. But resources were never actually allocated or funded. This is why the Mojo program

 

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Akil Hill: for me is is super important to be on our campuses that we back it, and we support it because at the end of the day. A lot of it is is about resources as well.

 

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Hong Lieu: And you you seem like a. It really seems like a match made in heaven, because you may not be as familiar with the Mojo on the as as the concept at the college level. But you're familiar with the concepts of emoji on a personal level in your you. You know how you build committee like just hearing you speak

 

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Hong Lieu: It's just this warmth and this like. There's this. I. It just feels like you know how to bring people together. You know how to get people, you know, on on on the same same level together on the same path, and and the fact that you have history in this town, and you know about the history of this town in terms of how it relates to to the black community and culture, because it's something that I wouldn't even have known if I didn't have the the the luck to work with, you know. Keel's Mom Jackie, the library, and she had a feel me a lot of details that I did not know about. So it's one of the things where it's easy to brush it under the surface and say this and that. But if you know the true history.

 

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Hong Lieu: this town, and you know. And you know the the rich culture that exists for someone like you to come in and just kind of just lift it up for folks and remind folks this is this is what Santa Barbara is. What Santa Barbara can can still be and work towards. I mean it feels like a great match, and it's from everything I hear. It sounds like You're you know you hit the ground running so

 

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Lelia Richardson: you know. I thank you. Thank you. I appreciate that. I feel very much at home, and this work.

 

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Lelia Richardson: you know I have to give, you know, proper shout out and do so like those who came before me like i'm you feel that warm for me, because that's what I received right, and that's what I saw, and that's what I witnessed.

 

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Lelia Richardson: You know my Mom was a huge, you know, activator and community, and, you know, worked in the East Side, worked in unemployment, worked with like drug rehab and support, and like really helped facilitate, and I watched her

 

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Lelia Richardson: right as much as she, you know, had us in our own activities, right? And so, when we think about institutions like Omega Boys and Girls Club in Santa Barbara. When we think about endowment for Youth

 

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Lelia Richardson: Committee that was in Santa Barbara, the Mlk Junior Committee. Oh, My goodness, there's one. It was called the Alliance, for i'm so sorry, but it was like Negro was in it, and I forget

 

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Lelia Richardson: oh, the name i'm so sorry. But you know, mama.

 

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Lelia Richardson: you know Mrs. Nelson was the person that started that, and you know my mom came in and was under her, and as a transplant. My mom wasn't from Santa Barbara. I was born and raised here, but my mom came into a community, and the first thing she did was like, Seek out the elders that were already doing the work.

 

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Lelia Richardson: and she sat. You know what we say is like, I said at their knees and listened and observed, and just supported, and gave back until it was her time to then like, take on the baton. Right so in many ways I am the product of that. You know my father, also an Oxon and Cameroon, and

 

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Lelia Richardson: doing the work in the church, environment and community. And my father, as you know one of the

 

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Lelia Richardson: you know namesakes, and his family was a connector, right? So I've got these both sides. You know what I mean. These wonderful you know big trees on my, you know, like growing aside for me, who really taught me those about connecting people, and I I believe inclusivity and belonging is

 

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Lelia Richardson: the way that we connect in this world, you know. So it yeah, it matters. It's a deep place for me and all the work that I do. It comes from that.

 

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Akil Hill: Yeah, I can. I can definitely a a test to that, You know. Leila and I have got gone back. Well, we go back to Santa Barbara, Junior High.

 

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Akil Hill: When I first moved to California she was one of the first people that I actually met. But you know, throughout the years, you know i'm in. Our our friendship has grown, and you know her mother

 

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Akil Hill: was like just everyone's mom, you know. If she saw you out in the Street.

 

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Akil Hill: you know, not doing what you're supposed to be doing. She would quickly tell you where to go, where you need to be into and to act right. And so

 

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Akil Hill: that piece of and which is interesting because it goes back to the Emoji practices about everybody's business, and she understood

 

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very well

 

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Akil Hill: the importance of, you know, everyone's business and and and it and it was steeped in, I would say, unity cause of we're talking about a module, but also ultimately it was really steeped in love

 

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Akil Hill: and rooted in love. And so i'm super excited to to have Leila here on the show and super excited that you know that she's You returned home, and she's, you know, breathing life into the Mojo program, and in many different facets. We were talking earlier in the week

 

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Akil Hill: about how people or students are already calling her like on seat, Lida, you know. So there's a there's that piece for our students to come in and and and see the the cool hauntie, you know

 

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Akil Hill: that, you know. So I mean, it was like, yeah, she's like to cool on to, you know. She like the Erica BA. Do type on tea. So that's that's who it is.

 

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Lelia Richardson: It's a huge compliment, right? I think Akil, and I have definitely talked about this like we have a common Mentor and Ro and Roxanne. Dr. Byrne, as well as you know, named Baba Toundi Foliomi, and

 

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Lelia Richardson: you know that was our Baba, you know, that was like our uncle, and we were talking like actually he wasn't even that old wait. Was he our a do you know, we had that moment of like.

 

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Oh, my gosh! She was our age where we are now, maybe, you know, give or take a few years from when we started at the age that we were connected. But a lot of the you know black folks in our community in Santa Barbara, because

 

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Lelia Richardson: the black community was small, but it was it it is I can't speak to now, but it was, has always been a vibrant, resilient community with history.

 

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Lelia Richardson: right? And so I want to speak that I know that that is present. And so that's also what I know in the past, you know, even if I didn't go to like. I didn't grow going to all of the black few churches, St. Paul, our friendship but I went to services. You know what I mean. I went to the the holiday services. I went to the you know, all the different funerals and repass and community gatherings.

 

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Lelia Richardson: And so you met all of these families right, and they was 3 and 4 generations like a kill, and it kills family and the Sims family, and Jackson's, and so many others, and I came in, you know, are starting new, right? And so my mom and our family. But definitely I people

 

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Lelia Richardson: welcome this in, and I think because there was also that, like recipatory like, you know, back and forth between what we welcome you in, and we are welcomed as well. So, yeah, it's. It's wonderful full circle for me, but it's also.

 

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Lelia Richardson: It's our time. It's our time to step into those Auntie roles and to the Babo role, you know, and it and it feels right. If you know when something is right, it's because it feels right, and there's on. There could be challenges. But there's not a lot of like blockage and barriers and struggle. It's just

 

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Lelia Richardson: smooth, you know, and the kill had shared like, you know, some things with me some time ago, like when things are for you, it'll it'll be for you. And I always kept that with me. I think it's a maybe a saying from the Quran.

 

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Akil Hill: Yeah, it's like it's a it's a it's not from the chrome, but it's from a a. A. A famous scholar.

 

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and it basically refers to you

 

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Akil Hill: if something's meant for you, it will be for you, even if it's buried underneath the mountains. If something's not meant for you, you won't, taste it, even if it's between your lips.

 

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Akil Hill: And so that's that piece of really just trying to understand, like

 

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Akil Hill: you know, what is for you is ultimately going to be for you, you know. And and so

 

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Akil Hill: you know

 

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Hong Lieu: just that piece, you know, and and that's the key. Really, when you talk about it being smooth it's only smooth. If you make it move, it could be as smooth or as rough as as the situation can be, but I think it's just Ted tests to the fit. You know that the right fit and the right moment, as you mentioned that this is

 

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Hong Lieu: a good time for you to come in it's it's a good situation, and it seems like

 

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Hong Lieu: like I said, you hit the ground running. It's just been a seamless smooth fit, and you you're the one that has made that transition smooth. It's. I mean we we can attest in the past it. It probably has not been that smooth in certain situations certain days. But if you if you come in here and you and it feels smooth.

 

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Akil Hill: then you know, then you know it's most likely done a fit, and in your in the culture that you're bringing to the role as well. So you got to give yourself. You gotta give yourself those prompt as well. So it Thank you. Yeah, I appreciate that. Yeah. I mean, I think also to one thing that I really admire about Leila also is the fact that

 

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Akil Hill: really being intentional and understanding the piece that the people that have come before, like you know, Casey was before, you know, and Alicia was in the position, and really understanding that

 

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Akil Hill: everyone is, is pitching in in this. And then whoever is to come next, you know, just really having a sense of

 

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Akil Hill: honoring and respecting the people that footprints are so stepping into, so to speak. And

 

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Akil Hill: and that's really

 

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Akil Hill: and I don't know if that's a merger practice. But I really feel culturally

 

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Akil Hill: speaking, that that is definitely

 

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Akil Hill: embedded in many aspects and in black culture, and in this country that

 

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Akil Hill: we recognize the the struggle and the hardship that

 

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Akil Hill: the people that have come before us had had to endure, you know. And

 

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Akil Hill: you know I just I I really appreciate you for honoring that.

 

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Akil Hill: because it's easy to be like, you know I've done it myself, and this is all my work, and this is what i'm doing, and you know. So just being mindful of of of of that is really really important.

 

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Lelia Richardson: Oh, absolutely. I let you know. I think

 

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Lelia Richardson: one of the things I really love about this is connecting with the students right. They come in, and you know you tell them like I'm from Santa Barbara, and they're like what so like you, you know, I went on a walk during finals, because I came in, you know, in December, really, and it was Finals week, and a student was just really kind of like stressing and getting those final done, I said, let's go for a walk.

 

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Lelia Richardson: You know you got that whole 2 Mash Ethno Botanical Garden there, and that's something that I really, you know, love and appreciate. And just coming from the Bay area and learning a little bit about ethnic botanical work.

 

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Lelia Richardson: And so we just took a walk we sat. You know this is beautiful. I'm like, yeah, this whole place is is yours. You get to be here, you know. And she was surprised that I was from Santa Barbara, and that some of the things that she was experienced I also experience, but with less. In some ways, you know, less resources or people to connect with.

 

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Lelia Richardson: And I love. I love that. I love to be able to share that story with folks, and then be there and then talk about. What do you want to build? I do. You want to build going forward? So you know that just speaks to that, that that that part of Mojo. Yes, as a practice of a history, right and honoring those in the past definitely.

 

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Hong Lieu: And and I feel like that's something that is not to say that it's it's a lost art. It's just that it's it's evolved with with younger folks in terms of you know there's a lot of of things that people can speak on. Younger folks can speak on about their elders that we necessarily couldn't, and a lot of ways they're they're saying, you know, like like you know, the whole. Okay, boomer like that kind of thing. It's very dismissive.

