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[Introduction from the City of Austin Housing Department]
GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYBODY.CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME OKAY? UH, GOOD AFTERNOON AGAIN.
I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME YOU ALL TO THE BLACK LAND LAND MATTER SYMPOSIUM HERE IN THIS BUILDING, HERE IN THIS SPACE.
I AM VERY HONORED TO BE ASKED TO BE IN THE POSITION THAT I AM HERE THIS AFTERNOON.
I AM A LOT OF THINGS, UH, BUT IN RELATION TO TODAY, I AM THE FOUNDER OF BLACK AUSTIN TOURS HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
IT IS AN EDUCATIONAL TRAVEL INITIATIVE THAT DEALS WITH CON FOCUSING ON THE HISTORY, EXPERIENCES, AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF BLACK PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND BEYOND.
I AM ALSO A PROFESSOR POSTDOC AT DUKE UNIVERSITY IN DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA, IN AFRICA, EXCUSE ME, IN THE PROGRAM IN EDUCATION.
I FINISHED MY PHD FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN IN 2021 DISSERTATION ON HUMAN TRAFFIC IN HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL WITH F1 STUDENT VISA.
IT'S NOW A BOOK WITH THE F EXCUSE ME, WITH DUKE UNIVERSITY PRESS.
UM, YEAH, BUT MORE SO I GRADUATED FROM LBJ HIGH SCHOOL, IF THAT MEANS ANYTHING TO ANYBODY.
AND FROM THE JI DID GO TO FLORIDA A AND M UNIVERSITY IN TALLAHASSEE.
WE HAVE SOME RATTLERS IN THE HOUSE ON THE HIGHEST OF SEVEN HILLS IN TALLAHASSEE.
THE IT LUCK, THAT'S NOT THIS TYPE OF PARTY, UH, BUT THE BEST HBCU IN THE WORLD IN ATLANTA.
UH, I PLAYED FOOTBALL THERE, WHICH WAS A GRAND THING.
UM, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, I AM THE DESCENDANTS OF INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE FORCEFULLY TRAFFICKED INTO THIS PLACE.
I AM THE DESCENDANTS OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE COMMODIFIED AS INTO PROPERTY AND LANDED INTO THIS CITY THAT WE CALL AUSTIN BY BOAT OR BY LAND.
I AM THE DESCENDANT OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO DECIDED EVERY DAY THAT THEY WERE PEOPLE WHO WERE IN A CONDITION THAT THEY KNEW THEY WERE MORE THAN I AM A DESCENDANT OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO SURVIVED THAT SYSTEM, WHO WENT ON TO COLLECT THEIR RESOURCES TOGETHER, HOWEVER THEY GOT THEIR MONIES TOGETHER AND PURCHASE LAND AND CREATE DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES AROUND THIS PLACE, PLACE.
MY NUMBER ONE PLACE THAT I MENTIONED AS PART OF HOME IS ST.
JOHN COLONY IN CALDWELL AND BASTROP COUNTY.
I AM THE DESCENDANT OF SOME OF THOSE 14 ORIGINAL FAMILIES THAT STARTED THAT COLONY, NAMELY THE FAMILY OF REVEREND CALVIN ALLEN AND FRANCIS JACKSON AND JOSIAH HILL, AND MARY VER JANE HILL.
I AM THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND I AM HERE TODAY TO WELCOME YOU TO THIS INSTI.
WELCOME YOU HERE FOR US TO THINK ABOUT WHY BLACK LANDS MATTER AND ALL THE WAYS THAT THEY DO, NOT ONLY THE WAYS THAT THEY IMPACT US RURALLY OR IN THE URBAN SPACES, BUT EVEN I WAS TALKING, I JUST MET SOMEBODY, JORDAN DAVIS, AN ARCHE ARCHEOLOGISTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, EVEN WAY BLACK LAND MATTER UNDER, UNDERNEATH WHAT WE SEE AT THE CORE SURFACE AND THE WAY THAT WE STILL NEED TO GO FROM WHERE WE ARE ON TOP TO UNDERNEATH THE SOIL TO SEE IN THE WAYS THAT OUR LAND STILL MATTER TO THIS DAY.
AND SO I'M GLAD THAT WE ARE HERE TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION, TO LEARN, TO EDUCATE OURSELVES, TO SHARE RESOURCES, AND BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO DO.
EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM HAS A CHARGE.
I DON'T WHAT MINE IS, BUT I'M HERE TO TRY TO FIGURE IT OUT.
AND SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS I WILL SHARE WITH YOU AS WE CONTINUE TO GET READY FOR TODAY IS, AGAIN, YOU HEARD ME TALK ABOUT THE RESTROOMS AND WATER.
SO IF YOU NEED TO BE HYDRATED, THIS IS, IT'S HOT, Y'ALL.
I WAS, I DO, I DID A TOUR THIS MORNING.
SO I'VE BEEN
UH, SO STAY HYDRATED RIGHT OUTSIDE THESE DOUBLE DOORS.
YOU WILL FIND YOUR BATHROOMS AND YOU'LL FIND YOUR HYDRATION STATIONS FOR YOU TO, UM, TAKE A BREAK IF YOU NEED IT.
WE HAVE SOME PANELS LINED UP, GREAT SPEAKERS, AND SO BE ATTENTIVE AND ENGAGED.
THERE ARE Q AND A SESSIONS THAT ARE GOING TO HAPPEN.
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SO HAVE YOUR QUESTIONS PREPARED.MAKE SURE TO JOT SOME OF THOSE THINGS DOWN SO YOU DON'T, YOU KNOW, DON'T TALK TO US 10 MINUTES TO ASK YOUR, YOU KNOW, ASK YOUR QUESTION.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH IN ADVANCE FOR ASKING YOUR QUESTION.
UM, NOW I DON'T WANT TO INTIMIDATE ANYBODY FROM ASKING A QUESTION.
I'M JUST SAYING WE WANT TO BE VERY INTENTIONAL ON HOW WE'RE ASKING OUR QUESTIONS TODAY IN OUR PANELISTS OUTTA RESPECT FOR EVERYBODY'S TIME.
UM, AND WITH THAT, Y'ALL HEAR, Y'ALL HEAR FROM ME PLENTY TODAY.
SO WHAT I WOULD LOVE TO DO NOW IS INTRODUCE TO YOU THE INTERIM DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, MANDY DEO.
D MAYO HOSTS A OH, I GOTTA INTRODUCE YOU,
I MEAN, YOU CAN COME WRONG NOW.
AND I KNOW
NOW, YOU MAY COME UP AND GIVE US A INTRODUCTION.
I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS AFTERNOON.
I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY TAKING THEIR VALUABLE TIME ON A FRIDAY AFTERNOON TO BE WITH US TO TALK ABOUT THIS VERY IMPORTANT TOPIC AND HEAR FROM SOME AMAZING SPEAKERS.
UM, AS MENTIONED, I'M MANDY DE MAYO.
I'M THE INTERIM DIRECTOR OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
UM, I ALSO WANNA EXTEND A SINCERE THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS AND SUPPORTERS, INCLUDING AUSTIN ENERGY FOR THIS FANTASTIC SPACE AND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT THAT IS OUR SISTER DEPARTMENT, AND I, CECIL NOVIA AND ANTHONY BACK THERE, OUR SISTER DEPARTMENT, UM, WHO REALLY HELPED TO PUT THIS SYMPOSIUM ON.
WE ALL KNOW THIS IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT WORK THAT REQUIRES A LOT OF COLLABORATION ACROSS THE COMMUNITY.
UM, WE ARE COMMITTED AS A DEPARTMENT TO PREVENTING THE DISPLACEMENT OF PEOPLE IN AUSTIN, PARTICULARLY COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.
WE WANT TO ENSURE ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND WE WANT TO HELP FOLKS RETAIN ECONOMIC WEALTH, PARTICULARLY THAT IS, UH, ACQUIRED THROUGH LAND OWNERSHIP.
I WANNA ALSO THANK OUR COMMUNITY DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION OFFICER, NEFERTITI JACKMAN, WHO YOU'RE GONNA HEAR FROM IN A LITTLE BIT.
NONE OF THIS WOULD BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE LEADERSHIP OF NEFERTITI JACKMAN WHO IS PASSIONATE ABOUT, UH, THIS TOPIC.
WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE SCHEDULE OF SPEAKERS.
I'VE ALREADY MET SOME OF THEM.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF GREAT ENERGY IN THE ROOM.
I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE UP OUR VERY BRAND NEW CITY MANAGER, MR. TC BROAD NEXT TO GIVE AN OFFICIAL WELCOME TO THE DEPARTMENT.
I DON'T KNOW IF I'VE EVER BEEN REFERRED TO AS BRAND NEW BEFORE.
THE, THE, THE WAY MY BACK FEELS.
AND I APPRECIATE ONE, JUST LOOKING OUT AND SEEING SO MANY PEOPLE HERE TODAY, UH, TO COME AND HEAR ABOUT THESE IMPORTANT ISSUES.
AND I'M JUST BLESSED TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, ONE, TO BE, UH, THE CITY MANAGER, UH, FOR THIS FINE CITY, BUT TWO, UH, TO HAVE A SYMPOSIUM AND AN ENGAGEMENT SUCH AS THIS ON OBVIOUSLY AN IMPORTANT TOPIC TO MANY PEOPLE, UH, IN THIS COMMUNITY, UH, WITHIN MY FIRST FEW WEEKS BEING HERE TO HELP ME BETTER UNDERSTAND AND LEARN, UH, FROM THE PEOPLE WHO ARE CLOSEST TO AND MOST CONCERNED AND MOST IMPACTED BY THIS ISSUE.
UH, IN MY EARLY DAYS HERE AS I BEGAN TO WORK WITH THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT AND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL IN FUNDAMENTALLY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE DO BETTER GOING FORWARD AND ENSURE, UH, THAT MANY OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK YOU'LL HEAR TODAY, NOT JUST THAT HAVE OCCURRED IN AUSTIN, BUT OBVIOUSLY ARE THINGS THAT HAVE OCCURRED THROUGHOUT THIS COUNTRY, UH, AND OUR HISTORY, UH, THAT THESE THINGS CAN BE MITIGATED GOING FORWARD IN THE POLICIES, UH, AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT OUR STAFF INFORMS THE COUNCIL AS THEY MAKE POLICY, CAN HAVE THE TYPES OF IMPACTS TO CHANGE, UH, THE VERY PEOPLE'S LIVES THAT I THINK THE CONVERSATIONS ARE INTENTIONALLY HAD TODAY, UH, TO CHANGE IN THE FUTURE.
AND SO, I'M JUST EXCITED TO BE HERE, UH, WON'T BE ABLE TO STAY ALL DAY, BUT I DO, UH, WANNA SPEND SOME TIME HERE, UH, LISTENING AND LEARNING.
AND AS I'VE SAID TO THE MANY PEOPLE THAT I'VE MET SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, UH, AS YOU SEE ME TODAY, AS WE MAY MEET TODAY, LET'S NOT LET TODAY BE THE ONLY TIME WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE, AND THAT YOU EXTEND A HAND AND BRING ME CLOSER AND ENSURE THAT I AM ENGAGED IN UNDERSTANDING YOUR
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VERY PERSONAL STORIES THAT REFLECT, I BELIEVE, UH, THE CITY'S QUILT OF STORIES THAT WILL HELP ME BE BETTER AS A CITY MANAGER AND A LIFELONG RESIDENT IF I CAN STAY HERE THAT LONG.AND THEY ALLOW ME TO BE HERE, UH, TO APPRECIATE, UH, WHAT ALL AUSTIN HAS TO GIVE.
AND SO, AGAIN, THANK YOU AND WELCOME AND THANK YOU, MANDY.
AND I WANT TO SAY THANKS AGAIN AS WELL TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AND OUR WONDERFUL HOST, AUSTIN ENERGY, AND JUST GLAD TO BE HERE.
AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO LISTENING AND HEARING AND LEARNING, UH, AND BECOMING FAST FRIENDS WITH THOSE IN THE AUDIENCE.
SO, AGAIN, THANK YOU, UH, AND I APPRECIATE THE WELCOME MANDY, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO LEARNING MORE TODAY AND LEARNING MORE IN THE FUTURE.
SO HAVE A GREAT DAY, AND HOPEFULLY YOU GET WHAT I'M HOPEFUL TO GET, AND THAT IS BETTER INFORMED TO SEE HOW I CAN HELP AND ADVANCE THE CAUSES THAT'LL BE DISCUSSED TODAY.
SO THANK YOU, AND GOD BLESS YOU.
NEXT, WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO HOLDING YOU ACCOUNTABLE.
YOU KNOW, I GET ON MY TOUR SOMETIMES AND THEN I GET A REQUEST FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
I SAY, Y'ALL, YOU KNOW WHAT I SAY ABOUT YOU, RIGHT? YOU WANNA COME OUT HERE? COOL.
WE LOOKING FORWARD TO HOLDING YOU ACCOUNTABLE.
AND AGAIN, WELCOME EVERYBODY, AND WE'RE NOT GONNA GO TOO DEEP INTO THE COMMENTARY.
WE'RE GONNA BRING UP MS. NEFERTITI JACKMAN RIGHT AWAY, YOU GUYS, THIS IS EXCITING.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS EXCITING FOR ME.
AND SO THANK YOU FOR THOSE OF US OF YOU WHO TRUST US ONCE AGAIN WITH YOUR TIME.
I HEARD A COMPLAINT LAST YEAR, WHY DO YOU HAVE IT ON A THURSDAY? SO WE MOVED IT TO FRIDAY, AND THEN PEOPLE SAID, WHY'D YOU HOLD IT ON A FRIDAY?
AND DON'T IT ON A SATURDAY, THOUGH.
I, I DO WANNA SHARE, START OFF, UM, I WAS AT A WORKSHOP.
THERE WERE SEVERAL WORKSHOPS, UH, THAT WERE WHOLE HELD THIS PAST YEAR AROUND AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND IT WAS EXCITING TO SEE, UM, THE OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS HELD A, A FAIR HOUSING CONFERENCE, AND THEY HAD ONE WORKSHOP TITLE, WHAT TO DO WITH BIG MAMA'S HOUSE.
SO I SORT OF STOLE THAT TITLE A LITTLE BIT.
I DIDN'T CALL MY FIRST PANEL THAT, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S THE PANEL THAT, THAT IS WHAT TO DO WITH BIG MAMA'S HOUSE.
BUT, UM, AND THEN ALSO, I WAS WITH ANOTHER ONE THAT WAS HELD BY THE BLACK PROFESSIONAL ALLIANCE.
AND, UH, IT WAS, IT WAS MORE INFORMAL.
NOT THE LAST ONE THAT THEY HAD JUST HAD IN MAY, BUT, UH, A PRE, THEY HAD A PRE-WORKSHOP BEFORE THE WORKSHOP.
AND AS WE WERE TALKING AND ENGAGING ONE OF THE PERSONS IN THE AUDIENCE, SHE WAS COMPLAINING.
SHE SAID, I AM TIRED OF TALKING.
WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO SOLVE FOR? WHY ARE WE ALWAYS TALKING? AND SO I THOUGHT ABOUT THAT WHEN, UH, WE WERE PREPARING FOR THIS, UH, SYMPOSIUM.
AND SOMETIMES, UM, THERE IS TALK THAT HAS TO HAPPEN BEFORE ANY ACTION CAN TAKE PLACE.
SO MY QUESTION TO MYSELF WAS, WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO SOLVE FOR? WHAT ARE WE DOING? AND, UM, THE REASON THAT WE CONVENE THIS SPACE IS, UM, TO SPARK AN IDEA, TO CONVENE A SPACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN MEET AND HEAR OTHER IDEAS OF WHAT PEOPLE ARE DOING IN OTHER CITIES, UH, LOCALLY.
AND ALSO HEAR THE CHALLENGES THAT PEOPLE ARE HAVING, UH, AROUND HOUSING.
SOMETIMES WITH LAND LOSS, IF YOU'RE BEHIND ON YOUR PROPERTY, YOUR MORTGAGE CAN'T PAY YOUR TAXES.
OFTENTIMES PEOPLE ARE EMBARRASSED AND THEY DON'T REACH OUT FOR HELP, AND THEY DON'T TALK TO ANYBODY ELSE.
AND THEN THERE ARE ALSO MANY, MANY FEARS THAT PEOPLE HAVE AROUND PLANNING FOR DEATH.
AND THIS IS WHY THEY'RE LOSING THEIR PROPERTIES, BECAUSE THEY ARE, WE ARE FAILING TO PLAN FOR DEATH, SOMETHING THAT IS INEVITABLE THAT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US WILL EXPERIENCE, AND WE THINK WE'RE GONNA LEAVE IT TO OUR KIDS TO FIGURE OUT.
WE'RE GONNA LEAVE IT TO OUR SPOUSES TO FIGURE OUT.
AND WE WRONGLY BELIEVE THAT SOMEBODY ELSE IS GONNA CARE FOR OUR PROPERTY MORE THAN WE WOULD.
AND SO THIS SPACE IS BEING CONVENED SO WE CAN BEGIN TO TALK ABOUT THE HARD REALITIES AND TRUTHS THAT ARE NEGATIVELY IMPACTING AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES.
IT'S HAPPENING TO ALL COMMUNITIES.
BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT THE CONTINUING GROWTH IN THE RACIAL ECONOMIC WEALTH GAP, GAP, IT IS HUGE.
THE NUMBERS I SAW AT ONE CONFERENCE, UH,
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THIS RECENTLY IN DC, WASHINGTON, DC WHERE WE TOOK A NUMBER OF THE STAFF FROM THE DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION, UH, TEAM, AND I SAW AN ALARMING STATISTIC.IT SAID 798 YEARS, THAT'S HOW LONG IT WOULD TAKE TO CLOSE THAT, UH, RACIAL WEALTH GAP.
AND THAT WAS THE LARGEST I HAD HEARD.
BUT ONE OF THE WAYS WHERE WE'RE LOSING, UH, LAND, WEALTH OR WEALTH, THE QUICKEST IS THROUGH LOSS OF LAND.
AND I SEE IT IN COMMUNITIES OFTEN AS PEOPLE, ELDERS PASS AWAY TRANSITION, AND YOUNGER FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE NO PLANS, NO PLANS HAVE BEEN MADE, AND WE'RE NOT HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
SO THIS SPACE IS FOR US TO INTERACT, UM, AND DISCUSS HOME OWNERSHIP.
AND OFTENTIMES WE THINK THAT, UM, WE THINK THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RURAL PROPERTIES, RIGHT? AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FARMLAND.
THE LOSS OF PROPERTY IS BOTH A RURAL AND AN URBAN PROBLEM.
AND THERE'S BEEN STUDIES TO SHOW THE IMPACT ON LAND LOSS AND PEOPLE LOSING THEIR PROPERTIES IN URBAN CENTERS JUST AS THEY'RE LOSING THEM IN THE RURAL CENTERS.
SO, UM, I'M NOT GOING TO CONTINUE.
I'M GOING TO, I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE GOING BACK TO JAVIER.
WE'RE GOING BACK TO JAVIER, BUT THROUGH THE FIRST PANEL, WE'LL TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE RESOURCES THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS PROVIDING, UM, THROUGH PROJECT CONNECT WITH LIFE ANEW.
AND THEN ALSO WE'LL HEAR FROM, UH, LOCAL ATTORNEYS WHO WILL DISCUSS THE ESTATE PLANNING SERVICES THAT THEY PROVIDE.
I'M EXCITED TO HEAR ABOUT NATALIE BAZILE, IF ANY.
DID ANYONE SEE QUEEN SUGAR? WAS I JUST THE ONLY, LIKE, I WAS SUCH A BIG FAN, AND MY MOTHER DOESN'T LIKE TV AND STUFF, BUT I GOT HER TO WATCH QUEEN SUGAR, AND SHE SAID, SHE SAID, OH, NEV, SHE, SHE WAS PROUD OF HERSELF.
SHE WENT AND BOUGHT ALL THE DVDS.
I SAID, DVDS, MOM, YOU COULD STREAM IT.
BUT SHE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THAT.
BUT SHE BOUGHT ALL THE DVDS AND WATCHED IT.
BUT REALLY, THE, TO ME, QUEEN SUGAR REPRESENTED WHAT THIS SYMPOSIUM IS ABOUT.
IT REPRESENTS ALL OF THOSE INTERSECTIONS OF, OF HOW WE USE SPACE, HOW WE INTERACT WITH SPACE TO TRANSMIT CULTURE, CULTURAL IDEAS, HOW WE, UM, ENGAGE WITH OUR FAMILIES.
I, MY COUSINS CALLED ME THIS MORNING AS I WAS TRYING TO GET READY TO COME HERE, AND I'M LIKE, OKAY, DON'T TAKE THIS CALL.
I SAID, ANSWER THE CALL FROM YOUR COUSINS.
I ANSWERED THE CALL AND IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL.
ALL OF MY COUSINS, AND THESE ARE SECOND AND THIRD COUSINS WERE IN OUR FAMILY HOME IN HOUSTON, COOKING BREAKFAST AND HANGING OUT TOGETHER, RIGHT? THAT ALMOST MADE ME CRY.
BUT, AND I'M GONNA TELL YOU WHY, BECAUSE THAT HOME, WE KEEP THINKING ABOUT SELLING IT BECAUSE WE'RE NOT MAKING MONEY ALL ON IT.
WE'RE TAXES ARE GOING HIGHER AND HIGHER.
BUT WE ALSO HAD SOMEONE WHO WAS BORN THERE, AND THAT LITTLE GIRL WAS IN THAT HOUSE THIS MORNING.
WE ALSO, TWO BOYS WERE IN THAT HOUSE.
THEIR MOTHER DIED IN THAT HOUSE, RIGHT? AND SO IT IS A SPACE THAT HOLDS SO MUCH BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE MEMORIES FOR US, RIGHT? BUT IT IS A CHALLENGE.
AND I HOPE TODAY, AND I WILL SAY, I'M JUST GONNA SHARE WITH YOU WHAT'S COMING UP, UH, IN THE HOME PHASE ONE OR TWO, WE HAVE A LOT OF DIRECTION THAT WE RECEIVE FROM COUNCIL.
UH, AND ONE INCLUDES, UM, AN ESTATE PLANNING CLASSES, WHICH WAS ON OUR AGENDA ANYWAY.
UH, WE DO WANNA HAVE AN ESTATE PLANNING, UH, CLASS OR PROGRAM TO ADDRESS SOME OF THESE NEEDS.
AND AS MARILYN WILL SHARE, ONE OF THE THINGS THE ATTORNEYS CAN DO ONLY DO SO MUCH, BUT THEY'RE, THEY NEED FINANCIAL RESOURCES.
'CAUSE MANY TIMES FAMILIES DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES, RIGHT? AND SO YOU JUST, YOU MEET WITH THE ATTORNEYS AND YOU'RE NEVER ABLE TO COMPLETE THE WHOLE ROUND OF SERVICES.
AND THEN FINALLY, SHIRLEY, SHARON AND HER SON WILL BE JOINING US.
AND SHE HAS A VERY DYNAMIC STORY.
UM, I'M GONNA TRY TO BE VERY FOCUSED ON THAT 'CAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH I WANNA ASK HER ABOUT.
THIS WOMAN SAW HER FATHER BE KILLED BECAUSE WHITE PROPERTY OWNERS WANTED THEIR LAND.
IT'S A POWERFUL AND DYNAMIC STORY.
THEY WERE ALSO REGISTERING PEOPLE TO VOTE DURING THE SIXTIES.
BUT WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BLACK FARMERS THAT THEY WERE REGISTERING TO VOTE, THEY WERE PUT OFF OF THEIR PROPERTIES.
SO THE SHERRODS DECIDED WE NEED TO GET OUR OWN LAND.
SO THEY WENT TO ISRAEL, STUDIED WHAT THEY WERE DOING OVER THERE, AND STARTED THE FIRST COMMUNITY LAND TRUST IN THE COUNTRY.
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BUT SHE'S ALSO, BUT I'M NOT GONNA GO INTO THAT STORY.I'M GONNA SHARE THAT WHEN SHE GETS THERE, SHE HAS A LONG JOURNEY.
AND WHEN I GO TO HER WEBSITE TODAY, I'VE BEEN FA I FAN CERTAIN PEOPLE, AND SHE'S ONE THAT I FAN
AND, AND, UH, TO SEE THE JOURNEY OF WHERE THEIR LAND TRUST HAS GONE, THEY LOST SO MUCH.
BUT THEY WON A LAWSUIT, UH, WITH USDA AND WON $12 MILLION.
AND WHEN YOU ARE ON THE SITE NOW, AND YOU SEE THE FRUITS OF HER LABOR, YOU KNOW THAT IT'S WORTH IT.
AND SO THAT'S A STORY ABOUT OTHER WAYS.
IT'S, THAT STORY IS JUST A, A WEALTH OF INFORMATION.
BUT REALLY, WHAT ARE SOME OTHER WAYS THAT WE CAN PULL RESOURCES TOGETHER AND BEGIN TO CONSIDER, UH, OTHER FORMS OF OWNERSHIP? BUT WITH THAT, I'M GONNA PASS IT ON TO JAVIER.
I THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
WE'RE HERE TO SPARK AN IDEA, TO SPARK AN IDEA.
SO I'M GONNA ASK THE PANELISTS OF ONE TO START COMING TO THE FRONT, UM, PANELISTS
[Displacement Prevention – Taxes, Titles & Wills to Protect Your Family Home]
ON THE DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION, TAXES, TITLES, WHEELS, AND PROTECT YOUR FAMILY HOME.SO, MARILYN, POOLE WEBB, SHERWIN PATTON, DAVID GRAY, AND STEVEN WEBB.
COULD YOU PLEASE COME TO THE FRONT? YOU ALL ARE PANELISTS.
UM, AND SO AS THEY COME AND GET SITUATED FOR WHAT THEY WANT TO SHARE WITH US, I WON'T GO INTO DETAIL ON THEIR BIOGRAPHIES AND THE INTEREST OF TIME.
SO JUST KNOW WHEN YOU, AND YOU'LL HEAR MORE ABOUT WHAT IT IS THAT THEY'RE DOING, UM, AND WHAT THEY HAVE DONE OVER THE COURSE OF THEIR CAREERS AND LIVES AS THEY SHARE WITH US.
BUT WE, I JUST WANT TO, AGAIN, REINTRODUCE SOME OF THE PEOPLE WE HAVE.
MARILYN POOLE WEBB, WHO IS SITTING CLOSEST TO ME, UM, AN ATTORNEY HERE, ALSO WITH STEVEN WEBB RIGHT NEXT TO HER.
AND THEN ALSO WE HAVE ON THE, ON THE FURTHER END AWAY FROM ME, WE HAVE, UH, SHERWIN PATTON AND DAVID GRAY.
AND SO THEY WILL GO MORE INTO THEMSELVES AND INTEREST OF TIME, AND WE'LL GET RIGHT INTO IT.
SO I'LL HAND IT OVER TO OUR MODERATOR, DAVID GRAY, TO START THIS PANEL OFF.
SO THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
UH, AND CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME OKAY? IS THIS ON? IT'S ON.
'CAUSE I CAN ALSO TALK REALLY LOUD IF YOU NEED ME TO, BUT I THINK WE'RE GOOD.
WELL, FIRST AND FOREMOST, ON BEHALF OF THE CITY AND THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE, THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING OUT TODAY.
TODAY, YOU KNOW, THE, THE FOCUS OF THIS FIRST PANEL IS TO TALK ABOUT THE IMPACTS OF LAND LOSS ON FAMILIES AND PARTICULARLY BLACK FAMILIES.
AND SIMILAR TO NEFERTITI STORY, THIS CONVERSATION IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT AND RELEVANT FOR ME.
UH, BECAUSE WHEN MY GRANDMOTHER PASSED AWAY, OUR, OUR HOME IN NEW ORLEANS SUDDENLY BECAME CO-OWNED BY 36 DIFFERENT PEOPLE, ME AND MY BROTHERS, AND MY COUSINS.
AND ONE OF MY UNCLES HAD SOME KIDS IN JAMAICA THAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT.
SO IT'S LIKE 36 AND MAYBE SOME OUT, RIGHT? UH, AND SO WHEN WE, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HOW EASY IT IS TO LOSE LAND, HOW EASY IT IS TO LOSE, UH, A HOME OR TO LOSE PROPERTY, UH, IT'S JUST THAT, IT'S, IT'S JUST THAT EASY.
AND SO, MAYBE JUST QUICKLY FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE AUDIENCE, AND WE'LL START AT THE END WITH MS. WEBB, AND THEN WE'LL KIND OF WORK OUR WAY, WORK OUR WAY BACK.
UH, BUT IF YOU COULD JUST VERY, MAYBE BRIEFLY AT A HIGH LEVEL, TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU DO IN THIS SPACE, THE SERVICES YOU PROVIDE, AND I THINK MOST IMPORTANTLY, WHY, WHY, WHY IS THIS WORK? WHY IS THIS CONVERSATION SO IMPORTANT FOR YOU? OKAY, WE'LL START WITH THIS.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? I DON'T THINK YOU MIGHT HAVE TO PUSH THE LITTLE BUTTON.
WE GOT, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT LITTLE BUTTONS.
UM, WHEN I WAS A YOUNG LAWYER, EARLY EIGHTIES, UH, JUST STARTING PRIVATE PRACTICE, I HAD LEFT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE.
UH, A YOUNG REALTOR CAME TO MY OFFICE AND STATED THAT HIS FAMILY OWNED PROPERTY IN BASTROP COUNTY.
UH, AUSTIN WAS JUST BEGINNING TO MOVE EAST THERE.
BERGSTROM WAS NOT, NOT THE, THE AIRPORT, THE PUBLIC AIRPORT YET.
UH, BUT THEY HAD BEEN APPROACHED TO SELL THAT PROPERTY, AND THEY HAD BEEN OFFERED A GOOD PIECE OF MONEY FOR THAT LAND.
UH, BUT HE AND I SAT AND TALKED, AND HE WAS A REALTOR, AND WE REALIZED HE COULD PROBABLY GET MORE MONEY FOR THAT LAND IF THE TITLE WAS CLEAR.
THIS WAS FAMILY PROPERTY THAT HAD BEEN ACQUIRED, I THINK AROUND 1910.
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UH, AIR PROPERTY.THEY WERE ALL VERY PROUD OF IT.
