>>>
>>> THIS
>>> THIS PANDEMIC IS, OF COURSE, PUTTING EXTRA PRESSURE
ON ALL OF US, BUT MAYBE
PARTICULARLY FOR BLACK
AMERICANS.
AMERICANS. I SPOKE RECENTLY WITH LASTRANDA
AL FRED, THE FOUNDER OF THE
BALANCED BLACK GIRL PODCAST
ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO TAKE
CARE OF HERSELF AND LOOK AFTER
OTHERS.
OTHERS.
OTHERS. >> THE PODCAST HAS BEEN AROUND
FOR ALMOST TWO YEARS NOW, AND I
HAVE OVER 70 FULL LENGTH
EPISODES AND ABOUT 20 OR 25
SHORT MINIEPISODES, SO COMING
UP ON 100.
>> THAT'S AMAZING.
YOU HAVE ALWAYS USED BALANCED
BLACK GIRL, AND NOW WE HAVE A
PANDEMIC AND A RACIAL EQUITY
MOVEMENT, THE LIKES OF WHICH WE
HAVE NOT SEEN IN 50 OR 60
YEARS, AND WHAT ARE THE TOPICS
YOU'RE TACKLING NOW?
>> YEAH, AND I LOVE THAT
QUESTION.
QUESTION.
QUESTION. YOU KNOW SO MUCH OF WHAT WE
HAVE BEEN FACING IN 2020 WITH
THE PANDEMIC, WITH THE KIND OF
RESURGENCE OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS
MOVEMENT, IT HAS REALLY HELPED
TO SOLIDIFY FOR ME WHY I DO
WHAT I DO.
SO MUCH OF MY PLATFORM
RESOLVING AROUND RESOURCES FOR
HEALING AND SELF-CARE FOR WOMEN
OF COLOR, BLACK WOMEN,
SPECIFICALLY.
SPECIFICALLY. IF THERE'S A TIME WE NEED TO
TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES, IT IS
NOW.
NOW.
NOW. A
NOW. A LOT OF THE CONTENT I HAVE
BEEN CREATING LATELY, IT'S JUST
ABOUT HOW WE NAVIGATE THIS
TIME.
TIME.
TIME. HOW
TIME. HOW DO WE SET BOUNDARIES AND
PROTECT OUR ENERGY WHEN PEOPLE
ARE COMING TO US FOR CONSTANT
EDUCATION OR WANTING THINGS
FROM US?
FROM US?
FROM US? HOW DO WE NAVIGATE MAKING
CAREER CHANGES IN THIS MARKET?
HOW DO WE NAVIGATE IF WE HAVE
CHANGES IN RELATIONSHIPS AND
WITH OUR FAMILIES, AND REALLY
SPEAKING DIRECTLY TO THE PIECES
THAT ARE IMPACTING A LOT OF
PEOPLE RIGHT NOW.
>> ARE THERE ANY KIND OF THINGS
YOU THINK WE MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT
IF WE ARE, YOU KNOW, WHITE
PEOPLE, AND NOT QUITE AWARE OF
WHAT IT IS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT
IN TERMS OF THE SPECIAL
PRESSURES, PARTICULARLY FOR
BLACK WOMEN.
BLACK WOMEN. CAN YOU GIVE US A COUPLE OF
EXAMPLES THAT WILL REALLY
ILLUMINATE THAT?
ILLUMINATE THAT? >> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. GOSH, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF
THINGS YOU WOULDN'T KNOW IF YOU
DIDN'T HAVE THE LIVED
EXPERIENCE.
EXPERIENCE. THE EASIEST EXAMPLE WOULD BE
AROUND WORK RIGHT NOW.
I KNOW I WORK IN A CORPORATE
ENVIRONMENT THAT EVERYBODY HAS
BEEN VIRTUAL FOR SEVERAL
MONTHS, AND A LOT OF THINGS
HAVE BEEN DISRUPTED, AND A LOT
OF FLOWS IN WORK HAS CHANGED,
AND THERE'S BEEN PRESSURE
AROUND WORK AND PERFORMING AT
WORK, AND THAT IS HARD ENOUGH
UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES,
WHATEVER NORMAL MEANS, AND THEN
YOU ADD THE PRESSURE OF A
PANDEMIC THAT IS HAPPENING,
KIND OF THROWN US ALL OFF, AND
WE HAVE SEEN THE DATA SET
COMING OUT AROUND COVID-19, AND
IT DISPROPORTIONALLY AFFECTED
BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES.
YOU KNOW IF YOU'RE PERHAPS, IN
CONTACT WITH THE VIRUS, YOU
THEN HAVE A HIGHER LIKELIHOOD
OF NOT BEING TREATED FAIRLY IN
THE HOSPITALS, A HIGHER
LIKELIHOOD OF THE WORSE OUTCOME
OR KNOWING SOMEONE WHO HAS THE
WORSE OUTCOME, AND YOU HAVE TO
PERFORM AND ACT LIKE EVERYONE
ELSE, ACTING LIKE IT'S FINE,
WHEN IT'S NOT.