 

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Hong Lieu: But here's someone like you come in and say, you know, I lean on those elders, and that's the thing I have lots of unpack for my parents, you know. Asian parents. We we know they're not perfect, but the you know the work is good, but the record, the the behind the seed record is is Spotty, let me just tell you. But at the same time I I have to say that I lean on them so much, no matter all the things that I can hold against them. And you know there's some things. Yeah, of course. But but you have to. You have to still have that respect, and that that, you know.

 

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Hong Lieu: revere

 

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Hong Lieu: the work that they put in, and the struggle they put in a lot of times, you know. They had no choice. They just did what they had to do, so it's one of the things where to hear you really speak on that, and really kind of bring that, like

 

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Hong Lieu: empathetic touch to the idea of just leaning on those elders, and taking the lessons that they gave you them, you know. However, they gave them to you, and just building on that, and and then presenting that as the cool, auntie. I mean, that's just that's a great way to pack it. Package it all together, you know. So

 

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Lelia Richardson: thank you. Yeah.

 

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Hong Lieu: So yeah, you know that we're recording this a day after we did a great event in in the in the center for Free and social justice, the emoji mural Q. A with

 

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Hong Lieu: with Bamp, and you know both of you. You know Keel was was integral part of the of the multi mirror process, and you did a great job, and seeing, you know, being an Mp. On the event, Leila. So I mean.

 

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Hong Lieu: if you all want us to speak on that real quick, for we Segue, and and just kinda you know it was. It was just me being in the audience with just an honor and a privilege is beautiful. It was. It was a packed house. It was, I mean, it was just great, and it just felt really good. I I you know I didn't have to say anything. I could just bask in the just the energy that was there, and it was just. It was just awesome. So.

 

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Lelia Richardson: and it i'm i'm like he'll speak to some of the pieces of of his connection, and I know for me and it kill. We talk a lot, we talk, we we have always talked a lot through years like we got 30 something years now as friends, and you know. So

 

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Lelia Richardson: at the beginning, when you know him and Rock Sam were talking about what they wanted to do, and we were like, oh.

 

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Lelia Richardson: there Hasn't been a mural like depicting black life, and I was like, this is amazing. You have to do it, and

 

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Lelia Richardson: I think for folks understand. We talk about ideas and movements and things that I've done in the bay and projects, and like we thought, partner with each other. So this wasn't out the norm of just talking about like thought, partnership and ideas, and you know how to navigate, and the resources as far as like people and places. When we think about foundation and money.

 

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Lelia Richardson: you know, and and just kind of connecting with people and bringing people in. So you know, we talked about this and then move to you know the action planning, and then move forward to you know the decision making as far as we're going to go with Vamp.

 

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Lelia Richardson: you know. They had looked at other mural and other artists and was like we're gonna go. This fits. I was like this is happening like I was so.

 

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Lelia Richardson: Wow! And that was just even in the action planning right? Because sometimes we get so excited. We dream up ideas, and we've all experienced. And then sometimes it doesn't happen, no matter how much you wanted to make you want to make it happen.

 

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Lelia Richardson: And so, as they move forward, and you know we're able to kind of do the grant writing that I was with them just connecting with them on that, and how long it took, and you know, getting it turned in, and

 

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Lelia Richardson: just kind of being on the side as a friend as a supporter, and just, you know, any feedback, and so just great to kind of be on that journey way before you, even thinking about returning home, or you know, applying to a job or anything like that. So this neural holds a huge place in my life, because I think

 

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Lelia Richardson: you know, I don't know folks remember. But on the east Side by Santa Barbara Junior High, we'd walk down, and there's beautiful murals

 

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Lelia Richardson: depicting like the 8, you know, and to Aztec and Myan culture right when we think about that, Mushika. You know culture and life and tradition. And it was a sense of pride, you know, like I grew up when, like Chicanos and African Americans were connected and doing work in the community.

 

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Lelia Richardson: And so that was like, yeah, you know, you saw those murals and places you saw, and even if it wasn't myself, I saw that there was culture that was being celebrated, and then, physically, we go to events, and I would see my culture being celebrated in that way. But we didn't have a mural.

 

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Lelia Richardson: and so you know, coming all the way around to this moment. Yesterday

 

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Lelia Richardson: I I, by asking it too, hung. I sat back. I stood up. I went to the back. I went to different parts of the room because I wanted to just sit in that space as well. I was there for the unveiling. I called the after parties when I came through from the bay, but I missed the whole early event as I was traveling, and but my son was there. I kind of did the same thing that my mom used to do, and she would say, Go to this, go to this event and represent the family like

 

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Lelia Richardson: I'll be adults. But you know God bless my son and my daughter, who have always done that, and had it in, took on that tradition. And so he went, and he, you know, enjoyed himself, you know, in the event, and I came in at the end. But I just I I love that. I came at the end. So I was able to sit in the silence

 

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Lelia Richardson: and the afterwards, and just fill that buzz of all the people that were there, you know. We talked and we were in the most center. We were sitting there the motor center, and just talking about things, and you know little did I know if that was any foreshadowing of what was to be. And now I get to be in the space and call at home. My call is this place of this home?

 

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Lelia Richardson: So yesterday was just magical for me to hear Andre speak on it to, you know. Hear Dr. Mario and that ownership, and to heal a kill, and all the students you know who came through, and we had the English 1 10 umoja class, right, you know. Kathy Malloy brought the students over and

 

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Lelia Richardson: talk with some of them afterwards, and how much they were excited and just happy to be in the space.

 

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Lelia Richardson: you know. So like, yeah, full circle, you know, we've got shante who provided the cupcakes is a like a good family friend, and you know someone that I grew up with. So I just really excited about her success. Right? That's that piece when we talk about community like

 

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Lelia Richardson: I'm happy to see you right. I'm happy to see you out here doing anything that makes you passionate, and we have resources to allocate, to even have you, you know, provide the cupcakes like

 

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Lelia Richardson: that's about, you know, meeting people where they are, and then, if you have the resources to provide opportunities. And then you just keep going with that right like that. When we talk about unity and allocating resources and funding to support sustainability like that's it, too.

 

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Lelia Richardson: Right? So yeah, it was a wonderful moment for me even doing

 

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Lelia Richardson: the libation ceremony.

 

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Lelia Richardson: Yo like. That's something I saw my mom do

 

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Lelia Richardson: right like to step in that moment I was ner I told my daughter I was like, hey, I gotta

 

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Lelia Richardson: i'm doing a liveation ceremony. She's like, Whoa! Like? Am I? Am I that age? She's like she don't want to say like mom, you've been there, but she's like.

 

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Lelia Richardson: So

 

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Lelia Richardson: yeah, how you feel about that like I love that. She like what I was like. How do you feel about that? And I was like i'm ready. I'm ready. I'm gonna represent. You know i'm gonna do it my own way. And but I grew up watching other people right watching my elders watching my mother, you know, do that in different places at the cabrio hall and doomed tenth and different events.

 

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Lelia Richardson: So it was just it was yeah. It was an honor for me to step into those shoes and be there. So i'm still filling it. So fill in the tingles of yesterday, and just feeling really proud. And you know we're going. We have more in store, you know. We got lots more that we're planning to do.

 

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Lelia Richardson: and, you know, kill my laugh, you know. Make some good, you know, do some good trouble out in here, you know we got some good stuff coming up.

 

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Akil Hill: so i'm excited. So that's just like one. But you know it's like we about to, you know. Do a lot of things in that feeling? Yeah, we just get started.

 

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Akil Hill: I'm in

 

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Akil Hill: for me yesterday.

 

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Akil Hill: you know. I I mean it's black History month, right? And so

 

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Akil Hill: you know, one of my favorite African codes is, and I think you guys probably heard I've heard it before. If you want to get there fast, go alone.

 

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Akil Hill: If you want to go. If you want to go far.

 

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Akil Hill: right, go together right and so

 

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Akil Hill: to me. That's that's the mural. You know what I mean. Like it's like, really, because it was a lot of people

 

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Akil Hill: putting in the work to make it happen, you know, I mean

 

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Akil Hill: even to the piece where you know I when I had envisioned getting it there, like

 

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Akil Hill: you know, i'm thinking about people and purchasing and security, and

 

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Akil Hill: all the places like people. Don't

 

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Akil Hill: really get that recognition of doing things, and everyone was. And I can honestly say this from the the depths of my being is that everyone was in support of it. Everyone security was cool, purchasing, worked hard to to get payment through and cut the check and

 

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security was there on the late night opening, and the locking, and and, you know, like just a whole

 

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Akil Hill: slew of support, you know, and

 

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Akil Hill: you know, from the beginning it's really interesting when you have enough vision. And, like Wheeler, was, it had already alluded to

 

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Akil Hill: seeing that to come into for wishing and really bonding with people in the process, because that's really what it's about. Right like

 

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Akil Hill: the Maryland, all of its glory and greatness, that that it is on our campus for me. It's like, Wow! Now I have a better relationship with Melinda Gadar that I never really had. Wow! I have a better relationship with people from black Faculty staff that I didn't know

 

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Akil Hill: that we're actively engage in black Futurism, and you start to see signs of people that you really admire and respect, and really connect with.

 

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Akil Hill: And yes, while we do have a beautiful mirror for me, it's the connections, and the proof of that is the turnout.

 

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Akil Hill: The connection was with the people that turned out to show a support.

 

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Akil Hill: and it's it, and you know that that's what's heavy, you know, and special shout out to Dr. Roxanne Byrne, super instrumental, and and being putting it together, reaching out to Bab, she actually found the artist on on that. So

 

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Akil Hill: you know, we just got a that's being a community

 

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Akil Hill: where you're leaning on people in different ways, and it was it for me it was it was, I really felt. And then, you know, we talked about earlier about what's meant right? And and then, when Dr. Mail sends out the you know the ethic of love.

 

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Akil Hill: and that will, you know. I mean, like all of that, or just reminders across the way about just you know what we're supposed to be doing at Santa Barbara City College for our students and for our work colleagues. If it's not steeped and rooted in love, then it's not.

 

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Akil Hill: It's not going to last. Just it just won't.