THEY WOULD MEET THERE SOMETIMES AND HAVE FAMILY REUNIONS, BUT NOTHING HAD BEEN DONE ON THE PROPERTY SINCE IT WAS ORIGINALLY ACQUIRED.
IN OTHER WORDS, YOU KNOW, HOW FAMILIES DO PEOPLE DIE, PEOPLE MARRY PEOPLE, DIVORCE, UH, PEOPLE SEPARATE AND DON'T DIVORCE AND START NEW FAMILIES.
BY THE WAY, IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, THERE'S COMMON LAW MARRIAGE, BUT THERE'S NOT COMMON LAW DIVORCE.
SO WHEN YOU MOVE ON AND YOU START A NEW FAMILY, UH, THAT ORIGINAL WIFE OR HUSBAND OR WHATEVER STILL OWNS A PIECE OF WHATEVER YOU'RE DOING, OKAY? AND SO HE AND I SPENT THE NEXT YEAR AND A HALF, UH, GETTING HIS FAMILY HISTORY.
I WOULD GO SIT IN, IN HOT KITCHENS AND, AND HEAR ABOUT THE KIDS NO ONE WANTED TO TALK ABOUT AND EVERYTHING.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO DOUBLE THE PRICE, DOUBLE THE OFFER FOR THAT LAND, AND WE SOLD IT.
NOW, I JUST GIVE YOU THAT EXAMPLE BECAUSE IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING, IF YOU OWN PROPERTY IN EAST AUSTIN, IF YOU ARE ONE OF THE HEIRS ON AIR PROPERTIES IN THIS STATE, IF AFRICAN AMERICAN AND YOU HAVE PROPERTY THAT WAS OWNED BY BIG MAMA, THEN YOU SHOULD BE FAMILIAR WITH WHAT YOUR FAMILY WENT THROUGH TO HANG ON TO THAT PROPERTY.
IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT TOOK FOR THEM TO HANG ONTO TO THAT PROPERTY, THEN I SUGGEST THAT YOU LOOK AT A YOUTUBE VIDEO FROM PRESERVATION AUSTIN, THE 2010 HOME TOUR OF THE ROGERS, WASHINGTON HOLY CROSS, NOW HISTORIC DISTRICT.
AND YOU WILL GET AN IDEA ABOUT REDLINING AND, AND, UH, CONTRACTS FOR DEEDS AND, AND WHAT IT TOOK FOR THEM TO HOLD ONTO THAT PROPERTY.
AND MY JOB IS TO HELP YOUR FAMILY HANG ONTO THAT PROPERTY IF YOU WOULD LIKE IT.
UH, WHAT USUALLY HAPPENS IS, WELL, I'LL, I'LL MAKE THIS SHORT, BUT, UH, SOMETIMES YOU CAN'T HOLD ONTO IT.
MM-HMM,
AND EVEN FAMILIES THAT HAVE DONE ALL THE RIGHT THINGS, THEY'VE DONE WILLS, THEY'VE DONE TRUST, THEY'VE DONE EVERYTHING THAT IT TAKES TO KEEP A TITLE CLEAR.
UH, YOU JUST GET TO THE POINT WHERE THE GRANDKIDS DON'T WANNA LIVE THERE.
IT TAKES SO MUCH MONEY TO FIX IT UP, AND NOBODY WANTS TO PUT IT INTO IT.
AND, AND THEN YOU'RE PAYING $10,000 A YEAR ON TAXES, AND YOU JUST CAN'T HOLD ONTO IT.
BUT MY JOB IS TO HELP YOU GET TOP DOLLAR IF IT GETS TO THAT POINT.
AND ONE THING YOU NEED TO BE COGNIZANT OF, THE TITLE NEEDS TO BE CLEAR.
OKAY? THAT'S, UM, I'M PRETTY MUCH THE, THE NEOPHYTE ON THIS PANEL WHILE I'VE, UM, YOU CAN TELL BY THE BEARD, I'M, UH, I'M NOT A NEW ATTORNEY.
UM, I'VE ONLY BECOME AFFILIATED WITH MARILYN PROFESSIONALLY AND PERSONALLY, UH, RECENTLY.
AND SO, UM, SPENT A LOT OF, UH, YEARS, UH, UH, PRACTICING, UH, LAW IN AUSTIN AND, AND, UH, REPRESENTING CITY OF, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN AND, UH, UH, EVEN HOLDING HEARINGS, THAT TYPE OF THING, REPRESENTING, I JUST WANTED TO LET Y'ALL KNOW THIS.
UH, IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT, BUT I JUST WANT ALMOST, UH, I'M SORRY, THAT'S TO JOIN.
I'M SORRY, A SLIDE THAT WASN'T YOU, SIR.
I WANTED TO MAKE SURE TO KNOW IT WASN'T YOU.
IF ANYBODY NOTICES ANYTHING ELSE WRONG, JUST SLIDE US A NOTE, PLEASE.
BUT I, BUT I APPRECIATE YOU, MY BROTHER.
WELL, I AM DEFINITELY NOT MARILYN POOLE
SO, OKAY, SO
I WAS, I WAS JUST TELLING YOU A LITTLE
[00:30:01]
BIT ABOUT MY BACKGROUND.SO MY BACKGROUND, UH, WAS NOT IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA.
AND IT HAS BEEN REALLY INTERESTING TO, UH, TO SEE ALMOST FROM A BYSTANDER, UH, UH, VIEWPOINT, UH, THIS WHOLE ISSUE OF, UH, OF, UH, LOSING, UH, FAMILY LAND, LOSING FAMILY, FAMILY PROPERTY FOR YEARS, I ADVISED CLIENTS, UH, UH, UH, WHO, UH, WERE INTERESTED IN HAVING WILLS.
AND THEY THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD IDEA THAT IF THEY HAD, UH, TWO KIDS OR IF THEY HAD 10 KIDS, UH, TO LEAVE THE PROPERTY TO THEIR KIDS EQUALLY.
AND BECAUSE THAT WAS THE QUOTE, FAIR THING TO DO.
AND I EXPLAINED TO THEM, NO, THAT ONLY MADE THE KIDS, UH, SOMETHING IN THE LAW CALLED TENANTS IN COMMON, AND THAT ANY OF THOSE KIDS COULD FORCE A, A, A PETITION, UH, UH, OF THE PROPERTY.
UH, UH, AND SO, UH, PERHAPS, UH, A BIT MORE ESTATE PLANNING THAN JUST LEAVING IT TO ALL YOUR KIDS, UH, EQUALLY, UH, UH, WAS IN ORDER.
NOW, I HAD NO IDEA HOW MUCH MORE SIGNIFICANT THAT SIMPLE OFF THE CUFF MM-HMM.
UH, AND THE WAY SOME DEVELOPERS WILL DELIBERATELY BUY A SMALL PIECE OF A FAMILY PROPERTY AND THEN DO WHAT ANY TENANTS IN COMMON CAN DO FOR A SALE.
OKAY? NOW, THAT SAME HOUSE, THE TAXES ARE $10,500.
AND SO YOU GOT ON THE ONE HAND, UH, SOMEBODY, UH, UH, WHO'S NOT REALLY A PART OF THE FAMILY FORCING A SALE, UH, OF, UH, UH, OF A PROPERTY.
UH, YOU GOT PERHAPS THOSE 34 OR 36, UH, FAMILY MEMBERS ONLY MAYBE ONE OF THEM PAYING PROPERTY TAXES THE WHOLE TIME.
UH, PERHAPS NOT PAYING PROPERTY TAXES.
SO YOU GOT THE TAXING AUTHORITIES SAYING, WHERE'S MY MONEY? YOU GOT THE, UH, THE DEVELOPER FORCING THE SALE.
YOU GOT, UH, THE, THE, THE, UH, CHILDREN, UH, WITH, UH, UH, DISPARATE INTERESTS SPREAD TO THE, TO THE WINDS.
AND, AND SO ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU HAVE TO MAKE SOME SENSE OUT OF IT AND CLEAR A TITLE THAT THAT WHOLE ISSUE OF CLEARING A TITLE I WASN'T EVEN AWARE OF.
SO, SO I'VE REALLY BEEN LEARNING SINCE I'VE BEEN AFFILIATED WITH MS. POOL WEBB
WELL, MY NAME IS, UH, MS. SHERWIN PATTON.
AND THE ONLY REASON WHY I'M AT THIS TABLE IS BECAUSE I CARE, BECAUSE MY FAMILY HAS BEEN IMPACTED.
NOW I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING THE CO-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR LIFE OF NEW RESTORATIVE JUSTICE.
UM, BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT I'M, I'M PROUD OF BESIDES BEING A, A, A, A CHILD OF GOD, IS THAT MY GRANDFATHER WAS GEORGE KENON, AND MY GRANDMOTHER WAS ANNIE RELL IS ANNIE RE'S.
SO GEORGE, KEN, JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HIM, UM, HE'S A PART OF THE KEN FAMILY.
MY GREAT-GRANDFATHER IS THOMAS KEN, UM, THE ONE WHO WAS, UH, THE LANDOWNER OF KENVILLE, WHICH WAS A FREEDMAN'S TERRITORY HERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
AND THEN ANNIE RES, UH, MY GRANDMOTHER OWNED PROPERTY AT THE RES ESTATE, WHICH IS ONE OF THE FEW FREEDMAN TERRITORIES THAT ARE STILL INTACT, THAT'S IN TRAVIS COUNTY TO THIS DAY.
AND MY FAMILY IS FIGHTING AND STRUGGLING TO HOLD ON TO THE SORES ESTATE, UM,
[00:35:01]
RIGHT NOW.AND SO PART OF THE REASON WHY I'M HERE IS BECAUSE I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT ENSURING THAT PEOPLE OF COLOR DON'T SQUANDER THE PRIMARY WAY THAT WE CAN PASS ON GENERATIONAL WEALTH.
AND SO WITH, UH, MY GRANDFATHER, GEORGE, KEN, UM, WHO PASSED AWAY, UH, IN THE 1950S, I NEVER MET MY GRANDFATHER, BUT MY MOTHER WAS HIS HEIR.
AND SO, AS LIFE WENT ON, MY MOTHER PASSES ON, AND THEN MY FATHER PASSES ON, AND I BECAME THE DIRECT HEIR.
AND THERE WAS A WHEEL THAT MY FATHER MADE SURE, UM, THAT HE LEFT.
AND HE LEFT ME AS, UM, THE BENEFICIARY OF THAT PROPERTY THAT I NOW, UM, OWN ALONG WITH MY WIFE IN EAST AUSTIN, WHERE ONE OF THE FEW FAMILIES, I COUNT TWO THAT ARE STILL LEFT ON THAT STREET, AND THAT'S ON NINTH STREET RIGHT NEXT TO, RIGHT, RIGHT NEXT TO HOUSTON TILLERSON UNIVERSITY.
AND SO WHEN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, DECIDED THAT THEY WERE GOING TO ALLOCATE $20 MILLION TOWARDS, UH, ENSURING THAT BLACK PEOPLE, BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE COULD RETAIN THEIR HOME OWNERSHIP, OR AT LEAST, UM, HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THEIR OWN MIND UP, DECIDE WHAT THEY WANTED TO DO WITH THEIR ASSET, THEN WE KNEW AS AN ORGANIZATION, LIFE AND NEW RESTORATIVE JUSTICE, SINCE WE WERE, UH, POSITIONED TO BE ABLE TO APPLY FOR THESE GRANT, FOR THESE GRANT FUNDINGS, UM, THAT WE NEEDED TO APPLY FOR.
AND, UH, WE'RE JUST GRATEFUL THAT WE WERE, UM, AWARDED, UH, $2 MILLION OF THOSE FUNDS IN ORDER FOR US TO DO SOME WORK AROUND ANTI DISPLACEMENT.
NOW, THERE WAS MANY WAYS THAT WE COULD HAVE, UM, HELPED IN TERMS OF ANTI DISPLACEMENT, BUT THE PRIMARY WAY THAT WE WANTED TO ASSIST WAS WITH ESTATE PLANNING.
WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY HAD LAND OWNERSHIP DID NOT SQUANDER THE OPPORTUNITY THAT THEY HAD BECAUSE OF LACK OF KNOWLEDGE.
UM, AND PLANS FAILED BECAUSE OF LACK OF COUNSEL, LACK OF ADVISORS, LACK OF PEOPLE WHO HOLD THE INFORMATION, THAT DON'T SHARE THE INFORMATION WITH THE PEOPLE WHO ARE BEING DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY EVERY NEGATIVE OUTCOME.
AND SO, FOR US AS BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, THAT WE HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF DOING IS MAKING SURE THAT OUR PEOPLE AT LEAST KNOW WHAT'S AVAILABLE TO THEM, AND THAT WE GIVE THEM ACCESS TO THE TOOLS THAT WILL HELP THEM TO SECURE THEIR ASSET.
AND SO THROUGH THAT, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING IS WE'RE DOING ESTATE PLANNING.
AND I THINK WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT LATER.
UM, BUT THAT'S THE REASON WHY I'M, I'M HERE, UM, BECAUSE I HAVE, UH, AN EXPERIENCE THAT I THINK THAT MANY PEOPLE IN THE ROOM HAVE.
AND I'M HOPING THAT PEOPLE WILL WALK OUT OF HERE AND SAY, I NEED TO WORK WITH MY FAMILY IN ORDER FOR US TO BE ABLE TO SECURE THE ASSET THAT WE HAVE.
AND I KNOW THAT MANY TIMES THAT THERE'S INFIGHTING WHEN THERE'S NOT A WILL OR SOMETHING LEFT BEHIND THAT INDICATES WHO IS GOING TO BE THE BENEFICIARY OF THE PROPERTY.
BUT THE LAST THING THAT THE FAMILY NEEDS IS TO BE DIVIDED, BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY THAT YOU LOSE EVERYTHING IS WHEN YOU ARE DIVIDED.
BECAUSE IF SOMEONE DOES NOT STEP UP AND SAY THAT THE FAMILY NEEDS TO STICK TOGETHER SO THAT WE CAN COMMUNICATE AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE THE BEST KIND OF SKIN THAT THERE IS IN THE WORLD, THE BEST KIND OF SKIN THAT THERE IS IS THICK SKIN BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO HARM ONE ANOTHER.
IT IS JUST A, IT IS NOT A MATTER IF, BUT WHEN IN THE FAMILY, BUT STICK TOGETHER BECAUSE THE ONLY WAY THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO WORK THROUGH THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU HAVE IS IF YOU DO IT TOGETHER.
AND SO MY NEXT QUESTION'S FOR YOU, MR. PATTON, KIND OF PICKING UP WHERE YOU LEFT OFF, AND I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION FOR THE WEBS, BUT THIS ONE IS AROUND THAT TOPIC OF ESTATE PLANNING AND, YOU KNOW, IF YOU COULD THINK OF EXAMPLES OF WHERE PEOPLE HAVE OVERCOME THAT APPREHENSION AND ESTATE PLANNING REALLY HELPED THEM OUT.
I KNOW WHEN WE WERE PREPARING FOR THIS PANEL, WE TALKED ABOUT A LOT OF THE REASONS WHY PEOPLE DON'T DO ESTATE PLANNING.
SOME PEOPLE, IT'S TOUGH WHEN YOU REALIZE THAT THAT PERSON YOU THOUGHT WAS YOUR COUSIN IS NOW SUDDENLY YOUR SISTER TA-DA, RIGHT? LIKE THAT, THAT COULD SHAKE SOME PEOPLE.
OR EVEN MY, I SHARED, MY WIFE AND I ARE DOING OUR ESTATE PLANNING.
I HAVE A 6-YEAR-OLD AND A 2-YEAR-OLD.
IT'S HARD TO THINK ABOUT WHAT LIFE WOULD BE LIKE FOR THEM RIGHT NOW IF MY WIFE AND I WERE TO SUDDENLY DIE IN A CAR CRASH.
AND WE HAVE TO CONFER EVERYTHING OVER TO A SIX AND 2-YEAR-OLD.
SO SOME OF YOU JUST DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF BENEFITS TO IT.
AND SO, IF, IF YOU DON'T MIND, CAN, CAN YOU JUST SHARE AN EXAMPLE OR AN EXPERIENCE OF A TIME WHEN PEOPLE HAVE BENEFITED FROM PROPER ESTATE PLANNING? SO, UM, I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT, UH, EXACTLY WHAT YOU SAID, BUT I, CAN I TAKE A, A COUPLE OF STEPS THAT IT IT TOOK FOR SURE, PLEASE.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, WE OFTENTIMES DON'T DO IS, UH, GET HELP FROM PEOPLE THAT CAN MEDIATE, UM, WITH OUR FAMILIES.
AND SO ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT, UH, THAT WE DO
[00:40:01]
AFTER, UH, ASSESSING THE NEED IS DO WHAT WE CALL FAMILY GROUP CONFERENCING.UM, WHERE WE HAVE A MEDIATOR THAT CAN HELP THE FAMILY TO COME TOGETHER AND REALLY LISTEN TO ONE ANOTHER.
BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T HAVE THAT, THEN WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT PEOPLE START CHOOSING SIDES.
AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE THAT SKILL SET TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE, THERE'S A WAY TO NAVIGATE THROUGH THAT, UM, BY, FIRST OF ALL ESTABLISHING OUR VALUES AND WHAT OUR AGREEMENTS ARE IN TERMS OF WHAT WE WANT TO SEE DONE, UM, WITH THE PROPERTY, THEN WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT BECOMES A LANDMINE AND THE ROOM BLOWS UP, AND THEN THERE'S NOTHING THAT'S EVER SOLVED, RIGHT? AND SO FOR US, THERE IS, UH, ONE FAMILY THAT WE ARE, UM, UH, I'M NOT GONNA SAY ANY NAMES THAT, THAT WE'RE, THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH.
AND, UH, THERE'S A ELDER THAT'S IN THE FAMILY THAT DID NOT NECESSARILY KNOW THAT THEY EVEN NEEDED TO LEAVE, UH, A WILL BECAUSE IT WAS LIKE, UH, YOU WERE SAYING, UM, THAT, UH, UM, MY CHILDREN ARE ARE GONNA GET IT AND THEY'LL DECIDE WHAT TO DO WHEN I'M GONE.
NOT UNDERSTANDING THAT WHAT YOU'RE CREATING IS A SITUATION WHERE YOUR FAMILY'S GONNA FIGHT.
AND SO YOU, YOU'RE TRYING TO MAKE PEACE BY SAYING EVERYBODY'S GONNA GET IT, BUT YOU'RE REALLY CAUSING A PROBLEM BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE GONE, UM, WHEN BIG MAMA IS GONE, THEN THEY'RE GONNA FIGHT OVER WHO HAS THE RIGHT TO DECIDE, UM, WHAT'S DONE WITH THE PROPERTY.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, THIS ELDER ALLOWED US TO DO WAS COME AND SIT DOWN WITH THEM AND, UH, INFORM THEM EXACTLY WHAT THEY NEEDED TO DO.
AND WE DID IT NOT AS ATTORNEYS.
WE WERE ADVISED BY THE ATTORNEY WHAT THINGS WE NEEDED TO TALK ABOUT WITH THEM, BECAUSE WE WERE AT THE FAMILY GROUP CONFERENCES PHASE WHERE THEY WEREN'T READY TO MEET WITH SOMEBODY, UH, WHO COULD GIVE THEM LEGAL REPRESENTATION, BUT THEY WERE READY TO TALK TO SOMEONE WHO COULD COME IN THAT HAD A RELATIONAL CONNECTION.
AND SO, FOR US, THE BENEFIT OF US DOING THIS WORK, UH, AND WHAT WE LEVERAGE IS THE FACT THAT WE ARE NATIVE AUSTIN KNIGHTS.
AND EVEN IF YOU DON'T KNOW ME, YOU PROBABLY KNOW ME, UH, KNOW SOMEBODY IN MY FAMILY.
LIKE WHEN MY BROTHER SAID, UH, ST.
JOHN'S COLONY, AND WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT ST.
MARY'S, UH, I'M, I'M FAMILIAR BECAUSE ALL OUR FAMILY WENT OUT THERE AND I, WE ALL HEARD THE SAME STORY.
DON'T MESS WITH ANYBODY OUT HERE BECAUSE IT'S YOUR COUSIN
AND SO, YOU KNOW, SO THAT WAS A FACT.
BUT, UM, AND SO WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW WITH THIS FAMILY, NOW THEY'RE IN THE PROCESS OF ACTUALLY WORKING THROUGH, UM, GETTING THEIR ESTATE PLAN.
BUT WHEN THEY ACT, THEIR, UH, ORIGINAL PLAN WAS THAT WE'RE JUST GONNA LET THIS THING HAPPEN.
UM, I'M GONNA PASS ON, MY KIDS ALREADY KNOW 'CAUSE I TOLD THEM WHAT TO DO.
AND I'M GONNA TELL YOU WHERE I LEARNED THIS FROM, THAT THAT NEVER WORKS BECAUSE MY IS, MY DAD WAS A VERY, UH, WISE AND STRAIGHTFORWARD MAN.
AND AT FIRST HE WASN'T GONNA DO HIS WILL.
AND, UH, AND HE TOLD ME AS I WAS SITTING IN HIS LIVING ROOM, HE SAID, YOU AND YOUR BROTHER ARE NOT GONNA GET ALONG AROUND THIS.
AND I, AND I WAS LIKE, WELL, YOU KNOW, I CAN TALK TO HIM.
I MEAN, I'VE ALWAYS BEEN ABLE TO.
AND SO WE, WE DID THE WILL, WE DID THE STATE PLANTED.
THE FIRST THING THAT HAPPENED WAS MY BROTHER AND I HAD CONFLICT.
AND THE ONLY THING THAT CAUSED US TO BE ABLE TO SOLVE THE CONFLICT WAS THIS, THIS IS WHAT DADDY SAID.
AND THEN, AND, UH, WHEN THAT HAPPENED, IT WAS LIKE, WELL, YOU KNOW, IF THAT'S WHAT DADDY SAID IS WHAT IT IS, AND THEN THE THING IS, IS THAT WE STILL LOOKED OUT FOR HIM, BUT THIS IS WHAT DADDY SAID.
AND SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE HAVE THAT BEFORE DADDY PASSES ON.
AND THAT DADDY HAS ALREADY COMMUNICATED THAT TO ALL THE PARTIES WHO ARE INVOLVED, SO THAT WHEN DADDY LEAVES, THEN WE'RE NOT FIGHTING WITH EACH OTHER BECAUSE WE NEED EACH OTHER.
AND MS. WEBB, I'M GONNA LET YOU PICK THAT UP IF YOU'D LIKE.
BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, WHAT I ALSO WANNA MAYBE ASK YOU IS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS IN THE ROOM HERE WHO ARE FROM THE CITY, OR THEY ENGAGE WITH OUR COUNCIL AND OUR, MY MY FELLOW DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS AROUND POLICIES.
AND SO AS YOU THINK ABOUT ESTATE PLANNING AND, AND THE TAX ISSUES THAT YOU POINTED OUT, THE THE ISSUES, SIR, THAT YOU POINTED OUT AROUND DEVELOPERS THAT BUY A FRACTIONAL SHARE OF, OF A PROPERTY, AND THEN MAYBE FORCE THE REST OF THE SHARE SHARE SALE OF THE PROPERTY.
FROM A POLICY PERSPECTIVE, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT ARE MAYBE SOME POLICIES OR THINGS THAT YOU'VE SEEN WORK IN OTHER PLACES THAT WE SHOULD BE CONSIDERING DOING HERE IN AUSTIN TO HELP PROTECT HOMEOWNERS, ESPECIALLY BLACK HOMEOWNERS AND BLACK LANDOWNERS? I WAS VERY PLEASED TO MEET WITH SHERWIN AND FIND OUT WHAT HIS GROUP IS DOING.
UH, BECAUSE AS HE TALKS ABOUT ESTATE PLANNING, HE NEEDS LAWYERS.
AND I'M HOPING THAT WE WILL BECOME SOME OF THE LAWYERS HE'LL REFER TO.
UH, BUT A LOT OF TIMES THE CLIENTS WHO COME IN TO TALK TO US, UM, THEY HESITATE TO COME TO A LAWYER BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE MONEY.
[00:45:01]
START LAUGHING BECAUSE THEY'RE SITTING ON A MILLION DOLLAR PIECE OF PROPERTY, BUT THEY'RE AFRAID TO GO TALK TO SOMEONE BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY.AND THE TRUTH IS, UM, I WORK WITH THEM.
I, I TRY TO GIVE THEM SERVICES IN A WAY, BUT, UH, THE TRUTH IS IT TAKES A LOT OF TIME, THE MEDIATION HE TALKED ABOUT, OR, OR GETTING THE FAMILY TO ALL COME TO AGREEMENT ON SOMETHING OR, OR MAKING SOMEONE WHO NEEDS TO MAKE A WILL UNDERSTAND, UH, THAT YOU DON'T JUST, YOU DON'T JUST NAME THE OLDEST CHILD THE EXECUTOR BECAUSE HE'S THE OLDEST CHILD.
THAT MIGHT BE YOUR MOST IRRESPONSIBLE CHILD.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE, UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS IN OUR CULTURE, YOU KNOW, WE THINK THAT IF WE DON'T DO AN WE, WE TALK, WE WANT THE READING OF THE WILL.
THAT'S SOMETHING ON TV PEOPLE THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN ARE RIGHT.
OR, UM, AND, AND WHEN, WHEN THE READING OF THE WILL, WE WANNA BE SURE EVERY CHILD'S NAME IS CALLED BECAUSE WE WANT THAT CHILD TO BE, FEEL LOVE.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE, OH, I'LL, I'LL TELL YOU A GOOD ONE.
UH, OR YOU JUST THINK, YOU KNOW, THE LAW, YOU SAY IT, IT, IT ALL WENT TO THE WIFE ANYWAY.
WELL, NO, THAT'S NOT THE TRUTH.
AND ESPECIALLY IN, UH, THE, WHEN YOU'VE GOT CHILDREN WHO ARE NOT PART OF THAT FAMILY, UH, ONE OF THE, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S FROM A PRIOR RELATIONSHIP OR AN EXTRAMARITAL RELATIONSHIP OR WHATEVER, UH, THOSE CHILDREN OWN A PIECE.
UM, AND IT, IT WAS, I WAS HAPPY TO KNOW THAT, UM, I DON'T ALWAYS, AS A LAWYER HAVE TO CHARGE.
WOULD LAWYERS HAVE TO CHARGE HOURLY TO SIT AND HEAR MM-HMM.
UM, THIS IS, I LOVE, I LOVE THIS KIND OF WORK.
UH, I LOVE HAP IF YOU HAVE PROPERTY THAT HAS BEEN IN YOUR FAMILY FOR GENERATIONS, THAT MAY BE THE ONLY REAL ASSET THAT YOUR FAMILY HAS OTHER THAN ITS BIBLE, YOU KNOW, UH, IT'S VALUABLE WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT GENERATIONAL WEALTH THAT LAND, THAT HOUSE IS IMPORTANT TO YOUR FAMILY.
UH, IF YOU CAN HANG ONTO IT FOR GENERATIONS, LET US WORK WITH YOU TO, TO REACH, UM, IF YOU HAVE TO SELL IT, LET US HELP YOU GET TO THE POINT WHERE YOU GET AT LEAST TOP DOLLAR, MAKE IT WORTH YOUR FAMILIES, YOUR ANCESTORS, WHILE FOR WHAT THEY WENT THROUGH TO GIVE YOU THAT ASSET.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE A FEW MINUTES LEFT, AND, AND I HATE TO, TO KILL A GOOD CONVERSATION 'CAUSE THIS CONVERSATION IS SO IMPORTANT.
AND, AND I SAY THAT AS AGAIN, AS SOMEBODY WHO'S PERSONALLY IN IT WITH 30 SOME ODD COUSINS, RIGHT.
TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO NAVIGATE THIS SPACE.
AND SO, AS, AS WE PREPARE TO WRAP UP THIS PANEL, ARE THERE ANY WORDS OF WISDOM OR LIKE ONE OR TWO KEY TAKEAWAYS? LIKE, IF, IF PEOPLE HERE DON'T TAKE NOTHING ELSE AWAY FROM THIS WHOLE CONVERSATION THIS AFTERNOON, WHAT IS IT THAT YOU REALLY WANT THEM TO GET ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF, OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, OR THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SERVICES THAT YOU'RE PROVIDING? SO, UH, THE TAKEAWAY IS IF YOU ACTUALLY LIVE ALONG THE, THE PROJECT CONNECT LINES, UM, YOU MAY BE ABLE TO RECEIVE SOME OF THESE SERVICES, UM, FOR FREE IN TERMS OF, UH, ESTATE PLANNING FREE TO YOU, UM, BECAUSE OF, OF THOSE, UH, FUNDS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE AVAILABLE.
SO, UM, WE HAVE A, UH, A WORKSHOP THAT'S TAKING PLACE.
SO THAT IS, UH, COMING UP REALLY QUICKLY.
MM-HMM,
SO IT'S GONNA BE 72 0 1 COLONY PARK DRIVE.
IT'S THE TURNER ROBERTS RECREATION CENTER, 72 0 1 COLONY LOOP RATHER DRIVE.
[00:50:01]
IF YOU KNOW OF ANYONE OR IF YOU NEED THOSE SERVICES, PLEASE COME OUT AND PARTICIPATE IN THIS CONVERSATION.WE WILL, UM, DO OUR BEST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE TAKE YOU THROUGH THE PROCESS OF MAKING SURE THAT YOU, UH, UH, UH, ENSURING THAT YOU MEET THE CRITERIA FIRST.
AND THEN FROM THERE, WE'LL PROVIDE THE SERVICES OF FAMILY GROUP CONFERENCING SO WE CAN HELP YOUR, YOUR FAMILY TO COME TO SOME CONSENSUS AROUND, UM, YOUR ASSET.
AND IF YOU MEET THE CRITERIA, THEN YOU CAN RECEIVE FREE LEGAL SERVICES, UM, TO DO YOUR ESTATE PLANNING.
AND SO PLEASE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS OPPORTUNITY.
ALSO, I WANT TO GIVE YOU, UH, A WEBSITE THAT YOU CAN GO TO.
UM, FOR MORE INFORMATION, YOU CAN GO TO WWW.ELIFEANEW.COM.
WELL, I WOULD SAY, UM, IF YOU THINK THAT THE CONVERSATIONS, UH, WITH YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR LOVED ONES, AND YOUR, AND YOUR GRANDMOTHER AND YOUR YOUR MOTHER WHO'S GETTING OLDER, AND YOUR FATHER'S GETTING OLDER ARE DIFFICULT, UH, AND YOU JUST DON'T WANT TO DEAL WITH IT, UNDERSTAND THAT THE SYSTEM THAT'S GOING TO COME AFTER THEY PASS AND AFTER THE SITU, UH, UH, UH, THE SITUATION PRE IS PRESENTED TO THE FAMILY THAT IS, UH, UH, THE, THE RULES, FORTEST, STATE SECESSION, UH, UH, THAT KIND OF THING, UH, THEY ARE NOT GOING TO BE A GOOD WAY TO HAVE AN OUTCOME.
SO IF YOU WANNA, UH, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A WILL, YOU HAVE TO KEEP TRACK OF THE WILL.
UH, YOU CAN'T THINK THAT YOU HAVE A WILL, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO IT TYPE OF THING.
UH, BECAUSE BELIEVE ME, YOU MAY THINK YOU HAVE A WILL, AND THEN SOMEBODY ELSE HAS ANOTHER COPY OF A WILL AND, AND IT'S LATER.
AND IT, WHEN, WHEN ALL OF THAT HAPPENS, THE SYSTEM IS NOT GOING TO COME UP WITH A SATISFACTORY, UH, SOLUTION FOR YOUR FAMILY.
ONLY YOU CAN, AND IT'S BETTER, UH, TO CALL THE SHOTS BEFORE IT HAPPENS.
I'M SITTING HERE THINKING THE, I KNOW THAT SOMETIMES THESE ARE HARD CONVERSATIONS.
UH, SOMETIMES YOU BRING IT UP AND, AND SOMEONE THINKS YOU'RE JUST RUSHING THEM TO DIE BECAUSE YOU WANT, WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT.
BUT, UH, IF YOU DON'T DO SOMETHING, THE STATE OF TEXAS IS GOING TO DO SOMETHING.
IT'S ALREADY DECIDED WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN TO YOUR PROPERTY.
AND, AND IT'S, IT'S BETTER THAT YOU TAKE CONTROL.
UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF, UM, WE TALKED ABOUT WILLS, WE TALKED ABOUT TRUST, WE TALKED ABOUT POWERS OF ATTORNEYS.
UM, I KNOW WHAT I'M GONNA SAY.
IF YOU HAVE OLDER PEOPLE IN YOUR FAMILY, STAY IN TOUCH WITH THEM.
UH, I KNOW THAT, UM, SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T SEEM, YOU THINK SOMEBODY ELSE IS HANDLING IT, BUT WE HAVE TOO MANY CASES WHERE SOMEONE ELSE STEPS IN AND GETS A POWER OF ATTORNEY, AND THEN YOU'RE IN A FIGHT THEY WALK OFF WITH, WITH SOMETHING THAT I'D LIKE TO SAY IS RIGHTFULLY YOURS.
BUT, BUT DON'T CREATE THAT SITUATION.
UM, UM, TAKE THE TIME TO, TO LOVE, SPEND SOME TIME WITH YOUR FAMILY AND, AND SPEND SOME TIME HAVING SOME OF THESE HARD CONVERSATIONS.
AND, UM, THAT'S ABSOLUTELY, WELL, I, I KNOW THE CLOCK ON THE WALL SAYS WE HAVE TO STOP.
I'LL, I'LL JUST MAYBE CLOSE WITH THIS.
ONE IS, AS THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICER, AT AT LEAST THREE OR FOUR TIMES A MONTH, WE GET CONTACTED BY SOMEBODY IN AUSTIN WHO IS ON THE ROAD TO HOMELESSNESS BECAUSE THEY LOST THEIR HOME.
YOU COULD SUBMIT THE PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST.
I'LL GLADLY GIVE YOU THE INFORMATION.
I DO NOT WANT ANY OF Y'ALL IN THIS ROOM TO HAVE TO CALL MY OFFICE BECAUSE YOU'RE ABOUT TO LOSE YOUR PROPERTY OR YOUR FAMILY'S ABOUT TO LOSE THEIR PROPERTY.
THERE'S TOO MANY GREAT EXPERTS IN THE ROOM WHO ARE HERE, WHO ARE ACCESSIBLE, WHO ARE ABLE TO HELP YOU, AND WHO HAVE A PERSONAL STORY AND A PERSONAL JOURNEY.
IT'S THEIR JOB, BUT IT'S THEIR PASSION.
AND ON THAT POINT, THE SECOND POINT IS WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY TIME FOR, FOR QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.
PLEASE DO NOT WALK OUT OF THIS BUILDING TODAY WITHOUT THIS CONTACT AND WITHOUT A COMMITMENT TO YOURSELF AND TO YOUR FAMILY TO START THE CONVERSATION.
[00:55:02]
MY WIFE AND I HAVE BEEN MARRIED FOR NINE YEARS, ONE YEAR AGO, WE STARTED THE CONVERSATION AFTER TALKING ABOUT STARTING FOR EIGHT YEARS.AND IT WASN'T UNTIL MY MAMA DIED THAT WE GOT REALLY SERIOUS ABOUT IT.
PANELISTS, ON BEHALF OF THE AUDIENCE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
CONGRATULATIONS, HOW LONG I'VE BEEN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH TO OUR PANELISTS.
IT WAS A VERY INFORMATIVE SESSION.
I HOPE WE ALL HAD OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR WHAT IT IS THAT THEY WERE HAVING TO SHARE, AND WE CAN DO OUR PART.
UM, I THINK IT IS, EVERYBODY SHARED SOME AMAZING THINGS, BUT I AM VERY, VERY MOTIVATED BY WHAT, WHAT I HEARD, UH, MS. MARILYN POOLE WEB SHARE.
I THINK IF WE TOOK A TI TOOK THE TIME TO UNDERSTAND AND LEARN SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THESE INDIVIDUALS, THAT MANY OF US, IF NOT ALL OF US, ARE RELATED TO, HAD TO GO THROUGH TO BE ABLE TO ACQUIRE SOME OF THESE PROPERTIES OR ASSETS THAT WE HAVE, WE WOULD AT LEAST FEEL INCLINED TO DO ALL THAT WE CAN.
AND EVEN IF THE ONLY THING WE CAN DO AS WHICH WAS SHARED, IS HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH PEOPLE.
AND IT MIGHT BE A TOUGH CONVERSATION TO HAVE WITH FOLKS, BUT AT LEAST FOR THOSE OF US WHO LIVE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN OR DEALING WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN, WE KNOW THAT THERE IS AT LEAST A RESOURCE THAT WE CAN COME TO.
AND IF YOU'RE NOT IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, HOPEFULLY THERE IS SOMETHING LIKE THIS WHERE YOU LIVE TO AT LEAST HAVE SOME TYPE OF MEDIATION IF NEEDED, BECAUSE THESE CONVERSATIONS CANNOT BE EASY.
AND SO WE CAN BRING PEOPLE IN TO HELP US WITH THESE CONVERSATIONS.
AND SO WITH THAT, WE'RE GONNA MOVE RIGHT INTO OUR NEXT PANEL, WHICH IS GOING TO BE AMAZING.
I'M SUPER EXCITED FOR THIS PANEL.
I'M, I WAS EXCITED FOR THE FIRST ONE TOO, DON'T GET ME WRONG.
AND LIKE FOR THE THIRD ONE THAT'S GOING TO COME.
UM, BUT I REALLY, I, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE ARTS.
UM, I WRITE A LOT, SO I APPRECIATE GOOD AUTHORSHIP, I APPRECIATE GOOD STORYTELLING AS WELL.
I APPRECIATE GREAT STORIES TELLING AS SOMEBODY WHO TELLS STORIES AND CAN TAKE REALITY, UM, OR TAKE THINGS OUT OF OUR MINDS OR TAKE THINGS FROM AROUND THE, OUR ATMOSPHERES THAT GO AROUND AND TURN THEM INTO SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE CAN ENGAGE WITH THAT CAN MAKE SENSE TO THEM OR SOMETIMES CAUSE THEM TO THINK.
AND I THINK, WELL, I KNOW FOR FACT THAT OUR NEXT PANEL IS GOING TO BE JUST THAT INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE STORYTELLERS WHO ARE GOING TO ENGAGE US ON A GREAT CONVERSATION
[The Power of Narrative to Elevate the Histories and Catapult the Current Challenges of Land Loss into the National Conversation]
ENTITLED THE POWER OF NARRATIVE TO ELEVATE HISTORIES AND CATAPULT THE CURRENT, THE CURRENT, OH, WAIT, WAIT.THE CURRENT CHALLENGES OF LAND LOSS INTO THE NATIONAL CONVERSATIONS.
AND SO WE ARE GOING TO HAVE NATALIE BAZILE AND JENNIFER SANDERS, DID I PRONOUNCE IT RIGHT, SAUNDERS SANDERS, JENNIFER SANDERS HERE JOIN US ON STAGE, UM, AT THE PANEL.
AND SO I WILL QUICKLY, QUICKLY READ THEIR INTER READ THEIR BIOS AS THEY COME FORWARD AND GET SITUATED.
UH, YOU'LL HEAR ME READ THEIR BIOS, AND THEN I'LL HAND IT OVER TO JENNIFER TO TAKE IT AWAY.
SO THE FIRST BIO THAT I'M GOING TO READ, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
IS THAT, UH, I'M SORRY, MY SCREEN'S A LITTLE.
I'M A I'M AN AGE AND MILLENNIAL, SO I HAVE TO
I, I'M THINKING LIKE, HOW DID I USED TO CHEAT IN COLLEGE? LIKE, WAS IT
I DIDN'T CHEAT, BY THE WAY, MAYBE.
OH, SO NATALIE BRAZIL IS THE AUTHOR OF THE NOVEL QUEEN SUGAR, WHICH WAS ADAPTED FOR SEVEN TELEVISION SEASONS BY WRITER DIRECTED AVA DUVERNAY AND CO-PRODUCED BY OPRAH WINFREY.
QUEEN SUGAR WAS NAMED ONE OF THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLES BEST BOOKS OF 2014 AND NOMINATED FOR NAACP IMAGE AWARD.
IN HER NEW NONFICTION BOOK, WE ARE EACH OTHER'S HARVEST, CELEBRATING AFRICAN AMERICAN FARMERS, LAND AND LEGACY.
NATALIE BRINGS TOGETHER ESSAYS, POEMS, CONVERSATIONS, PORTRAITS AND FIRST PERSON NARRATIVES TO TELL THE STORY OF BLACK PEOPLE'S CONNECTION TO THE LAND FROM EMANCIPATION TO PRESENT.
[01:00:01]
WE ARE EACH OTHER'S.HARVEST IS AN AMAZON EDITOR'S PICK, AND WAS A WALL STREET JOURNAL BOOK OF THE YEAR 2021.
NATALIE'S NONFICTION WORK HAS APPEARED IN NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, THE BITTER SOUTHERNER O THE OPRAH MAGAZINE IN NUMEROUS ANTHOLOGIES.
WE ARE SO EXCITED AND HONORED TO HAVE YOU HERE WITH US TODAY IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
AND OF COURSE, WE ALSO, Y'ALL MIGHT KNOW, Y'ALL KNOW JENNIFER FROM THE NEWS.
I I'M GONNA DO THAT BECAUSE YOU BROUGHT ME ON THE NEWS AND I WAS LIKE, OH, YOU, THE WAY IT ALL WORKED ITSELF OUT.
I WAS LIKE, I'M NOT READY FOR HOLLYWOOD QUITE YET, BUT I'M TRYING.
SO JENNIFER SANDERS IS AN EMMY AWARD-WINNING AND EDWARD R MURAL AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISTS AND DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER WHO IS PASSIONATE ABOUT EMPOWERING PEOPLE THROUGH VISUAL STORYTELLING.
SHE IS CURRENTLY A NEWS ANCHOR AT KXAN NEWS, THE N-B-A-N-B-C AFFILIATE IN AUSTIN.
JENNIFER WON A LONE STAR EMMY AWARD IN THE NEWS CATEGORY FOR DIVERSITY EQUITY INCLUSION FOR HER SPECIAL REPORT ENTITLED HOUSING HISTORY RACIAL DISPLACEMENT IN AUSTIN.
HER 2019 DOCUMENTARY WON SEVERAL AWARDS, INCLUDING THE PRESTIGIOUS EDWARD R MURROW AWARD.
HI AWARD, HIDDEN HISTORY, THE END OF SYRACUSE 15TH WARD WAS FOCUSED ON A SMALL SYRACUSE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WAS DECIMATED IN THE 1950S BY THE CONSTRUCTION OF INTERSTATE 81 UNDER THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ACT, URBAN RENEWAL AND REDLINING.
AND SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO YOU, JENNIFER.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND IT IS AN HONOR AND A PRIVILEGE TO BE SITTING NEXT TO YOU, MISS NATALIE VAIL.
AND HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE READ WE ARE EACH OTHER'S HARVEST.
DO NOT WALK TO THE BOOKSTORE TO GET THIS
THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST, UH, PIECES OF LITERATURE THAT I'VE READ IN SUCH A LONG TIME.
AND IT'S AN ANTHOLOGY MM-HMM,
UH, IT'S SUCH A BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF WORK, A THOUGHT PRO, THOUGHT PROVOKING PIECE OF WORK, A RICH, RICH HISTORY LESSON FOR ME.
AND I FEEL LIKE NOT EVEN EVERY CHAPTER, BUT EVERY PAGE IS A HISTORY LESSON.
SO THANK YOU FOR JUST SHARING YOUR BRILLIANCE WITH THE WORLD AND SHARING YOUR CRAFT IN, IN THIS BOOK.
AND I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO REALLY CREATE A FRAMEWORK AROUND THIS CONVERSATION FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND WHO YOU ARE IN YOUR HISTORY.
I WANNA READ JUST A, A LITTLE PORTION IN THE FORWARD THAT YOU WROTE.
SO IT SAYS, I LEARNED THAT MY MATERNAL GREAT-GREAT-GRANDFATHER MACK HALL, ARRIVED ON ONE OF THE LAST SLAVE SHIPS AND WAS SOLD TWICE BEFORE LANDING ON THE STAMPS PLANTATION IN BUTLER COUNTY, ALABAMA.
AFTER EMANCIPATION, HE SETTLED IN THE TINY RURAL SETTLEMENT OF LONG CREEK.
HE WAS A MERCHANT BLACKSMITH, BEEKEEPER AND FARMER AND EVENTUALLY OWNED 680 ACRES OF LAND.
SO FOR YOU, CAN YOU JUST TALK ABOUT YOUR ENTRY POINT, AND I MEAN, I GAVE THE AUDIENCE A PREVIEW, BUT YOUR ENTRY POINT INTO THIS SPACE OF REALLY AMPLIFYING STORIES AS IT RELATES TO BLACK FOLKS AND OUR RELATIONSHIP, OUR COMPLEX RELATIONSHIP WITH LAND.
WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT AND, UH, BEING HERE.
AND THANK YOU FOR MODERATING THIS CONVERSATION, AND THANK YOU TO NEFERTITI FOR REACHING OUT, UH, INVITING ME TO BE HERE.
AND SITTING HERE LISTENING TO THE FIRST PANEL, I ACTUALLY FELT MYSELF EXHALE A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE THIS IS ONE OF THE RARE PLACES WHERE I HAVE HEARD PEOPLE NOT JUST IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM, BUT OFFER CONCRETE SOLUTIONS.
AND THAT WAS VERY ENCOURAGING TO ME TO HEAR FROM LAWYERS AND, UH, PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE COMMUNITY DOING THIS WORK.
SO I JUST HAVE TO SAY THAT IT'S REALLY A PLEASURE FOR ME TO BE HERE TODAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS WHOLE STORY OF LAND AND WHAT LAND HAS MEANT TO BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE, MY FAMILY REALLY STEMS FROM, UH, THAT, UH, CONNECTION THAT I HAVE WITH MACK HALL.
BUT THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN PART OF MY FAMILY STORY.
WE HAVE KIND OF ALWAYS, EVEN IF WE DIDN'T NAME IT, THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN THIS PUSH TO REALLY UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE WHAT LAND OWNERSHIP, LAND STEWARDSHIP HAS MEANT FOR US AND FOR THE POSSIBILITIES.
AND SO REALLY WHEN I STARTED, UH, WORKING ON QUEEN SUGAR, YEAH, THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME AS I WAS GOING DOWN TO LOUISIANA AND, UH, WHERE, WHERE MY DAD'S FAMILY'S FROM.
AND WHEN I WAS RESEARCHING THAT BOOK, AND WHEN I WAS LOOKING AROUND AT ALL OF THIS FARMLAND, AND THE QUESTION THAT
[01:05:01]
KEPT COMING UP FOR ME WAS, WHERE ARE THE BLACK FARMERS? WHERE ARE THEY? YEAH.AND AT THE TIME, THIS WAS, UH, THE EARLY TWO THOUSANDS, I WAS STRUCK BY THE FACT THAT I ONLY MET ONE BLACK FARMER IN THE ENTIRE TIME THAT I, WELL, TWO IN THE, IN THE ENTIRE TIME THAT I WAS THERE.
AND I LEARNED THAT THERE WERE MAYBE FIVE BLACK FARMERS.
AND SO AS I BEGAN TO KIND OF INVESTIGATE THIS AS PART OF THE BOOK, BUT ALSO AS MY OWN, YOU KNOW, KNOWING ABOUT MY OWN FAMILY'S HISTORY, AND AS I BEGAN TO REALLY THINK ABOUT WHAT LAND HAS MEANT FOR BLACK PEOPLE YEAH.
AND, UH, QUEEN SUGAR BECAME KIND OF A VEHICLE FOR ME TO EXPLORE THIS QUESTION, TO ASK THE QUESTION, WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO US? WHY, WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THIS IDEA OF LAND OWNERSHIP? MM-HMM.
AND SOMETHING, SO I HAD QUESTIONS IN ORDER, BUT I SEE WE'RE GONNA GO ALL OVER THE PLACE.
BUT NO, SINCE YOU BRING UP CLEAN SUGAR, AND I KNOW THAT THAT'S WHAT MANY PEOPLE ARE FAMILIAR WITH.
I WANNA READ ANOTHER LINE OUT OF THE BOOK.
IT SAYS, CLEAN SUGAR IS A DECLARATION THAT BLACK LAND MATTERS.
CAN WE UNPACK THE, OH, I, WE HAVE MAN IN THE AUDIENCE, CAN WE THOUGH UNPACK MM-HMM.
AND REALLY THE JOURNEY THAT YOU HAD TO TAKE, IT TOOK OVER A DECADE FOR YOU TO GET THAT MANUSCRIPT COMPLETE.
AND SO WHAT WAS THE JOURNEY THAT YOU HAD TO TAKE TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THE STORY THAT YOU WANTED TO TELL AROUND IT? MM-HMM.
AND IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I LOOKED AT IN QUEEN SUGAR, AND THEN IT'S ONE OF THE, IT'S ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I WANTED TO EXPLORE MORE CONCRETELY IN WE ARE EACH OTHER'S HARVEST.
AND THAT IS, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE NARRATIVE IN THIS COUNTRY, ABOUT WHAT LAND OWNERSHIP MEANS, WHO HAS ACCESS TO LAND, WHO DOES NOT HAVE ACCESS TO LAND, WHAT ARE THE PRIVILEGES THAT COME WITH LAND OWNERSHIP? WHO HAS BEEN GRANTED THOSE PRIVILEGES AND WHO HAS BEEN DENIED HISTORICALLY, GOING BACK TO BE BEFORE THE FOUNDING OF THIS COUNTRY, RIGHT.
GOING ALL THE WAY BACK TO 1618 AND THE HEAD RIGHT SYSTEM.
AND THIS IDEA THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, UH, FOUNDERS OF THE COLONY WERE PAYING PEOPLE TO COME OVER FROM, FROM EUROPE.
AND THEY WERE GIVING THEM LAND, 50 ACRES OF LAND, A WELL APPOINTED MUSKET, YOU KNOW, 50 50 BUSHELS OF CORN.
I MEAN, THERE WERE, THERE WERE BENEFITS, CONCRETE BENEFITS THAT WERE GIVEN TO PEOPLE WHO WERE WILLING TO SETTLE THE COLONIES.
AND THAT MEANT LAND OWNERSHIP.
AND YOU LOOK AT HISTORICALLY, YOU, YOU GO FROM 16, 18, YOU KNOW, ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE CIVIL WAR, SHERMAN'S SPECIAL FIELD ORDER 15, ALL THE WAY TO, YOU KNOW, THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION AND WHO WAS GIVEN LAND AND WHO WAS GIVEN ACCESS TO LOANS AND ALL.
AND YOU, YOU LOOK AT THIS WHOLE TRAJECTORY AND YOU UNDERSTAND THAT IN THIS COUNTRY, LAND IS POWER.
AND THERE'S A, SOMETIMES WHEN I, WHEN I TALK ABOUT THIS, I SHARE THIS LITTLE CLIP THAT WE ALL PROBABLY REMEMBER FROM, UH, GONE WITH THE WIND MM.
WHERE SCARLET IS STANDING ON THIS HILLSIDE AND SHE'S TALKING TO HER DAD, AND, AND SHE'S SAYING, I DON'T WANT THE LAND.
AND HER DADDY'S SAYING, WHAT DO YOU MEAN SCARLET O'HARA? YOU KNOW, LAND IS EVERYTHING.
AND SO THIS IS PART OF THE AMERICAN NARRATIVE.
AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT, AND IT'S THE THING THAT ALWAYS WOULD GET ME KIND OF RILED UP, BECAUSE WHEN I WOULD THINK ABOUT ALL THE WAYS THAT BLACK PEOPLE, BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE HAVE BEEN LEFT OUT OF THAT STORY, THAT IS THE DRIVING FORCE FOR ME.
AND I'M TRYING TO DO IT IN FICTION.
I'M TRYING TO DO IT IN NONFICTION, BECAUSE AS SOMEONE SAID TO ME MANY YEARS AGO, BLACK PEOPLE HAVE UNDERSTOOD WHAT LAND OWNERSHIP MEANS.
AND NOW THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN IN OUR FAMILIES, BUT WE ARE LOSING MM-HMM.
SO I'M JUST TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO KIND OF SOUND THE ALARM BELL.
TO HAVE US LOOK AT, AT THESE ISSUES.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF I ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION.
AND MORE AND MORE AND MORE, SOMETHING THAT I, I LOVE THAT YOU BROUGHT UP WAS, UM, WELL, LET'S TALK ABOUT POLICIES YEAH.
AND POLICIES THAT MAKE IT HARD FOR BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE TO OWN LAND.
[01:10:01]
I THINK IT WAS CHAPTER EIGHT IN THE BOOK, IN THIS BOOK, YOU TALK, WELL, THE AUTHOR TALKS ABOUT, UH, THE USDA AND POLICIES THAT THEY HAVE CREATED THAT HAVE REALLY KEPT BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE OUT OF THE CONVERSATION.AND IT'S VERY RAW, IT'S VERY UNFILTERED.
IT'S A, A GOOD HISTORY LESSON ON WHAT PEOPLE HAVE ENDURED.
BUT HOW ARE THE FARMERS IN THIS BOOK AND THE PEOPLE YOU SPOKE TO FOR THIS PARTICULAR BOOK, REALLY, UH, THRIVING DESPITE ALL OF THOSE, THE POLICIES THAT HAVE BEEN PUT INTO PLACE, THAT HAVE HELD THEM BACK? MM-HMM.
WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I APPRECIATE ABOUT THE FARMERS WHO I INTERVIEWED FOR, FOR THIS BOOK MM-HMM.
THIS IS A, A QUESTION THAT WE'RE GRAPPLING WITH TODAY AND ALSO MOVING FORWARD.
AND ONE OF THE BIG THINGS THAT, UH, THEY MADE CLEAR TO ME WAS A LOT OF THIS IS ABOUT ACCESS TO INFORMATION FIRST.
BECAUSE YOU, YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE MONEY TO BUY THE LAND YEAH.
AND THE EQUIPMENT AND ALL THIS KIND OF STUFF, BUT FIRST YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE INFORMATION.
AND WHAT, WHAT I REVEALED, AND WHAT I WAS TRYING TO SHARE IN THIS BOOK PARTLY ARE THE WAYS THAT, AGAIN, BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE HAVE NOT EVEN HAD ACCESS TO THE INFORMATION WHEN THESE FARMERS WOULD GO TO THEIR LOCAL USDA OFFICES.
AND THEY WOULD HAVE THEIR LOAN PAPERS FILLED OUT TO SEE THE WAY THE SYSTEM, THESE, THESE STRUCTURES WERE SYSTEMATICALLY DEPL DEPLOYED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY DIDN'T GET THEIR LOANS ON TIME.
SO THAT THEY CAN'T PLANT THE CROP.
IF YOU CAN'T GET THE LOAN ON TIME, YOU CAN'T PLANT THE CROP ON TIME.
I MEAN, IT JUST BECOMES A, A DOMINO EFFECT.
SO, WHAT I'M SO PROUD OF WITH A LOT OF THE FARMERS IN THIS BOOK NOW, IS THEY ARE DEMANDING THE INFORMATION, THEY'RE DEMANDING ACCESS TO THE INFORMATION.
AND THERE ARE PEOPLE, LIKE MANY OF THE PEOPLE ON THIS PANEL WHO NOW ARE, ARE IN, IN CITIES, URBAN CENTERS, RURAL CENTERS, WHO ARE COMMITTED TO MAKING SURE THAT THAT INFORMATION IS DISSEMINATED.
AND THEN WE CAN GO ON TO IMPLEMENT, YOU KNOW, AND, AND STRATEGIZE.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE, THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS VERY ENCOURAGING TO ME.
WHO ARE COMING UP, THEY ARE ATTACKING THIS WITH A WHOLE OTHER MINDSET.
THEY'RE NOT ASKING FOR PERMISSION.
AND THAT WAS VERY ENCOURAGING TO ME.
AND IS, ARE THEY A PART OF THAT RETURNING GENERATION? YES.
MANY OF THEM ARE THAT YOU OKAY.
LIKE LEAH AND NAIMA ON, ON THE COVER.
CAN YOU UNPACK THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE IN HOW THEY'RE USING REALLY THE BRILLIANCE THAT OUR ANCESTORS HAD TO INFORM THE DECISIONS THAT THEY'RE MAKING TODAY TO PRESERVE OUR LEGACY? YEAH.
SO, UM, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF YOUNG PEOPLE OF COLOR WHO UNDERSTAND WHAT LAND OWNERSHIP AND LAND STEWARDSHIP MEANS.
BUT AS THEY HAVE GONE TO COLLEGE AND GOTTEN THEIR EDUCATIONS, THEY UNDERSTAND THE POSSIBILITY THAT LAND OWNERSHIP AND, AND, AND, UH, LAND OWNERSHIP AND LAND STEWARDSHIP MEANS, AND SO THEY CALL THEMSELVES THE RETURNING GENERATION BECAUSE THEY ARE MAKING CONSCIOUS DECISIONS TO RETURN TO THE LAND.
AND BECOME FARMERS, UH, SETTING UP ALL, AND NOT JUST FARMERS.
SOME ARE ARE SMALL SCALE FARMERS, BUT THE BIGGER POINT IS THAT, AND IT'S WHAT I ALSO LOVE, AND IT'S WHAT I OFTEN TELL PEOPLE IS, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE REDEFINING WHAT'S THE DEFINITION OF SUCCESS? AND THIS IS ALSO SOMETHING THAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IN MY WORK, IS I UNDERSTAND ALL OF THE REASONS WHY AS BLACK PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY THE HISTORIC NARRATIVE, HAS BEEN, GET AS FAR AWAY FROM THE LAND AS YOU CAN.
LEAVE THAT, LEAVE, LEAVE THAT FAMILY LAND, GO TO CHICAGO, GO TO SAN FRANCISCO, GO TO OAKLAND, GO TO LA GO TO NEW YORK, PHILADELPHIA, WHATEVER.
[01:15:01]
GET THOSE LETTERS BEHIND YOUR NAME.GET YOUR OFFICE JOB, YOUR PI UNDERSTAND THAT.
BUT, BUT WE AS A PEOPLE HAVE TO REDEFINE WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE, AND WE HAVE TO BE EXPANSIVE ENOUGH IN OUR THINKING MM-HMM.
BECAUSE IN SO MANY CASES FOR GENERATIONS, THE NARRATIVE IS BENT.
OH, WORKING ON A FARM IS SLAVE WORK.
YOU DON'T WANNA GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY, YOU KNOW, YOU WANNA GO AND GET, AND I'M SAYING ALL OF THAT IS FINE.
BUT WE CAN ALSO DEFINE SUCCESS AS BEING A FARMER, BEING A LAND STEWARD, BEING A, YOU KNOW MM-HMM.
BECAUSE THAT TAKES JUST AS MUCH INTELLECT.
BEING A FARMER MEANS YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND BIOLOGY, CHEMISTRY, BUSINESS, TECHNOLOGY.
SO THERE, THERE'S A MODERN SKILLSET MM-HMM.
AND PEOPLE DON'T EVER ACKNOWLEDGE THAT.
AND SO WE HAVE TO BE WILLING TO SAY, IF MY CHILD WANTS TO BE A FARMER, IF THEY WANNA WORK IN AGRICULTURE, THEY DON'T.
AND I THINK IF WE CAN DO THAT, THEN WE WILL START TO BE MORE ENCOURAGING AND MORE SUPPORTIVE OF YOUNG PEOPLE WHO WANNA BE PART OF THIS RETURNING GENERATION.
SO EYEOPENING, A LOT OF PEOPLE IN, UH, CENTRAL TEXAS ARE, ARE DEALING WITH THAT.
WHAT DID THESE STORIES TELL YOU ABOUT LAND LOSS AS A RESULT OF THAT INFORMAL PASSING ALONG OF LAND? MM-HMM.
SO REALLY, THERE ARE TWO WAYS THAT BLACK PEOPLE HAVE LOST LAND HISTORICALLY.
AND WE'RE TALKING MILLIONS OF ACRES.
THERE'S A STATISTIC THAT SAYS THAT IN 1920, THERE WERE ABOUT 925,000 BLACK FARMERS.