>> THERE'S A HIGHER BACKGROUND
LEVEL OF STRESS AND PAIN THAT
EXISTS THROUGH PEOPLE'S LIVES
THAT WE MAY NOT SEE, AND SOME
OF THE THINGS THAT YOU WORK ON,
THAT WE HAVE BEEN TALKING
ABOUT, FOR YEARS, THE FOOD YOU
PUT IN YOUR BODY, AND THE
EXERCISE WE GET, AND ALSO THE
THINGS THAT WE TELL OURSELVES,
THE STORIES THAT WE TELL
OURSELVES ABOUT OURSELVES, AND
THEY HAVE BEEN ALL PART OF YOUR
WORLD.
WORLD.
WORLD. HOW HAVE YOU KIND OF RECREATED
THAT OR BOOSTED THAT UP A BIT
TO MEET THE MOMENT?
>> I LOVE THIS QUESTION.
YOU KNOW, I THINK PART OF THE
SILVER LINING WITH SO MUCH
HAPPENING RIGHT NOW, IT'S
ALLOWING SPACE FOR PEOPLE TO
EXPRESS HOW THEY REALLY FEEL.
RIGHT?
RIGHT?
RIGHT? ALONG WITH THE QUESTIONS,
INCLUDING THE ONE YOU JUST
ASKED, KIND OF PULLING BACK THE
CURTAIN A LITTLE BIT, AND
ALLOWING PEOPLE TO TRULY
EXPRESS THEMSELVES, AND I FEEL
LIKE EVEN A FEW MONTHS AGO IF
SOMEONE ASKED HOW YOU'RE DOING,
YOU SAY OH, FINE, AND NOW
THERE'S A FREEDOM TO BE LIKE,
I'M NOT FINE!
I'M NOT OKAY!
HERE'S WHY.
HERE'S WHY. I THINK EVERYBODY IS NOW
STARTING TO NORMALIZE AND OPEN
UP ABOUT.
UP ABOUT.
UP ABOUT. I THINK BEING ABLE TO TELL THE
TRUTH TO OURSELVES WITH HOW WE
ARE FEELING AND SHARE THAT WITH
OTHERS, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT
IS BECOMING NORMALIZED, AND I
THINK IT'S A REALLY GOOD THING.
>> WHAT DO YOU THINK THE REST
OF US CAN DO OR WE CAN DO AS A
COUNTRY AND SOCIETY TO SUPPORT
THESE ISSUES TO BE AWARE OF
WHAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE GOING
THROUGH AND ALSO WAYS IN WHICH
WE CAN BE AUTHENTICALLY HELPFUL
TO ONE ANOTHER?
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. YOU KNOW, I THINK SOMETHING
THAT A LOT OF FOLKS CAN DO,
REALLY START REFLECTING ON
THEIR OWN BEHAVIOR.
OVER THE PAST, YOU KNOW, MONTH
OR TWO, THERE'S BEEN SO MANY
GREAT RESOURCES SHARED, BOOKS
WRITTEN, TALKS GIVEN ABOUT, YOU
KNOW, THINGS LIKE ANTIRACISM,
AND ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE WAYS
THAT SOME OF THE SYSTEMS WE
HAVE ARE NOT WORKING, BUT I
DON'T THINK THERE'S BEEN ENOUGH
PERSONAL REFLECTION HOW PEOPLE
TRULY MOVE AND ACT AND REACT TO
THINGS, THE ASSUMPTIONS, THE
BIASES THAT PEOPLE HAVE IN
THEIR DAILY LIVES.
I DON'T THINK ENOUGH OF THAT IS
TRULY REFLECTED UPON, AND IF
YOU CAN'T REFLECT UPON AND
ACKNOWLEDGE THE WAYS THAT MAYBE
YOU EMBODY CERTAIN THINGS,
THAT'S REALLY HARD TO CHANGE
THAT BEHAVIOR.
THAT BEHAVIOR. I THINK THERE NEEDS TO, FIRST,
START WITH A LOT OF INNER
REFLECTION, AND AGAIN, THE
HONESTY WITH SELF PIECE.
THE HONESTY WHERE WE MAY NOT
TREAT PEOPLE AS COMPASSIONATELY
AS WE SHOULD, OR WE DON'T
UNDERSTAND PEOPLE AS WELL.
IT'S EASY TO WANT TO JUMP INTO
ACTION, BUT IT'S HARD TO KNOW
HOW TO ACT IF YOU DON'T
RECOGNIZE WHAT YOU'RE ALREADY
DOING.
DOING.
DOING. >>
DOING. >> THE LEARNING HAS TO COME
FIRST?
FIRST?
FIRST? >>
FIRST? >> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> THAT COMES FROM LISTENING,
AND THEN BEING OPEN TO LEARNING
SOME THINGS ABOUT YOURSELF THAT
MAYBE YOU'RE NOT THRILLED WITH,
BUT THAT'S HOW WE GROW.
I HAVE ALWAYS KNOWN THAT YOU
HAVE HAD A REMARKABLE RESERVOIR
OF THINGS TO SHARE WITH US, AND
I'M GLAD YOU