 

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Hong Lieu: and we do talk about the pace of bureaucracy and the speed at which things get done, and the mural is something where it probably didn't feel quick to you, but in terms of in terms of how I saw it. Yah! Y'all we're quick. Y'all got it done. I mean. Things are stupid. You all were flying, you know, so I mean

 

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Akil Hill: it'll be. I'm not taking any. But as far as you know, the process was what it was, but like man in terms of getting how quickly you got that turned around. That was that was beautiful, C, too. So yeah, that's the piece of purchasing, purchasing. And then, if Paloma was super instrumental, a vpipeloma like it's just a lot of people.

 

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Akil Hill: It's, you know. It was a big lift and that's why people showed up

 

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Akil Hill: because everyone had their fingerprints on it, you know. So

 

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Akil Hill: super proud of our our institution.

 

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Akil Hill: But we ain't finished.

 

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Lelia Richardson: No, no.

 

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Hong Lieu: but at the same time you can bask in the glory while it's here, and then I I know it's recorded. I'll try to track down a recording for the show notes, and i'll try to get that in there. But

 

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Hong Lieu: on that note said, going along to our next segment, what brought you to S. Pcc. Or what brought you back to Santa Barbara? If you wanted to go into your kind of path

 

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Hong Lieu: journey, you know you. You allude to to to pieces of it for, but kinda kind of what Br brought you back to Sbcc. Just want to see a queue more often, you know. Have you seen a mina like. Do you know, Roxanne, you know, like

 

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Lelia Richardson: That's a lot of love right there, you know, definitely wanting to see them on a more regular basis.

 

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Lelia Richardson: Yeah. Born and raised in Santa Barbara, and you know, from preschool right daycare preschool, junior, high summer junior High. You know Santa Barbara High School, Santa Barbara City College, left Santa Barbara City College and went down to Ventura. So it was the first time like moved out of the area

 

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Lelia Richardson: and went down to Ventura. I went to Ventura College. I actually finished my Aa Adventura college, you know, many moons ago, and then I was like I'm gonna go to the bay, and actually in between that time, you know, I credit a queue because, you know, was up in the Bay area for a little bit.

 

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Lelia Richardson: It was like you need to move to the bay like you're gonna love the day. And at the time I was thinking about transferring, and so without these great transfer programs now, but I really felt.

 

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Lelia Richardson: and many times through my earlier. Well, for a long time i'll talk about that later. But my college career I felt on my own.

 

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Lelia Richardson: even though my brother had went to college, and he went through sports. So he was an athlete, you know Santa Barbara City college, and then, you know, Red Shirt, and did all that. So we navigated that with him My sister went to an art school, you know, into photography school, but also with Santa Barbara City College, and I was kind of in between arts needs, you know, activism meets.

 

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Lelia Richardson: you know, like education and just kind of academics. So I kind of felt, you know, when I was in systems really on my own, and so

 

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Lelia Richardson: admin to our college. Looking at transfer. Kil had mentioned the Bay area. So, looking at schools a transfer.

 

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Lelia Richardson: I figured. How am I going to pay for this? There was a Americorps at the time, and you could go and do Americorps and get money for school.

 

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Lelia Richardson: Of course, if I was going to be like all this money, and you know I end up, you know, following that, I get to track, and so I was ready to go and transfer. I didn't apply in a lot of schools. I did the same thing from high school. I didn't apply to a lot of school applied to like 2 schools from high school, because just not really knowing. And

 

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Lelia Richardson: you know, when we talk about filling isolated or feeling like a since it belong, and I had a high school counselor. Tell me

 

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Lelia Richardson: you should just go into being a secretary like this is in the nineties. Y'all, like my mom actually was a secretary like, what are you talking about in 1994? I should just

 

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Lelia Richardson: be a secretary, you know, and my grades weren't

 

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Lelia Richardson: that. But like I, when I look back, i'm like oh, what kind of applied to many schools. I had many options, but I felt that small, so I was like Well, i'll apply to 2 schools, you know, and I I didn't get in. I want to go to Spelman, shout out to the Hbc. You and Spellman, but I, Santa Barbara City College, was, you know, an option, and

 

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Lelia Richardson: you know I found my way there. I went to a study abroad program at Santa Barbara City College, went to Cambridge Rock. My world, you know me open me wide open, and traveled in Europe for a little bit, and went back on my own, and then came back, and then, you know. So I ended up going to Ventura College, finishing up my degree and transfer moved to the Bay area.

 

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Lelia Richardson: you know. Did Americorps had some children, you know, and life just kind of stopped a little bit of focus, at least in school. It just kind of paused. And I, you know, worked and raise children, and

 

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Lelia Richardson: the little bit of school here and there, class here, class there, and I worked at in schools. I worked, you know, an art programs, a lot of activism, nonprofit work

 

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Lelia Richardson: a lot of like parent advocacy groups and supports helping other parents like me return to school or get Dsl classes or navigate, you know, different like resources again, like things that I felt like I could do, and I was became really good at.

 

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Lelia Richardson: And then, you know, worked on some schools and ended up going to got into s of State, but it was foggy and overcast, and I didn't stay, and I said, oh, let me go to the Sunday side of the bay and ended up going to Cal State East Bay

 

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Lelia Richardson: for a little bit. Stop started, and then, you know, worked at a charter school for some time, and you know, work with students helping them to get into college help helping a lot of things the whole child and I burnt out.

 

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Lelia Richardson: I really did. I burnt out the education system in that way, and I said, oh, man, I want to go and start working with people

 

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Lelia Richardson: from like an earlier start, and so I went into wellness, and I wanted to see people who looked like me and wellness. You know a massage therapy as a Doula, a birth practitioner that was really valuable to me. So this is all in the Bay area, and I found a lot of resources and community in the bay

 

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Lelia Richardson: with folks who look like me doing this work. And really that was the motivation was around helping folks have wellness earlier on. I figured if we can help families and parents

 

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Lelia Richardson: early on that By the time they get to high school our colleges, maybe they'll just have a little bit of a stronger foundation, so went to massage therapy school. Dula training, you know, did that.

 

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Lelia Richardson: and you know, to continue to do some work in the black and brown community, and you know I finished my degree just recently, and I went back to school during the pandemic.

 

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Lelia Richardson: So what is that 2,022?

 

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Lelia Richardson: I just finished my bachelor's degree after many, many years as a returning student.

 

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Lelia Richardson: and you know I did things along the way. But that was my final like.

 

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Lelia Richardson: Sis you got like a semester left. Let's just get it done, and you know what there's a lot more resources now than there were when I was there throughout those many years. But again back to that quote of like when it's your time at your time. And I had wonderful professors and deans and ethnic studies who just made a way for me.

 

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And it was like, oh, all the challenges I had before.

 

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Lelia Richardson: We're no longer there.

 

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Lelia Richardson: you know, and it was amazing. And they were starting programs, too, you know, Center, for like black, soon success. They have a San cofa program now, but those things were not there, you know, as a single parent working parent

 

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Lelia Richardson: there weren't resources, and that was one of my biggest complaints like, how do you support? You know where the resources. This is really hard, and I look at Santa Barbara City College now with the spark program. I'm like man. I needed that program when I was in school, you know. And so, you know, moving forward.

 

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Lelia Richardson: finishing up my degree, I work as a a teacher for the National Holistic Institute for massage therapy, and I, you know, was a faculty member there and then I left and said, i'm going to pursue my wellness. Work like full time, and around that time found out about Santa Barbara City College position for the moulder program. And I said.

 

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Lelia Richardson: You know what I want to be able to bring it come from a place of wellness. No longer am I going to separate these things in my life? You know I've done consulting education around diversity, equity, and inclusion and belonging work circle, keeping transformational justice a lot of things along the way. But I always put things in these separate places

 

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Lelia Richardson: right? And so finally, I was like.

 

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Lelia Richardson: What I do next is going to come together holistically, and i'm gonna come from that place. I'm not gonna have to like. Oh, I can't bring that in. Oh, I can't bring that part of me, and I have to save that for contract work. And so the Mosa program was like.

 

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Lelia Richardson: Oh.

 

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Lelia Richardson: you can bring all of that with me. It can come from a wellness when I talk to black folks about loneliness. I can come from a place of belonging. When I talk about blacknesses and a monolith we can be whatever we want to be, you know. So I apply to the position. I didn't think I was like what

 

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Lelia Richardson: go home. It it didn't hit me that I was thinking about returning home until I started looking for places to live. I was like. Oh, Snap!

 

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Lelia Richardson: Oh, you're You're gonna go home like what you know, and I have family here. Hong. I know you don't know about the family along the coast. So from Aurora Grande all the way to you know, Long beach siblings and cousins, and and so

 

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Lelia Richardson: they were like you. Hope you back, you know, and I moved back like what a lot of folks still can't believe it. So that's kind of how I returned. That's kind of in this wonky, wavy, zigzag way. How? I returned back to the Santa Barbara community and it's been it's been great. Yeah, a lot of

 

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Lelia Richardson: you know.

 

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Lelia Richardson: grounding and foundation, right? A lot of a lot of that work is there, and a lot of newness. I live in a brand new building, you know. There's a lot of new things happening in communities. And so i'm a you know, a different person, right? My kids are grown-ish right now, I guess. You say i'm a

 

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Lelia Richardson: I don't like the term, but, like people say, empty Nestor. But you know I feel like the nest is always ready for the babies to come back home. So you gotta stay ready.

 

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Lelia Richardson: you know. So my kids are, you know, older, and I've always worked with the population of the ages that they've been. It just happened to be that way when my daughter was in high school. I worked in high school, you know. My son.

 

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Lelia Richardson: you know, was in college. Now, now, i'm working with college students that are around his age, and I love working with with her returning students right, and we talk about folks on the margins, and folks who, you know, have historical challenges. Right? We're turning to school. I'm like hey, I to the student who was returning after he's maybe 27, I said.

 

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Just returned.

 

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Lelia Richardson: I just finished my degree, and he looked at me. Goes. Really, I said, Yes, you can do this. You can do this, you know, and that happens to be a family friend, son, you know, and i'm like absolutely. I'm gonna share for you all the way, you know. Not like. If I can do this, you can do this. But like I'm here to stand to say I've done this. It wasn't easy.

 

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Lelia Richardson: but i'm gonna You've got more supports. We're gonna support you along the way, you know. So it's kinda yeah it's kind of my my journey my journey back, you know, return home.

 

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Akil Hill: I know that typically like I I just want. I wanted to hear the answer this question. I had been thinking a lot when you know we kind of decided about bringing you on

 

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Akil Hill: the show, and one of the questions I ha I have, and i'm just curious to hear how you know what your thoughts around this is. But what do you? What do you envision, Emoji to be like? If you

 

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Akil Hill: could just.

 

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Akil Hill: you know, wave the one, and and then you and you think about you know Emoji, and and and

 

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Akil Hill: what would that look like for you?

 

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Akil Hill: Think, seeing the program thrive? What would that look like for you.

 

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Lelia Richardson: Oh.

 

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Lelia Richardson: yeah, wow.

 

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Lelia Richardson: I think

 

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Lelia Richardson: all the I okay, that's that's a it's a good question, because it's in my mind of like, it is what it is right now, but it also could be whatever you know, we in the community and the students make it to be. But I

 

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Lelia Richardson: what's most important to that is, I feel like it's a community program. Right? So Mojo to me is a connector right? It's students. It's families. It's, you know, black families in the community. Black identified folks in the community. Black, you know. Supporters, allies right like that. Emoji is a connector for folks.

 

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Lelia Richardson: you know, in the community, and you know, at the college. And so that's either be a workshops. That's either, you know, returning to school, or, you know, taking the extended free extended learning classes like that's an amazing program to me, you know. So I think it's it's a connector.

 

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Lelia Richardson: I really do. I think that I can't. There's all kinds of ways. I can articulate that. But that's

 

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Lelia Richardson: It's a connect, and I I think, of all the ways that we were connected in Santa Barbara. You know, through those programs that I mentioned before you, I see, you know. Make a boys and girl stuff the boys and Girls Club, you know East Side and the West Side, you know. But

 

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Lelia Richardson: all of the things that I am a product of, I think the mode of program in its own way can support right, and so that we

 

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Lelia Richardson: connect with all of those. For you know, existing people and programs to support the culture right of like what you know black community is. And then also.

 

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Lelia Richardson: you know, supporting the current students. You guys folks out here who don't have that historical knowledge who have coming from out of state. You know we got these folks who don't know, and they come back over. They're like, oh.

 

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Lelia Richardson: is there? You asked him to ask me. Is there a black church here? I'm like, yeah, You know that. I guess that. So i'm like, Yes. Where can I get my hair like those are key elements of belonging in in black, like communities and like families. Where can I eat?

 

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Lelia Richardson: Where can I go for maybe a spiritual practice? Where can I take care of my hair, you know. Where can I socialize? That will be safe.

 

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Lelia Richardson: you know, on the spectrum of whatever that is for people right? And so I think it'd be like a mulch is a great place I love for folks to call up and say, hey.

 

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Lelia Richardson: you know I know you're a college program. And do you know this, this and that? I think a kill? You are really holding a lot of that right now, you know, and a connector in the community, and people are calling you for different, you know, resources and connections. And I think Emoji can really help.

 

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Lelia Richardson: you know.

 

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Lelia Richardson: help in that way. Yeah.

 

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Lelia Richardson: that's I guess that. Yeah, I think that's a a vision for it.

 

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Hong Lieu: And it's good. You mentioned that connector of the community because just hearing

 

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Hong Lieu: your story and your path here, I mean the work you were doing in the bay. You were connecting communities. You were working with communities, and

 

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Hong Lieu: you know that you talk about the burn out, and you know we're glad you're here. We're glad you finish your degree, but I wish they paid the work that you were doing in the bay. I wish they gave you enough

 

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Hong Lieu: to live where you wouldn't have to be.

 

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Hong Lieu: you know, burning out and running around because they really don't pay people enough to do that work. Everybody talks in in South La. They want more midwives. They want more dulas in in communities to to do the work, but they're not willing to pay, or if they're willing to pay, you gotta fill out like 80 sheets of paperwork to get to get it done. So it's like. And then the people doing the work are always complaining like

 

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Hong Lieu: we're running. You know, a 50, 60 cases deep. We're making no money. I mean, we.

 

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Hong Lieu: This work is so important. Everybody, everybody top to bottom, will tell you and tell you to the cows. Come home. How important that work is. But when you talk about how much money there is to support these programs oh, yeah.

 

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Hong Lieu: that we have the money here. But the people actually doing the work half the time are just running on scraps, and I wish

 

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Hong Lieu: I wish that there was a world where where the value that you put into the work that you did, you know, was properly expressed back to you as opposed to back to wherever it went, you know, up to chain, or wherever it went, because you still probably, you know, you might still be doing that work whatever. But at the same time, you you know there there's room to do that work here. You probably come to. This is just room

 

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Hong Lieu: to properly compensate people doing that kind of work, because it really is the most important work in terms of connecting communities and building that that base level of of capability for an area, a culture.

 

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Hong Lieu: And it's just you know that you use. We say we want to support it, but when it comes to the nuts and bolts it.

 

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Hong Lieu: we just let the people they're doing that work, kind of do their thing. It's like, oh, yeah, great, great, great. You know it. It's.

 

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Hong Lieu: Yeah. So it's it's: yeah.

 

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Lelia Richardson: Well, I think that that speaks to Exactly. Why, the motor program exists right. So you think about

 

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Lelia Richardson: you know what like you said 88 like all of those folks were doing the work, and we're not being compensated. It was, but it wasn't about that right. They were doing the work, but they still had families to feed right like civil rights movement, both leaders, seventies like folks that mouths people to feed and look after. And so that's the other thing, is

 

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Lelia Richardson: It's beautiful to see.

 

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Lelia Richardson: Now, here's a program where you actually can. You can compensate people. You know where you can say this work is valuable for you to be a connector and to be an advocate, be an advisor, be a counselor, be a coordinator, you know. Become a faculty member. If that's the direction that you go, you know, and that we're going to compensate you

 

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Lelia Richardson: right. And so we're going to say that there there's value in this. We're gonna, you know. So I think that's really beautiful to see that. And I hope and birth, work and

 

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Lelia Richardson: reproductive work. And we think about that on a community scale. We're getting there those beautiful programs like Sister Web and the Bay area where they're doing a you know, a living wage for Dula and birth workers. It's a to time their small programs, but they're starting right. We think about medical and medicaid now, compensating duelas. It's not at that place yet, but at least we're getting there right. So you know we we think about contracts and consultants. People are seeing the value

 

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Lelia Richardson: of cover, competency and training and awareness, and belonging to like. Oh, we should pay people. Yes, you should pay people. You should put them on your salary. You should create a position you should. You should do that, put in your budget. It's a line. Item, it's not a one time thing right? So I think folks are catching on to that. And that's exciting to to see that.

 

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Lelia Richardson: So I'm. I'm optimistic. If you know anything about me, I am a optimist, even if it's just one little thing. I feel like it's happening. It's happening, and it's. It's one of those things where

 

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Hong Lieu: pay people and give them benefits and make it so. They don't have their taxes and take them 8 years to do at the end of the year, because keeping those receipts and stuff, or freelancers all that stuff, because you know the I saw in the punk community, and you know, when I hung out with the you know, hipaa community stuff, it was always morals over money. Don't don't sell out. But now i'm like man we should have sold out yesterday. You know. People people should have been comfortable yesterday

 

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Hong Lieu: like they they they got. They got people in the trenches playing those games they got people in the trenches playing those games, having these conversations where everyone at the top is eating, they don't even think twice about selling out. They didn't really twice about that stuff. And when you're you know, debating all that stuff it's like, and we, why not both? Why can we have money and morals, you know, like. But yeah, one day we're getting there. You're right. You're absolutely correct.

 

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Akil Hill: You know what?

 

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Akil Hill: Go Aheadley.

 

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Akil Hill: Oh, it's like that's like keeping it real and keeping it capitalist. You know it's like it. It's a that part.

 

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Akil Hill: you know. I I you know one thing I you know it's been on my mind. I'm indicative about it because I attended a a lecture last night, and they were talking about. You know, birth work as well. That came up in in in the discussion, and you know, I I I think, like in the in the the anti- blackness and racism.

 

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Akil Hill: surrounding women of color and and birthing, and

 

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Akil Hill: you know I really I left there thinking

 

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Akil Hill: how it's so fascinating to me in a lot of ways where we talk about.

 

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Akil Hill: Oh.

 

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Akil Hill: in this country in a lot of ways about Black Death. Right? So there's a tragedy that occurs. Someone is is beaten or killed, and we talk about

 

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Akil Hill: all of that. It's on Cnn: it's on the media across the country. Everyone's talking about this, you watching Video: Did you see the video? And while that there is a place for that that definitely needs to be addressed.

 

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Akil Hill: I really walked away, and I've been thinking about how the reality of it all is. We're not talking enough about

 

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Akil Hill: black birth and people of color

 

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Akil Hill: and the disparities around black life or people of color's life, because we know that

 

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Akil Hill: there is a great gap there, right? So we are worried about the death at the end of someone's life, and we're focusing on that as the tragedy. But we're not focusing on enough of

 

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Akil Hill: the life part

 

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Akil Hill: like, what is that? What does that actually mean to bring someone into the world? And and and our people's needs being met in that space.

 

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Akil Hill: I can just. I felt that. Obviously, you know, I have a son that is 11 months old, 11 months, and and that. I just think, you know I just had to say that because I feel like

 

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Akil Hill: you know, people want to write letters in solidarity and all this, but we the reality is like it starts from the beginning. You' like the disparity is at birth.

 

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Lelia Richardson: you know. So, anyways, that's just what I thought I had I had to express. I appreciate it. You you know you preaching to the choir. I can go on and on about birth work. I know I know I have. I just had a I said.

 

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Lelia Richardson: It kills, stays in the street. Can we just acknowledge that I killed one to the lecture? That's where that might might have been his fourth thing, you know, since black history we're 10 days in a kill. I think we need to do a new advent calendar, and it's like black. If we want to add a calendar and a kill will have a thing for every month for you to do

 

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Lelia Richardson: good like. Attend the lecture. You know what I mean. Go to speak on a panel, I look. I I will buy it with you. I will buy it

 

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Hong Lieu: all right, Segue, and or

 

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Hong Lieu: to Good evening, our food section.

 

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Hong Lieu: So really you want to kick us off

 

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Hong Lieu: food, restaurant there something you could some. You ate anything.

 

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Hong Lieu: whether recent or all time.