AND THAT BLACK PEOPLE OWNED ABOUT 14 MILLION ACRES OF FARMLAND IN THIS COUNTRY.
IN 2017, THE NUMBER OF BLACK FARMERS HAS BEEN, HAS DECLINED TO 45,000.
LIKE, THAT'S LIKE UT AUSTIN'S POPUL STUDENT POPULATION.
AND THE BLACK LAND LOSS HAS, HAS, HAS BEEN EXACERBATED.
AND IT'S LIKE 14 OR 15% OF ALL THAT ARABLE FARMLAND THAT WE OWN.
IT'S DOWN TO LIKE, LESS THAN A COUPLE MILLION ACRES THAT WE OWN.
AND SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THAT, AND YOU THINK ABOUT, LIKE THE PANEL WAS SAYING, THE WEALTH THAT HAS BEEN LOST, ONE OF THE STATISTICS THAT I UH, FOUND IN THE BOOK THAT I THOUGHT WAS CHILLING WAS THIS, IT SAYS, IF THE RACIAL WEALTH DIVIDE AND LAND OWNERSHIP IS PART OF THIS, IF THE RACIAL WEALTH DIVIDE IS LEFT UNADDRESSED AND IS NOT EXACERBATED FURTHER OVER THE NEXT EIGHT YEARS, MEDIAN BLACK HOUSEHOLD WEALTH IS ON A PATH TO HIT ZERO BY 2053.
THAT MEANS BLACK PEOPLE WON'T OWN ANYTHING.
THE AVERAGE BLACK PERSON WILL HAVE ZERO NET WORTH ABOUT 10 YEARS AFTER THAT.
IT'S PROJECTED THAT THAT RACIAL MINORITIES WILL COMPRISE THE MAJORITY OF THE NATION'S POPULATION.
MEDIAN LA LATINO HOUSEHOLD WEALTH IS PROJECTED TO HIT ZERO 20 YEARS LATER, OR BY 2073 IN SHARP CONTRAST TO MEDIAN WHITE HOUSEHOLD WEALTH, WHICH WILL CLIMB TO $137,000 BY 2053 AND 147,000 BY 2073.
SO AGAIN, IF WE DON'T DO SOMETHING, WE'RE GOING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.
BEING ABLE TO PASS ON AN ASSET MM-HMM.
AND, AND I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE ONE THING, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I WAS THINKING ABOUT IN AT A RECENT, UH, I WAS AT THE NEWARK, GREATER NEWARK CONSERVANCY, AND SOMEBODY, A YOUNG FARMER ASKED THE THIS QUESTION AND THEY SAID, YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU RECONCILE BLACK LAND OWNERSHIP? RIGHT.
WITH THE FACT THAT NATIVE AMERICANS, INDIGENOUS PEOPLE WERE HERE, THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT IDEA ABOUT LAND OWNERSHIP.
THEY DON'T THINK ABOUT OWNING LAND.
THEY, THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT LAND STEWARDSHIP, AND HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU RECONCILE THE TWO WHEN YOU'RE PUSHING BLACK PEOPLE TO OWN LAND? BUT THEN OUR NATIVE AND INDIGENOUS
[01:20:01]
BROTHERS AND SISTERS HAVE A WHOLE DIFFERENT SENSIBILITY.AND I SAID, AND I DUNNO IF THEY LIKED IT, BUT THIS WAS THE PRAGMATIC ANSWER.
IF YOU DON'T OWN IT, YOU CAN'T DO S**T.
AND, AND SO I'M, AND, AND, AND SO LIKE THE, THE PENNIMAN SISTERS, FOR EXAMPLE, RIGHT.
THEY OWN SOUL FIRE FARM, WHICH IS LIKE THE MODEL YES.
OF, FOR THE RETURNING GENERATION.
THEY, THEY GOT ON THIS LAND IN UPSTATE NEW YORK, WORKED IT, CLEARED IT BY HAND, ABOUT 80 ACRES.
AND SINCE THEN THEY HAVE TRAINED, I THINK IT'S ABOUT 10,000 YOUNG BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE WHO HAVE COME TO THAT LAND AND ARE NOW SPREADING OUT, RIGHT.
DOING AGRICULTURAL WORK, OWNING SMALL FARMS. AND WHAT LEAH AND HER HUSBAND JONAH DID, THEY HAVE NOW LIKE TRANSFERRED THAT LAND.
BUT NOW THEY HAVE GIVEN THAT LAND OVER IN, IN, IN AN ENTITY THAT ALLOWS A, A NUMBER OF PEOPLE TO OWN IT, TO WORK IT, FOR IT TO CONTINUE TO THRIVE.
SO I'M SAYING, I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENT MODELS, BUT WE CAN'T, WE DON'T HAVE ANY POWER.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY AGENCY TO MAKE A DIFFERENT KIND OF DECISION IF WE DON'T OWN IT FIRST.
AND THE CHAPTER EIGHT LEAH'S CHAPTER WAS, LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S TRULY A MODEL FOR SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE REPLICATED AROUND THE, THE COUNTRY.
I KNOW WE'LL GET TO QUESTION AND ANSWERS IN A SECOND, BUT I DO WANNA TALK ABOUT YOUR CHAPTER THAT TALKED ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY TO QUEEN SUGAR AND JUST WRITING YOUR WRITING JOURNEY IN THAT, UH, IT WASN'T EASY NO.
IT'S A STORY OF PERSEVERE, PERSEVERANCE, RESILIENCE, UM, AND BETTING ON YOURSELF.
WALK US THROUGH WHAT THAT JOURNEY WAS LIKE, BECAUSE I THINK THAT IT WOULD SERVE AS A TRUE INSPIRATION FOR SO MANY PEOPLE HERE WHO MIGHT HAVE A DREAM THEY WANNA PURSUE, BUT THEY'VE BEEN DISCOURAGED.
BUT YOU FOUGHT THE GOOD FIGHT IN AND YOU WON
SO QUEEN SUGAR TOOK, UH, DEPENDING ON HOW, HOW YOU COUNT IT, ABOUT 11 YEARS FOR ME TO WRITE.
AND THAT WAS ME STARTING WITH THE KERNEL OF AN IDEA FOR A STORY AND PURSUING THAT AND REALLY BELIEVING AGAINST ALL ODDS THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A STORY HERE THAT MEANT SOMETHING.
AND I THOUGHT THAT IF IT MEANT SOMETHING TO ME, MAYBE IT WOULD MAKE MEAN SOMETHING TO OTHER PEOPLE.
IF I COULD JUST FIND THE RIGHT PEOPLE TO SAY YES.
AND YES, IN THAT 11 YEARS, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU HEAR AUTHORS TALK, THEY TALK ABOUT THEIR BOOKS, AND THEY ALMOST MAKE IT SEEM LIKE I JUST SAT DOWN AND WROTE THAT THING, AND IT JUST FLOWED.
THE, IT JUST FLOWED OUT OF ME.
AND THEN THE PUBLISHING WORLD WAS WELCOMING ME WITH OPEN ARMS, AND IT IS NOT LIKE THAT AT ALL.
AND IT CERTAINLY WAS NOT LIKE THAT FOR ME.
AND EVEN AFTER I HAD BEEN, YOU KNOW, I KEPT MY HEAD DOWN FOR 10 YEARS AND I'D WORKED ON THE BOOK AND I THOUGHT IT WAS READY.
I GOT SO MANY REJECTIONS, UH, THE SUMMER OF 2009, WORST SUMMER OF MY LIFE, BECAUSE I JUST GOT A LOT OF REJECTION.
PEOPLE DID NOT, THEY DIDN'T WANT, AGENTS DID NOT WANT TO, THEY WEREN'T INTERESTED IN A STORY ABOUT A BLACK FARMING FAMILY.
AND IT TOOK ANOTHER COUPLE OF YEARS OF ME REWRITING AND REVISING THE BOOK.
I PROBABLY REVISED QUEEN SUGAR 13 TIMES, ALL TOLD.
BUT WHEN I, IT DID FINALLY FIND, UH, ITS, ITS AUDIENCE, THEN IT REALLY KIND OF FLOWED.
AND THE THING THAT I SO APPRECIATE, AND THE THING THAT I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR IS THE FACT THAT IT'S, IT, I KNEW THAT I WAS THINKING ABOUT THESE ISSUES, AND THE THING THAT WAS SO GRATIFYING TO ME WAS TO SEE HOW PEOPLE RESPONDED TO THE BOOK AND THEN TO THE TELEVISION SHOW.
AND PEOPLE WOULD COME TO ME AND THEY WOULD SAY, I HAVE LAND IN MY FAMILY.
AND I WASN'T THINKING ABOUT THIS UNTIL I READ THE BOOK, OR UNTIL I WATCHED AN EPISODE.
AND THAT HAS BEEN THE GRATIFYING THING TO ME, BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE IT HAS, IT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT KIND OF SPARKED THIS NEW CONVERSATION ABOUT LAND OWNERSHIP AND, AND INTERGENERATIONAL WEALTH AND, AND JUST THAT WHOLE CONSTELLATION OF, OF QUESTIONS.
AND THEN THE SHOW THAT CAME OUT OF IT REALLY KIND OF SHOOK PEOPLE UP A LITTLE BIT.
AND GOT, AND, AND, AND ENCOURAGED THEM TO START THINKING.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I SO APPRECIATED ABOUT NEFERTITI'S OPENING COMMENTS WHEN
[01:25:01]
SHE TALKED ABOUT THE SHAME THAT, THAT PEOPLE FEEL RIGHT.WHEN YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE LOSING LAND OR YOU'RE NOT GETTING ALONG WITH YOUR FAMILY, AND THAT IS A REAL THING.
AND I THINK THAT HAS ALSO KEPT PEOPLE FROM BRINGING THESE ISSUES OUT INTO THE LIGHT, YOU KNOW, AND REALLY GRAPPLING WITH THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT EASY.
THEY'RE NOT EASY, BUT WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING UNLESS WE'RE TALKING TO EACH OTHER.
AND UNLESS WE ARE IN TOUCH WITH PEOPLE WHO CAN HELP US MM-HMM.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT PART OF YOUR JOURNEY.
AND I KNOW THAT IT SERVED AS INSPIRATION FOR PEOPLE.
I WAS LISTENING TO AN INTERVIEW BETWEEN OPRAH WINFREY AND AVA DUVERNAY, AND THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT THE BOOK.
SO OPRAH SAID, WELL, SO AVA SAID THAT SHE WENT TO OPRAH'S HOUSE.
I'M USING THEIR FIRST NAMES, LIKE I KNOW THEM, AND I DON'T
BUT, UH, SO SHE WAS JUST SAYING HOW SHE WENT TO MAUI, OPRAH'S BRANCH ON MAUI, AND OPRAH STRATEGICALLY PLACED THE BOOK ON HER AT HER BEDSIDE.
I THINK SHE PUT IT IN THE BATHROOM JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT SHE WOULD READ IT.
SO AVA DUVERNAY SAID, I READ THE BOOK, AND BEFORE SHE GOT HOME, SHE SENT OPRAH A TREATMENT BECAUSE THE BOOK RESONATED WITH HER THAT MUCH.
WHAT WERE THE, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU CAN SHARE IF THERE'S DA, I DON'T KNOW, BUT WHAT CAN YOU SHARE WITH US JUST ABOUT THAT PROCESS MM-HMM.
OF THEM REACHING OUT TO YOU? WHAT THEY SAID, UM, YOUR REACTION YEAH, YEAH.
AND HOW THAT, THAT CAME ABOUT.
SO, UM, WHEN I GOT THE CALL, WELL, I HAD THE GOOD FORTUNE, I'LL, I'LL BACK UP AND I'LL, I'LL MAKE THIS QUICK.
I HAD THE GOOD FORTUNE OF MEETING, UH, OPRAH'S BOOKS EDITOR FOR OO MAGAZINE.
UM, IN THAT YEAR, BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALWAYS ABOUT A YEAR BETWEEN WHEN YOU TURN IN THE FINAL MANUSCRIPT AND WHEN THE BOOK COMES OUT.
AND IN THAT YEAR, I WAS AT A WRITER'S RESIDENCY AND WHO WAS THERE, BUT, UH, OPRAH'S BOOK EDITOR.
AND ONE EVENING I READ A CHAPTER FROM, FROM THE BOOK, AND, UH, HER NAME WAS LEE HABER.
AND I RAN INTO HER THE NEXT DAY AND SHE SAID, YOU KNOW, I REALLY LOVE WHAT YOU READ.
UM, WHY DON'T YOU HAVE YOUR EDITOR SEND ME A COPY OF THE BOOK, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE GALLEYS COME OUT? AND I THOUGHT, OF COURSE, OF COURSE I WILL
AND THEN A FEW MONTHS LATER, WHEN THE BOOK ACTUALLY CAME OUT, I RAN INTO LEE AT THE, UH, LA BOOK FESTIVAL, AND SHE AND I ACTUALLY WERE JUST HAPPENED TO BE STANDING NEXT TO EACH OTHER.
AND SHE SAID, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I HAVE SENT YOUR BOOK.
UH, I'VE PUT IT IN, YOU KNOW, I'VE SENT IT UP THE CHAIN.
AND I SAID, OH MY GOD, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AND SHE SAID, WELL, NO PROMISES, YOU KNOW, THAT, AND A NICKEL WILL GET YOU A CUP OF COFFEE.
SO I THOUGHT, OKAY, WELL, AT LEAST IT'S OUT THERE SOMEPLACE.
MAYBE IT'S IN THE OPRAH UNIVERSE.
SO I WAS DRIVING, A FEW MONTHS LATER, I WAS ON BOOK TOUR, AND, UH, I GOT A CALL FROM MY AGENT SAYING, I JUST GOT A CALL FROM OPRAH WINFREY'S PEOPLE, AND THEY WANT OPTION THE BOOK.
AND, UH, UH, THIS, YOU KNOW, WE WENT THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS AND, UH, WHEN I DID FINALLY HAVE A CHANCE TO MEET, UH, MS. WINFREY, SHE INVITED ME TO HER HOUSE IN MONTICELLO, UH, IN MONTECITO MONTE MONTECITO MONTE.
AND THERE WAS THAT MOMENT WHEN, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M STANDING THERE IN THE FOYER AND KIND OF OFF TO THE SIDE, I HEAR THE VOICE, THE VOICE.
AND THAT WAS THE ONLY MOMENT WHEN I WAS LIKE, LEE, S**T, OH MY GOD.
OH MY GOD, THIS IS, THIS IS, WOW.
AND THAT WAS, UH, OF COURSE, A SPECTACULAR MOMENT.
AND, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING THAT YOU WOULD IMAGINE.
AND SO, WATCHING THE TV SERIES, WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION? BECAUSE WE KNOW WHEN BOOKS TURN INTO MOVIES OR TV SHOWS, IT LOOKS A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
AND SO WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION, UH, WHEN YOU SAW IT? AND I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY IT HIT TV SERIES, BUT YOUR REACTION, AND DO YOU FEEL LIKE IT ACCURATELY PORTRAYED WHAT YOU WROTE IN THE BOOK? YEAH.
YOU KNOW, UM, AVA WAS KIND ENOUGH, UM, AFTER SHE HAD WRITTEN MM-HMM.
SHE CALLED ME AND SHE SAID, YOU KNOW, I'VE MADE SOME CHANGES.
AND SHE WALKED ME THROUGH, YOU KNOW, THE CHANGES THAT SHE'D MADE.
SHE KILLED OFF THE GRANDMOTHER AND MADE ON VIOLENT THE MATRIARCH, AND SHE CHANGED BLUE FROM A GIRL TO A BOY.
AND, BUT, YOU KNOW, HERE'S THE THING.
I REALLY WAS OKAY WITH THOSE CHANGES BECAUSE I UNDERSTOOD THAT A, SHE WAS TRYING TO REACH A BROAD AUDIENCE, AND THAT WAS FINE.
BUT HER, HER, HER CHANGES WERE THOUGHTFUL.
[01:30:01]
AND I COULD SEE HOW THEY WOULD REACH PEOPLE AND RESONATE WITH PEOPLE, AND THAT WAS FINE WITH ME.
UM, AND THE THING THAT I SAID TO BOTH OF THEM, UH, BECAUSE THAT, THAT WEEKEND THAT I SPENT AT OPRAH'S HOUSE, AVA DROVE UP FROM LA AND WE HAD DINNER TOGETHER.
AND THE THING THAT I SAID TO HER WAS, ALL I ASK IS THAT YOU DO TWO THINGS.
FIRST, MAINTAIN THE HEART AND THE SPIRIT OF THE BOOK.
IF YOU DO THAT, I'M FINE WITH WHATEVER CHANGES YOU WANNA MAKE.
AND THEN SECOND, I SAID, PLEASE CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION THAT I STARTED IN THE BOOK.
BECAUSE REMEMBER, THIS TOOK ME 11 YEARS TO WRITE.
I WOULD STILL BE WRITING QUEEN SUGAR IF I WERE TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, ADDRESS ALL OF THE ISSUES THAT HAVE, HAVE COME AND GONE IN THE CULTURE.
AND SO THAT WAS MY SECOND REQUEST, WAS CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION.
AND, YOU KNOW, TELEVISION CAN PIVOT FROM SEASON TO SEASON AND ADDRESS WHAT'S HAPPENING IN WAYS THAT SITTING DOWN WRITING A NOVEL CANNOT.
AND SO THAT'S THE THING THAT I APPRECIATE ABOUT THE SERIES, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING'S HAPPENING.
THEY CAN REWRITE THOSE, THOSE SCRIPTS.
AND, AND THAT'S WHAT, AND THAT'S WHAT I APPRECIATE.
AND SPEAKING OF CONTINUING THE CONVERSATION, AND WE'LL, UH, OPEN IT UP NOW FOR QUESTIONS.
I DO HAVE A, A QUICK QUESTION, THOUGH, AS WE OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS, SHARING OUR STORIES, I THINK THAT EVERYONE HERE IS A STORYTELLER IN THEIR OWN RIGHT.
UM, SOME PEOPLE MIGHT NOT HAVE A, A BIG PLATFORM LIKE A BOOK OR, OR SOCIAL MEDIA OR THE NEWS, BUT WE ALL HAVE SOME VERY, VERY POWERFUL STORIES TO TELL.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT JUST THE STRENGTH IN STORYTELLING AND WHY WE NEED TO DO MORE OF THAT TO REALLY PRESERVE OUR, OUR LEGACY? YEAH.
SO, AND AGAIN, THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I LEARNED FROM WRITING THIS BOOK.
FIRST OF ALL, YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE IN THE STORY THAT YOU'RE TELLING.
AND THAT STORY, IF YOU DO THAT, THE STORY WILL FIND ITS AUDIENCE.
WHETHER THAT'S A NATIONAL AUDIENCE OR A LOCAL AUDIENCE.
BUT THAT'S WHAT YOU REALLY OWE IT TO YOURSELF TO DO, IS BELIEVE IN THE STORY THAT YOU ARE TRYING TO TELL, AND IT'S GONNA TAKE EVERYTHING YOU HAVE TO TELL IT.
IT REALLY IS GOING TO TAKE EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO PULL FROM RESOURCES THAT YOU DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT YOU HAD RIGHT.
TO, TO, TO SIT DOWN AT THE DESK.
AND I'M NOT EVEN TALKING ABOUT TRYING TO PUBLISH A STORY, I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT HAVING THE, THE BELIEF IN YOURSELF TO JUST GET TO THE DESK EVERY DAY.
BUT IF YOU CAN DO THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THIS IS KIND OF, UH, AN ENDEAVOR THAT YOU MAKE TINY STEPS, BUT YOU LOOK BACK AND YOU REALIZE, OH, WOW, I'VE ACTUALLY DONE SOMETHING.
AND SO I WOULD SAY TO ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO TELL A STORY, YOU KNOW, DON'T WAIT, DON'T WAIT.
YOU KNOW, LIFE IS, LIFE IS FLEETING.
IT'S SO SIT DOWN, TELL IT, RECORD IT, WHATEVER YOU HAVE TO DO TO GET THAT STORY OUT.
AND THEN, UM, I WOULD ALSO SAY, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE POWER FOR ME IN STORYTELLING IS THE WAY IT CAN RESONATE WITH OTHER PEOPLE.
YOU THINK THAT THESE ISSUES AND IDEAS ARE ONLY INTERESTING TO YOU, PERHAPS, BUT WHEN YOU FIND YOUR AUDIENCE AND YOU SEE THE WAY IT RESONATES WITH OTHER PEOPLE, AND THEY CAN SEE THEMSELVES IN THE STORIES THAT YOU'RE TELLING, AND THAT'S WHAT I ALSO APPRECIATE, IS THE WAY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TAP INTO THIS, AGAIN, THIS LITTLE, WHAT I THOUGHT OF WAS AS JUST, YOU KNOW, A STORY THAT WAS INTERESTING TO ME, AND IT HAS ALL OF THESE ECHOES AND ALL OF THESE RESIDENCES, RESIDENCES THAT ARE SO MUCH LARGER THAN I WAS EVEN REALLY THINKING ABOUT WHEN I WAS SITTING DOWN TO JUST BATTLE WITH THE PAGE EVERY DAY.
AND IT, THAT HAS BEEN DEEPLY GRATIFYING TO ME FOR YOU, FOR YOU REALLY, REALLY, REALLY GREAT ABOUT, CAN YOU JUST GIVE HER A ROUND OF APPLAUSE,
I DUNNO ABOUT YOU, BUT I FEEL SO INCREDIBLY JUST MOTIVATED, INSPIRED, AND AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, I KNOW, YOU KNOW, YOU ALL WANNA READ QUEEN SUGAR AS WELL, BUT THIS BOOK RIGHT HERE, IT
[01:35:01]
IS, IT'S LIFE CHANGING.AND I THINK IT RESONATES WITH A LOT OF US, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE WE HAVE DEEP TIES TO THE SOUTH, AND IT, UH, YEAH.
IT JUST REFLECTS WHAT OUR FAMILIES HAVE BEEN THROUGH.
SO RIGHT NOW, WE WILL OPEN IT UP FOR Q AND A.
AND RIGHT THERE WE HAVE, I, I LOVE THIS FIRST QUESTION, AND I, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THE PROTOCOL, SO YOU ALL JUST TELL ME.
DO WE GIVE THEM A MIC OR, OH, OH, OKAY.
SO EITHER SIDE YOU CHOOSE, SIR, AND IF YOU COULD JUST, UH, STATE YOUR NAME, WHERE YOU'RE FROM, AND THEN JUST BRIEFLY STATE YOUR QUESTION.
UH, THANK, THANK YOU FOR, UH, COMING TO AUSTIN.
WE, I REALLY ENJOYED YOUR PRESENTATION.
MY NAME IS MICHAEL LEWIS WITH A TX DIGITAL MEDIA.
AND MY QUESTION IS, YOU SAID THAT OWNERSHIP LAND, OWNERSHIP HOME INTER OWNERSHIP IS POWERFUL.
AND BY 2050 SOMETHING BLACK OWNERSHIP WILL BE NEXT TO NOTHING.
AND WHAT STEPS CAN WE DO TO REVERSE THAT TREND? MM-HMM.
WELL, AND YOU KNOW, I, I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS AS I WAS LISTENING TO THE PANELIST EARLIER, UH, TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, REALLY, REALLY GRAPPLING WITH THIS IDEA THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO HANG ON TO LAND THAT OR HOUSE BECAUSE THE TAXES ARE SO INCREDIBLY HIGH.
AND I KNOW THAT THEY'RE HIGH HERE IN TEXAS.
I THOUGHT THEY WERE HIGH IN CALIFORNIA.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND THE THOUGHT THAT OCCURRED TO ME WAS THIS, IN THAT EXAMPLE, THE EXAMPLE THAT YOU POSED OF THE FAMILY WHO YOU HELPED GET TOP DOLLAR, MY QUESTION, MY NEXT QUESTION WOULD BE, WHAT DID THEY DO WITH THE MONEY? RIGHT? BECAUSE MY THINKING WOULD BE, AND IT, AND IT GOES TO YOUR QUESTION, I UNDERSTAND IF A FAMILY CANNOT HOLD ONTO LAND BECAUSE THEY CANNOT AFFORD IT, BUT IF THEY SELL IT, MY THINKING WOULD BE BUY SOMETHING ELSE.
GO OUT, DON'T, DON'T SPEND THAT MONEY AND BUY A CAR, OR USE THAT MONEY AND GO BUY LAND OR AN APARTMENT BUILDING OR SOMETHING THAT, A, YOUR RELATIVES CAN STAY IN, BUT B IS AN ASSET THAT YOUR FAMILY CAN HOLD THAT WILL THEN CONTINUE TO GENERATE WEALTH BECAUSE THAT ASSET WILL, WILL, UH, RISE IN VALUE.
AND THEN THAT CAN BE AN ASSET THAT IF IT'S HELD IN THE PROPER KIND OF ENTITY THAT CAN BE SPINNING OFF RENTAL INCOME FOR GENERATIONS, THEN YOU CAN REFINANCE IT.
WHEN WE START TO UNDERSTAND WHAT LAND OWNERSHIP CAN MEAN, IT'S NOT JUST A STATIC, YOU KNOW, ASSET THAT DOESN'T HAVE A LIFE.
YOU CAN THEN LEVERAGE THAT AND YOU CAN KEEP LEVERAGING THAT FOR, FOR GENERATIONS.
AND SO THAT'S PROBABLY MY FIRST RESPONSE TO YOUR QUESTION, IS WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND HOW THIS SYSTEM WORKS.
WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE TAX CODE.
WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WE HAVE TO HAVE GOOD REAL ESTATE, A, UH, GOOD, GOOD LAWYERS ON OUR SIDE TO HELP US PUT THESE, THESE ASSETS INTO, UH, AN ENTITY THAT WILL OUTLIVE US.
THAT WILL ANTICIPATE MULTI-GENERATIONS AND ALL OF THAT.
BUT IF WE CAN DO THAT, THEN WE HAVE A CHANCE.
SO THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S THE SITTING HERE, THAT'S THE BEST ANSWER TO YOUR, YOUR QUESTION.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE ANSWER THAT YOU GAVE WAS THE SOLUTION TO NOT, TO WHY YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO SELL THE PROPERTY TO BEGIN WITH.
YOU KNOW, IF THE FAMILY COULD WORK TOGETHER YES.
AND COME TO A, A CONSENSUS ON WHAT TO DO OR HOW TO PAY THE TAXES, OR HOW TO CREATE A, UH, AN INCOME GENERATION YEAH.
GENERATING PROPERTY, MAYBE THEY WOULDN'T HAVE HAD TO SELL IT AT THE BEGINNING.
THE CULTURE RIGHT NOW IS SO COUNTER TO EVERYTHING WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, YOU YOUNG KIDS ARE NOT MARRYING AND DOING THOSE THINGS THAT PROVIDE STABILITY, UH, BECAUSE OF THE INTERNET.
YOU CAN WORK ALL OVER THE WORLD.
AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE AN APARTMENT OR A HOUSE.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO BUY FURNITURE.
[01:40:01]
CREATING A, A WHOLE DIFFERENT MINDSET THAT'S GOING COUNTER TO EVERYTHING THAT OUR YOUTH IS BEING EXPOSED TO.AND IT, AND IT'S, AND IT STARTS WITH SOMETHING SIMPLE.
UH, I'LL TELL YOU, MY KIDS, I REMEMBER DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND I GREW UP WITH A GRANDFATHER WHO DESIGNED THE, THE GROUNDS AT HOUSTON TILLERSON IN OUR BACKYARD.
WE HAD PEACHES AND PLUMS AND PEARS.
AND WE GREW OUR OWN VEGETABLES PARTIALLY BECAUSE OF SEGREGATION.
AND THEN I START RAISING KIDS IN THE NEW AMERICA.
AND WE'RE RIDING DOWN THE STREET, AND I SAW A SIGN, UH, YOU COULD PICK YOUR OWN PEACHES.
AND MY KIDS LOOK AT ME AND GO, WHAT DO YOU MEAN PICK YOUR OWN PEACHES,
AND HERE I WAS RAISING KIDS WHO DIDN'T REALIZE PEACHES GROWN TREES.
AND FROM THAT, I STOPPED AND WE DID IT.
AND THEN WE TOOK THEM HOME AND WE MADE PEACH PRESERVES.
AND THAT CREATED A WHOLE DIFFERENT WAY OF THINKING FOR THEM.
SO IT STARTS WITH SOMETHING THAT SIMPLE.
AND, AND, AND TO THAT POINT, THIS IS WHAT THIS BOOK IS ABOUT, RIGHT? YEAH.
THIS IS, THERE ARE STORIES IN THIS BOOK ABOUT YOUNG PEOPLE WHO, I'M THINKING OF KAMAL BELL, A YOUNG BLACK FARMER OUTSIDE OF, UH, DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA, WHO FOUGHT TO GET A LITTLE, A FEW ACRES OF LAND, RIGHT.
HAD TO FIGHT HIS LOCAL U-S-D-A-A OFFICE.
AND HE'S IN HIS KAMAL'S IN HIS THIRTIES, BUT HE FINALLY GOT IT.
AND NOW HE WORKS WITH BRINGING YOUNG BLACK MEN, MEN AND BOYS FROM DURHAM OUT TO HIS FARM SO THAT THEY, AND HE'S A BEEKEEPER AND HE TRAINS THEM IN, YOU KNOW, BEEKEEPING.
AND BECAUSE THIS IS, THIS IS THE LINK THAT WE'RE MISSING, RIGHT? IT'S WHEN WE HAVE A GENERATION WHERE YOUNG PEOPLE THINK THAT PEACHES, YOU GET 'EM AT THE SUPERMARKET AND THEY DON'T HAVE ANY PRACTICAL HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE.
HOW, HOW ARE YOU GONNA BE ABLE TO CONVEY THE IMPORTANCE? MM-HMM.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT IS ENCOURAGING TO ME.
AND WHAT I TRIED TO CELEBRATE IN THIS BOOK IS ALL OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT, THE GENERATION UNDER OURS WHO ARE ENGAGING WITH THEIR COMMUNITY THROUGH THE LENS OF ACTIVISM.
AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE USING THE LAND IN A WAY THAT HOPEFULLY WILL IMPACT MORE GENERATIONS DOWN THE LINE.
AND WE HAVE, OH, SEVERAL PEOPLE IN LINE FOR QUESTIONS.
AND I THINK THAT WE HAVE ABOUT 10 MINUTES, SO JUST KEEP YOUR QUESTIONS BRIEF AND I'LL, AND I'LL TRY TO BE BIG.
HELLO, MY NAME IS JANINE HICKS AND I'M A RECENT TRANSPLANT HERE FROM CALIFORNIA.
UM, I WANTED TO THANK YOU PERSONALLY BECAUSE IT WAS YOUR BOOK AND YOUR SHOW THAT INSPIRED ME TO MOVE TO TEXAS, TO
IT WASN'T UNTIL I GOT HERE THAT I REALIZED THE TAXES.
UM, BUT THAT'S NOT GOING TO DISCOURAGE ME.
UM, SO I'M HERE WITH MY 20-YEAR-OLD SON WHO WANTS TO BE A SINGER.
SO I SAID, IF WE MOVE TO TEXAS, HE WANTED TO COME TO AUSTIN 'CAUSE IT'S THE LIVE CAPITAL OF SINGING OR WHATEVER, THEN YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE OVER THE LAND THAT I ACQUIRE ONCE WE GET THERE.
AND SO WE'VE MADE THAT AGREEMENT AND I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU AGAIN 'CAUSE IT WAS BECAUSE OF YOU THAT I'M HERE.
OR SIR, JUST A SIMPLE THANK YOU, NATALIE, FOR SHARING YOUR GIFT WITH THE WORLD.
AND MY SIMPLE QUESTION, MY NAME IS SETH DOCKERY, AND MY SIMPLE QUESTION IS, WHAT'S NEXT FOR YOU,
UH, ONE OF THE FARMING FAMILIES WHO'S IN THIS BOOK.
UM, YEAH, WE'VE BEEN FILMING WITH THEM FOR ABOUT A YEAR.
I, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE EVER SAID THIS PUBLICLY BREAKING NEWS.
SO WE'RE WORKING ON THIS FILM, YOU KNOW, UH, ABOUT THE, THESE YOUNG FOUR, FOUR YOUNG BROTHERS WHO ARE DYNAMIC AND AMBITIOUS AND REALLY HAVE A GREAT STORY.
SO I'LL ACTUALLY BE WITH THEM, UH, THIS TIME NEXT WEEK, UH, BACK ON THEIR FARM.
AND FILMMAKING, I'M LEARNING ABOUT FILMMAKING, WHICH IS A PROCESS, YOU KNOW, IT'S A PROCESS.
[01:45:02]
YEAH.AND MA'AM, WE ARE READY WHEN YOU ARE.
UM, WHAT WAS HER NAME? I'M SORRY.
'CAUSE WHEN I GOT IN YOU, YOU WERE TALKING.
I'M GOING TO ADD SOMETHING TO WHAT YOU SAID.
SO, BECAUSE SAKE OF TIME, MAYBE A COUPLE OF TOPICS THAT COULD BE, UM, CONVERSATIONS THAT COULD BE ANSWERED EITHER HERE OR AFTER HERE IS, UM, I KNOW I HAD TO STEP OUT AND PUT ME MONEY IN MY METER.
SO YOU MAY HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS ALREADY, BUT TRUST, UH, MS. POOLE, UH, ABOUT BLACK FOLKS, ESPECIALLY ELDERS PUTTING THEIR PROPERTY OR LAND IN TRUST IN ADDITION TO A WILL.
UM, I'M ORIGINALLY FROM CHICAGO.
AND, UM, BEEN LIVING IN AUSTIN SINCE 1989 AND LIVED OTHER PLACES BEFORE HERE.
BUT BEING THE YOUNGEST OF NINE, THERE'S ONLY FOUR OF US LEFT.
AND WE HAVE PROPERTY IN CHICAGO BECAUSE I'M THE YOUNGEST.
NO ONE WILL LISTEN TO ME, BUT EVEN THOUGH I'M ALMOST 70
SO, UM, WHAT CAN WE DO TO, NOT JUST IN MY FAMILY, BUT JUST AS A PEOPLE AND WITHIN OUR FAMILIES, INDIVIDUALS TO NOT JUST HAVE THOSE UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WILLS AND WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN, BUT HAVING LAND IN YOUR FAMILY FROM YOUR PARENTS OR GRANDPARENTS, BUT YOU'RE DOING NOTHING WITH IT IN YOUR GENERATION, BUT YET YOU DON'T WANNA LET IT GO OR YOU DON'T WANNA DO ANYTHING WITH IT WHILE YOU'RE STILL HERE.
AND THEN THE PEOPLE IN THE FAMILY WHO DO WANNA DO SOMETHING BECAUSE YOU HAVE CONTROL AS ADMINISTRATOR, YOU WON'T DO ANYTHING.
SO THAT KIND OF, AND THEN ALSO THE OTHER TOPIC IS THAT BALANCE OF THE DISPARITY BETWEEN LAND OWNERSHIP OR PROPERTY OWNERSHIP WITH A LOT OF BLACK FOLKS WHO ARE GIVING UP THEIR LAND HERE AND THEN REPATRIATING THAT TO AFRICA.
BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE DISPARITY OF THE LAND OWNERSHIP IN THE US THANK YOU.
UM, WELL, FOR THE FIRST QUESTION, I WOULD SAY YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
I MEAN, WE, WE, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE WILL AND, UH, YOU WOULD KNOW BETTER THAN I, BUT THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, YES.
THERE'S A TRUST AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALL, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THOSE, THOSE STRUCTURES IN PLACE.
THAT ANSWERS A LOT OF QUESTIONS FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
IF, IF THAT IS IN PLACE, I CAN'T REALLY SPEAK TO THE QUESTION OF, OF LAND OWNERSHIP IN AFRICA.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT'S WHAT THAT'S LIKE.
UM, BUT I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT, UM, OH, YOU HAD SOMETHING ELSE.
YOU, YOU, YOU SAID YOU MADE A LOT OF GOOD POINTS.
THE LAND OWNERSHIP IN AFRICA WAS NOT IDEA YET COMPARISON, BUT A BALANCING OF BLACK FOLKS MAY NOT HAVE LAND OR RIGHT.
BUT THEY HAVE OR ACQUIRING LAND IN AFRICA OR EVEN THE CARIBBEAN.
SO THAT'S STILL LAND OWNERSHIP.
I, I'M NOT, I I'M NOT, I WOULD NOT NARROW WHAT, WHAT I'M ENCOURAGING IS NOT JUST SAYING HERE IN THE UNITED STATES ANYWHERE, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
THAT'S, THAT'S SELF-DETERMINATION.
SO I WOULD SAY WHEREVER YOU CAN GET IT, GET SOLUTION.
AND WE HAVE ABOUT THREE MORE MINUTES.
MY NAME IS WILLIE CULVERSON AND I'M FROM BASTROP COUNTY.
IT'S WOOD CANADA OUT, AND I AM A LANDOWNER.
WE, I OWN LAND OUT ON THE COLORADO RIVER AND I RUN A SMALL CATTLE OPERATION.
SO WHAT WE IN, WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT I RETIRED IN 2017.
I WAS THE DIRECTOR OF AVIATION OPERATION FOR STARLIGHT IN AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY, ONE OF THE RESCUE PILOTS.
I RETIRED IN 2017 AND MOVED BACK TO SMITHVILLE, WHICH IS WHERE WE ARE NOW.
FIRST IT'S HOME, I MOVED BACK HOME.
BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, WHEN I RETIRED, I DIDN'T NEED THE TRAFFIC AND I DIDN'T NEED THE ADDITIONAL TAXES THAT YOU PAY IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
THE TAXES EVEN GET THE LARGER PLACE WITH MORE LAND.
[01:50:01]
THAT I RUN INTO THERE IS THAT THEY KEEP CHANGING THE RULES.AND, UH, THESE ARE THE PROBLEMS THAT I SEE.
THE LADY ATTORNEY, SHE SAID, CAN I HEAD AN AGREEMENT? FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, YOU LOOK AT THE EQUITY IN YOUR HOUSE TO HAVE A LOT OF EQUITY IN MY HOME, BUT MY HOME ITSELF, NOT GETTING THE LAND THAT I HAVE FOR THE CATTLE AND PERFORMING IS ON 10.2 ACRES BECAUSE IT'S ON 10.2 ACRES.
I CANNOT GET A HOME EQUITY LOAN BECAUSE OF THE 0.2.
THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT HAPPEN TO PEOPLE THAT CAUSE THEM TO SUFFER AND NOT TO BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A LOT OF THINGS THAT'S RIGHT THERE THAT YOU COULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF.
'CAUSE I COULD TAKE THE EQUITY OUT OF THE HOME AND ADD TO MY CATTLE OPERATION, BUT YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO DO THAT BECAUSE OF BOTH THINGS LIKE THAT.
IN ADDITION, THEY JUST HAD ANOTHER DEAL THAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOR THE BLACK FARMERS AND, UH, LADY FARMERS, SOME JUDGE HERE DECIDED HE WOULD BLOCK IT IN TEXAS.
SO THESE ARE THE THINGS WE HAVE TO COME, THESE ARE THE CONSTANT STRUGGLES WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH.
BUT WHATEVER YOU DO, THE ADVICE YOU GOT HERE TODAY TO HANG ONTO THE LAND, DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO AND WORK IT BECAUSE IT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE.
AG EXEMPTIONS IS A BIG POSITIVE THING TO HAVE IN THE COUNTRY.
IT SAVE YOU ON TAXES AND IT ALSO SAVE YOU MONEY WHEN YOU GO TO THE STORE TO PURCHASE THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO KEEP YOUR FARM UP AND GOING.
YES, YOU DON'T PAY TAX ON A LOT OF THINGS, BUT IT'S NOT EASY.
AND IT TAKES A LOT OF, UH, ENDURANCE.
IT'S, UH, A HUNDRED AND UH, CLOSE TO A HUNDRED DEGREES OUT THERE AND, UH, AND CLIMATE.
AND, UH, I'M GETTING, AND I'M 73 NOW.
SO I'M NOT GETTING ANY YOUNGER.
BUT YOU HAVE, I COULD STILL GET OUT THERE AND DO IT, SO I DO IT.
BUT MY ADVICE IS TO HOW YOU HANG ON TO YOUR LAND, DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO, MAKE SURE YOU GET THINGS DOCUMENTED, HAVE A WILL OR A, WE HAVE A LIVING TRUST IN MY FAMILY AND MYSELF THAT WE KEEP UPDATED.
BUT THAT'S ALL VERY IMPORTANT.
SO WE DO HAVE TWO MORE QUESTIONS.
DO WE HAVE TIME? I DON'T WANNA GET IN TROUBLE, BUT I DO WANT EVERYONE TO OH, OKAY.
SO SIR, I'M GONNA START OVER HERE FIRST AND THEN I'LL, I'LL COME DOWN.
I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR A WHILE, SO WE'LL, YEAH.
MY NAME IS ALTHEA ADAMS AND A LOT OF THINGS THAT, UH, HAVE BEEN SPOKEN ABOUT.
I HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH, I HAVE SOME PROPERTY BACK HOME IN, UH, JASPER COUNTY.
AND, UH, I'VE, EVERY EDUCATIONAL SEMINAR I HAVE, UH, HEARD OF REGARDING TO LAND, I HAVE STARTED TO EDUCATE MYSELF ABOUT PURVIEW.
A M HAS A WONDERFUL AFRICAN AMERICAN LAND RETENTION SYMPOSIUM EVERY YEAR.
AND EVERYONE THAT I KNOW THAT, UM, HAS LAND, I'VE BEEN TRYING TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, UH, ATTEND THAT.
AND I, FROM THAT SYMPOSIUM, I HAVE, UH, STARTED DOING MY ESTATE PLANNING.
UH, AND THE RESOURCES THAT I'VE GATHERED FROM THAT IS SO VALUABLE TO WHERE THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY COMMUNICATE TO COME UP, WHATEVER YOU CAN DO WITH THE LAND.
BECAUSE I'M HERE IN AUSTIN, I AM JUST, LIKE I SAY, IT IS, IT'S A WEEKLY THING THAT I AM DOING TRYING TO, UH, LOOKING AT MY FUTURE.
'CAUSE WHEN I HEARD THAT SAME, UH, STATISTICS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WAS LOSING LAND AND I'M LIKE, THAT SHOULD NOT BE.
AND SO FROM THERE I STARTED TO JUST TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT CAN I DO? I SAW WHAT IT DID TO MY MOM, IT STRESSED HER OUT.
AND FOR WHATEVER REASON GOD HAD SEEN THAT, YOU KNOW, SHE GIFTED TO ME.
AND FROM THERE I SAID, I DON'T WANNA, I WANNA MAKE THEM PROUD.
SO LIKE I SAY, THE WORKSHOPS, AFRICAN AMERICAN LAND RETENTION, UH, PRAIRIE A M, SO MUCH INFORMATION AND RESOURCES THAT WE CAN GATHER FROM THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE WHAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE THE LEGACY.
AND THAT'S WHAT'S GOT ME TO STARTING.
UM, THAT IS A RARE THING TO SEE YOU NOWADAYS.
I HAVE, WE'LL SAY TWO QUESTIONS.
THE FIRST ONE'S FOR THE AUDIENCE, WHAT IS THE OLDEST AUSTIN RESIDENT
[01:55:01]
HERE RIGHT NOW? IF YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU'RE THE OLDEST AUSTIN RESIDENT, RAISE YOUR HAND OR STAND UP.THE OLDEST, THE PERSON WHO'S BEEN HERE THE LONGEST, UH, MA'AM, YOU, YOU SAID 1989.
I WAS BORN IN 86, SO I BEAT YOU.
NOW THE NEXT QUESTION ADJACENT TO THAT IS WHO IS THE YOUNGEST PERSON HERE? IF YOU THINK THAT YOU'RE THE YOUNGEST PERSON, STAND UP.
SO DOES ANYBODY BEAT THAT? 31.
SO ONE PERSON IN THEIR TWENTIES SO FAR I DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING ELSE.
AND I TAKE IT AS A PERSONAL FRONT THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS PUTTING THIS ON.
AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS 'CAUSE THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAD A MANDATE IN THE 1970S.
IT STARTED IN THE 1950S TO THE 1970S THAT INTENTIONALLY PUSHED ALL BLACK PEOPLE TO THE EAST SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY.
SO IT STARTED, IT STARTED IN 1928.
THAT WAS THEIR, THAT WAS WHEN THEY WROTE IT.
BUT IT LASTED ALL THE WAY UNTIL 1970S WHERE THEY WOULD NOT TURN ON YOUR ELECTRICITY, ANY OF YOUR UTILITIES, UNLESS YOU WERE ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY.
NOW WHAT COULD HAPPEN? YOU COULD BUY A HOUSE ON THE WEST SIDE AND YOU COULDN'T HAVE ANYTHING IN THAT HOUSE, NO ELECTRICITY, NO WATER, NOTHING.
RIGHT? THAT'S AN ISSUE BECAUSE THAT IS CITY MANDATED.
NOW, WHEN I WAS DOING SECURITY FOR, UH, UH, UH, A BLACK EVENT, PROBABLY ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO, I HAD AUSTIN POLICE OFFICERS WERE AT THIS EVENT BECAUSE THERE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A GANG RETALIATION.
AS HE'S TALKING TO ME, HE WAS LIKE, OH YEAH, YOU'RE GOOD AT WHAT YOU DO, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.
WHY DON'T YOU JOIN A PD? I WAS LIKE, I DON'T WANT TO.
AND HE SAID, WELL, WE'RE GETTING ALL THE RIFFRAFF OUT OF AUSTIN.
AND I WAS LIKE, WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY RIFFRAFF? HE SAID, OVER WHERE YOU LIVE.
BECAUSE I TOLD HIM WHERE I LIVE, WHICH IS THE EAST SIDE OF AUSTIN.
HE SAID, WE PUSHED EVERYBODY OUT.
SO THIS IS FROM THE ENTIRE CITY OF AUSTIN, PUSHING OUT WHAT THEY DETERMINED AS RIFFRAFF, WHICH IS NOTHING MORE THAN BLACK PEOPLE.
AND THEY ARE INTENTIONALLY DOING THIS.
AND NOW YOU'RE GOING TO COME HERE AND TELL ME HOW TO OWN LAND.
I KNOW YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT I NEED TO WRAP IT UP, BUT COME ON, LET'S BE REAL.
LOOK, THE SECOND QUESTION IS, WHAT IS THE CITY OF AUSTIN DOING TO MAKE AMENDS FOR WHAT THEY INTENTIONALLY DONE? PUTTING UT AUSTIN IN THE MIDDLE OF BLACK OWNED LAND, NOW THEY HAVE EVERYBODY COMING TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, BUYING UP ALL THE PROPERTY, PUSHING US OUT WITH INCREASED TAXES, INCREASED POLICE PRESENCE, AND THEN WE WERE IN ROSEWOOD
AND THE WHITE NEIGHBORS HAD A PROBLEM AND CALL THE POLICE ON US.
WE DON'T EVEN OWN THE AREA AROUND OUR PARKS.
AND SO NOW Y Y'ALL CAN CALL THE POLICE AND PUSH US OUT.
AND THEN YOU HAVE A SYMPOSIUM TALKING ABOUT BLACK LAND OWNER.
WHY ARE Y'ALL KICKING US OUT TOMORROW? I'M FLYING TO COLORADO TO HELP A FARMER WHOSE NEIGHBOR TRIED TO PUSH THEM OUT OF THEIR LAND.
I SPENT 11 OUTTA 21 DAYS IN COLORADO PROTECTING THIS FAMILY, LITERALLY PROTECTING THIS FAMILY.
EVERYBODY THOUGHT I LOST MY MIND.
YOU'RE NOT GONNA COME TAKE THIS FAMILY'S LAND.
SOMEBODY SAID THAT THEY OWNED A THOUSAND ACRES.
THAT DOESN'T SOUND REAL TO ME.
I WENT THERE, THEY OWNED A THOUSAND ACRES AND THE PEOPLE WERE LITERALLY TRYING TO PUSH THEM OFF THE LAND.
[02:00:03]
I SPENT THE ENTIRE MORNING COUNTING CATTLE AND THEY CALLED THE POLICE ON ME, SAID THAT I POINTED GUNS AT THEM.I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A GUN IN MY HAND.
SO WHEN THIS STUFF HAPPENS IN 2024, IN REAL LIFE, IT'S HAPPENING ALL OVER THE NATION.
BUT THEN YOU HAVE A SYMPOSIUM TRYING TO TELL US HOW TO OWN LAND.
WHEN YOU STOLE IT FROM US, YOU INTENTIONALLY PUT US OVER HERE, DROVE PROPERTY VALUE DOWN, AND THEN YOU COME UP AND BUY IT ALL FROM US, RAISE THE TAXES TO WHERE WE CAN'T AFFORD TO KEEP PAYING FOR IT.
SO WHAT'S THE ANSWER TO THAT? WE HAVE 27-YEAR-OLD IS THE YOUNGEST PERSON HERE AND THE OLDEST PERSON HERE, WE HAD TO SEARCH HIGH AND LOW TO FIND THEM.
I I DO APPRECIATE YOUR TIME, UM, THAT YOU HAVE COME TO SHARE WITH US YOUR FRUSTRATIONS AND YOUR CONCERN.
I ALSO, I WILL, UM, I I DON'T HAVE TIME TO RESPOND TODAY.
I WILL JUST BRIEFLY SAY SOMETHING.
I ALSO WANNA RESPECT OUR LAST GUEST AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE SAYING, WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS LEGITIMATE.
RIGHT? AND THIS IS A REASON WHY, UH, WE NEED TO HOLD THESE SPACES BECAUSE THOSE ARE CONCERNS, THOSE ARE FRUSTRATIONS.
THOSE ARE THE REALITIES OF MANY BLACK AFRICAN AMERICAN FAMILIES IN AUSTIN.
RIGHT? AND SO, BUT THIS ISN'T NOT JUST HAPPENING IN AUSTIN, IT'S HAPPENING TO BLACK PEOPLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY, ACROSS, I KNOW WE ONLY 0.33% OF THE ENTIRE NATION.
BUT I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH YOU AFTERWARDS SO WE CAN CONTINUE AND, AND CREATE ANOTHER SPACE WHERE WE COULD HAVE MORE DIALOGUES AND MORE TIMES FOR Q AND A.
SO I DO APOLOGIZE THAT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME.
WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU GUYS.
THIS WAS A DYNAMIC CONVERSATION AND WE ARE GONNA RECOGNIZE OUR NEXT SPEAKER.
BUT CAN WE GIVE MS. BAZILE AND JENNIFER SANDERS A HAND? AND, UM, I DON'T, YES, YOU CAN.
DO YOU GUYS NEED A DO YOU NEED AN INTERMISSION? I HOPE WE DON'T.
YOU NEED AN INTERMISSION? OKAY.
WE'LL GIVE YOU, WE'LL GIVE A FIVE MINUTE, BUT I THINK IT'S GONNA BE HARD TO GET YOU GUYS BACK.
IS IT GONNA BE HARD TO GET YOU BACK? NO.
I MEANT YOU, YOU, YOU WANT ME? YOU YOU GOT ME RIGHT? YOU CAN PUT ME UP HERE.
ALRIGHT, Y'ALL, LET'S GO AHEAD AND, AND GET OURSELVES SITUATED.
UM, LET'S GET OURSELVES SITUATED, PLEASE.
[Understanding the Historic Origins of Community Land Trusts and the Promises that Organizers Hoped to Achieve]
UM, WE ARE, I THINK NOT THINK I, I KNOW WE ARE TRULY IN FOR A TREAT.TRULY, TRULY, TRULY ARE IN FOR A, A TREAT, A MAGNIFICENT TREAT.
AND I WILL SAY AFTER LISTENING TO THIS PAST PANEL, UM, THAT WENT ON, I THINK IT'S ONE THING THAT I SAT THERE THINKING ABOUT.
I ALWAYS REMEMBER MY MOTHER WAS SAYING, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO BE IN THE KNOW.
BECAUSE SO OFTEN WE ARE, WE AREN'T IN THE KNOW OF THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING.
AND FOR ME, THE KNOW IS NOT ONLY OUR HISTORIES, WHICH MANY OF MANY PEOPLE I DON'T THINK KNOW ENOUGH OF, TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND HOW OUR HISTORIES IMPACT OUR CURRENT SITUATIONS.
AND FOR ME, IT IS SOMETHING THAT I FEEL LIKE WE MUST RECOGNIZE IN THESE TYPE OF SPACES.
BECAUSE WHEN WE DO GET IN THE KNOW, WE CAN UNDERSTAND THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING, EDUCATE OURSELVES TO BE ABLE TO ATTACK SOME OF THESE ISSUES THAT GO ON, RIGHT? AND I THINK THAT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
TO THE, TO THE LAST GENTLEMAN WHO SPOKE, UM, WHO GREW UP IN AUSTIN AS WELL TOO, IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN THIS CITY.
IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT WE UNDERSTAND THE HISTORY AND THE LEGACIES OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE BLACK, WHAT IT MEANS TO BE SOME PEOPLE THAT EMERGE OUT OF THIS SYSTEM.
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE KNOW THESE THINGS BECAUSE IF WE DON'T KNOW THEM, WE WON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THESE THINGS HAPPENED.
AND LARGELY, AS I AM CONTINUING TO MOVE ABOUT IN THIS WORLD, I DEEPLY HAVE UNDERSTOOD HOW POLICIES WORK AND INSTITUTIONAL THINGS WORK
[02:05:01]
FOR US TO SEE HOW THESE THINGS HAPPEN.'CAUSE SOME THINGS DON'T JUST HAPPEN OVERNIGHT.
SOME THINGS ARE AT THESE MEETINGS THAT WE DON'T KNOW THAT HAPPEN.
SOME THINGS ARE AT THESE MEETINGS THAT HAPPEN AT FIVE O'CLOCK ON A TWO, FOUR O'CLOCK ON A TUESDAY WHEN MOST PEOPLE ARE WORKING THESE ARE, THESE ARE INTENTIONAL THINGS THAT HAPPEN.
AND WE KNOW WE NEED TO BE IN THE KNOW TO BE ABLE TO ACT, AND WE NEED TO EDUCATE OURSELVES.
AND I THINK THIS NEXT, I WILL NOT, I'M GONNA STOP SAYING, I THINK I KNOW, ESPECIALLY AFTER BEING INTRODUCED TO MRS. SHIRLEY SHARA'S WORK LONG BEFORE BEING ASKED TO BE THE MC FOR THIS EVENT.
THIS WAS SOMEBODY WHO GOT IN THE KNOW, THIS IS SOMEBODY WHO MIGHT NOT HAVE KNOWN EXACTLY BUT WHEN THEY FIRST STARTED OUT, BUT WHEN THEY GOT IN THE KNOW, USE THE KNOW UNTIL IT STARTED TO IMPACT THEM NEGATIVE.
BUT WE HAVE TO GET IN THE KNOW.
AND WE ARE VERY LUCKY TO HAVE MS. SHIRLEY SHERROD WITH US IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, TO TALK ABOUT THE STRUGGLES THAT SHE HAS LED, THE EFFORTS THAT SHE HAS LED IN THIS COUNTRY ABOUT LAND OWNERSHIP.
AND SO THIS IS A AMAZING OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO LISTEN, TO LEARN, AND HOPEFULLY USE WHAT SHE'S GOING TO SAY AND SHARE WITH US TO OUR BENEFITS.
NOT ONLY PERSON PERSONALLY, BUT COLLECTIVELY.
AND IF YOU ALL DON'T KNOW WHO SHIRLEY SHERROD IS, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A SMALL INTRODUCTION SO YOU CAN BE LIKE, WHAT THIS GUY SO FIRED UP ABOUT
AND I GOT A PHD SO Y'ALL COULD TELL ME IF THAT WAS GOOD ENGLISH OR NOT.
BUT Y'ALL SHOULD HAVE BEEN NEW
YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN NEW THIS ONE.
BUT, ALRIGHT, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DO NOT KNOW, I'M HAPPY TO SHARE.
THAT'S MY CITY OF AUSTIN BOY THOUGH.
SO SHIRLEY SHERROD IS THE CO-FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE SOUTHWEST GEORGIA PROJECT FOR COMMUNITY EDUCATION.
AND THE CO-FOUNDER AND VICE PRESIDENT FOR NEW COMMUNITIES, INC.
THE FIRST COMMUNITY LAND TRUST IN THE UNITED STATES.
SHE WORKS TO ADVANCE SYSTEMIC EQUALITY, EQUITY, AND JUSTICE, NAMELY IN FOOD, AGRICULTURE, AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT SECTORS THROUGH TRAINING AND ADVOCACY.
SHIRLEY IS NO STRANGER TO THIS WORK.
IN 2009, SHE WAS APPOINTED BY THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION AS THE GEORGIA STATE DIRECTOR OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
SHE BECAME THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN TO HOLD THIS POSITION BEFORE THIS APPOINTMENT.
SHIRLEY SPENT DECADES WITH THE FEDERATION OF SOUTHERN COOPERATIVES, WHERE SHE HELPED BLACK FARMERS OVERCOME THE OBSTACLES OF FARMING WHILE BLACK THROUGH OUTREACH AND COOPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT.
SHIRLEY BECAME ACTIVE IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT IN 1965 AND AFTER THE MURDER OF HER FATHER WHEN SHE WAS 17 YEARS OLD.
THIS HAS HAD A PROFOUND IMPACT ON HER LIFE AND LED HER TO THE DECISION TO STAY IN THE SOUTH AND HELP BUILD A MORE JUST SYSTEM.
SHIRLEY HAS A BA IN SOCIOLOGY FROM ALBANY STATE UNIVERSITY IN ALBANY, GEORGIA, AND AN MA IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FROM ANTIOCH UNIVERSITY IN YELLOW SPRINGS, OHIO.
IN 2015, SHE WAS AWARDED AN HONORARY DOCTORATE FROM URNER DOUGLAS COLLEGE IN BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.
SHE'S THE RECIPIENT OF MANY AWARDS, INCLUDING THE JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION, ESTELLE WITHERSPOON LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD AWARD.
AND SHE HAS BEEN INDUCTED INTO THE NATIONAL CO-OP HALL OF FAME.
SHIRLEY IS ALSO A KELLOGG FOUNDATION NATIONAL PRO FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM FELLOW, Y'ALL WELCOME DR.
SHERROD WILL BE, WILL BE IN CONVERSATION TODAY WITH NEFERTITI JACKMAN NEFERTITI.
JACKMAN E IS A CULTURAL STRATEGIST SERVING AS A COMMUNITY DISPLACEMENT FOR PREVENTION OFFICER FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN IN THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
SHE'S RESPONSIBLE FOR SPEARHEADING THE DEVELOPMENT OF PROGRAMS AND STRATEGIES TO PREVENT DISPLACEMENT OF VULNERABLE HOUSEHOLDS, INCLUDING THE $300 MILLION, $300 MILLION ANTI DISPLACEMENT INVESTMENT FOR PROJECT CONNECT DESCRIBED AS A COMPREHENSIVE TRANSIT SYSTEM EXPANSION THAT WILL HELP TRANSFORM AUSTIN INTO ONE OF THE MOST SUSTAINABLE, INCLUSIVE, INNOVATIVE REGIONS IN THE COUNTRY.
WHEN SHE BEGAN WORKING FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN IN OCTOBER, 2019, SHE OVERSAW ONE, ONE PROGRAM THAT HAD NO STAFF.
TODAY SHE LEADS A TEAM OF 17 PEOPLE, AND THEY HAVE DESIGNED, IMPLEMENTED, EXPANDED PROGRAMS TO PROVIDE MORE THAN 25 PRIORITY INVESTMENTS TO HELP MEET THE NEEDS OF VULNERABLE HOUSEHOLDS THROUGHOUT AUSTIN HALEN FROM CALIFORNIA WITH EXTENSIVE ROOTS IN TEXAS.
SHE BELIEVES IF BEYONCE, WHAT IF BEYONCE CAN BE A TEX TBA? SHE'S A TALITY.
OH HELL, YOU DUNNO, BEYONCE BECAUSE HE DIDN'T SAY
[02:10:01]
THAT, RIGHT? RIGHT.YOU GOT HOT SAUCE IN YOUR PURSE.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT IS HER DEEP LOVE FOR FAMILY COMMUNITY, AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE THAT CENTERS OR, AND FUELS HER PASSION.
SO NONETHELESS, TURN IT OVER TO MS. JACKMAN TO BE IN CONVERSATION WITH DR.
WE ARE GONNA GET STARTED RIGHT AWAY BECAUSE I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND I WANNA MAKE SURE, UH, WE LEAVE ENOUGH TIME SO THAT YOU CAN, UM, PRESENT YOUR QUESTIONS AS WELL.
I WILL SAY BEFORE YOU LEAVE, I DON'T WANT YOU TO LEAVE BEFORE THIS IS OVER, BUT IF YOU ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO, WE HAVE A LOT OF FOOD THAT I HOPE YOU WILL ENJOY.
SO WE WON'T HAVE TO CARRY FOOD UP OUT OF THIS PLACE.
BUT IF YOU MUST, BEFORE THE EVENT IS OVER, UH, THERE'S FOOD, UH, THAT WE HAVE BROUGHT AS PART OF OUR RECEPTION CELEBRATION.
I, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE CERTAIN PEOPLE THAT I FAN OVER AND I, YOU KNOW, LIKE JAVIER WALLACE, I'VE BEEN READING, UM, MRS. SHERROD'S STORY FOR MANY YEARS.
AND, UH, IT IS TRULY A STORY OF ENDURANCE.
I THINK THAT'S THE ONE OF THE MOST DYNAMIC THINGS THAT I CAN SAY, UM, ENDURANCE AND PERSISTENCE.
BUT, UH, JAVIER PROVIDED SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON YOU.
UH, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO START WITH THE STORY ABOUT YOUR FATHER.
I KNOW IT'S A PAINFUL STORY, AND I'M SURE IT'S STILL PAINFUL MANY YEARS LATER, BUT I THINK IT, IT WAS SORT OF THE GENESIS IN TERMS OF WHY YOU STARTED THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
AND CAN YOU SHARE THAT STORY WITH US? WELL, LET ME TELL YOU, I WAS ONE OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS GROWING UP ON THE FARM, PICKING COTTON.
AND, AND BACK THEN WE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE AN ELECTRIC.
WELL, THAT MEANT YOU HAD TO PUMP ALL OF THE WATER FOR THE ANIMALS, THE HOUSEHOLD AND EVERYTHING.
AND THEN I GREW UP IN A COUNTY THAT HAD THE SHERIFF WITH THE WORST, UM, REPUTATION IN THE AREA, AND ONE THAT BEFORE HIM THAT, UM, LED TO A LANDMARK CASE THAT WE ALL DEAL WITH TODAY, TODAY, WHICH IS PROVEN INTENT.
THE SHERIFF BEFORE HIM, UH, LYNCHED A BLACK MAN AND, UM, AND AN ALL WHITE FEDERAL JURY CONVICTED HIM NOT OF MURDER, BUT OF DEPRIVING BOBBY HALL OF HIS CIVIL RIGHTS.
AND HE APPEALED IT ALL THE WAY TO THE US SUPREME COURT WHERE THE CONVICTION WAS OVERTURNED.
AND THEY SAID, UH, IN ORDER TO FIND HIM GUILTY, YOU HAD TO PROVE THAT AS HE WAS MURDERING HIM, HE WAS THINKING OF DEPRIVING HIM OF HIS CIVIL RIGHTS.
SO THAT'S, I WANTED TO SHARE THAT LITTLE BACKGROUND FROM, FROM, FROM WHERE YOU KNOW, ABOUT WHERE I WAS, WHERE I'M FROM.
UM, SO AS I WAS, UM, GOING THROUGH SCHOOL, MY GOAL WAS TO, AND ONE OTHER LITTLE THING I NEED TO TELL YOU, MY FAMILY, I DON'T KNOW WHEN THEY ARRIVED IN BAKER COUNTY, GEORGIA, BUT I KNOW I FOUND IN THE 1867 CENSUS, MY GREAT, GREAT GRANDPARENTS REGISTERED TO VOTE IN JULY, 1867.
SO I KNOW THEY WERE THERE THEN.
AND THEN THEY WORKED TOGETHER AS A UNIT, AS A FAMILY TO HAVE HELP EACH FAMILY UNIT BUY LAND.
SO ALL TOGETHER, MAYBE 3000 OR MORE ACRES.
AND, UH, MY, MY GREAT GRANDFATHER SERVED, CAN CAN, CAN WE PAUSE? DID YOU GUYS HEAR WHAT SHE SAID?
THEY WORKED TOGETHER TO HELP FAMILIES PURCHASE OVER 3000 ACRES OF LAND.
AND IT'S CALLED HAWKINS TOWN TODAY.
'CAUSE THEY WERE HAWKINS AND, AND THEY ORGANIZED THEMSELVES.
MY, MY GRANDMOTHER'S FATHER, MY GREAT-GRANDMA, GRANDFATHER WAS THE JUDGE, YOU KNOW.
SO THE FAMILY ALLOWED HIM, IF THERE WAS A DISPUTE IN THE FAMILY, WHATEVER HE RULED ON WAS WHAT EVERYONE WOULD ABIDE BY.
SO YOU HAVE HAWKINS TOWN TODAY, AND I, SO I GREW UP AROUND FAMILY AND WORKING HARD ON THE FARM AND ALL, AND THEN BEING IN A, IN A COUNTY WHERE THE SHERIFF ACTUALLY HAD ROADBLOCKS WHERE YOU COULDN'T RIDE THROUGH WITHOUT PAYING AND YOU COULD BE KILLED IF YOU WERE BLACK.
SO IN ALL OF THAT, I'M DECIDING THAT I'M NOT GONNA SPEND MY LIFE IN BAKER COUNTY.
AND OTHER THING I SHOULD TELL YOU ABOUT THE AREA SURROUNDED BY BIG PLANTATIONS, ROBERT WOODRUFF, WHO WAS CHAIR OF COCA-COLA, 33,000 ACRE PLANTATION.
SOME OF HIS LAND WAS ADJOINING OUR LAND, UM, POUNDING PLANTATION.
THE MELONS OUT OF PENNSYLVANIA, 25,000 ACRE PLANTATION.
I COULD GO ON AND ON ABOUT THE PLANTATIONS
[02:15:01]
IN THE AREA.UM, SO I'M DECIDING, THIS IS NOT FOR ME.
I DON'T WANNA DO THIS FARM WORK IN MY, IN MY LIFE.
AND, UH, I WANTED TO GET OUTTA BAKER COUNTY.
SO I COULDN'T TELL MY FATHER THAT THERE WERE, HE, HE WOULD'VE BEEN SATISFIED.
THERE WERE FIVE GIRLS AT THAT TIME, AND HE WOULD'VE BEEN SATISFIED TO HAVE ALL OF US GO TO COLLEGE, BUT COME BACK AND BUILD A HOUSE RIGHT THERE ON THE FARM,
SO I COULDN'T SHARE WITH HIM THAT I DIDN'T, THAT THAT WAS NOT MY DREAM.
UM, AND SO I WAS SECRETLY, I'M A SENIOR IN HIGH SCHOOL, MY FATHER'S ABOUT AS HAPPY AS ANY MAN COULD BE, AND WE COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON.
'CAUSE MY MOTHER WAS SICK ALL THE TIME.
AND AT SCHOOL ONE DAY, MY BEST FRIEND SAID, HOW'S YOUR MOM? SHE, I SAID, SHE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE GETTING ANY BETTER.
SHE SAID, GIRL, YOUR MAMA'S GONNA HAVE A BABY.
YOUR DADDY WAS AT THE C AT THE STORE YESTERDAY GIVING US CIGARS.
HE TOLD EVERYBODY, THIS IS THE BOY, NOW YOU'VE HAD FIVE GIRLS, BUT HE'S SAYING THIS IS THE BOY.
SO HE WAS HAVING A HOME BUILT, THINGS WERE GOING VERY WELL FOR US ON THE FARM.
I WAS ABOUT TO GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL.
HE DIDN'T REALIZE I WAS APPLYING TO SCHOOLS IN THE NORTH AND NOT IN THE SOUTH.
I HAD THIS IDEA THAT YOU PROBABLY FIND YOUR HUSBAND AT, AT COLLEGE.
AND I DIDN'T WANNA, I DIDN'T WANNA RISK FINDING ONE FROM THE SOUTH
BUT ON MARCH THE 15TH, 1965, UH, WELL ACTUALLY THE DAY BEFORE THIS WHITE FARMER HAD SOME CATTLE.
AND IN 63, HIS, SOME OF HIS COWS HAD GOTTEN INTO OUR PASTURE AND THERE WAS ONE THEY COULDN'T ROUND UP.
WE ACTUALLY MET HIM ON THE ROAD.
WE WERE ON OUR WAY TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY MORNING.
AND MY FATHER SAID, UM, COME AROUND TO THE PASTOR AT NINE.
I'LL GET SOME OTHERS TO COME TO HELP.
UM, THE NEXT DAY I'M AT SCHOOL, THE PRINCIPAL CALLED ME TO THE OFFICE.
UM, AND THEY TOLD ME THAT MY FATHER HAD BEEN SHOT.
THIS WAS ELEMENTARY AND HIGH SCHOOL.
SO THEY CALLED ME FIRST, AND THEN THEY GOT MY OTHER SISTERS, UM, TO COME.
NOW THE, EVEN THE TEACHERS, THEY'RE AFRAID TO TRY TO TAKE US TO THE NEXT COUNTY, TO THE HOSPITAL.
'CAUSE THEY WERE AFRAID TO BE SEEN WITH US, YOU KNOW? BUT FINALLY ONE OF THEM DECIDED TO DO IT.
BUT BY THEN THEY HAD MOVED THEM TO THE HOSPITAL IN ALBANY.
HE LINGERED FOR 10 DAYS BEFORE DYING.
AND, YOU KNOW, I REALLY THOUGHT UP UNTIL ABOUT THE EIGHTH DAY, I THOUGHT HE WOULD LIVE, BUT HE DIDN'T.
AND SO, AS THE OLDEST, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WERE COMING.
MY MOTHER WAS SEVEN MONTHS PREGNANT.
UM, PEOPLE WERE COMING TO, TO TRY TO COMFORT US, BUT I JUST NEEDED TO GET AWAY FROM EVERYBODY.
I DIDN'T WANNA BE AROUND ANYBODY 'CAUSE I HAD TO THINK.
I, I KNEW, I KNEW I NEEDED TO DO SOMETHING IN ANSWER TO WHAT HAD HAPPENED.
AND I HAD ALL KIND OF THOUGHTS PICKING UP A GUN.
AND, BUT I COULDN'T SHOOT A GUN.
MY DADDY WAS TRYING TO TRAIN US TO AT LEAST FIRE A WEAPON.
AND ALL MY YOUNGER SISTERS TO JUST FIR IT AWAY.
WHEN HE PUT THE GUN IN MY HAND, I STARTED CRYING, YOU KNOW, SO I REMEMBER THERE WAS A FULL MOON, AND I'M LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW, HAD JUST MOVED INTO THE NEW HOME ONE WEEK BEFORE HE DIED.
AND, UM, ONE WEEK BEFORE IT WAS SHOT ACTUALLY.
AND, UM, THE THOUGHT JUST ENTERED MY MIND, YOU CAN GIVE UP YOUR DREAMS OF LIVING YOUR LIFE IN THE NORTH.
YOU CAN STAY IN THE SOUTH AND DEVOTE YOUR LIFE TO WORKING FOR CHANGE.
AND I CAN REMEMBER A CALMNESS SORT OF WENT OVER ME.
I HAD NO IDEA HOW I WOULD DO THAT, BUT I WAS MAKING A COMMITMENT TO DO IT.
AND THINGS JUST SORT OF FELL INTO PLACE.
UM, CHARLES SHERROD AND PEOPLE FROM THE STUDENT NONVIOLENT COORDINATING COMMITTEE CAME INTO BAKER COUNTY TO HELP US START THE BAKER COUNTY MOVEMENT.
THEY HAD STARTED A MOVEMENT IN ALBANY IN 1961.
DID THAT HAPPEN THAT QUICK, QUICKLY THEREAFTER? SHE'S GOING FAST ON HER STORY.
GO, GO AHEAD AND THEN TALK ABOUT, UH, YOUR, YOUR, I GUESS WHEN YOU MET MR. SHERROD AND YEAH.
SO YEAH, HE ACTUALLY MET MY FAMILY FIRST.
UM, MY AUNT, I HAD AN AUNT WHO WAS A PRINCIPAL OF A SCHOOL IN ATLANTA.
SHE JUST INSISTED THAT I IN ATTEND THIS PILOT UPWARD BOUND PROGRAM AT CLARK COLLEGE.
THAT, AND SO I'M IN ATLANTA, AND, UM, MY SISTERS ARE ARE TALK TELLING ME ABOUT THIS PERSON, CHARLES SHERO.
UM, THEY COULDN'T WAIT FOR ME TO MEET HIM.
I CAME HOME FOR THE 4TH OF JULY AND MET HIM.
[02:20:01]
TOLD HIM THEY HAD ANOTHER SISTER AND HE WANTED TO SEE THE PICTURE.AND HE TOLD THEM THAT, UM, SAID, UH, I'M GONNA MARRY THAT GIRL.
WE HAD NOT MET AT THAT POINT,
SO THAT GIRL WAS YOU, HE WAS SURE HE WAS GONNA MEET YOU? YES.
WAS HE FROM THE SOUTH? HE'S, HE'S PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA.
SO YOU DID MARRY A MAN FROM THE SOUTH? YES, I DID.
WAS THAT A GOOD DECISION? I, UM, YES, IT WAS.
UM, HE, UM, HE WAS ONE OF THE FOUNDING MEMBERS OF S NCC, THE STUDENT NONVIOLENT COORDINATING COMMITTEE.
AND SO DEDICATED TO AND SO FEARLESS, THAT, THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY IMPRESSED ME.
GO AND GET BEATEN UP, YOU KNOW, BLOODY AND, AND STILL JUMP BACK OUT.
AND, AND THAT'S WHAT GAVE PEOPLE LIKE ME AND OTHERS, THE COURAGE TO GO.
AND YOU, YOU ARE LOOKING AT HIM LEADING.
AND, AND THEY, YOU KNOW, HE STOOD UP AND IT GAVE US STRENGTH TO BE ABLE TO STAND.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE ORGANIZING THAT YOU GUYS WERE DOING WITH SCC DURING THAT TIME? YES.
SO EVERY, THAT SUMMER, THE SUMMER OF 65, EVERY UM, WEEK, I WOULD GO TO THE COURTHOUSE TO TRY TO REGISTER TO VOTE.
AND EVERY WEEK THE SHERIFF IS THERE PUSHING ME BACK OUT OF THE COURTHOUSE.
AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE, UM, I NEVER, I MEAN, HE WAS KNOWN AS THE GATOR AS AN ALLIGATOR.
THAT'S THE WAY HE WANTED TO BE CALLED THE GATOR.
UH, AND HE GAVE A SOUND LIKE AN ALLIGATOR, UM, THAT WE COULD REALLY SCARE YOU.
AND THERE WERE TIMES WHEN, UM, IN FACT, WHEN I FIRST CAME BACK FROM CLARK COLLEGE, I HAD DONE, YOU KNOW, DONE THAT SIX WEEKS OR WHATEVER IT WAS.
AND, UM, THERE WAS A HEARING THAT NIGHT AT THE COURTHOUSE.
UM, I HAD TWO SISTERS IN JAIL, PLUS A BUNCH OF OTHERS.
AND SO WE HAD, WE WERE AT THERE AT THE COURTHOUSE FOR THIS HEARING.
AND, UM, AND THE JUDGE DECIDED TO LET THE YOUNGEST ONES OUT, YOU KNOW, UH, GET OUT.
BUT OTHERS HAD TO GO BACK TO JAIL.
SO WE ARE GETTING UP TO GO OUT OF THE COURTHOUSE, AND THEN THE SHERIFF TAKES HIS FOOT AND, AND SHUTS THE DOOR AND SAYS, SIT YOUR G*****N ASSES DOWN.
AND THEN HE JUST CURSED US AND CARRIED ON AS LONG AS HE WANTED TO.
AND THEN THAT TOLD US TO GET UP AND GET OUT.
WE COULDN'T HAVE ONE CAR GOING AND ANOTHER CAR WE HAD TO RIDE IN GROUPS AND BACK OUT TO HAWKINS TOWN.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT WAS THE IMPORTANT THING ABOUT OWNING LAND, YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH WE WERE NEVER TOTALLY SAFE, BUT WE KNEW WE COULD GO TO HAWKINS TOWN WHERE NOTHING BUT BLACK FOLKS LIVED THERE.
AND THAT'S, AND THE PEOPLE FROM SNCC, UM, FOUND THAT TOO.
THERE WERE POCKETS OF, OF BLACK LANDOWNERS IN THE COUNTY, BUT HAWKINS TOWN WAS ONE OF THE MAIN PLACES.
AND SO, THREE MILES OUT OF THE TOWN OUT OF TOWN, HIS SON IS OUT THERE WITH A FLASHLIGHT.
HE'S THE DEPUTY TELLING US, WE DIDN'T STOP AT A STOP SIGN, UH, STOP SIGN BACK IN TOWN.
YOU KNOW, SO THEY, I MEAN, WE, WE WERE HARASSED, UM, THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER.
AND THEN THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT PASSED IN AUGUST.
I'LL NEVER FORGET, I COULD NOT REGISTER BEFORE THAT.
AND AFTER THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT PASSED IN AUGUST OF 1965, I COULD WALK IN THE REGISTRAR'S OFFICE AND REGISTER TO VOTE.
YOU KNOW, I, I CAN'T UNDERSTAND YOUNG PEOPLE NOT VOTING TODAY WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH.
IS THAT WHY YOUR SISTERS WERE IN JAIL? I, MY SISTERS WERE MARCHING.
UH, WE WERE JUST, YOU KNOW, WE LOST SOMETHING REALLY, REALLY PRECIOUS TO US.
AND OTHER PEOPLE HAD, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE OTHER BLACK MEN MM-HMM.
AND IT WAS LIKE EVERYONE IN THE COUNTY WAS LIKE, THAT'S ENOUGH.
SO PEOPLE WHO HAD EVERYTHING TO LOSE LIVING ON THOSE PLANTATIONS ACTUALLY PARTICIPATED IN THE MOVEMENT IN THE, UM, MASS MEETINGS.
AND YOU HAD TO STRATEGIZE ALL THE TIME.
UM, WE, WE ACTUALLY, UM, DECIDED TO GO, OH, WHAT'S HIS NAME? THE CON CONGRESSMAN FROM DETROIT.
THEY ARRANGED A HEARING FOR US.
AND, UH, WE HAD THESE OLD CARS THAT SNC HAD BEEN ABLE TO GET THEIR HANDS ON.
AND FIVE CARLOADS OF US, UH, WENT TO DC UM, TO TESTIFY ABOUT THE CONDITIONS WE WERE LIVING ON IN BAKER COUNTY.
NOW, WE LEFT A MASS MEETING THAT NIGHT, THAT SUNDAY NIGHT.
BUT WE COULDN'T DRIVE STRAIGHT THE, THE, THE ROUTE WOULD'VE
[02:25:01]
TAKEN US NORTH ON HIGHWAY 91.BUT WE KNEW IF WE HAD GONE THAT WAY, THE SHERIFF WOULD BE WAITING ON US.
SO WE WENT EAST INTO ANOTHER COUNTY AND THEN NORTH.
SO SOME OF THE THINGS THE SHERIFF SAID WHEN WE WERE THERE TESTIFYING, IF HE HAD KNOWN, WE WOULD NEVER HAVE MADE IT.
AND SO, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT HOW THE ORGANIZING THAT YOU GUYS WERE DOING IN, UM, IN GEORGIA, HOW IT LED WITH SNC, HOW IT LED TO THE INTEREST, BASED ON WHAT YOU'RE SAYING NOW? MM-HMM.
AND THAT'S WHAT LED US TO START TALKING ABOUT WHAT CAN WE DO YOU, WHEN YOU'VE ENCOURAGED PEOPLE TO STEP UP AND THEN THEY GET THROWN OUT OF THE HOME, THEY HAVE, WHAT DO YOU DO? AND, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A REALLY, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WEIGHED ON US REALLY, REALLY HARD.
'CAUSE WE DIDN'T, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING WE COULD PUT THEM IN.
SO THAT'S HOW THE WHOLE IDEA OF TRYING TO BUILD OUR OWN COMMUNITY, I THINK ABOUT THINKING ABOUT IT NOW, IT SOUNDS CRAZY.
YOU TALKING 19 68, 19 67, YOU KNOW, HAVING THESE KINDS OF CONVERSATIONS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN TALK ABOUT STUFF ENOUGH THAT YOU START THINKING ABOUT A PLAN RIGHT.
SO DURING THE SUMMER OF 68, WE SENT SEVEN OF OUR PEOPLE, UM, WELL, THERE WERE A FEW PEOPLE FROM, FROM THE NORTHEAST, UM, TO ISRAEL TO LOOK AT HOW THEY WERE RESETTLING THEIR PEOPLE.
SO WE CAME BACK, THEY CAME BACK AND WE STARTED THE MEETINGS.
AND, UM, WE KNEW ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WOULD HAPPEN WITH US, PEOPLE SIGNED DOCUMENTS THEY SHOULDN'T SIGN SOMETIMES.
UM, THEY DECIDE TO BUY A CAR AND MORTGAGE WHAT THEY HAVE TO GET IT.
AND, AND THAT'S ONE WAY OF LOSING WHAT YOU HAVE.
SO, AS WE TALKED ABOUT STARTING THIS COMMUNITY THAT WE DECIDED TO CALL IT NEW COMMUNITIES INC.
UM, WAS TO DEVELOP A LAND TRUST SO THAT WE WOULD OWN THE LAND TOGETHER.
NOW YOU, Y'ALL, MAYBE SOME OF Y'ALL KNOW THOSE DAYS WHEN THOSE INSURANCE AGENTS WOULD COME AND, UH, COLLECT A DOLLAR, YOU KNOW, FROM PEOPLE.
SO THEY'RE CONSTANTLY IN, IN EVERYBODY'S HOME AND THEY ARE CONSTANTLY TRYING TO TURN THEM AGAINST WHAT WE ARE DOING.
WELL, THE WAY WE DESIGNED IT, THERE WOULD BE, YOU WOULD GET A LONG-TERM RENEWABLE LEASE LEASE, RATHER ON THE LAND, YOU KNOW, SO WE ALL OWNED IT.
BUT THAT CONCEPT OF ALL OWNING IT WITH SOMEBODY ELSE OUT THERE TRYING TO TELL THEM, NAH, UHUH, THAT AIN'T, YOU KNOW, AND THEY WHITE TOO.
AND THEY THINK EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING WHITE PEOPLE SAY IS TRUE.
SO IT REALLY MADE IT REALLY, REALLY TOUGH.
WE WERE, WHEN THEY CAME BACK AND, UM, ONE, ONE INDIVIDUAL IN THE GROUP WAS SLATER KING.
HE WAS A BLACK REAL ESTATE AGENT AND INSURANCE AGENTS BROKER SOUTH OF, I THINK HE WAS THE ONLY ONE SOUTH OF ATLANTA, UH, BACK IN THOSE DAYS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, SLATER HAD SOME PRETTY GOOD CONTACTS.
WE WERE ABLE TO GET A PLANNING GRANT.
SO HE KNEW THAT THERE WAS THIS LAND IN LEE COUNTY, GEORGIA.
'CAUSE HE WAS A REAL ESTATE PERSON.
HOW MANY ACRES? IT, IT WAS 4,800 PLUS 935 5,000.
WELL, YOU SAY THAT 735 ACRES MORE OR LESS.
YOU KNOW, SO WE, WILL YOU JUST SAY THAT ONE MORE TIME,
WE'RE, WE'RE GIVING YOU SOME SEED SO YOU CAN GO AND DO YOUR RESEARCH.
AND SO HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE WORKING WITH YOU BEFORE YOU GET TO THE PLANNING GRANT TO COLLECTIVELY PURCHASE THIS LAND? SO THERE WERE, THERE WERE SEVEN WHO WENT TO ISRAEL AND MY HUSBAND WAS ONE.
AND THEN YOU HAD OTHER ORGANIZATIONS IN THE SOUTH THAT WE, THEY, WE PULLED THESE PEOPLE IN TO BE A PART OF THIS, THIS WHOLE EFFORT.
AND THEN THERE WAS THE OFFICE OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY WHERE THE POSSIBILITY OF GETTING MONEY TO HELP BUILD THIS COMMUNITY WAS REAL.
UH, IN FACT, THEY GAVE US A PLANNING GRANT, A ONE YEAR PLANNING GRANT.
[02:30:01]
GOT A ONE YEAR OPTION ON THE LAND, AND THEN A ONE YEAR PLANNING GRANT TO PLAN THIS COMMUNITY.AND I WAS GOING THROUGH SOME OF THAT DOCUMENT.
THIS IS ABOUT FIVE OR 600 PAGES.
WE PLANNED THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM, YOU KNOW, HOW WE WANTED OUR CHILDREN TO BE EDUCATED.
I REMEMBER GODARD COLLEGE OUT OF THE NORTHEAST, HAD REPRESENTATIVES THERE AND HAD TALKED ABOUT PUTTING A BRANCH ON OUR, ON, IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, THE, WE TALKED, UH, HEALTH EDUCATION.
THERE WAS A RAILROAD THAT WENT THROUGH BECAUSE WE HAD ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY IS US HIGHWAY 19.
WE ACTUALLY HAD TWO AND A HALF MILES OF HIGHWAY FRONTAGE ON US.
19 PLUS THERE WAS A RAILROAD THAT WENT THROUGH ON WITH A SPUR.
SO WE KNEW WHERE INDUSTRY WOULD BE LOCATED.
WE PLANNED THE KIND OF FARMING OPERATION WE WOULD HAVE.
UM, WE, WE DECIDED WE DIDN'T NEED TO OPERATE LIKE PLANTATION OWNER WORKERS, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE THIS IS ALL OURS.
IT WAS, IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR OUR PEOPLE TO GET IT.
NOW I'M TELLING YOU, IT IS THE, THE GOING BACK.
I DON'T KNOW HOW WE COULD HAVE DONE A BETTER JOB OF EDUCATING OUR FOLKS, BUT I THINK THAT'S PART OF WHAT WAS NEEDED.
SO EACH ENTITY, ENTITY, EACH, EACH COMMITTEE OPERATED, YOU KNOW, WITH, UH, SO MANY MEMBERS FROM THE BOARD, AND THEN EVERYONE WHO'S INVOLVED.
IF YOU WERE, IF YOU WERE INTERESTED IN HEALTH, THEN THAT'S WHERE YOU, YOU WORK TO MAKE PLANS.
BUT THE ONE THAT THAT OPERATED THE BEST WAS THE FARM.
BECAUSE OEO THOUGH, THEY GAVE US A DIRECT GRANT OUT OF WASHINGTON TO PLAN THE COMMUNITY.
THERE WAS SO MUCH OPPOSITION BY WHITE PEOPLE IN THE AREA.
THEY WERE AFRAID TO GIVE A DIRECT GRANT FROM WASHINGTON AS THEY HAD PLANNED.
SO HERE WE WERE WITH ALMOST, WELL, 6,000 ACRES OF LAND, NO MONEY.
AND LIKE MOST OF THE FOLKS WHO WERE INVOLVED, WHO WERE NOT FROM DOWN IN THE SOUTHWEST GEORGIA AREA SAID, UM, THERE'S NO WAY THIS CAN HAPPEN, UM, WITHOUT THAT MONEY.
AND THOSE OF US LOCALLY, ESPECIALLY MY HUSBAND SAID, WE'VE NEVER HAD OUR HANDS ON THIS MUCH LAND.
AND WE GONNA FIGHT TO KEEP IT.
YOU KNOW, SO, SO WE HAD THE FARM, WE STARTED FARMING.
AND THE WAY THE FARM, THE WAY THE FARM OPERATED, THERE WAS A FARM COMMITTEE THAT CONSISTED OF EVERYONE WORKING ON THE FARM.
WE HAD A FARM MANAGER, BUT THE FARM COMMITTEE MET EVERY MONDAY NIGHT, EVERY MONDAY NIGHT.
AND THOUGH YOU NEEDED TO FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS FROM THE FARM MANAGER DURING THE WEEK OUT THERE WORKING, YOU COULD QUESTION OR BRING ANY ISSUE TO THE FLOOR.
UH, WHEN WE HAD THE FARM COMMITTEE MEETING AND EVERYBODY HAD A VOTE, YOU KNOW, BUT IT WORKED BEAUTIFULLY FOR A LONG TIME UNTIL THERE WAS A PLANT.
WE FEEL THAT THAT WAS OUT OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO TRY TO MAKE OUR PEOPLE THINK THEY DIDN'T OWN ANYTHING, DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING.
AND SO, I DON'T KNOW HOW, YOU KNOW, OTHER THAN TRYING TO REALLY EDUCATE FOLKS, WE GOT THROUGH IT.
SO, SO, SO, SO THE, SO YOU'RE SAYING THE PLANNING GRANT CAME THROUGH MM-HMM.
AND YOU GUYS WERE ABLE TO SECURE THE 6,000 ACRES.
AND THIS WAS IN WHAT YEAR? SO WE DIDN'T SECURE THE, THE PLANNING GRANT.
WE GOT THE PLANNING GRANT IN 19 6, 19 70 MM-HMM.
WE DIDN'T GET BETTER FINANCE 'CAUSE WE COULDN'T LOOK TO THE GOVERNMENT.
WE COULD NOT LOOK TO THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOR ANYTHING.
NOT EVEN THE EXTENSION SERVICE.
AND I CAN REMEMBER AS WE WOULD PLANT, UM, I REMEMBER ONE YEAR THE CORN CAME UP AT DIFFERENT HEIGHTS ALL OVER THE FIELD.
AND WE WERE USING LIQUID FERTILIZERS.
SO YOU KNEW YOU DIDN'T GET WHAT YOU, WHAT YOU PAID FOR.
IT FORCED US TO PULL A SAMPLE OF EVERYTHING THAT WAS DELIVERED TO THE FARM.
SOME OF US ARE CONFUSED 'CAUSE WE WANNA KNOW 'CAUSE WE DON'T UNDERSTAND.
HOW DID YOU GUYS GET THE 6,000 ACRES
THERE WAS A PRUDENTIAL INSURANCE COMPANY HAD THE FIRST MORTGAGE MM-HMM.
SO JUST PUTTING PIECES TOGETHER.
TO GET, BUT IT WAS ALL SUPPOSED TO BE ONE YEAR.
YOU KNOW, SO WE ARE FACING FORECLOSURE AND MANAGING TO GET PAST IT.
AND FINALLY, MY HUSBAND GOT HIS MASTER'S FROM UNION THEOLOGICAL
[02:35:01]
SEMINARY IN NEW YORK.AND ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO WENT TO SCHOOL WITH HIM WAS TOM WARMAN, WHO ENDED UP AT THE ROCKEFELLER BROTHERS FOUNDATION.
SO TOM WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING US TO, TO SECURE THE FUNDING.
YOU KNOW, EVERY YEAR YOU'RE FACING FORECLOSURE, YOU DON'T HAVE MONEY.
BUT SOMEHOW WE HELD ON AND FINALLY GOT, UH, BETTER FINANCING IN 73.
SO FROM THAT POINT, WE WERE ON A ROLL.
WE WERE FARMING ABOUT 2000 OF THE ACRES.
AND WE WOULD, RATHER THAN TAKING ALL THOSE HOGS IN TO BE SOLD, WE WOULD TAKE THEM TO BE SLAUGHTERED.
WE'D BRING THEM BACK TO THE FARM.
AND WE WERE KNOWN FOR THE HAMS AND THE BACON.
AND WE BUILT A, A WHOLE OPERATION RIGHT BESIDE US, 19 WHERE WE WERE CURING THE MEATS.
AND, UM, WE ALSO SET UP AN OPERATION FOR MAKING SUGARCANE SYRUP, YOU KNOW, RIGHT THERE.
AND THEN WE, WE BUILT AN OLD FASHIONED, UH, SMOKEHOUSE MM-HMM.
YOU KNOW, SO IT PULLED A LOT OF, ESPECIALLY YOUNG PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T KNOW.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, SO IT WAS EDUCATIONAL AS WELL AS PROVIDING AN INCOME FROM FOR US ON THE FARM.
UH, SO STILL NOT GETTING ANY, ANYTHING OUT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
SO, UM, BY NOW WE ARE UP TO 1976.
IT WAS FOLLOWED BY A SECOND YEAR OF DROUGHT.
AND ALL THESE FARMERS ARE GETTING EMERGENCY LOANS.
SO THE FARM MANAGER AND MY HUSBAND WENT TO THE LOCAL OFFICE OF FARMERS.
WE CALLED IT BACK THEN, FARMER'S HOME ADMINISTRATION.
AND THE GUY SAID, YOU'LL GET A LOAN OVER MY DEAD BODY.
UH, JIMMY CARTER WAS PRESIDENT AT THIS POINT.
AND THEY, UM, THEY, WE COMPLAINED TO WASHINGTON.
AND I'LL NEVER FORGET THE DAY THEY SENT THREE PEOPLE FROM DC ONE CAME FROM THE STATE OFFICE OF FARMER'S HOME ADMINISTRATION AND ONE FROM THE DISTRICT OFFICE LOCALLY.
AND THEY ALL WENT OVER WITH US TO THE, UH, OFFICE TO GET THE APPLICATION.
NOW THEY SHOULD HAVE STAYED TO HELP US THROUGH THE PROCESS.
UM, AND THE, THE WAY THEY HAVE TAKEN BLACK FOLKS LAND, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ISSUES I'VE WORKED ON FOR YEARS.
SO YOU HAVE TO GIVE THEM A LIEN ON ALL AVAILABLE ASSETS.
IF THEY SLOW WALK ALONE OR NOT GIVE IT TO YOU AT ALL, THEY WON'T FUND THE PLAN.
YOU KNOW, WE HAD THE, WE HAD THE POSSIBILITY OF A CONTRACT TO GROW VEGETABLES FOR SAFEWAY STORES OUT OF THE NORTHEAST.
THEY WOULD NOT FUND IRRIGATION FOR US.
SO YOU CAN'T GO INTO THAT WITHOUT IRRIGATION.
ESPECIALLY YOU'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH DROUGHTS SINCE THAT KIND THING THAT WE, WE BATTLED.
BUT ONCE THEY GOT A LIEN ON EVERYTHING, THEN THEY COULD ENGINEER THE FORECLOSURE OF OUR PROPERTY.
WE HAD ASSETS WORTH BETWEEN FOUR AND $5 MILLION.
THEY SOLD IT TO A RICH GUY OUT OF ATLANTA FOR A MILLION DOLLARS AND LET HIM BORROW 950,000 OF THAT.
AND THEN HE, HE DUG HOLES AND PUSHED ALL OF OUR BUILDINGS OVER IN THEM.
JUST GOT RID OF EVERY TRACE OF US ON THAT PROPERTY.
SO NOW, YOU KNOW, I MADE A COMMITMENT BY, YOU KNOW, WE WERE AT 1985, I MADE A COMMITMENT IN 1965, WHAT DO YOU DO? AND, UM, I WAS FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO CONNECT WITH THE FEDERATION OF SOUTHERN COOPERATIVES.
AND, UM, THEY GAVE ME A FREE HAND TO JUST DEVELOP AND THE KIND OF PROGRAM I WANTED TO DEVELOP IN, IN GEORGIA.
UM, AND SO, UM, HOW MUCH LAND, OOH, WE DIDN'T EVEN GET TO THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION, HOW MUCH LAND
UH, WHEN THAT, WHEN THAT FARMER PURCHASED, UH, THE LAND FOR 900, IT WAS THE 6,000 ACRES.
IT WAS THE ENTIRE, WE LOST EVERYTHING.
I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS EVERYTHING.
THE EQUIPMENT AND ALL, YOU KNOW.
SO, I'M GONNA TAKE MY TIME A LITTLE BIT.
I WON'T GO TO EVERYTHING, BUT YOU GUYS EVENTUALLY FILED THE LAWSUIT AGAINST THE USDA FOR THEIR DISCRIMINATION, UH, AGAINST YOU.
[02:40:01]
AND HOW LONG DID THAT LAWSUIT TAKE?SO, YOU KNOW, IF I COULD JUST SAY GO.
AS I WORKED ON BLACK LAND LOSS ISSUES, I WOULD, UM, DEVELOPING PROGRAMS, UH, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, UM, GETTING THEM TO ORGANIZE INTO COOPERATIVES, UM, GETTING ALTERNATIVE MARKETS.
AT ONE POINT, BEN AND JERRY'S, UH, BEN OF BEN AND JERRY'S ICE CREAM COMPANY SAID THEY WOULD BUY A PRODUCT PRODUCED BY BLACK FARMERS.
SO I ORGANIZED BLACK FARMERS INTO A COOPERATIVE TO SELL PECANS TO THEM, AND COULDN'T GET A SHELLER IN THE AREA TO, TO SHELL FOR THEM.
UH, BEN AND JERRY'S HAD TO GET THEIR, THEY HAD THE STRONG ARM, THE, THEIR SUPPLIER TO DO IT.
I COULD GO POINT BY POINT MANY TIMES THROUGH THE YEARS, THE THINGS THAT WE HAD TO DO JUST TO TRY TO KEEP FARMERS GOING.
BUT NO MATTER HOW MANY, HOW MUCH, NO MATTER HOW MUCH TRAINING WE DID, NO MATTER HOW MANY PROGRAMS WE WERE ABLE TO TRY TO CREATE, WE WERE STILL LOSING LAND.
SO WE HAD TALKED FOR QUITE SOME TIME ABOUT THE POSS, YOU KNOW, THE FACT THAT A LAWSUIT HAD TO BE FILED.
AND, UH, FINALLY IN 1990, I BELIEVE IT WAS, UM, THE FOUR ORGANIZATIONS, FOUR MAJOR BLACK ORGANIZATIONS, WELL, ONE OF 'EM IS NOT BLACK.
IT'S A LAND LOSS PREVENTION PROJECT OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA.
THE FEDERATION OF SOUTHERN COOPERATIVES, UM, ARKANSAS LAND AND FARM DEVELOPMENT, AND THEN FARMER'S LEGAL ACTION GROUP.
THEY, THEY WERE MOSTLY WHITE, UH, LAWYERS, A NONPROFIT LAW FIRM.
WE ARE IN ATLANTA FOR ANOTHER MEETING.
I PULL EVERYBODY INTO, WE GOTTA TALK ABOUT THIS.
AND THEN WE FINALLY SAT THERE AND TALKED AND SAID, OKAY, WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS.
SO WE DECIDED THAT THOSE TWO LAND LOSS PREVENTION PROJECT IS OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA IS A NONPROFIT LAW FIRM, FARMER'S LEGAL ACTION GROUP, NONPROFIT LAW FIRM.
SO WE DECIDED THOSE WOULD TWO BE THE TWO FIRMS TO HANDLE THIS LAWSUIT AGAINST USDA.
SO THE FIRST THING WAS TO GET, UH, THE INFORMATION ON COMPLAINTS.
SO THEY DID A FOIA REQUEST AND THE USDA SAID, WE DON'T HAVE ANY COMPLAINTS.
WELL, THE REASON WHY THEY THOUGHT THEY COULD GET AWAY WITH THAT IS BECAUSE WHEN REAGAN BECAME THE PRESIDENT, HE ABOLISHED THE OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS AT USDA.
SO WHEN BLACK FARMERS COMPLAINED, THOSE COMPLAINTS DIDN'T GO ANYWHERE.
BUT THE JUDGE FINALLY SET 'EM DOWN AND SAID, EITHER YOU PRODUCE IT OR YOU GO TO JAIL.
SO ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY CAME UP WITH 55 BOXES OF COMPLAINTS, 55 BOXES.
AND THEN WE DECIDED TO DO A TEST CASE WITH SIX OF THE FARMERS.
AND SO THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE STATUTE OF LIMITATION, WHICH IS ONLY TWO YEARS.
AND BECAUSE OF WHAT REAGAN DID, THEY MADE THE YEARS FOR WHAT LATER BECAME THE PICKFORD CASE, 1981 TO 1996.
SO IT DIDN'T COVER EVERY FARMER THAT HAD EXPERIENCED DISCRIMINATION IN THE AGENCY.
IT'S ONLY IF YOU EXPERIENCE DISCRIMINATION DURING THOSE YEARS.
SO ANYWAY, THERE'S THIS LAWYER, HE WAS FROM TEXAS.
HE, YOU KNOW, AFTER WE MOVED EVERYTHING ALONG, THEN HE WENT TO THOSE FARMERS AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW, AND HE GOT THEM TO SIGN A RETAINER.
HE SORT OF TOOK THE CASES AWAY.
BUT WHAT IT DID IS IT OPENED THE DOOR FOR AL PARIS TO THEN FILE.
AND THAT'S, SO TIM PICKFORD IS A FARMER OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA THAT WE HAD WORKED WITH THROUGH THE YEARS.
BACK AT THAT POINT WAS, UM, THAT THEY, IT WAS FILED IN 97, UH, USDA STARTED INDICATING THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO SETTLE.
NOW THOSE OF US WHO HAD BEEN WORKING WITH FARMERS THROUGH THE YEARS KNEW SETTLE THEM WAS THE BEST THING.
BECAUSE MOST OF OUR FARMERS WOULD NOT HAVE HAD THE RECORDS THEY NEEDED TO DEFEND THEIR CASE IN COURT.
BUT THEN YOU HAD A LOT OF UPSTARTS LIKE JOHN BOYD AND SOME OTHERS COMING ALONG, AND THEY WANTED TO, NO, THEY DIDN'T WANNA SETTLE.
SO WE HAD THAT ARGUMENT THAT WENT ON FOR A WHILE IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY.
AND, UM, SO THERE WAS A SETTLEMENT.
UM, YOU HAD, AS I SAID, YOU HAD TO HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS, THE, UH, DISCRIMINATION BETWEEN 81 AND 96.
UM, THERE WAS A LIMIT ON, UH, I THINK IT WAS 1.5 MILLION, UM, PER NET DEBT.
AND OUR FARMERS WOULDN'T HAVE HAD THAT, THAT KIND OF DEBT AT ALL.
UM, I'M PULLING THIS FROM, I WAS, I CAME OUT TO HOUSTON, TEXAS DURING THAT TIME TRYING TO HELP FARMERS UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY NEEDED TO GATHER FOR THE ATTORNEYS.
[02:45:01]
THE KICKER WAS THAT YOU HAD TO FIND A SIMILARLY SITUATED WHITE FARMER WHO GOT THE LOANS YOU DIDN'T GET.NOW THAT'S, THAT'S, AND HOW DO YOU KNOW THEIR BUSINESS? YOU DON'T KNOW THEIR BUSINESS.
SO THAT REALLY, REALLY HURT A LOT OF PEOPLE.
IF YOU WERE SUCCESSFUL WITH A CLASS A CLAIM, THEN THE LAWYERS PUSHED, OH, I JUST WISH WE COULD GO BACK.
'CAUSE THEY TRIED TO PUSH EVERY FARMER INTO A CLASS A CLAIM BECAUSE, UH, IT WASN'T MUCH WORK FOR THEM.
AND THEY TOLD US YOU ONLY HAD TO USE ONE INCIDENT OF DISCRIMINATION.
AND NOT EVERY, MAYBE YOU HAD A HOUSING, YOU HAD EXPERIENCED DISCRIMINATION IN HOUSING OR OPERATIONAL OR HOME OWNERSHIP.
BUT THEY SAID JUST ONE BIG MISTAKE.
UM, BUT ANYWAY, YOU WOULD GET 50,000, YOU WOULD GET YOUR DEBT WRITTEN OFF, YOU GET PRIORITY FOR THEIR PROGRAMS. ALL OF IT DIDN'T HAPPEN THAT WAY.
UM, AND THEN THERE WAS CLASS B, UM, THE, THERE WAS NO LIMIT ON WHAT YOU COULD GET IF YOU HAD THE DOCUMENTATION, THE ECONOMIST, YOU HAD TO HIRE ALL THESE PEOPLE TO HELP YOU WITH YOUR CLAIM.
SO YOU HAD SIX MONTHS, ONLY SIX MONTHS TO FILE.
AND, UM, SO I'M ALL OVER THE PLACE.
AS I SAID, I WAS OUT HERE IN TEXAS,
AND I'M DRIVING FROM ALABAMA ONE NIGHT WHEN WE WERE THREE MONTHS IN AND THINKING ABOUT THE FARMERS I HAD BEEN WITH DURING THE DAY.
NEW COMMUNITIES CAN A CLAIM IN THE PICKFORD CASE.
AND SO I COULDN'T WAIT NO CELL PHONE OR ANYTHING.
AND, AND WHEN I GOT HOME, I HAD ANOTHER TWO HOURS TO DRIVE.
WHEN I GOT HOME, I JUST BURST IN THE HOUSE TRYING TO TELL MY HUSBAND, WE CAN FILE A CLAIM IN PICKFORD.
WELL, WE LOST EVERYTHING IN THE FLOOD OF 94.
SO HE SPENT WEEKS IN THAT COURTHOUSE IN LEE COUNTY, GEORGIA.
AND THAT'S WHEN WE GOT THE FULL PICTURE OF WHAT HAPPENED TO US.
THOSE PLANTATIONS IN THE AREA, WE HAD TO BE COMPARED TO THE PLANTATIONS SIMILARLY SITUATED.
BUT WE HAD, BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF LAND WE HAD, WE DIDN'T HAVE THE AMOUNT OF LAND THEY HAD, BUT BECAUSE WE HAD A LARGE ACREAGE, WE HAD TO BE COMPARED TO THE PLANTATIONS.
AND THAT'S WHEN WE FOUND THAT THOSE PLANTATIONS OWNED BY RICH LANDOWNERS WERE GETTING THE LOANS THAT WERE BEING DENIED TO US.
YOU KNOW, SO WE FILED A CLAIM.
AND BY THE DEADLINE WAS OCTOBER 13TH, 1999.
OUR HEARING WAS HELD JULY THE 30TH, 2002.
AND IF YOU HAD BEEN IN THE COURTROOM, YOU WOULD'VE SAID THEY JUST WON.
WE LEFT THERE JUST KNOWING WE HAD WON.
AND IN OCTOBER WE GOT A LETTER DENYING US.
SO THE JUDGE HAD PUT A, UH, HE HAD APPOINTED A MONITOR TO HANDLE APPEALS AND THE MONITOR, REMEMBER I MENTIONED THE FARMER'S LEGAL ACTION GROUP OUT OF THERE, OUT OF, UM, MINNEAPOLIS ST.
UM, WELL, I HAD SERVED ON THEIR BOARD AND SHE WAS THE, THE, THE DIRECTOR WAS NOW THE MONITOR.
SO BETWEEN FINDING SOMEONE ELSE TO HANDLE OUR CASE AND GETTING A REPORT, ANOTHER FOUR YEARS WENT BY.
AND WE GOT A LETTER FROM, UM, THE ADJUDICATOR SAYING WHAT THEY HAD HAD MERIT, BUT OUR CASE WAS AN EXTENSIVE CASE AND WOULD TAKE SOME TIME TO REVIEW IT.
AND I ALMOST CRY EVERY TIME I READ IT.
'CAUSE HE, THEY REALLY DOCUMENTED EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED TO US.
WE DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING FOR ANOTHER THREE YEARS.
UM, ON THE, ON THE NIGHT OF JULY 8TH, 2009, UM, OUR LAWYER CALLED, WE FILED IN 1999.
OUR LAWYER CALLED AND SAID, HAVE YOU HEARD? I SAID, OH, WHAT? SHE SAID, WE WON.
SO I'M THINKING SHE'S GONNA TELL ME WE WON, BUT MAYBE WE GOT A A DOLLAR.
OH, YOU KNOW HOW THEY DO WITH SOME OF THESE CASES,
AND SHE SAID, DO YOU WANNA GUESS HOW MUCH? I SAID, IS IT AT LEAST A MILLION? SHE SAID, IT'S 12, YOU KNOW, SO, BUT THE BAD THING, I GUESS A GOOD THING I DON'T IT, I GOT A CALL FROM THE WHITE HOUSE ON THE NIGHT OF JULY 30TH SAYING, I HAVE BEEN SELECTED AS GEORGIA STATE DIRECTOR FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT
[02:50:01]
AND I DON'T WANNA DO THIS.NOW, THEY TRIED TO GET ME IN WHEN CLINTON, UH, CLINTON WAS, UH, THE PRESIDENT AND IT DIDN'T WORK OUT THEN.
SO I THOUGHT IT WOULDN'T, WHEN THEY ASKED ABOUT, WE NEED TO PUT YOUR NAME FORWARD.
I'M ALWAYS TRYING TO BREAK DOWN BARRIERS.
WELL, UH, I WAS APPOINTED AS GEORGIA STATE DIRECTOR.
NOW I HAVE TO MAKE A QUICK DECISION.
UM, SO I, THE GUY SAID, YOU'RE GONNA STILL DO IT.
AND THEN THEY WANTED ME TO SHOW UP REAL QUICK.
UM, UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE TWO WEEKS FROM THAT THEY WANTED, THEY WANTED TO SWEAR ME IN AND, AND, AND GET ME INTO WORK.
AND THEN I HAD TO END UP DOING IT.
UM, MY CONGRESSMAN SAID, YOU GOTTA DISASSOCIATE YOURSELF FROM NEW COMMUNITIES.
YOU KNOW, THEN HE SAID, AND YOUR HUSBAND TOO.
YOU KNOW, SO, UH, I WENT ON TO RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN GEORGIA AND, UM, IT WAS TOUGH BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I HAD, I HAD FOUGHT THE CASES OF SO MANY BLACK FARMERS IN THOSE LOCAL OFFICES.
SOMETIMES IT WAS, YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T KNOW WHETHER THE GUY WAS GONNA GET UP AND HIT ME OR NOT.
YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY SUPERVISOR.
AND NOW I'M AT RURAL DEVELOPMENT AT STATE DIRECTOR AND I'M THE BOSS TO SOME OF THESE SAME PEOPLE.
SEE, THEY REORGANIZED USDA, I THINK IT WAS 96.
AND, UM, CREATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND SEPARATED THE FARMER PROGRAMS FROM THE BUSINESS AND HOUSING AND ALL OF THAT.
SO NOW I'M AT RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND SOME OF THESE SAME PEOPLE WERE THE ONES I HAD TO DEAL WITH, UM, FIGHTING FOR THE RIGHTS OF, OF BLACK FARMERS.
AND, UM, SO I TOLD THEM, I SAID, I'M NOT HERE TO SETTLE ANY SCORES.
I SAID, I, IF I DON'T GET THE TWO THINGS DONE, I WANT TO GET THOSE TWO THINGS DONE.
LET'S MAKE SURE PEOPLE IN THE STATE OF GEORGIA KNOW THE PROGRAMS OF THIS AGENCY AND KNOW THAT THEY HAVE EQUAL ACCESS.
YOU KNOW? SO I STARTED WORKING IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT REALLY WASN'T THE BEST.
UM, IT WAS, BUT I WAS WORKING AND I WAS MAKING THEM GET OUT AND WORK BECAUSE THEY WOULD SEND MONEY BACK TO, TO WASHINGTON AND TO GET POOLED.
THERE ARE SOME SOUTHERN STATES THAT DO THAT.
THAT, AND IT'S BEEN, SO I GOT THERE AND SAW THIS IS LIKE, OH NO.
AND I TOLD THEM, WE GONNA DO OUTREACH.
AND I WENT OUT TO A LOT OF THOSE AREAS WITH THEM, YOU KNOW, UH, I REMEMBER BEING IN AN AREA, YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE INTERSTATE 75, SO EAST OF 75 GOING TOWARD THE OCEAN.
THERE WERE PEOPLE STILL WITHOUT HOUSES, YOU KNOW.
AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT HAS A HOUSING PROGRAM TO THIS DAY THAT IF YOU, IF LOW INCOME, IF YOU'RE LOW INCOME, WE COULD MAKE 102% LOAN.
MEANING YOU COULD BUY THE LAND, DIG THE CESSPOOL, DIG A WELL, BUILD A HOUSE AND, AND, AND PUT ALL OF THOSE COSTS INTO THE COST OF THE LOAN.
AND, AND THEN THE PAYMENT IS BASED ON THE ABILITY OF THE PAY.
YOU KNOW, AND IT COULD CHANGE IF YOU HAD, IF YOU, IF YOU HAD, UM, HEALTH ISSUES, LET'S SAY A LOT OF HEALTH, UH, BILLS, YOU KNOW, RELATED TO HEALTH, THEN YOU GO IN WITH ALL THOSE RECEIPTS AND YOUR PAYMENT COULD GET LOWERED.
YOU KNOW, SO YOU GONNA SIT ON ALL OF THIS, YOU GONNA SEND THIS MONEY BACK TO DC WHEN IT'S REALLY, REALLY NEEDED IN THE AREA, UH, AND BE IN THE FIRST BLACK PERSON IN THE POSITION.
SO I'M GETTING THESE CALLS ALL THE TIME TO COME AND SPEECH THAT FAMOUS SPEECH, UHHUH,
THAT'S WHERE THE GUY TOOK THEM OVER THERE.
PILLAR GUY, MY PILLAR GUY, WHEN THEY WENT OVER THERE AND, AND THE WOMAN LET THEM IN TO ALL THE BOATING MACHINES AND ALL, YOU'VE SEEN THAT THIS IS THE SAME COUNTY.
SO I SPOKE AT THEIR MEETING, AND IT WAS THE ANNIVERSARY DATE OF MY FATHER'S DEATH, OF HIS FUNERAL.
IT WAS MARCH, MARCH OF THE 27TH.
AND I ALMOST DECIDED I WOULDN'T DO IT.
SO I WAS SHARING TO THEM, UM, THE, THE FACT THAT I HAD A WHITE FARMER WHO HAD COME TO ME IN 1986.
HE WAS ABOUT TO LOSE HIS LAND.
AND FIRST OF ALL, I HAD TO GET OVER THE FACT THAT A WHITE PERSON, THEY WOULD BE TAKING HIS LAND.
YOU KNOW, I JUST DIDN'T THINK, AND THEY
[02:55:01]
HAD DONE SOMETHING TO HIM THAT I STILL HAVE NOT RUN INTO WITH A BLACK FARMER YET.THEY, THEY RENTED HIS LAND TO ANOTHER FARMER WHEN HE STILL HAD CONTROL OF IT, YOU KNOW.
SO, UM, WHEN HE CAME, HE, CHAPTER 12 BANKRUPTCY HAD JUST BEEN ENACTED.
IT'S A, IT'S A CHAPTER OF BANKRUPTCY FOR THE FAMILY FARMER, WHICH ALLOWS THE FARMER TO WORK THROUGH HIS DEBT ISSUES AND HOLD ON TO THE LAND.
BUT HE COULDN'T QUALIFY FOR CHAPTER 12 BECAUSE HE, ONE OF THE CRITERIA WAS THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE FARMED THE PREVIOUS YEAR, AND HE DIDN'T FARM THE PREVIOUS YEAR BECAUSE THEY LET SOMEBODY ELSE FARM HIS LAND.
SO, BUT I STILL THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, WITH THE RIGHT LAWYER, MAYBE THEY CAN, WE CAN FILE A CHAPTER 11 AND SAVE THE LAND.
SO I TOOK HIM TO A WHITE LAWYER WHO HAD, WHO HAD, UH, ATTENDED SOME OF OUR TRAINING AND I THOUGHT I PUT THEM IN GOOD HANDS, YOU KNOW, THERE, SO THIS IS LIKE NOVEMBER, DECEMBER, AND THEN MAY OF 87, THE NEXT YEAR, WE KEPT GETTING THESE INJUNCTIONS AGAINST USDA SO THAT THEY COULD NOT FORECLOSE ON FARMERS.
BUT THEN IN MAY THEY, IT WAS LIFTED FOR TWO WEEKS AND HE WAS ONE OF 13 FARMERS IN GEORGIA THAT WHO GOT THE FORECLOSURE, YOU KNOW.
SO HE CALLED ME AND I SAID, OKAY, LET'S MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE LAWYER.
AND I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN SOMETHING WAS UP THAT DAY BECAUSE THAT LAWYER MADE US SIT THERE FOR ALMOST TWO HOURS BEFORE CAME CALLING US IN.
AND THEN WHEN WE GOT, WHEN WE GOT IN THERE, HE, UM, HE STARTED SAYING, WELL, Y'ALL OLD, WHY DON'T YOU JUST LET THE FARM GO? SO JUST LIKE I ATTACKED SO MANY OF THE OTHERS I GOT, I JUMPED ON HIM TOO.
AND HE SAID, OKAY, HE WAS GONNA WORK ON IT.
AND, AND THEN THEY CALLED ME THE THURSDAY BEFORE MEMORIAL DAY, THE LAND WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SOLD THE FIRST TUESDAY IN JUNE.
AND THEY SAID HE AND I HAD NOT DONE ANYTHING.
I MEAN, I WAS CALLING INTERSTATE OUTTA STATE EVERYWHERE, TRYING TO FIND SOMEONE WHO COULD HELP ME FIND A LAWYER TO FILE A CHAPTER 11 TO STOP THE FORECLOSURE.
AND, UM, FINALLY, I, I, I HAD JUST GIVEN UP AND WAS JUST SITTING THERE AND THOUGHT ABOUT THIS LAWYER JUST 40 MILES AWAY,
SO I CALLED HIM AND HE SAID, I SAID, IT'S GOT, IT'S A QUICK ONE.
HE SAID, HOW, WHEN CAN Y'ALL GET HERE? I SAID, WHAT? I SAID, NO, YOU TELL US.
HE SAID, 10 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.
SO THEY CAME AND PICKED ME UP.
WE WENT ON TO, TO, UH, SUMTER COUNTY, WHICH IS WHERE JIMMY CARTER'S FROM, WHERE PLAINS AND ALL THAT IS LOCATED.
AND HE ACTUALLY TOOK AN 11 AND SAVED THE FARM.
UM, SO I, I, I WENT THROUGH WHAT I WAS FEELING WHEN I TALKED, BUT I ALSO TALKED ABOUT HOW I DID THE RIGHT THING.
I TALKED ABOUT MY TRANSFORMATION, HOW I THOUGHT WHITE PEOPLE GOT EVERYTHING.
AND, AND THEN IN WORKING WITH HIM, I FOUND THAT WAS NOT THE CASE FOR ALL WHITE PEOPLE.
YOU KNOW, YOU GOTTA BE CONNECTED AND, AND SO FORTH.
SO THAT, THAT WAS A BIG LEARNING POINT FOR ME THAT I SHARED.
BUT BREITBART, AND I KNOW SOMEONE ON MY STAFF, I DON'T KNOW WHO IT WAS, THEY SHARED THAT THEY, THEY SENT THE TAPE TO BREITBART AND THEY DECIDED TO CUT AND SPLICE.
NOW, THE STORY I TOLD HAD HAPPENED 24 YEARS EARLIER.
THEY MADE IT, BREITBART MADE IT APPEAR THAT IT HAD JUST HAPPENED.
AND I DID THAT AS PART OF THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION.
SO, YOU KNOW, I WAS IN A MEETING IN ATLANTA WITH, UH, REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE, THE STATE DIRECTORS FROM THE EIGHT, LET'S SEE, IT WAS FORT VALLEY, ABOUT SIX, UH, BLACK LAND GRANT INSTITUTIONS.
I'M LOOKING AT MY PHONE AND THIS PERSON'S TELLING ME I'M THIS TERRIBLE PERSON WHO REFUSED TO HAVE A WHITE FARMER AND GOING ON.
SO I SAT THERE WITH THAT LITTLE BLACKBERRY TRYING TO PECK.
BUT ANYWAY, UM, SO I CALLED THE DC 'CAUSE I KNEW THIS COULD BE VERY EXPLOSIVE.
AND SO I CALLED THE DC AND THEY SAID, WE'LL, WE'LL CALL YOU AT FOUR.
WHILE I WAS LEAVING ATLANTA GOING HOME THAT FRIDAY.
AND, UM, SO AT FOUR O'CLOCK I PULLED OFF THE ROAD, SAT THERE FOR ABOUT A HALF AN HOUR MORE, NO CALL.
I WENT ON HOME FOR THE WEEKEND.
I GOT UP THE, UH, THAT MONDAY MORNING.
'CAUSE I HAD TO BE AT THE, AT WEST POINT, GEORGIA KIA BUILT UP.
THEY HAVE A WHOLE FACTORY THERE.
UH, PRODUCING CARS AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT HAD HELPED
[03:00:01]
WITH GETTING THE SEWER CAPACITY AND EVERYTHING THAT WAS NEEDED.SO THEY WANTED US TO MEET THERE.
THE, THE LEADERSHIP STAFF, SOME DRIVE.
I DROVE TO WEST POINT WONDERING, YOU KNOW, IF ANYTHING WOULD EVER SURFACE ON THIS.
I'M IN THIS MEETING AND MY SECRETARY CALLED AND SHE'S IN TEARS.
'CAUSE ALL THESE HATE CALLS ARE COMING INTO THE OFFICE, YOU KNOW, UM, THE STAFF HAD TO GO, WELL, I WAS SUPPOSED TO GO TO THE TWO OF THE KIA PLANT, BUT I CALLED THE DC.
I WAITED TWO HOURS AND UM, FINALLY I GOT THIS CALL AT, WELL, I EXPLAINED TO MY STAFF THEY HAD COME BACK, WHAT WAS GOING ON.
AND RIGHT ABOUT THE TIME I FINISHED THAT, THAT'S WHEN I GOT THE CALL FROM DC.
SO I WALKED OUT TO TALK TO THEM AND, UH, SAID I WAS BEING PUT ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE.
I SAID, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? GO HOME AND HAVE A GOOD REST.
NOW MY ASSISTANT KNEW THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M THINKING THEY GONNA BE FAIR WITH ME AND AT LEAST HEAR MY SIDE OF IT, BUT THEY DIDN'T WANNA HEAR ANYTHING I SAID.
SO THE STAFF, UM, SAID, UM, THEY DIDN'T WANT ME TO DRIVE.
'CAUSE THAT MEANT DRIVING BACK TO ATHENS.
AND I SAID, NO, I'M, I'M GOOD.
AND THEY SAID, CAN WE PRAY? AND I SAID, YES.
SO WE ACTUALLY GOT IN A CIRCLE AND PRAYED THESE PEOPLE THAT HAD WORKED AGAINST ME AND, YOU KNOW, BUT THEY WERE, THEY WANTED TO PRAY.
AND THEN I GOT ON THE ROAD ABOUT 40, MY 45 MINUTES INTO THE DRIVE.
I GET THIS CALL FROM CHERYL COOK IN DC AND HOW FAR DO YOU HAVE TO GO? I SAID, THIS IS A THREE AND A HALF HOUR DRIVE.
BUT I'M STILL TRYING TO TELL THEM, NOT ONLY DID I HELP THAT WHITE FARMER, BUT I SAVED HIS FARM.
THAT, THAT THEY STILL HAVE THE FARM IN THE FAMILY.
BECAUSE OF THE WORK THAT I DID TO HELP THEM.
I WAS DRIVING THROUGH ATLANTA AND THAT'S WHEN I GOT A CALL, AGAIN, 5, 5 30 TRAFFIC IN ATLANTA.
AND THEY SAID THE WHITE HOUSE WANTED ME TO RESIGN, AND I'M THINKING ABOUT WHAT EFFECT THIS IS HAVING ON THE PRESIDENT.
BUT I'M STILL TRYING TO TELL THEM THAT THAT TAPE YOU HAVE IS NOT THE TRUE, ACCURATE MESSAGE.
SO I WAS ABOUT 30 MILES FROM ATHENS WHEN THEY CALLED AGAIN AND ASKED ME TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND USE MY BLACKBERRY TO SUBMIT MY LETTER OF RESIGNATION.
SO AGAIN, I SHOULD HAVE BEEN THINKING MORE ABOUT MYSELF, BUT I'M THINKING ABOUT WHAT EFFECT THIS IS GONNA HAVE ON THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION.
AND THEY'RE TRYING TO HER SAY, I'M NO LONGER WITH THEM.
SO SEAN HANNITY AND ALL OF THE OTHERS COULD GET STUCK.
SO, UM, SO IF I MIGHT MM-HMM,
WE GOTTA DO BETTER ON OUR TIME NEXT YEAR, BUT, UH, BUT IT DOESN'T END THAT WAY.
SO I WANT YOU GUYS TO KNOW THAT'S A, THAT'S A BAD PLACE.
I SEE EVERYBODY ENGAGED, BUT I ALSO KNOW IT'S 5 42.
AND THIS, SO WHAT I'M GONNA SAY THOUGH, SORRY, I JUST WANT, I DON'T WANT, I DIDN'T WANNA STOP, BUT I WANT, SO WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO, SHE'S GOING TO, THERE'S A GOOD END.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WANT TO LEAVE, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO LEAVE.
AND I KNOW SOMEONE ELSE HAD QUESTIONS.
SO IF YOU CAN WRAP THIS STORY UP FOR US, AND I WANNA THEN OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS.
WE HAVE THIS SPACE UNTIL SEVEN, WE PLAN ON LEAVING NO, HOPEFULLY BY SIX 30.
BUT YOU ARE WELCOME TO STAY TO SEVEN AND I JUST WANNA GIVE HER THE TIME AND SPACE, BUT I WANT TO RESPECT YOUR TIME AS WELL.
SO THE STORY TURNED AROUND BECAUSE THE WHITE FARMER, I WAS ON CNN TELLING MY STORY AND, AND, UM, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE GUY, BUT HE SAID, TALKING, I STOPPED TALKING AND HE SAID, THERE'S SOMEONE HERE.
IT WAS A WIFE OF THE WHITE FARMER.
THEY, THEIR SONS, UH, THEIR DAUGHTER-IN-LAW SAW ME ON TV.
AND HE SAID, THAT'S MY MOM AND DAD'S FRIEND.
HE RUSHED TO THEIR HOUSE AND THEY STARTED CALLING CNN WHILE I WAS ON THE AIR TO TELL WHAT HAPPENED.
SO THE WHOLE STORY TURNED AROUND, UM, AFTER A FEW DAYS THAT, THAT, JUST LIKE THIS LITTLE TIDBIT, I WENT TO NEW YORK AND I WAS ON THE VIEW, AND WHOOPI GOLDBERG ASKED ME, DID THE PRESIDENT CALL YET? I SAID, NO.
SHE HAD A FEW CHOICE THINGS TO SAY ABOUT IT,
AND WHEN I LEFT THERE, I HAD A TEXT SAYING THE WHITE HOUSE WAS TRYING TO GET IN TOUCH WITH ME,
SO ANYWAY, THAT WHOLE SITUATION BROUGHT ME BACK HOME AND WE COULD THEN START LOOKING AT, UM,
[03:05:01]
BUYING LAND.WE HAD PULLED A GROUP TOGETHER.
MY HUSBAND'S HEALTH HAD STARTED FAILING SOME, SO I REALLY DID NEED TO BE BACK HOME AT THAT POINT.
AND, UH, SO WE STARTED LOOKING FOR LAND.
AND YOU KNOW, WHEN THESE PLANTATIONS ARE ON THE MARKET, YOU DON'T SEE A FOR SALE SIGN ANYWHERE, AND YOU'RE NOT IN THOSE CIRCLES WHERE YOU SEE THIS STUFF.
BUT, SO WE ARE, LOOK, WE WERE LOOKING AT ONE PLOT OF LAND AND THE ONE OF THE YOUNG MEN WHO GREW UP ON THE 6,000 ACRES WORKED FOR FEDEX.
AND HE KNEW THAT THIS PROPERTY, CYPRESS POND PLANTATION, WAS ON THE MARKET.
SO WE CALLED THE SALESMAN AND ONE SUNDAY MORNING, Y Y'ALL SEEN THOSE SAFARI TRUCKS WHERE THE GUNS ARE DOWN HERE, THE DOGS UP UNDER THERE, CAPTAIN SEAT UP.
WE RODE ALL OVER THE PLACE ON ONE OF THOSE.
AND, UM, HE, THE PREVIOUS OWNER IS 1,638 ACRES.
THE PROPERTY LINE COMES RIGHT UP TO THE CITY LIMITS OF ALBANY, GEORGIA.
UH, THE PREVIOUS OWNER DIED OF A LS IN 2008.
AND YOU REMEMBER THE ECONOMY WASN'T SO GOOD AROUND THAT TIME.
SO THEY HAD PUT IT ON THE MARKET AT 21 MILLION WHEN WE WENT OUT TO LOOK, THEY HAD DROPPED IT TO 6.9 AND IT GETS BETTER.
AND, AND THE, UM, THE SALESMAN JUST KEPT TELLING US, Y'ALL JUST PUT AN OFFER ON IT.
THE CORPORATION HAS IT NOW AND READY TO GET RID OF IT.
SO MY HUSBAND SAID, SEE IF THEY'LL TAKE 5 MILLION AND THEY LET US KNOW THE NEXT DAY THEY WOULD TAKE 5 MILLION, BUT THEY DIDN'T WANT TO INCLUDE THE EQUIPMENT.
AND THEN I HAD A PROBLEM THAT AN, THERE'S AN ANTEBELLUM HOUSE THERE.
HE HAD SPENT 4 MILLION JUST RE I MEAN, 3 MILLION JUST RESTORING THAT HOUSE.
YOU KNOW, AND, BUT THAT'S SO CRAZY.
AND, AND THEN MY THING IS ANTEBELLUM, WHY DO WE WANT, WE DIDN'T KNOW THE HISTORY OF THE PRO PROJECT, UH, THE PROPERTY AT THAT TIME.
SO WE GOT A CONSULTANT AND HE CAME BACK AND SAID, YOU HAVE TO GET POND PLANTATION BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE IMPROVEMENTS, BUT YOU CAN GET IT FOR LESS THAN 5 MILLION AND MAKE THEM INCLUDE THE EQUIPMENT.
SO I WANT Y'ALL TO KNOW WE GOT EVERYTHING FOR FOUR AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
SO WE HAVE ALL KIND OF TRAINING GOING ON THERE NOW.
THAT'S WHAT I WANTED YOU TO SHARE.
WHAT, AND, AND UNFORTUNATELY YOUR HUSBAND PASSED AWAY.
CAN YOU TELL ME, TELL US, AND WE'LL CLOSE WITH THIS, WHAT HAS TAKEN PLACE ON, IN, ON THE POND NOW? YES.
SO WE, WE'VE, WE'VE PARTNERED WITH THEIR 3 18 90 LAND GRANT INSTITUTION.
Y'ALL KNOW WHAT I MEAN WHEN I SAY 1890 LAND GRANTS.
SO YOU HAVE A 1862, UM, WHEN THE DEPARTMENT OF AG WAS CREATED, AND THERE'S AN OFFICE IN EVERY COUNTY.
I MEAN A, I MEAN A LAND GRANT, I'M SORRY, IN EVERY STATE.
I DIDN'T MEAN EVERY COUNTY A LAND GRANT IN EVERY STATE.
SO IN GEORGIA IT'S THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA.
THAT'S THE WHITE, THAT'S THE 1862.
BUT THEN IN 1890, THEY DECIDED TO CREATE SOMETHING TO HELP BLACK FARMERS.
AND YOU HAVE, UM, THEY'RE 16 AND TUSKEGEE MAKING IT 17 BLACK LAND GRANT INSTITUTIONS.
THAT'S WHY THEY'RE CALLED 1890S.
'CAUSE THAT WAS CREATED IN 1890.
AND WE HAVE THREE, WITHIN A HUNDRED MILES OR SO OF US, FORT VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY, TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY, AND FLORIDA A AND M UNIVERSITY.
AND WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH THEM.
WE HAVE DEMONSTRATIONS ON SITE.
UM, TUSKEGEE JUST BUILT A STURDY, IN FACT, VILSACK WAS THERE ON THE 16TH OF MAY.
AND HE'S TRYING TO TELL THEM THEY SHOULD PATENTED.
'CAUSE THEY'VE, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THESE HOOP HOUSES ARE HIGH TUNNELS ARE KIND OF A LITTLE FLIMSY.
BUT THE, THE METHOD TUSKEGEE IS USING, USING WOOD.
SO WE HAVE, WE, WE COOPERATE WITH KANDA MASON AND JUBILEE JUSTICE.
SO WE HAVE RICE GROWING DEMONSTRATIONS THERE.
WE HAVE, UM, 200 ACRES OF PECAN TREES.
AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO GET, BEEN ABLE TO GET INTO SOME GREAT MARKETS.
AND WE ARE NOW TRYING TO ORGANIZE A BLACK FARMER'S CO-OP TO HELP THESE FARMERS GET THEIR PRODUCT IN.
BUT WE GOTTA TRAIN THE, THE PRO THE, THE QUALITY HAS TO BE THERE.
SO PART OF WHAT WE ARE DOING IS TRAINING THEM.
WE HAVE, UM, LET'S SEE, IS THE, THE MUSCADINE GRAPES.
WE JUST ADDED SOME ACREAGE FOR WINE MAKING.
[03:10:02]
WHEN TRUFFLES WAS FIRST INTRODUCED TO ME, I THOUGHT IT WAS CANDY.AND THEN WHEN THEY TOLD ME, I SAID, YOU GOTTA SHOW ME WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE.
THEY PUT THIS PICTURE OF THESE LITTLE NAUGHTY THINGS, BUT THEY SAID THEY'RE WORTH YOU FROM 500 TO $800 A POUND.
WE HAD ACTUALLY HAVE, WE HAVE 500 ACRES OF, UM, UH, I'M NOT, I'M SORRY, FIVE ACRES OF, OF, UM, TRUFFLES.
WE HAVE A 85 ACRE LAKE WITH THREE CABINS.
CABINS, BUT THEY'RE VERY, VERY PLUSH THAT WERE THERE WHEN WE GOT THE, THE PROPERTY.
THEY ARE ON THE LAKE WITH DOCKS THAT GO OUT.
YOU CAN STAY THERE, YOU CAN FISH AND COOK OUTSIDE AND ALL OF THIS STUFF.
WE, WE ARE PUTTING CATTLE IN FOR TRAINING, UH, BEES.
WE HAVE, WE TRAIN PEOPLE WITH BEES AND THEY GET A HIVE.
AND, AND WE WORK WITH THEM, UH, GOING FORWARD WITH THAT.
AND THERE'S SO MUCH, OH, WE ORGANIZE A BLACK FARMERS AGRITOURISM TRAIL BECAUSE WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE GEORGIA AGRITOURISM TRAIL, WE DIDN'T SEE US.
SO WE ACTUALLY, UM, ORGANIZED THE BLACK FARMERS AGRITOURISM TRAIL.
AND THERE'S SO MUCH MORE, THERE'S A LOT THAT WE ARE DOING.
OH, I JUST HAVE TO TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE LAND.
SO WE LEARNED THAT THIS LAND WAS ONCE OWNED BY THE LARGEST SLAVE OWNER AND WEALTHIEST MAN IN THE STATE OF GEORGIA.
HE HAD NINE PLANTATIONS AND HELD THE LARGEST NUMBER OF SLAVES AT THIS PLANTATION.
WE HAVE A COPY OF AN AD WHERE HE, UH, HE DIED IN 1851, THE YEAR THAT HOUSE WAS BUILT.
AND THEN HIS SON DIED IN 1858.
SO THEY WERE SELLING 150 SLAVES FROM THAT PLANTATION AT THE COURTHOUSE STEPS IN ALBANY, GEORGIA ON DECEMBER THE 29TH, 1859.
SO THAT HISTORY, WE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE JUST, WE DIDN'T KNOW WHEN WE, WHEN WE INITIALLY PURCHASED IT, SO YOU'LL HEAR ME SAY THEY TOOK 6,000 ACRES FROM US AND GOD GAVE US A PLANTATION INTACT.
SO NOW WE'LL OPEN IT UP FOR A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS IF ANYONE HAS QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR STORY FOR SHARING ALL HER SON, HER SON IS COMING UP.
UH, AND YOU CAN GO TO THE MIC ON THIS SIDE OR ON EITHER SIDE.
AND YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOUR MOM? YEAH.
AND I WANT TO EXPAND ON SOMETHING.
UM, BUT BECAUSE OF THE TIME, SHE WENT THROUGH SOME THINGS QUICKLY, BUT, UM, I WANT YOU TO TELL ABOUT WHEN THEY WERE SHOOTING THROUGH THE BUILDINGS WITH US IN THEM.
UH, THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT TIME, YOU REALLY GOTTA UNDERSTAND IT.
THE FACT THAT THEY USED TO GET CALLS AT HOME THAT THEY WERE GONNA SNATCH ME AND MY SISTER FROM THE YMCA, YOU KNOW, ALL THAT STUFF THEY WERE STRESSING WITH.
'CAUSE IT SOUNDED LIKE A CLEAN STORY FROM HEARING IT, BUT THERE'S A WHOLE LOT MORE THERE
UM, BUT THE, THE THING I WANTED YOU TO ACTUALLY GO INTO, UH, OR AT LEAST SAY SOMETHING TOO, UH, WHICH I THINK IS HER NEXT BOOK, BUT BASICALLY THE WOMEN'S LIVE MOVEMENT THAT HAPPENED DURING THAT TIME, ALL THE STUFF SHE TALKED ABOUT, SHE GOT DONE.
SHE HAD TO DO WITH MEN TELLING HER SHE WASN'T EQUIPPED TO DO IT.
I WAS TRYING TO BRUSH, THAT'S WHY I WAS TALKING.
MY QUESTION IS, UH, I KNOW THAT, UH, YOU, I THINK YOU AND I WERE BOTH AT THE USDA EQUITY SUMMIT IN FEBRUARY.
UM, I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW, AND THIS WAS A SUMMIT THAT, UH, THE USDA SPONSORED IN WASHINGTON DC IN FEBRUARY, UH, AFTER THEY DID A TWO YEAR, I THINK IT WAS A TWO YEAR.
WE WORKED TWO YEARS ACTUALLY ABOUT ALMOST TWO.
WE JUST DID THE RE FINAL REPORT ON FEBRUARY 22ND.
SO I MISSED YOU THERE, BUT I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO, UH, SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, SINCE YOU HAD SUCH A ROUGH TIME WITH THE USDA MM-HMM.
UH, I WOULD JUST LOVE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT.
SO WHEN I LEARNED THAT THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, ADMINISTRATION WAS GONNA, UM, SELECT AN EQUITY COMMISSION MM-HMM.
SO I LET THEM KNOW THAT, UH, BECAUSE I HAD WORKED OUTSIDE OF THE AGENCY MOST OF MY LIFE, BUT I HAD ALSO WORKED INSIDE
[03:15:01]
THE AGENCY FOR ONLY 11 MONTHS, BUTBUT I HAD BEEN IN THERE ENOUGH TO, TO GET A GOOD GRIP ON THINGS THAT WERE HAPPENING FROM THE INSIDE.
UM, SO WE, WE WORKED FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS LOOKING AT, UM, THE AGENCY.
WE BROKE UP, THERE WAS A SUBCOMMITTEE ON RULE DEVELOPMENT AND A SOFT COMMITTEE ON AG AND JUST LOOKING INTO EVERYTHING AND THEN FINALLY VOTING ON A FINAL DOCUMENT.
BUT ONE, ONE THING THAT, THAT I WAS PLEASED WITH, UM, AND YOU KNOW, THEY WROTE SOME ARTICLES ABOUT ME WHEN I DECIDED TO SERVE, WHY WOULD SHE GO BACK AND WORK WITH DI SACK ON ANYTHING BECAUSE OF THE WAY I WAS TREATED? MM-HMM.
BUT, YOU KNOW, HE APOLOGIZED BACK THEN I ACCEPTED.
BUT I, MY THING IS YOU NEED TO WORK WITH THE DEVIL, YOU KNOW? MM-HMM.
SO THAT'S WHY, AND IN FACT, I WENT IN ON JOY REED'S SHOW TO SAY I'M NOT OPPOSING HIS NOMINATION.
AND THAT'S WHAT GOT RID OF A LOT OF THE OPPOSITION HE WAS FACING AND GETTING THE APPOINTMENT.
SO HE STARTED, WE GAVE, WE DID AN INTERIM REPORT THE YEAR BEFORE HE, AND HE ACTUALLY STARTED IMPLEMENTING SOME OF THOSE CHANGES THEN.
AND THEN HE WOULD TELL US, GO BACK AND DIG DEEPER.
HE WANTED MORE TO COME OUT OF IT.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, THAT REALLY PLEASED ME.
AND THAT BOY, HE, IF Y'ALL DON'T KNOW DR.
PENNY BROWN REYNOLDS, YOU NEED TO GET TO KNOW THAT LITTLE LADY.
HE APPOINT, SHE'S THE ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR CIVIL RIGHTS.
THAT WAS A BACKLOG OF ABOUT 500 CASES.
AND NOW WHEN A FARMER COMPLAINS, YOU KNOW, THAT COMPLAINT HE'S HEARING FROM THEM ON A REGULAR BASIS UNTIL THEY RESOLVE IT.
AND THEN ONE OF OUR AG SPECIALISTS ON STAFF, UH, A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO AFTER A STAFF MEETING, HE WOULD WALK TO THE CAR WITH ME AND HE SAID, YOU KNOW, THIS EQUITY COMMISSION STUFF IS REALLY WORKING.
'CAUSE I'VE SEEN SOME PEOPLE GET APPROVED HERE THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, HAD SO MANY PROBLEMS BEFORE NOW.
SO EVEN ON THE GROUND, HE'S BEEN ABLE TO SEE.
NOW WE DIDN'T GET EVERYTHING COUNTY COMMITTEE SYSTEM.
I WISH WE COULD'VE COME UP WITH A SOLUTION FOR THAT.
'CAUSE Y'ALL KNOW WHAT THE COUNTY, THE SYSTEM IS THAT FARMERS ARE ELECTED IN THE COUNTY AND THEY'RE ELECTED BY PEOPLE WHO ARE ON LAND.
YOU KNOW, SO WE GOING CAN'T GET OUR PEOPLE ON THAT COMMITTEE.
AND THEY'RE THE ONES WHO MADE THE DECISIONS THROUGH THE YEARS THAT CAUSED BLACK FARMERS TO LOSE SO MUCH LAND.
YOU KNOW, MY THING WAS, UH, WELL, VILSACK SENT ME A LITTLE NOTE 'CAUSE HE SAID HE HAD, UM, HE HAD A, HE HAD APPOINTED 90.
AND SO I, I CALLED HIM OUT IN THE, IN, WE WERE IN NORTH DAKOTA MEETING AND I SAID, WHAT Y'ALL NORMALLY DO IS GO GET THE WEAKEST BLACK FARMER YOU CAN FIND AND PUT HIM ON THE COMMITTEE.
AND THEN HE DOESN'T COMMUNICATE WITH EVERYBODY ELSE.
YOU KNOW? SO I FEEL THAT WHEN YOU HAVE 1899 GRANTS IN THE AREA, OR YOU HAVE COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS, I THINK THEY SHOULD MAKE A PLACE ON THAT COMMITTEE FOR THEM SO THAT THEY CAN CARRY THE MESSAGE OUT TO ALL OF THE OTHER FARMERS WHO NEED IT.
NOW THAT WAS A LONG STRETCH AND THESE BIG, BIG FARMERS ARE NOT GONNA GO FOR THAT.
IT'S NOT OH, YOU WANT, YOU CAN.
AND SO WE'RE GONNA GO TO YOU AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK TONIGHT.
I'M OUT OF BASTROP, TEXAS AND OR THIS GENTLEMAN IN THE GREEN SHIRT THERE.
WE GOT SOMEWHERE IN COMMA, OUR I, UH, THE SLAVE COMMUNITY ARE, THEY'RE IN BASTROP OFF OF HIGHWAY 20.
WHILE THOSE, UH, BONES AND TEETH ON TOP OF THE GROUND AND THE OIL SPILLS ARE, ARE, THIS IS WHAT I INHERITED ME AND MY FAMILY.
AND A QUICK QUESTION IS, UH, UM, UM, IF YOU HAVE ANY ENVIRONMENTAL OR EXPERIENCE WHEN THE OIL COMPANY OR BUST THE OIL LINE ON YOUR PROPERTY OR CAN AND, UH, THEY OR THEY ILLEGALLY, CAN SOMEONE SELL YOUR PROPERTY OR
[03:20:01]
CAN YOU SELL IT? IF THE OIL SPILL CONTINUALLY IS STILL GOING ON AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME AND SOMEBODY WANTS TO BUY THAT OR PROPERTY, BUT THEY ALSO DON'T WANT TO CLEAN THE BONES AND TEETH UP OR ON THE SAME, OR PROPERTY COSTS.THE, UH, OIL LINES WENT THROUGH THE PROPERTY IN 2024 AND THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A HUNDRED YEARS AND THEY THEN THEY WANT TO JUMP WITH THE TAXES AND GO UP OR, UH, I GUESS A HUNDRED TIMES AND THE FAMILY BEEN PAYING THE TAX OR BECAUSE OF LACK OF EDUCATION, DIDN'T KNOW THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY TAXES ON CEMETERIES OR SINCE 1913 MM-HMM.
SO CAN THESE PEOPLE STILL TAKE YOUR PROPERTY OR, UM, AND YOU SHOULDN'T NEVER BEEN PAYING TAXES AND OIL PEOPLE IS THERE BENEFITING EVERYTHING.
I WISH I HAD AN ANSWER FOR YOU, BUT THAT ONE OF THE PROBLEMS I'VE HAD THROUGH THE YEARS IS FINDING LAWYERS, GOOD LAWYERS WHO WILLING TO, TO WORK ON ISSUES LIKE THAT.
AND ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO LAND.
PEOPLE CALL ME ALL THE TIME, I CAN'T EVEN RECOMMEND COMMENDING IT BECAUSE LAWYERS SEEM TO NICKEL AND DIME YOU TO DEATH AND, UH, WEAR YOU OUT AND YOU LOSE IT.
SO I WISH I HAD AN ANSWER, BUT, UM, WE, YOU KNOW, THERE IS, I DON'T KNOW.
AND UH, AND A LOT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MONEY IS OUT THERE.
YEAH, BUT NOT IN THE, IN THE, THIS GENTLEMAN COUNTY MINE IN BASCO, TEXAS.
BUT, BUT THERE, THERE IS, DUNNO IT IN THERE.
THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED TO GET THAT MONEY.
SO I JUST THOUGHT I'D MENTIONED THAT AFTER KNOWING I GOT SO MANY NEIGHBORS AND
SO IF WE CAN'T GET YOUR INFORMATION, I DO KNOW I WOULD HAVE TO GET BACK TO WORK.
BUT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE RECEIVED THE MONEY FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
SO IT'S NOT LOCAL TO DO THE CLEANUP ON YOUR PROPERTY.
UH, IS THAT THE LAST QUE OR I GUESS I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT MINING RIGHTS BECAUSE SOME, HE MADE ME THINK OF SOMETHING THAT I HEARD.
SO IS THAT ANOTHER THING ALSO WHEN I BUY PROPERTY, ESPECIALLY IN A PLACE LIKE THIS WITH OIL AND STUFF LIKE THAT, THAT I WOULD NEED TO GET, SO, YEAH.
ONE, TWO, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA CLOSE.
SO I'M CURIOUS, OH, YOU WANNA COME UP HERE SO WE CAN, SO IT COULD BE RECORDED TOO.
SO I'M CURIOUS, UM, PURPLE POST, UH, IN GEORGIA.
DO THEY DO PURPLE POST IN GEORGIA LIKE THEY DO HERE IN TEXAS? NOT FAMILIAR.
SO PURPLE POST, IF YOU GO INTO SOMEBODY'S UH, AREA AND CERTAIN AREAS IN TEXAS, IF YOU EVEN CAUGHT RIGHT ON THE BOARD OF THEIR PROPERTY, THEY CAN KILL YOU, BURY YOUR BODY ON THE PROPERTY WITHOUT, WITHOUT, UH, WITHOUT ANYBODY KNOWING.
SO I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF THEY DID THAT IN GEORGE GEORGIA AS WELL.
NOW THE MAN WHO MURDERED MY FATHER WAS NOT PROSECUTED BACK IN 1965 BECAUSE AN ALL WHITE GRAND JURY REFUSED TO INDICT HIM EVEN THOUGH THERE WERE WITNESSES.
OH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING MY QUESTION.
I JUST WANTED TO ASK ABOUT ARC OF JUSTICE, THE DOCUMENTARY.
AND SO WE HAVE A LITTLE BARRIER HERE IN AUSTIN.
UH, IT AN AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY.
IF THE VENDOR DOESN'T CARRY THAT PARTICULAR ITEM THAT'S BEING REQUESTED, IT GETS REJECTED.
SO IS MARCH 31ST, 2022, WHEN I TRIED TO, YOU KNOW, NEFERTITI, JACQUELINE MENTIONED THE SEEDS AND GETTING EDUCATED ABOUT THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST, BUT WHEN I PUT IN THE REQUEST FOR THE DOCUMENTARY, IT WAS DENIED.
SO CAN YOU HELP US FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THAT, UH, INFORMATION HERE AND MAYBE THIS $300 MILLION FROM PROJECT CONNECT COULD BE USED FOR THAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I HAD TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT TRANSIT.
OF COURSE, IF YOU GIMME YOUR INFORMATION, I'LL SEND YOU A COPY.
I THINK OUR LIBRARY COULD USE THAT AS WELL.
WE WILL FIND A WAY TO GET THAT AT OUR PUBLIC LIBRARY.
AND WE KNOW YOU HAD TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT TRANSIT
[03:25:01]
IF WE COULD CONTINUE TO TRY TO GET THAT MILLION SO THAT WHEN GOOD DOCUMENTARIES LIKE THIS ONE COME UP, WE CAN ACTUALLY GET THEM.[Closing Remarks]
IN CLOSING, NUMBER ONE, CAN WE GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO ALL OF OUR PANELISTS, DR.AND THE
MIGUEL LOPEZ, NELSON AND ANDRADE AND, AND OUR MARCO TEAM, THE WHOLE TEAM, VERONICA, SAMMO, CASSIE, AND CASSANDRA AND TAMRON.
AND THEN I WANT EVERYONE TO PLEASE STAY, EAT, EAT AND EAT.