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  • HOW ARE YOU, TRACEE?

  • HOW ARE YOU HOLDING UP?

  • HOW ARE YOU DOING?

  • IT IS SO NICE TO SEE YOU.

  • >> IT IS SO GOOD TO SEE YOU.

  • YOU KNOW IT WAS SO FUNNY LISTENING TO THE MUSIC AT THE

  • TOP THERE, I WAS LIKE AH, MUSIC.

  • FORGOT ABOUT THAT JRS I KNOW, YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN PART ONE,

  • WE PLAYED SOME HILARIOUS MUSIC.

  • (LAUGHTER) HOW IS EVERYTHING, ARE YOU DOING

  • WELL?

  • YOU LOOK LIKE YOU ARE DOING WELL.

  • YOU LOOK LIKE YOU ARE COPING THROUGH THIS.

  • >> IT'S ALL LIGHTING.

  • IT SMOKE AND MIRRORS BUT NO, I'M DOING OKAY, I'M MAKING

  • ADJUSTMENTS LIKE EVERYBODY.

  • I'M FINDING MY WAY.

  • WE ARE ACTUALLY BACK IN PRODUCTION WHICH IS CRAZY.

  • WE'RE BACK AT WORK ON BLACK-ISH, SO FINDING MY WAY WITH THAT AS

  • WELL.

  • >> James: WELL, WE'RE ALL FINDING OUR WAY WITH SO MANY

  • THINGS.

  • I MEAN IT WAS JUST ANNOUNCED MOMENTS AGO THAT THE NBA PLAYERS

  • ARE MADE A DECISION TO BOYCOTT ALL PLAYOFF GAMES TODAY IN

  • PROTEST OF THE JACOB BLAKE SHOOTING WHICH IS, MY FIRST

  • THOUGHT IS IT IS AN INCREDIBLE USE OF THEIR PLATFORM.

  • WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION WHEN YOU HEARD THIS NEWS.

  • >> I REALLY HEARD IT LIT REALLILY AS I WAS COMING ON

  • HERE.

  • AND I SAY BRAVO.

  • I THINK THIS IS A MOMENT TO TAKE A STAND AND THE TRUTH IS IT IS

  • NOT JUST IN RESPONSE TO JACOB.

  • >> James: ABSOLUTELY.

  • >> IT IS TO THE HISTORY OF THIS AND THE FACT THAT IT IS ENOUGH

  • AND I STHI IT IS ONE OF THE MOST AMERICAN THINGS YOU CAN DO, USE

  • YOUR VOICE, TAKE A STAND AND I THINK ALL OF US NEED TO.

  • THIS IS A MOMENT FOR THE COLLECTIVE VOICE FOR OFF US

  • SAYING IT IS ENOUGH, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK WE HAVE TO BE HONEST

  • AND CLEAR ABOUT WHAT IT IS, AND NOT NORMALIZE IT AND THAT'S ONE

  • OF THE REASONS I THINK THE NBA USING THEIR VOICE IN THAT WAY,

  • LIKE YES, BRAVO, WE MUST CONTINUE TO DO THIS BECAUSE WE

  • REFUSE TO GO BACK AND WE HAVE TO CONTINUE PURSUING JUSTICE AND

  • SAFE SOCIETY AND A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN BE AT HOME IN YOUR BED

  • AND YOU ARE SAFE, WHERE JAY SOB-- JACOB FROM WHAT I

  • UNDERSTAND PULLED OVER TO BREAK UP A FIGHT BETWEEN TWO PEOPLE.

  • AND WHEN THE POLICE CAME IT WAS LIKE OH, GOOD, I CAN GET BACK IN

  • THE CAR WITH MY CHILDREN.

  • SO EVERYTHING ABOUT IT AND THIS IDEA TO ME THAT EVEN IF SOMEONE

  • IS A CRIMINAL, YOU DO NOT DESERVE TO DIE.

  • THAT IS NOT HOW THIS WORKS.

  • >> James: THAT IS THE THING.

  • I HAVE IN OVERWHELMING FEELING OF LIKE WELL, IF THIS HADN'T

  • BEEN CAUGHT ON VIDEO, THIS IS A STATISTIC THAT I DON'T EVEN KNOW

  • ABOUT.

  • GEORGE FLOYD IS A STATISTIC THAT I DON'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT.