 

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Lelia Richardson: All right, I love. I love food, too, You' so I've been thinking about this question since you shared it with me and listen to the other podcast

 

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Lelia Richardson: as many ways to answer this many ways. The answer i'm going to stop start with my like recent

 

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Lelia Richardson: favorite new spot. And now i'm gonna take it back. So because I've moved. I live in Ventura. I've been committing to, you know, to work. You know I've been over eating. You know what i'm saying, and and try to like, discover places. And looking at their scores, i'm like 4.8, 4, point 9.

 

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Lelia Richardson: I have some. I won't even put them on blast. I've had some bad. I had some guts. I want no strays, no strays. Here. You got to take the straits with the cricket. It was it was bad, it was back. Because look, let me just kind of say, coming from Santa Barbara moving to the bay. The bays of food foodies, Mecca. Like my kids.

 

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Lelia Richardson: There was no chicken nuggets for them growing up. You know they were like you want some pond set. Let's eat that. You don't want a populace, you know. We could just do we could do anything. We can go anywhere. I never had a problem with my kids eating food because they had a community and multicultural friends, and we were always grubbing so like to have that at your fingertips. You like you want to go there.

 

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Lelia Richardson: Or do you want like this? Really? Any who a lot of food in the base salads the bay area? So coming here I was like, Where am I going to eat

 

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Lelia Richardson: and look a kill? I said. Even my son. They're like

 

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Lelia Richardson: along the other like. Oh, yeah, I was like what you're gonna have to go out of town. I'm like what what y'all that's. I was like, okay, stop this madness. So any of whom I've been on this discovery.

 

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Lelia Richardson: You know. I got my foodies, you know Roxanne and the kill, and my son Omari, you know they're like, okay, try. We'll try this.

 

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Lelia Richardson: So

 

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Lelia Richardson: when my friends come in town i'm taking them to Tacos Diablo, which is right here on Thompson

 

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Lelia Richardson: man. They got Media Tacos, and I love some media Tacos and I. I look the dairy, and I are not friends, so I have to do lactose dairy free.

 

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Lelia Richardson: so i'll go there. That's like my that's my go to join. That's what I decided. People come in town. They stop them through. We're gonna go there because they actually should be a cool hoagie spot right? So I know the spot is to pick up a hoagie and a back of fries like, you know, back in my my days. So that was a good spot. So that's my go to Spot.

 

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Akil Hill: hey? But listen, but listen, I'm ready to jump in with. The leader says

 

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Akil Hill: it is her spot.

 

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Akil Hill: It really is her spot she be texting me photos at at least 3 times a week that she's sitting up. Tacos diablo!

 

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Akil Hill: So what she says is, she says it's a spot don't think that's like don't think it's a once a week type of turret. It is like 2 or 3 times at least during the week I get a picture. The last text she sent me She sent me a picture. It was the video Tacos. And then she said.

 

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Akil Hill: I think I have. I think it's a problem.

 

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Lelia Richardson: and you can do purchase free. It's only the case of video. They got the T. So when you just get the straight Video: yeah, I just I just had to let the listeners know that's

 

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Lelia Richardson: That's really my spot, like when you it is really your spot, it's just like a shout out to people trying to make money. But

 

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Lelia Richardson: oh, it's it cost you a little penny for those 2 tacos. So, anyhow, really tasty. Love it. That's I found the list things people coming in town. Now, if you're gonna come over and kick it at my house, we're gonna get take out

 

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Lelia Richardson: tasty china.

 

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Lelia Richardson: They're here in Ventura.

 

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Lelia Richardson: I ordered some like dim some. I got me some. This beef scallion

 

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Lelia Richardson: pancake. It's so good. It's like

 

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Lelia Richardson: it's like. Think of like a tortilla wrap of like sliced bee with a scallion pancake. You get a little bit of like

 

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Lelia Richardson: the oyster sauce like it's kind of marinated.

 

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Lelia Richardson: Yeah, and you get so much. And I was like, this is enough food for like me to share.

 

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Lelia Richardson: And then I got this like brisket noodle soup.

 

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Lelia Richardson: I like the broad that.

 

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Lelia Richardson: Oh, it yeah, it was great. It's great. I have to there, i'm keeping them in the back pocket. Folks come into town.

 

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Lelia Richardson: And then

 

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Lelia Richardson: yeah, like those are my 2 spots right now. We've got another first spot that it's out in it's also in Ventura.

 

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Akil Hill: I don't know the name of it. A kill, for I want to say for Guy, you is that I yeah, it's like fuck you like you like. I see

 

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Akil Hill: you see the clever, the clever, but it's good. It's tasty. So you get a lot of food for you know, for the amount. So I like them. I like the vibe in there, but you go to your favorites in the bay. Mexican holds it down, of course, soul food growing up, you know, just

 

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Lelia Richardson: black food ways. And i'm gonna say that right because we talk about soul food. But we don't also talk about black food ways and the food that like fuels. Your soul feeds you your mind and spirit. It's not always so food, because when we think about traditional soul food

 

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Lelia Richardson: that's food I have like on a weekend on a Sunday

 

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Lelia Richardson: Thanksgiving. I did not grow eating that every single day, like we were black to oval vegetarian growing up like my mom did it all. You know we were not eating the swine we weren't eating pork, you know. Not till later on. Then she started to like slack back and allow things back like, okay. We can have bacon, but we ate turkey baking for many years. So sometimes you know, my little bacon dreams come through, and I enjoy a whole week of port products, because I didn't know, and that always throws me off. She's like I said, do you make it?

 

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Akil Hill: Because i'd remember when we those days when you were You know what I'm saying. It was religious like you, you each one right now

 

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Lelia Richardson: it's not if you touch it like. No, we're not doing that, you know. There was, you know. Look at that as a whole period of the black folks who were, and we're Muslim right right? But they definitely didn't mess with the port products. So

 

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Lelia Richardson: you know. But yeah, soul, food is always so food and black food ways. So when I think of like the food my mom cooked the food that I cook the food. My family cooks, you know, on the daily right, you know, growing up, and they're like predominantly black and brown communities, right so black and Mexican down in Oxford and Colonial. That's where my father's family is. Mom's from most parks

 

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Lelia Richardson: right living in Santa Barbara and public housing. It was black and Mexican, right so like when we talk about black People's Tacos, you know what I mean like that. I grew up with that. You know that that like because we connected our food ways together, not just saying like we were doing that like you? Actually, you had, you know, she like he lays, and you have fried chicken

 

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Lelia Richardson: at somebody's house right? Because that's what was happening. You had fried rice, you know, if you have mashed potatoes and spaghetti like a lot of you. But you know that's how things were happening back, because it was cheap, though it was cheaper. That's why we had a lot of cars like the pastas and all the it was a lot of cars because it was in it. It wasn't as expensive.

 

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Lelia Richardson: right? Right? You know. It's like.

 

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Lelia Richardson: Yeah, you know a lot of food ways. I'm a baker. So we talk about. I love savory food and foods, but I bake Kong. So when I think about where my go to, you know I big. There was a point in my life when I was not doing sugar. A lot of sugar, and my kids were like yo. You You're not baking like

 

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Lelia Richardson: you like. Just not gonna cook like bake any food, and I was like Wait, but because, you know, i'm trying to like what's my big mama status going to be? And what is my grandkids going to talk about, and it wasn't my cooking. I thought i'm a I think i'm a good cook to be like. You're baking like mom, it's your baking for sure, so

 

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Lelia Richardson: baking is a big deal to me, sharing it with friends and family doing it, You know that's something that I enjoy as far as like those kind of food ways. I'm big like

 

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Lelia Richardson: I don't know a novice herbalist, so i'll be first to push some herbs on you. Things that were rescued passed down for my family, right? So that's part of food ways as well.

 

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Akil Hill: That's not Erica, but I do holistic.

 

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Akil Hill: That's where it's coming in. Yeah, be careful. You may show up umojay. Maybe you smell and not chomple up, and then so aquariums get the No. I already sprinkle a little bit of some, you know. It's gonna be swell like bananas, but they had a freshly big banana bread, and on champa y'all.

 

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Akil Hill: I know. I remember you're like I brought some banana bridge in the Mojo. I'm like oh, she out here! I already put in her touch on it, and i'm with it.

 

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Hong Lieu: I'm glad you made that delineation, because, you know, in South La there was a lot of food truck guys like, you know, all flavor, no grease, Taco mail. The the dishes they're known for is like shrimp Tacos shrimp case of D. They have. They have a a court cafe, a little like public market now, and all put their stuff out there like, you know Sky's Tacos has been doing Tacos like Vegan and non vegan, for you know, 30 years. So it we we talk about. So food is just such a a a broad spectrum, and it's really just taking the greetings you have, and and doing what you get me. It it it! It started as survival tactics, and now it just

 

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Hong Lieu: become its own. You know it full full body

 

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Akil Hill: told you like when you want a shrimp case idea from all flavor. No, Greece, it's not like mixing a food case idea. It is its own thing, and it's amazing, you know, like oh, I didn't know it'll get you. It'll get you asleep. You gotta be careful. I don't think our listeners really understood the brilliance of what you just did on like, literally, massfully, like

 

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Akil Hill: you just like totally, man. You just knocked the other part, because that if you know, if you're aware of that food truck you. It literally is like I'm. I'm just shocked it. I'm having a moment Where? How? You just you made that correlation between the 2,

 

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Akil Hill: and you got to put the that in the show notes too definitely. Well, because court cafe, they they They started it. They started out out out out the front of their house.

 

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Hong Lieu: got trucks, and now have their own, you know, brick and mortar location, and it's just making the food in the community, and people showed out, show it out for it, and and just it grew organically. And now, yeah, they got to know Spot, and it's it's it's really good like it is. Oh, man, it's we should make a trip. We gotta make a everybody, everybody everybody's doing like the loaded fries with shrimp and little lobster it and stuff like that. Oh, yeah. So yeah.

 

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Lelia Richardson: sometimes this podcast is this: the Foodie Portion man?

 

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Lelia Richardson: Just go ahead and put the list out. I got a I got a shot I a a little bit, because you're weapon for the bay which I I I love the base. Why, I got family up in Oakland. So I know that that food is legit. But we yeah, that the any big city I feel like has that broad spectrum. And and we were so close you have to take advantage of it, you know. Andre made a point about Tom. We've got to pass where you travel. You are so close to La. In the bay. You should travel at least to the bay in La, you know

 

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Hong Lieu: at least once a year, you know, to make you make a trip, pick some places out, have Akil that you don't give you the real details about where to go via, you know, and just visit a couple of spots and just really basking the culture. So yeah.

 

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Lelia Richardson: Oh, there's so much i'm excited about exploring, you know, when we were younger we didn't have as many resources right. And so now i'm like, oh, just drive down the hall, Hamburger like Pick up some food. Yes, definitely. I can go to glen down. It's like yes, doing that. So there's a lot of places that I didn't have a chance to, for when we were younger, or they weren't there.

 

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Lelia Richardson: right or they were. No. And now we can do that now it's like what you're doing. Okay, let's go and a cake aesthetic. He'll be in the streets, but like yes, I want to go hold on to make a dress he's like come on, i'm i'm i'm going so you know I mean. And my son's a big foodie, too. And yeah, we like to. We like to grab when we're all together so

 

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Lelia Richardson: great picks i'll get. I'll try to get all that, and so on. It's it's a lot, but we'll get it all in. I love. I love that the piece, gallon, pancake, and the beef noodle suit. You. Describe it. Take you, I haven't been. I gotta try it out because that's

 

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Lelia Richardson: Oh, that's yeah, that's that's that's i'm cooking right there. So oh, good, so good, I know. Probably Sunday.

 

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Hong Lieu: Alright. I'll go next. I I just wanted to shout out.

 

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Hong Lieu: You mentioned them earlier the the cupcakes that you all had at the Moj Mural. Q. And a. Yesterday tastes you said I think they're not a long po now, but you said they're from Santa Barbara originally.

 

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Hong Lieu: I didn't try them both because I was trying to be not greedy and take a let you know, because I wanted later would have one. No, no, I I i'm a scavenger, you know, like I i'll go in when everybody's done.

 

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Hong Lieu: But i'm not trying to be reaching ahead of time. But that banana putting cupcake. I, Michael Modell, put it out there that it was probably the best coke you'd ever had, and I I can vouch for that in terms of this area easily. The best coke I had in Santa Barbarian. It it whole county, you know, like easily, like like like clears clears the bar no problem, you know. Crush cakes is fine.

 

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Hong Lieu: Enjoy cupcakes at a spot, you know they're in Los Angeles. They had a spot in the public market. They were good. This cupcake cleared that bar no problem like that. That light work, light work for this cupcake. There, wasn't just a it had great banana flavor. I mean you had the the the top to really sail the the visual. You know what you're getting when you see a little way for on top of something that is a banana pudding base, and and banana is one of my like, you know. Banana, bread, banana, cream pie, but that I mean those banana pasties are always going to be up there, but a lot of times you don't always taste that you. You know what kind of banana flavor you want from these things.

 

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Hong Lieu: Yes, and you buy them the cookie. You get a little bit of you have flavor. Then they have that feeling in the middle, and that's just like just just smacked you upside the head like this is what you came for. I like. Glad you here. Are you not entertained right now.

 

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You take a little by that in the way for the bite of that. Oh, it was! It was unbelievable, unbelievable.

 

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Lelia Richardson: like Hong banana pudding right in the black Community and peach cobbler.

 

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Akil Hill: There's there. There are a few. They're like fighting words like who you know. We talk about who made the Mac and cheese. No, it's like Who made the banana pudding?

 

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Lelia Richardson: Who did the peach cover like? Who was that crest looking like, though all the peaches really done Well, are these cand our fresh like? You really be getting into the details when I had that banana cupcake yesterday, and this is my first time

 

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Hong Lieu: I was like, Why do we need banana pudding like I just was like this? Is

 

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Lelia Richardson: i'm just saying, I love a cupcake, though I love cake and for me like it. Just it had everything. I got a little bit of banana in that, but you know it was just like perfect, and the Pete and the peach pover one.

 

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Lelia Richardson: It was great as well. So, and I and I, I look, check out the Instagram after they got fruity pebbles on cupcakes, the chocolate that they had look really really dark and rich like like it's not that we're not just talking like traditional, but they got. They got cookies that run the gamut, so I i'm ready for my next party to put in an order, and i'll get all this social media and stuff in the show notes.

 

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Akil Hill: Those are unreal, like easily, the best in the in the area in the counties. So you like we alluded to I i'll tell you a quick, funny story about it. So how shante we grew up with her, and

 

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Akil Hill: you know I had been following her i'm for obviously i'm friends with her on Facebook and Instagram and I've been following her for a while, and she started posting all these suites, and i'm like, Wait a minute

 

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Akil Hill: like.

 

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Akil Hill: Is she? Is she trying these spaces, or she actually bacon. And then I started to realize like it was her business. And

 

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Akil Hill: so we had, like a

 

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Akil Hill: a family kind of get together at old partner too long ago, and

 

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Akil Hill: everyone was like Arrow was talking about the cupcakes, them, and they like you. You try Shante's cupcakes.

 

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Akil Hill: and so I walked over there, and I saw the little little vanilla wafer on on top of the cupcake, and I was like, oh, man! And literally

 

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Akil Hill: I, when I say goodbye. That same thing hung already described it. So then, when we were talking about having like

 

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Akil Hill: treats, man, you know, brother was like so. So I was like man. So i'm glad everyone

 

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Akil Hill: has come through and see the light on that. So hopefully, you know, while the institution continues to have events we can, you know, continue to support her, because it is they were really that good.

 

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Akil Hill: There was only 3 left, is

 

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Akil Hill: shout out to Roxanne for bringing them home, because last night, you know, last night was a it was a long day for me. After the mirror man. I kicked it up, dude, and I just like I i'm our IP to those 3 cupcakes, man. I I ate them in one segment the Peach co but they were just as good as well

 

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Hong Lieu: and bake. You know it's easy to bake. You know it's not easy to make, but you can bake things well on a small scale, and you scale it up to like a business. It's it's hard to get that consistency right, and from everyone on top of those cook, if if it tasted even half as good as the one I got. It's consistent. It sounds like they're all pretty uniform, so that that was that was unreal.

 

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Lelia Richardson: Exciting, you know, like Kil said, we grow up a shante. We've got folks doing different businesses, you know, Santa Barbara County, and it just was really sweet like to see her and to see her mom. And you know, to see this just this collaboration of family and community and that's what's about, you know. So I look forward to us

 

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Lelia Richardson: as we continue to connect with other businesses as well, and bringing people in and introducing people you know, like we've.

 

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Lelia Richardson: It's hard as well as we know. It is hard to sustain living in Santa Barbara County, and you know you know, of course, folks in the margins like it's hard for black folks to have say like the

 

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Lelia Richardson: have dropped since when I was here, you know I mean to where it is now, and so when You see, people really trying to like, continue, and like, have a sustainable like like living

 

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Lelia Richardson: you. You cheer that right. You want to like, celebrate that. You want to bring them in and like, let everybody know about it because it's hard. It is hard, and people will push through a lot of circumstances to get to that place right to find like. Here's my passion, and here's what i'm good at. And now i'm going to pick a risk.

 

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Lelia Richardson: Oh, you know, and like, step out. I understand that i'm a business owner, you know I as a massage therapist, and it's it's hard to put yourself out there right. Provide a service or a skill. And when you do, you know, and people appreciate it, and they they reciprocate back by telling someone else. It feels good.

 

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Hong Lieu: So you know, shout out to Shante and tasty man: yeah, i'll definitely get that all there from the show notes up with the phone number and the socials. Because, yeah, if you have any kind of event going on, if you want any kind of sweet treat in anything you're doing, I don't know how. What's the limit? The minimum order is, but I know that you should definitely make it happen, no matter what it is so.

 

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Akil Hill: and she has a dope hashtag her hashtag is has tagged.

 

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Akil Hill: We'll leave the height.

 

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Akil Hill: Yeah, that's your hashtag, so check it out, so i'll. I'll go ahead and throw real. Quick. I'll be quick. It is black History month, so you know. And we talk about, you know, supporting black businesses and and and so i'm gonna go with Soul bytes

 

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on State Street.

 

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Akil Hill: We had the great up lid, and I both had a great opportunity to kind of sample everything from most everything from the menu. We had a B S. C. Bsu s of our City College, had it mixed it right towards the end of the the fall semester, and so he was Sterling is. The owner's name

 

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Akil Hill: was so gracious enough to invite us down, and really just bring out a whole different.

 

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Akil Hill: a whole, a whole bunch of samples from his menu. We tried the fried chicken. We tried the Grits. We tried the the black ips, we we tried to crack when and i'm I'm saying to stop right there because

 

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Akil Hill: the the crackling was man. That was everything.

 

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Akil Hill: I believe it is something you shouldn't be probably eat, but

 

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Akil Hill: when you do.

 

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Akil Hill: and

 

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Akil Hill: you definitely gotta go to. So byes get the crack. When that was the one that was the game changer. That was the one that everyone been to, and everybody was like

 

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Akil Hill: like you heard all the noises so. But yeah, so Bytes

 

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Akil Hill: lower state it used to be where I believe it was velvet. Jones was located at, and it's under new ownership. Sterling, Who's the owner

 

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that initially started out just in the kitchen.

 

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Akil Hill: and then the people that were renting out the r, you know the remainder of the building like left, and so he's taking over the whole entire building. Also he's got the whole space, so he has a space, and he's really trying to make it a space for people to come and engage in the community. You have.

 

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Akil Hill: you know, open Mics poetry. Just a he's just trying to do.

 

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01:10:41.700 --> 01:10:49.700

Akil Hill: What I feel is something that has been missing from Santa Barbara in a long time. It's just creating a space of culture, and you know.

 

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Akil Hill: belonging, you know, always had this fantasy of love, Jones poetry night, You know we all we all know what that's about. So, you know, next to the stage, brother to the night. So but yeah, so he's really trying to to to

 

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Akil Hill: do that. And I, I would just urge our listeners to go out and support, and some people may not even really have had soul food. So it's a good representation of what? So food is so so by it. That's why I picked for the week local Lower State, Santa Barbara and support business.

 

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Hong Lieu: I'll definitely get them to you down the show notes, because, Crackland, you have me a crack with

 

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Akil Hill: may

 

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01:11:35.710 --> 01:11:36.670

Lelia Richardson: Look.

 

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Lelia Richardson: and you know you're not supposed to eat it like that, but it

 

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Lelia Richardson: I think they even provide it from the side like as a side order.

 

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Hong Lieu: See my excuses. I can eat it with rice, so I could get like 5 crackling, and I can make that like 3 meals if I had to, you know. So but yeah, all right, Segue. Now bringing it home higher learning piece of culture book, music, movie TV, anything.

 

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Lelia Richardson: Leva, that is recent or all time on your list, you can. You can. We could talk about so queries If you want, we can make this sorry, I think, because it's on. Look y'all I had a

 

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Lelia Richardson: I think I I was a spiritual experience. I went to go see the Lion King last night, and my kids got up for me for my birthday. My birth is in November, and funny enough they didn't know I was gonna move. We didn't know I was gonna move like this. They got it early. So here we are, you know, going to going to this show last night and

 

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Lelia Richardson: grew up with Lion King. I've heard all the things right about the musical.

 

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Lelia Richardson: and I always wanted to go, and it was a really big deal to my mom who wanted to like, Take all the kids and be like, yeah, mom, like later later. And you know my mom has passed on, and later is not promised. So

 

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Lelia Richardson: my kids, with such a very heartfelt gift, you know it was a it was a gift that was beyond the gift, right. And so we went last night.

 

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Lelia Richardson: let me tell you, like hearing a musical that sung in like Zulu, and you know how to. And Swahili, and so go it. It was amazing amazing, You know. Of course, you have these giant bigger than life

 

420

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Lelia Richardson: puppets, and I don't know what they call animal electronics. I don't know what the proper name, but they're beautiful, the costume, the makeup.

 

421

01:13:24.560 --> 01:13:25.900

Lelia Richardson: but the singing

 

422

01:13:26.000 --> 01:13:32.539

Lelia Richardson: the ensemble like you know. I'm not talking about the acting, because I could take it or leave it. The acting like it was great.

 

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Lelia Richardson: Oh, it was! I cried like the opening! I cried, the end standing ovation like I tiered up parts of it, and when we talk about culture, go into an experience where you have the diaspora

 

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Lelia Richardson: on stage, and it's been there, for I don't know. Was it 20 years now? Yeah, like

 

425

01:13:52.000 --> 01:13:55.370

Lelia Richardson: man, I think 1,997, maybe so

 

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Lelia Richardson: to be in that place, and to be with my children when I think about culture, and I think about blackness and the time of black history month, and like just to have that moment with them.

 

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Lelia Richardson: That that is.

 

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Lelia Richardson: that was it, you know, like that was a run for moment in an experience to have with them. And you know it touches me. I am a person that's very much in touch about like the African diaspora, and like being a part of the continent, even without knowing my ancestry right like I don't have a direct lineage to who my people are, where they come from. I haven't done a DNA, and I don't know if I ever will. But you know I was raised to embrace all of it

 

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Lelia Richardson: right, because because we didn't know where exactly our folks came from on the Continent and motherland. And so

 

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Lelia Richardson: to sitting there it was spiritual for me. I was like, i'm i'm owning all of this i'm saying all of it is who I am, and you know, and not in a way that's appropriating, or, you know, taking anything on but just saying like there is a

 

431

01:14:51.420 --> 01:14:57.079

Lelia Richardson: link inside of my body like a in my spirit that says like, that is home.

 

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Lelia Richardson: you know. So it was. Yeah, it was beautiful, and i'm still kind of, as you see. I'm still kind of feeling that today I've been playing the soundtrack, and you know just kind of sitting in that today, so that cultural experience for me is definitely

 

433

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Lelia Richardson: was seeing the line king. I know it feels weird because you like the last.

 

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01:15:14.270 --> 01:15:33.069

Lelia Richardson: like the like. Oh, man like not the movie, not the beyonce redo like oh, you know the musical was really it's it's really something. There's really something. So you see black folks in the theater it this real top. We do a thing. We see each other, we see each other.

 

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we nod, we look, we like.

 

436

01:15:35.620 --> 01:15:46.810

Lelia Richardson: give each other that, like the there's like a co sign that we're like. I know you saw. I experience it like you know we see each other and a see a lot of, you know.

 

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Lelia Richardson: theater goers right? And so that was also part of it, too. Which is kind of being in that community with folks.

 

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Hong Lieu: Yeah, theater is definitely a blind spot for me. But I've heard so many good things about the Lion King over the years that I I definitely will have to go see it sometimes, especially if it's at the pantages. It's it's a nice place to take in in theater for sure.

 

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Lelia Richardson: Yes, yeah, it was a great experience that was. Yeah, that's my one thing right now. I'm gonna sit in there's a lot of you know. I'm: a podcast listener. Reader, you know there's a lot going on in this brain over here. But i'm gonna sit in that for for today.

 

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Akil Hill: That's be nice nice.

 

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Hong Lieu: all right. I'll get that link in the show notes.

 

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Hong Lieu: I'll go next, I guess. Black History month. I wanted to shout out to

 

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Hong Lieu: 2 folks that have a profound influence in my life. Thanks. I appreciate it absolutely. Just joking. I'm a joke. I I i'll do. I'll do it at keel, and Jackie Hill episode one day. But you have Jerry Jerry Lawson, who worked at for a child semi conduct in the seventies.

 

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Hong Lieu: He was actually part of the Computer Club. Steve Jobs to Wozniak were before they found an apple computer. Wozniak interview with him for a job. Jerry didn't give him a job. But Jerry Lawson worked at Fairchild. Put out the first video game console in 1,976

 

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Hong Lieu: and pioneered the use of cartridges and video games. So

 

446

01:17:05.080 --> 01:17:18.070

Hong Lieu: I mean, yeah. So Jerry like that for video games from like like huge chips. I mean, I, You know you can tune out you. Yeah. So so like the idea of swapping games is not an option. You would buy a single game, and that would be it

 

447

01:17:18.280 --> 01:17:25.849

Hong Lieu: so to have a home system that you could swap games in and out of, made it all much more cost effective. And Jerry Lawson is the driving force

 

448

01:17:25.920 --> 01:17:32.200

Hong Lieu: behind video and cards. Atari. 2,600 came out a year later in 1,977, and they copied the fair child technology

 

449

01:17:32.480 --> 01:17:43.200

Hong Lieu: pretty much wholesale copied, you know, they took off every successful, and everyone looks at Atari. Now, as as you know, the grandfathers and video games, you know, there are a couple of councils for that. But Jerry Lawson deserves his flowers.

 

450

01:17:43.290 --> 01:17:51.519

Hong Lieu: You know he's not. He's not around to smell him anymore, but absolutely the the adventure of video game cartridges and the the father video games today as we know them

 

451

01:17:51.810 --> 01:17:55.100

Hong Lieu: so got a shot. Jerry Lawson out. Second person, Lonnie Johnson.

 

452

01:17:55.480 --> 01:18:03.649

Hong Lieu: Lonnie Johnson is an aerospace engineer. He has a 1 million patents for rocketry and nuclear fuel, and you know he's a arrow. But what he is most

 

453

01:18:03.710 --> 01:18:08.890

Hong Lieu: I guess not. Most famous for what he's made. The most money out of is inventing the super soaker.

 

454

01:18:09.080 --> 01:18:13.649

Hong Lieu: So if you were, if you were live on the super soccer hit.

 

455

01:18:13.800 --> 01:18:27.439

Hong Lieu: it was a seismic shift in the water gun game like you would play water guns with kids and everyone have the cheap, dinky, plastic water. Good! There'd be some random risk that had the battery operator, one that was semi auto that was shoot about, but they didn't have the distance, and the power

 

456

01:18:27.530 --> 01:18:46.440

Hong Lieu: super soaker drop, and the the game completely shaved. Where, if you didn't have a super soaker. You needed someone on your crew with a super soaker because those things were just raining. Hell fire just destructive water damage like this. They really would soak the heck out of you. The only downside was having to feel the tag. But besides, that super soccer was

 

457

01:18:46.450 --> 01:18:52.060

Hong Lieu: just lap the field like just this absolute game changer. So, in terms of the effect they had on my life growing up.

 

458

01:18:52.250 --> 01:18:59.830

Hong Lieu: and for the culture as a whole, got a shout out to, you know, more less less heralded folks, but but absolutely essential to my exile of growing up

 

459

01:18:59.870 --> 01:19:18.729

Hong Lieu: Jerry Lawson for his video game cartridge technology and Lonnie Johnson for inventing the the super soaker, which I mean size me sha. But I thought you we talked about the Mexican candy with laundry. How about the size of the shift, adding spice to candy. Lonnie Johnson, because of his aerospace engineering background, was able to engineer a water gun that was

 

460

01:19:18.820 --> 01:19:26.470

Hong Lieu: a 100 times more destructive than anything that had come before, and just an amazing 2 amazing piece of technology, unbelievable like it. I can't

 

461

01:19:26.820 --> 01:19:36.829

Hong Lieu: tell you enough that it was not only a great toy, but very inexpensive, because, you know, like I said, it had the expensive water guns that run around batteries. They were just like. Oh, yeah, I got. I got this like

 

462

01:19:36.860 --> 01:19:44.639

Hong Lieu: man's super circuit is like 10 bucks. Anyone can get one. Yeah, democratize the water gun field like, Thank you, Johnny Johnson, and thank you, Jerry Lawson. Thank you.

 

463

01:19:44.730 --> 01:19:53.520

Akil Hill: Well, man, shoot, man. Thank you for putting that. Put us on to that man, Jerry Lawson. I did had no idea, man, if I had it, that if I knew that I would have

 

464

01:19:53.530 --> 01:20:10.449

Akil Hill: sprung that on my mom, maybe she would have bought me an Atari when I was younger. It's May. This is from a brother.

 

465

01:20:11.040 --> 01:20:23.260

Lelia Richardson: you know, at like family reunions and barbecue. I will tell you that we were able to have super soakers like, you know, there's all kinds of games activities for kids, but because it was invented by a black man, My father was like. No, you gotta get the super soak

 

466

01:20:23.270 --> 01:20:39.809

Lelia Richardson: a black man made that, You know we were like we were like, Can we just get it? I want to show up where you get. I'm gonna show up to the barbecue with, you know. As a girl i'm gonna like, Take out all my cousins. It was like. Oh, this is a black man. I didn't know his name.

 

467

01:20:39.820 --> 01:20:47.489

Hong Lieu: I didn't know his name, and it was, and that was the one super soaker far away. The best water got out there. Because, yeah, I remember. I remember, like I I was

 

468

01:20:47.500 --> 01:21:05.159

Hong Lieu: a group in La, so it's hot all the time. So you always want to play water guns like we have pools around water guns. The next best thing to keep cool and most water guns. We're terrible like in the the diamond dozen in the dollar store. Super circuit hit, change the game, Change the game forever. A net a net positive for the culture. I can't say enough about the super what the super circuit did

 

469

01:21:05.170 --> 01:21:07.709

Hong Lieu: for my life, and the lives of the kids around it. So

 

470

01:21:07.860 --> 01:21:27.660

Lelia Richardson: you're trying to show it to the family, or you you show up. It's too out like I have memory and like that pump action, and you just go to return to that bucket like that was. Oh, don't don't try to go a faucet. Have the bucket full of water. You put it in so it, man.

 

471

01:21:27.670 --> 01:21:46.879

Hong Lieu: and the kids will be trying to popular at 8,000 times. They had to change the design because some kids were going too crazy. That's that. That was like like super under pressure to too much power. Because, yeah, nowadays, nowadays they don't let you like charge up the pumps like that. We're like one pump will spray it out, whereas before you could like it was like the reboot pump. When that you came out you were just pumping into death.

 

472

01:21:46.890 --> 01:22:10.189

Akil Hill: Yeah, like no, you didn't it it it it became dangerous. But that was what made it cool. That little bit of danger is what makes that's the best toys for kids, you know that? Yeah, yeah, not a little enough, or the or the moments of I can hear you. I can hear you but fill it up, you know, like oh, yeah, because they're coming on you because they want to re that moment that hey? That's those are great choices. Hong, Man: thanks for picking those

 

473

01:22:10.610 --> 01:22:15.020

Akil Hill: i'm gonna, you know. I thought I I thought about 2 things

 

474

01:22:15.070 --> 01:22:17.880

Akil Hill: and one of them I hadn't seen, so I

 

475

01:22:17.900 --> 01:22:21.990

Akil Hill: but I still want to give it a plug. So I think people should really

 

476

01:22:22.350 --> 01:22:26.920

Akil Hill: tune in the 1619, 1619 project.

 

477

01:22:27.010 --> 01:22:46.169

Akil Hill: I think that should be one. I haven't really watched it. Sorry I I don't want to get into talking about what I think it's about so. But just check that out 69 1619 project. I think it's on Hulu, and and I think it's important that we highlight that. And then i'm gonna go old school on Yah! Since everybody else is out here going old school.

 

478

01:22:46.180 --> 01:23:01.479

Akil Hill: I'm gonna say i'm going back to nineties, and I know Lita is gonna roll on this, but something that was really kind of heartfelt to me in terms of like just really thinking about college and and and what it's like to have that experience as a black person

 

479

01:23:01.530 --> 01:23:17.660

Akil Hill: was different. World different world was one of those shows that really highlighted Hbc. Use what it was like to have a black educators in a black setting. And then there's always people that

 

480

01:23:17.670 --> 01:23:27.409

Akil Hill: you know Le alluded to earlier about blackness and the diaspora, and how black folks are are are layered and nuanced, and not everyone thinks the same thing.

 

481

01:23:27.550 --> 01:23:43.909

Akil Hill: You check out that show that show definitely has, You know. I'm thinking about Whitney, who who is, you know, has her own little quirky ways. And then you got Freddy, and then you got the Pro Black folks, and just really layered

 

482

01:23:43.920 --> 01:23:57.580

Akil Hill: different approaches with different characters that you know people probably can relate to in different ways in the facet. So so out to the different world. I know it's like from the nineties. But man, that shows nostalgic. Yeah.

 

483

01:23:57.590 --> 01:24:12.980

Akil Hill: And you know. So that's that's that's my pay for, like I I had no concept of that world, girl, because you know, i'm just a son of refugees watching random TV shows. But we watch Cosby show, and we watch different world because of Cosby show. They started off early on on that show, and then she didn't even

 

484

01:24:12.990 --> 01:24:32.570

Hong Lieu: have a lot to do with it. And it's still took off because of Whitney, Jasmine Guy Kadim Hardison, then bad holding it back. Yeah. So just the the people on that show. And this the the the story lines were really I mean, they they hit, you know, like it was just a lot of content there. There's a lot to take in even for, like a kid like me who had no context.

 

485

01:24:32.580 --> 01:24:44.129

Hong Lieu: just just people were. I mean, they were going to real stuff. They put a little comedic sheet on it. But it was it was. It was definitely, definitely sending a message. So it's. Yeah, it shows now, and you like

 

486

01:24:44.540 --> 01:24:59.710

Lelia Richardson: there would be no euphoria or grownish, or you know a lot of shows if it wasn't for some of these shows like living single and then girlfriends, and you know, different world you got, you know, a lot of what all America like a lot of shows like

 

487

01:24:59.740 --> 01:25:08.639

Lelia Richardson: who really, you know, that really bring out, You know, these like different experiences, right of adolescents and young adulthood, you know those are formative shows for us for like.

 

488

01:25:08.730 --> 01:25:26.929

Lelia Richardson: Oh, that yeah, fresh pants are a different world or living single. So yeah, those are the shows, not good one. I don't know. Hold on, Hulu. But is it on Hulu? I'll definitely find it. It's streaming somewhere. So yeah, i'll, I'll find and get down the show notes, and then 1,619 projects. I read some of the because it was a

 

489

01:25:26.940 --> 01:25:41.679

Hong Lieu: started by the New York Times as like a journalism piece. So there's a lot of articles. So I was reading some of the 1619 articles when they were coming out. I didn't keep up with all of them. But then the yeah, the the the stuff on who I I mean, I haven't seen it all. So i'll definitely get down the show notes as well, because it definitely definitely worth catching up for, sure.

 

490

01:25:41.760 --> 01:25:42.330

So

 

491

01:25:43.040 --> 01:25:52.310

Hong Lieu: great picks. Thank you all. Yeah, thank you. And thank you, Lela, for coming on the show. It was a.

 

492

01:25:52.320 --> 01:26:15.000

Lelia Richardson: and I can talk like this all day, so I appreciate you just really hanging in there with us, and I I love the show. I love the work that you guys are doing and highlighting all the different people, you know, at City College and their connections, and really getting to know each other as like whole entire people. So i'll just keep doing what you're doing. I look forward to your book that you put out with all these food spots.

 

493

01:26:15.010 --> 01:26:19.130

Lelia Richardson: So references, you know. Keep it up. You're doing great work.

 

494

01:26:19.210 --> 01:26:25.330

Hong Lieu: any final words for we, for we for wrap it up any any last plugs or anything like that you want to give.

 

495

01:26:25.340 --> 01:26:40.790

Lelia Richardson: Oh, yeah, you know, most is working on a bunch of different things, you know, working on creating just a black history 365 initiative where we're celebrating black history, you know, throughout the year so we'll be having some events coming up around that.

 

496

01:26:40.800 --> 01:26:59.790

Lelia Richardson: And, like, I said, connecting, you know, being this connector. So connecting with the local school districts. So Santa Barbara, you know, fighting Golita unified. So you know that stuff is gonna be coming up, you know. Just we'll post and that we'll send information out coming up in the center for record and social justice. We have a maternal health

 

497

01:26:59.800 --> 01:27:18.569

Lelia Richardson: wealth, and like families working with the Esl and working with Chelsea over an ups with the spark program, and we'll be ha hosting just a day a movie. We're watching a movie called Born Free and having a panel, Midwives and Dulas, who will be in the space and birth birth workers.

 

498

01:27:18.580 --> 01:27:22.590

We have, like a many family fair that will be out there in Friendship Plaza. Just

 

499

01:27:22.600 --> 01:27:48.620

Lelia Richardson: baby wearing game seeker, you know, having an art from Scratch, who will be there. We're having a a fatherhood circle with, you know. There you go. You got your co-host. There is gonna be one of the facilitators along with Miguel with the international program and Ambassador, so they'll be facilitating that conversation for fathers. So we want to invite folks to take some time out. That will be next week, 11 to

 

500

01:27:48.630 --> 01:27:54.299

Lelia Richardson: to 11 to 2 for the on both days. So kind of make it easy.

 

501

01:27:54.320 --> 01:28:00.140

Lelia Richardson: Workshops, folks that come out to. So that's exciting. We've got, you know.

 

502

01:28:00.150 --> 01:28:16.000

Lelia Richardson: thinking about the future With the mosa we have black grad, which is going to be the first time we've had a celebration for all black graduates in Santa Barbara County. So we're going to be Co. That's going to be a huge collaboration, working with again like I said, those communities and those networks and resources. So

 

503

01:28:16.050 --> 01:28:28.879

Lelia Richardson: you know, celebrating from Free K. You know, to Kindergarten Junior. You know Middle school, high school, college, and bringing, you know, black families, black identified families, you know their supporters

 

504

01:28:28.960 --> 01:28:42.240

Lelia Richardson: together, and a space to honor that achievement right promotion and graduation and moving forward. So that's black rats coming up. That's going to be in May dates to be announced as we're going to work with the committee and advisory on that.

 

505

01:28:42.250 --> 01:28:51.589

Lelia Richardson: and then we'll in the fall, kick off our school year with a black to school, and again connecting community to Santa Barbara City College as this community space.

 

506

01:28:51.600 --> 01:29:12.569

Lelia Richardson: So that's you know. That's kind of where we're going. We had things in between brothers and sister circles. We'll have what's called the porch, which is just a talking space we've got, you know, just some really great things I love working with Leslie, you know, in the dream center, and you know rice is getting started, and so we'll do some collaboration work with rice's, programming and folks. So

 

507

01:29:12.580 --> 01:29:26.430

Lelia Richardson: you know, Lgbtq. We're talking about intersectionality right? So, working with the staff on events. So we're just yeah. Lot of great things will be happening and cross pollination. And, you know, connecting folks together, so

 

508

01:29:26.580 --> 01:29:27.540

Lelia Richardson: doing that.

 

509

01:29:27.840 --> 01:29:45.710

Akil Hill: doing that connecting work and being being hopefully fairly compensated for it. That's what we're going for. Right. You got that Cal first. So there there it is, so to try to get that 5 years fully best it. You know what I mean soon enough, soon enough. So thank you again. We like.

 

510

01:29:45.870 --> 01:29:52.270

Hong Lieu: as always, Akil. Thank you so much, and so much for next time. Y'all. Peace!