  • THERE ARE TOO MANY.

  • THERE IS JUST TOO MANY.

  • AND TALKING WITH MY FRIENDS AND TALKING ABOUT WHAT LIFE IS LIKE

  • IN THAT WAY OF INTERACTION WITH THE POLICE, THAT IT JUST

  • SHOULDN'T BE ANYTHING TO BE REMOTELY SCARED OR FRIGHTENED

  • OF.

  • AND I HOPE ALL OF THESE THINGS BRING ABOUT CHANGE.

  • I HOPE IT ALL BRINGS ABOUT CHANGE.

  • I REALLY, REALLY DO.

  • >> LET ME SAY THIS.

  • I THINK THAT THAT CHANGE REQUIRES ALL OF US.

  • >> YEAH.

  • >> IT REQUIRES ALL OF US COLLECTIVELY TO USE OUR VOICES,

  • OUR HANDS, VOTING IS A PART OF IT, PROTESTING IS A PART OF IT.

  • BEING CLEAR ABOUT THE SYSTEMIC PAINS THAT WE WANT TO OCCUR IS

  • PART OF IT.

  • WE ALL HAVE A PART IN THIS.

  • AND IT CAN'T JUST BE ONE PERSON OR THE OTHER.

  • JACOB IS YOUR BROTHER AS HE IS MY BROTHER.

  • WE CANNOT, DISREGARD FOR HUMAN LIFE OR BLACK HUMANITY, BLACK

  • BODIES, BLACK LIFE TO BE BRUTALIZED AND VIOLENTLY

  • DISREGARDED IN THAT WAY.

  • AND IF WE ALL DON'T STAND UP IT WON'T CHANGE.

  • AND I THIS I THIS ELECTION IS AN INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT PART OF IT.

  • I THINK WE REALLY TALK ABOUT I THINK EVERY ELECTION IS URGENT

  • FOR THOSE THAT ARE UPSET AND MARGINALIZED AND THOSE THAT ARE

  • THE MOST VULLER INABLE.

  • EVERY ONE IS, BECAUSE WE ARE STILL IN PURSUIT OF A SAFE AND

  • JUST SOCIETY.

  • BUT THIS ELECTION IS URGENT IN A WAY THAT THEY ALL ARE BUT ON TOP

  • OF THAT.

  • THERE IS SOMETHING VERY REAL GOING ON LIGHT NOW AND WE MUST

  • PARTICIPATE AND I THINK WE HAVE TO GET INFORMED SO THAT YOU KNOW

  • HOW TO PARTICIPATE AND WHICH WAY YOU ABOUT USE YOUR HANDS BECAUSE

  • I THINK THE ONLY WAY THAT THIS CHANGES, IS IF, EACH OF US

  • UNDERSTAND THAT WE SHAPE OUR FUTURE.

  • WE EACH DO THAT.

  • OUR FUTURE, WE ARE STRONGER TOGETHER AND IF WE DON'T GET

  • INVOLVED, NONE OF IT CHANGES.

  • IF WE ARE NOT APPALLED BY WHAT IS HAPPENING, WHAT DOES THAT SAY

  • ABOUT WHO WE ARE.

  • >> James: YEAH.

  • >> YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S THE THING THAT BLOWS MY MIND.

  • LIKE IT'S APPALLING TRK IS HEARTBREAKING T IS INFURIATING,

  • IT IS EXHAUSTING.

  • IT IS TERRIFYING.

  • ST ALL OF THOSE THINGS.

  • SO HOW DO WE CONTINUE.

  • AND I PERSONALLY AM LOOKING FOR THOSE THAT THIS IS THE WITHOUT,

  • THAT THEY DO.

  • THERE ARE ORGANIZERS, THEY HAVE THE LANGUAGE, THEY HAVE THE ACT

  • OF WHAT IT IS THAT WE NEED TO DO.

  • TO CHANGE WHERE WE ARE AT.

  • AND SO I RECENTLY TOWARDS THOSE PEOPLE, THERE ARE PEOPLE, ANGELA

  • DAVIS HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS STUFF FOREVER.

  • THERE IS PATRICE COLORS, TAMIKA MALLORY, THERE IS ALL OF THESE

  • PEOPLE THAT REALLY, THAT I SAY LIKE TELL US WHERE TO GO AND HOW

  • TO DO BUT HONESTLY, RIGHT NOW VOTE, VOTE.

  • >> James: ON THAT, LAST WEEK YOU GUIDED THE VIEWERS ON, WAS

  • IT, I THINK NIGHT TWO OF THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION

  • AND-- YOU DID A WONDERFUL JOB (APPLAUSE).

  • >> James: YOU REALLY DISP.

  • TALK TO ME ABOUT THAT EXPERIENCE OF TAKING PART IN THE

  • CONVENTION, WERE YOU NERVOUS?

  • >> I WAS NERVOUS.

  • I WAS NERVOUS FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS.

  • I MEAN I FELT LIKE IT WAS AN ORGANK AND NATURAL SORT OF STEP

  • FOR ME.

  • I'M VERY SOCIALLY ACTIVE, PHYSICALLY ENGAGED BUT I DON'T

  • NORMALLY PARTICIPATE IN THE POLITICAL ARENA IN THAT WAY AND

  • IT IS A BIG CASE, PEOPLE THAT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE TALKING

  • ABOUT.

  • >> FOR SURE.

  • >> YOU KNOW, AND I'M COMFORTABLE HOSTING.

  • I LOVE HOSTING BUT I FELT LIKE IT WAS MY JOB TO BE THE CON

  • DUITY, THE FACILITATOR FOR A CONVERSATION ABOUT ENGAGEMENT

  • AND PARTICIPATION.

  • AND THAT IS ONE I FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE HAVING.

  • I TBELT HONORED TO BE IN THAT POSITION.

  • I TOOK IT SERIOUSLY, WRITING MY WORDS WAS LIKE-- IT WAS LIKE

  • REALLY, I BE ONLY HAD 275 WORDS AND TRYING TO GET IN WHAT I

  • WANTED TO SAY.

  • >> James: IS THAT WHAT THEY TELL YOU, YOU HAVE ONLY GOT 275

  • WORDS.

  • >> ME, HI 275 WORDS BECAUSE MY NIGHT HAD THE ROLE CALL IN IT

  • AND THAT TAKES UP A VERY LARGE PORTION.

  • SO AT THE BEGINNING IN ORDER TO SET UP MY VOICE, WHO I AM,

  • WHATEVER.

  • I HAD 275 WORDS, I THINK I TALKED FOR 285.

  • SO TRYING TO GET THE WORDS RIGHT FELT SO IMPORTANT TO ME AND THEN

  • ALSO THE COVID SAFETY OF IT.

  • BECAUSE I HADN'T BEEN OUT OF HOUSE QUITE YET SO GETTING ALL

  • OF THAT IN ORDER.

  • SO I WAS NERVOUS BUT ALSO MY ARMS WERE LINKED TO THE OTHER

  • WOMEN. AND I FELT LIKE WE STARTED A TEXT THREAD AND WE

  • WOULD PAT EACH OTHER'S BAG.

  • BUT THIS IS A MOMENT TO SHOW UP AND TAKE RISKY BEHAVIOR IN THE

  • DIRECTION OF BEING OF SERVICE TO THE LARGER GOOD.

  • I JUST FEEL LIKE THIS IS A MOMENT FOR THAT.

  • AND YOU KNOW DISCOMFORT RIGHT NOW SAY PLIF LIGE CONSIDERING

  • WHAT IS HAPPENING AND WHAT SO MANY PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING.

  • >> James: THAT IS A GREAT WAY, I HADN'T EVEN THOUGHT OF IT,

  • THAT IS A WONDERFUL WAY TO DESCRIBE IT, THAT YES, IT IS

  • UNCOMFORTABLE.

  • BUT THAT'S THE PRIVILEGE IN THIS.

  • YEAH.

  • >> THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE GENUINELY, THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE

  • AND HOW IT IS DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTING PEOPLE OF COLOR AND

  • WOMEN OF COLOR.

  • YOU KNOW, COVID AND THE REALITY OF WHAT THAT IS STILL LIKE FOR

  • HEALTH CARE WORKERS AND FAMILIES AND THE PEOPLE, AND STAYING SAFE

  • FROM THAT.

  • THERE IS SO MUCH TO WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THIS MOMENT STVMENT

  • ALL CONVERGING.

  • IT IS CRAZY, AND LIKE THE GROUND BENEATH US IS MOVING BUT PERHAPS

  • THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED.