A Better Chance TV with host Dr. Monique S. Robinson
Educational Conversations with Scholars in Mind. "Our mission is to empower and uplift scholars pursuing higher education at HBCUs, ensuring they have the resources, support, and opportunities needed for a successful future. Through mentorship, scholarship programs, and community engagement, we strive to create a pathway to excellence, fostering academic achievement, leadership development, and a strong sense of cultural identity. Together, we are building a brighter future for young scholars, strengthening the legacy of HBCUs, and fueling positive change in our communities."
A Better Chance TV with host Dr. Monique S. Robinson
Reconnecting Roots: A Black History Month Conversation
Two old friends reconnect during Black History Month, delivering a conversation as rich and nourishing as Sunday dinner. Ashley Anya, once the first female drummer at Corinthian Baptist Church, now splits her time between the States and Mexico as a DJ and healthcare entrepreneur.
From the moment they start reminiscing about their shared past, the conversation flows with genuine warmth and honesty. Ashley's perspective as a Black American living abroad reveals something beautiful: "When it comes to the people who are of this land, they embrace us and respect us as brothers and sisters." This cross-cultural connection manifests in powerful ways, like drum circles where African rhythms meet Mayan traditions.
The heart of their discussion tackles colorism—a reality so normalized that some don't believe it exists. Ashley brilliantly connects this to the Drake versus Kendrick Lamar feud, explaining how it represents broader questions about which Black voices get amplified: "White America has created what is normal to the extent that somebody can say that something as obvious as colorism doesn't exist." She unpacks how certain artists receive industry support while others face barriers despite equal talent.
Their shared foundation at Corinthian Baptist Church becomes a touchpoint for discussing authentic representation and cultural education. "I learned 90% of what I know about my people there," Ashley reflects. This grounding allowed them to recognize and reject harmful stereotypes while embracing their heritage.
Ashley's parting wisdom resonates with ancestral power: "Don't ever downplay what our ancestors did for us, how they fought for us... As melanated people on this earth, there are more people who look like you and who you can connect with culturally than not... We'll be fine, because that's our history."
Listen to this episode to experience the unfiltered truth that emerges when authentic voices speak freely. Check out Ashley's DJ sets on social media @DJEasyWine or learn about her rehabilitation clinic, Marathon Medical, in Dayton, Ohio.
Welcome to a better chance for youth television show with your host, monique Robinson, where we highlight, celebrate and recognize students from all over the country who are doing great things in the classroom, community and athletics. Every student deserves an opportunity, an opportunity for hope and a future. So let's celebrate our students, the next generation of teachers, engineers, entrepreneurs and future leaders. Join us on another incredible segment of A Better Chance for Youth show with your host, monique Robinson.
Speaker 3:Hey everybody, how are you, and I hope you are having a wonderful Black History Month, african-american history, however, however you categorize it. I hope you're having a wonderful black history month, african-american history, however however you categorize it. I hope you're learning something different. I know today I'm not, um, not wearing my, my usual hbcu or um black history stuff, because I figured I have it on the side behind me. So stuff because I figured I have it on the side behind me. So before we get started, like you know, I always do something different. Yesterday I had the pleasure of spending time at one of my favorite places, which is the Carver Branch Library, and they had the most amazing exhibit and speakers talking about African-Americans in agriculture and also the Black Cowboys, which is a good exhibit that's going on at the Witte Museum if you're in San Antonio. But I did on all our pages, including our newsletter. I gave y'all the cheat sheet that one of the speakers gave, so check that out if you have a chance. Now, another thing I want to tell you about is we have our health fair, which is truly, truly about to be a blessing on the east side of San Antonio, because we are still accepting vendors and some people are just sending me emails. So we are taking vendors up to the last minute. We're looking for health providers, doctors, nurses that can give some in-kind services, some screenings. Even if you are a health service, you know, maybe we might find somebody that can do a chair massage or something like that. But you know, you know it is at the library, so keep it friendly.
Speaker 3:Now, today, guys, I have a special treat, you know, since it's February and you know I've been speaking with people that are not really from my past, but people that actually know me. So, black History Month, you are going to talk to people with me that actually know me personally. So today I have the pleasure of you know this. Oh my God, I don't want to age myself because in my mind I'm still young. You know 50 in two years, but I'm still young. But I have an amazing guest coming on today. You know, she kind of, I think she was. I don't know when I bring her on, I'm going to ask her this question. So let's welcome to A Better Chance Television, miss Ashley. Hey, ashley, I got to ask you Was you Corinthians? What's up? Was you Corinthians' first drummer, first female drummer?
Speaker 4:Yeah, definitely the first female drummer, for sure, the first female drummer.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, yeah, Chad I was tearing them skins up at 13.
Speaker 4:I was like wait a minute. I thought.
Speaker 3:I would.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I don't know of any other girl that played and I think you know what my grandmother told me I was, because my grandmother she always loved that, because she fought to get women to be able to wear pants at Corinthian.
Speaker 3:Oh, wow.
Speaker 4:Or maybe it was the Nurses Guild. They were only allowed to wear shirts, and my grandmother fought and fought and fought, oh my God. And now the Nurses Guild now wears the white pants. Because that's what she wore at work, that's what she had. And so she said it's in you, it's just in you. I said work, that's what she had. And so she said it's in you, it's just in you. I said okay.
Speaker 3:It's hilarious. I'm sorry y'all, we're so unscripted today. I didn't even let Ashley tell us who she is, where she's at, what's going on.
Speaker 4:It's all good because this is two old friends just talking, so sorry y'all listening in on a FaceTime, a long overdue FaceTime. Call. I'm Ashley Anya. I am originally from Los Angeles, california, and then grew up for a majority of my life in Los Angeles I mean in Dayton, ohio and now I live in Playa del Carmen, mexico. And now I live in Playa del Carmen, mexico, part-time. I'm not a resident yet, but I did hear about some visa changes and the president is kind of cracking down on tourism and stuff, so that's going to change here soon. But I love it here. I'm enjoying life and I'm excited about this conversation.
Speaker 3:Happy to meet everybody. Oh oh wow, I'm kind of jealous like you. Kind of pretty, you look out your window. You see pretty, I just see grass.
Speaker 4:I'm gonna let the blinds do the blind thing. I won't even tempt you okay that's fine. It's all right out there right now. That is so cool.
Speaker 3:So you live in both places. You're like I live here and I live here, Wow, Very Libra of me.
Speaker 4:I'm told I'm a Libra and apparently it is not uncommon for Libras to have more than one address.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 4:Yeah, guilty as charged.
Speaker 3:If you can, you can. So guys, look, I'll be honest. I have known Ashley like I think I met her. She was, oh goodness, she was in grammar school.
Speaker 4:I was like 12 or 13.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I was a baby In grammar school and so I told y'all, february, I'm bringing on friends, old teachers, old classmates, even some of the students that taught me. I just pray that they don't. You know, I don't want to get in trouble because I was that teacher. So prayer changes things. But, ashley, you are all the way in Mexico. That is so dope Like. How is it being an African-American woman living abroad?
Speaker 4:It's beautiful, it's peaceful. I don't want to sugar coat. I can't say these words without thinking of you. I'm not even playing, monique, I'm not no fronting. Anytime I think about I won't complain. I think of you Anytime. And so where I was going with that was I have good days, I have hills to climb, it's good and bad here, but I won't complain. It's incredible.
Speaker 4:It's a very different experience to live somewhere where you're not the minority. I'm a minority in that I don't speak the language. I'm a minority in that I don't speak the language. I'm a minority in that I am an American. But when it really comes to the people who are of this land, they embrace us and respect us as brothers and sisters, black people, black Americans, black Brits, africans. The Black diaspora that is here is embraced by the locals and we share cultures. I mean I've been to drum circles where we've got African drums and Mayan drums going, and I mean it's a beautiful community of like-minded individuals and it's doable, it's cheap, so I'm having a good time that's really cool and I know that is like up your alley.
Speaker 3:You should go live when you do a drum circle.
Speaker 4:I think that's so cool yeah, I, I think I'll do that next time, next time they hold one oh, wow so I want people to experience that too, so you don't do the music at all anymore um, I dj for.
Speaker 4:so I learned how to dj when I moved down here. Yeah so, and here's the story behind that. Yeah so, um, and y'all, monique knows me as the drummer of the church. I was little, you know. She watched me struggling, trying to keep up, trying to figure out the beat, whatnot. Um, so I did that all throughout most of my life.
Speaker 4:I stopped drumming maybe in like 2016,. Stopped drumming consistently. I was the last place I was at Revival Center. I was their drummer and you know three services a Sunday and Wednesdays and I mean I've played at the biggest of places and everything. Yeah, it was a lot, lot. It wore me out.
Speaker 4:I was like I'm going to rest, rest just turned into doing other stuff, moved down here and my neighbor at the time, little Filipino lady from Canada, little 50-something-year-old Filipino lady that doesn't look a day over 25. But she's a little old Filipino lady, not old. But you know, societally, whatever Unassuming Best DJ I've ever heard in my life? Dj Blessed, out of Toronto, is one of the best DJs I've ever heard in my life. She lives in Brooklyn now. She's married and they'll be moving back down here after she can, you know, fly back and forth with her papers and stuff. But she's incredible to the point where it was one New Year's.
Speaker 4:We were at her party and she was DJing this rooftop party for New Year's. It was like every. There was four different rooftop parties that year under the same like business that was, you know. They were just spread out. Everybody was at this one party and we decided to leave, like maybe a little after 12 or something, get downstairs and nobody else is playing music. She's DJing the entire block. Wow, and this is like Ocean Drive, like this is. You know, it's a busy, it's bars, it's everything. This is Mexico and as we're walking home, you know, we still hear the music and she's spinning and hit after hit after hit. We turned right back around and went right back to that part. That's the first time I ever went back to the party and it was solely based on music.
Speaker 3:so it get like that. I mean every now and then I a music could drop me then, because I'm not a clubber like I don't yeah probably because I had older siblings and allegedly I would go places with them.
Speaker 4:Allegedly I didn't club.
Speaker 3:When I was in college.
Speaker 4:I was so ministry and church, so I didn't club. So that's my handicap. Now is like really learning a club flow. But yeah, I had her teach me. She told me what board to get, get and she gave me my lessons and then, you know, showed me what little youtube stuff to do through a party at the rooftop of the place we lived, pushed me out there, made me dj it and I've been going. It's been two years and it's I love it. I love it. I've always wanted to learn how to dj, yeah, so I'm not, that's all I'm doing now, you still doing music.
Speaker 3:Honestly, our listening audience don't even know that I have. No, let me take that back. They know in college. They know that I was a soloist for the Woodbridge University Choir, but when it comes to actually singing. They know that I was a soloist for the Wilberforce University Choir, but when it comes to singing.
Speaker 4:They know it somebody make her sing. I won't complain one day, just be seated. Make sure you're already seated in a safe place where you can fall out your chair oh god force it one day. It's worth it. Oh my gosh, are Are you kidding me? But I do.
Speaker 3:Man, every time I go home because it's been, it's been established. Let me say it that way, reverend Henderson. It's been established that anytime I come home.
Speaker 4:I have to sing a song You're going to sing. Yeah, if I was at Corinthian and saw you at Corinthian and you didn't get up in that second pulpit and sing that, if I went to the end and saw you at corinthians and you didn't get up in that second pulpit and sing that wouldn't make any sense to me, that life wouldn't make any sense to me.
Speaker 3:So yeah, the second pulpit. Oh my god dead, you know which one I'm talking about.
Speaker 4:You know which?
Speaker 3:one.
Speaker 4:I'm talking about.
Speaker 3:That's why I started laughing. I mean, last time I was there, I don't know, you know what? After this commercial break, I'm going to tell you what happened last time I was there. You don't follow, okay.
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Speaker 3:Welcome back, welcome back. Okay, so I promised Ashley this story. She probably gonna crack up laughing Now. Guys, if you don't know, I love the church we grew up in. I really do. Yes, yes, you gotta have a sense of humor.
Speaker 4:Christmas I'm so ready for christmas. You gotta have a sense. Oh, I love corinth. It holds such a place in my heart.
Speaker 3:I love that place, I do like I, I love, I even love the people here. You know I love it but so the church that I've been going to since I've been away from carithian is a little pinnacle, you know, it's that back, that castle. I guess I'll say that one mm-hmm, it doesn't work.
Speaker 4:You're back back to custodian there you go.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you know like non-denominational, but everybody get up and you know they do their thing. So, yeah, a couple of times, and right, I go to corinthian and you know reverend henderson, he get on the thing because I think that's when I first my degree was first conferred. I think, yeah, my degree was first conferred that december, so that next, I think easter or something like that, that's when I had went home. And so I get there and you know I always sing and I don't even know what I was singing that day, but I guess I was just dealing with life and life was life in itself, and so the spirit completely took over, literally, literally took over. Yes, Girl?
Speaker 4:I guess yes, please tell me.
Speaker 3:You spoke in tongues over that mic Literally Second half of the song. Yes, so I'm walking down the stairs singing and I looked at the tape and I'm like, oh my God, because they still have it, it's online. I'm not going to god, you know, because they still have it, so it's online. I'm not gonna tell y'all where to find it.
Speaker 3:Oh, I know where to find it but it's all that I'm singing walking down the stairs and then I started and got there and I just couldn't let the song go. And then I went into I don't want no rocks to cry out for me. I was like, oh geez, they're not going to invite me back. I was in the womb, they ain't going to invite me back.
Speaker 4:Child. I love it. They need it. But you remember we had that one lady that used to go in every Sunday. I ain't going to say nobody's name On the table. They had that one minister's wife. She used to sit over right behind or right in front of the drums, in front of the musicians. That lady, that's the first time I heard somebody speak in tongues and she did not care. Every Sunday she was.
Speaker 3:Honestly, you got to be like bold. You know what I mean. Some people I remember. I don't know if you was old enough to remember, but there used to be a man at our church and they used to call him Mr Happy. Oh yes, I remember Mr Happy and he used to walk around and he'd just wave his hand. He walked the whole and our church ain't no small
Speaker 3:church now, that was a lap. He just he just. I was young when he died in he walked the whole and our church ain't no small church. Now, that was a lap, he just I was young when he died. But when I got older I was like that's the kind of happiness I want. When I go to church and I said maybe I accomplished it, because I'll tell Ashley it was yeah, can you?
Speaker 4:imagine that, though, now that I'm grown, now that we grown and thinking about it, for him to be a black man in that city and to feel free enough to be in a place where he could just express that way. Man, that's powerful, that's powerful.
Speaker 3:And I never know his name. We always call him, mr. He was happy all day. Yeah, he walked up that side, across the front, go back, he did. He did laps like I. You know church, I met they run. I'm like I can't do that, do that. I stay here and shout and cry, but um, so, yeah, that's. That's like the kind of a piece that I feel bad, that I didn't appreciate when I was younger and now I'm older. That's what it was about.
Speaker 4:So that sunday I guess I had my mr, happy moment because and that's what I love about Corinthian though You'll be back and they don't care, you ain't offending nobody. They didn't get it, but you ain't offending nobody.
Speaker 3:I was like Ain't nobody mad. And so I try to encourage the young people that are in church, because I was like church wasn't an option. I don't know what this new? Yeah, that part, that part. You know it was like no church, no running the streets, I don't know. But hey, I'm like who you, you are.
Speaker 4:Are you going to church today? What time is service? That was the question I had. What time am I supposed to be in the car? My grandfather would cuss us clean out. It was just.
Speaker 3:I mean, it got to the point where we were teenagers my mom and dad was like, okay, you better be up there behind the deacons or in the car stand, and my sister had to be an usher and JB had to be an usher. But it was like, like, you better be one of them spies, but you ain't about to be in the restaurant and all that. Yeah, so young what I appreciated I was.
Speaker 4:I was an expat, right like I. I didn't get there till I was like 13, so I appreciated that. Corinthian was my first community. Y'all were my first group of friends. Y'all were my first cousins that weren't cousins like for real, like that's what y'all meant to me, that's, you know. So the jefferson, everybody like it's, it's always. It can be 20 years since we've talked. We don't pick up like we like we just talked yesterday, you know. So I will always appreciate that place for that. I'll always appreciate that. But all right, is this what we want to talk? What are we talking about?
Speaker 3:You know what I mean. My audience knows.
Speaker 4:We just flowing.
Speaker 3:We just flow, you know we just flow. Catching up on time, and we, you know.
Speaker 4:Like I don't know if they want to hear all about our Carithia drama, Okay so, lately they, they want to hear all about our our karithia drama but okay.
Speaker 3:So I'm gonna tell you what we've been talking about lately and you're probably blowing your mind, but I know you. You know your opinions are always amazing. So last week I had a conversation I'm gonna probably go to commercial after, after I'm gonna give you speaking time. I had a deep conversation with someone and they were trying to discuss colorism. Uh, I know you like oh, and so I was trying to break it down so that they can understand. Um, this person is of the opposite race, uh, and she was like what do you mean? I'm like colorism exists in every ethnic group, if you pay attention to detail. So I'm going to let that sink in and I will go to commercial, because you're looking like I'm going to go either way with this. So, guys, I'm in here chilling with Miss Ashley I'm going to mess her last name up.
Speaker 4:Anya, it's easier than it looks. It is so much easier than it looks. I always tell don't let it intimidate you. Just, anya, I'm on your back.
Speaker 3:I'm on your back right now.
Speaker 4:So when we?
Speaker 3:come back. We're going to tackle this colorism because I don't know why people can't really decide what it means.
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Speaker 3:Welcome back, welcome back. I wasn't even paying attention so I missed the cue. So oh well Now, ashley, I know I told you I'm still the same, just a little older.
Speaker 4:I love it. Well, they in on our FaceTime. Call, no worries.
Speaker 3:So the conversation went well, but just know. But to me, you know, I was like as a darker skin, dark-skinned female um. I endured a lot growing up you know, even to the point of you know, if I didn't have the type of parents I have, who?
Speaker 3:always put in affirmation and always told me you're Black is beautiful. So you know, and as being an educator, I do encounter that with some of the scholars I come across with, because I try to get people to understand. You know, you don't know what it's like to be in their shoes.
Speaker 4:Yeah. So that's just the background knowledge I'm interested in what did this person, who is not of our uh ethnic group, what? What was their summation? What did they think? Well like it doesn't exist.
Speaker 3:It's not a thing well, in her opinion it was almost like it doesn't exist. Uh, my opinion from personal experience and also as an educator it's like it does exist. You know, it does you know, and it's just naming the elephant in the room.
Speaker 4:It still exists yeah, it's inexhaustible my mind, my thoughts. I am entertained, I am inspired by, I am completely enthralled by this Drake versus Kendrick beef Right. Sure, this thing is just in me right now.
Speaker 4:It has taken off, it has taken off, but it's bigger than you know. Biggie and Pac pock was oh, you did something to me, I'm gonna do something. That was more of a personal thing. Jay-z and naz was we both from the same area? I'm the best one from the same area, area um, you know all the other beefs have been, you know, more personal. This beef is not personal. This beef is about messages and narratives that are literally buried alive, to the extent that we have normalized things and we can't even call it out anymore. So buried I use that term, buried alive for a reason.
Speaker 4:Buried alive was the first time most people heard Kendrick Lamar, and Buried Alive is a track on Drake's album, like one of his first albums. Drake's album. It's Kendrick and he's talking about meeting Drake, and it appears, if you're not listening, you think that Kendrick is like celebrating the fact that he's met this incredible. You know this Canadian rapper guy. That's not what Kendrick is saying at all, but he's saying something else. His whole message was when he talked to Drake. Basically, drake told him you're a part of the system now. You're not supposed to be conscious. We're not making that music. We're supposed to make music to make them dance and move their butts. And so Kendrick decided then that his motives, words, his message would be buried alive, that he would always. He would still stay true to what he wanted to talk.
Speaker 4:Because at the same time that album came out, section 8.0 was out. Section 80 came out. So that was take care. In section 80. They were out at the same time. Section 80 is such a deep body of work that is about. Section 80 is about kids who were born in the 80s and it's about how the crack epidemic impacted our upbringing and how we view the world and Ronald Reagan and his impact on our community. It's a very deep body of work. I promise you our grandkids are going to look at Kendrick Lamar's work like we look at William Shakespeare. It's very deep, it's very. You know, it's cute now, it's fun, whatever. But when you break that down, take the beat away, turn the music off, turn the music off, dissect. Just take the lyrics. I promise you I'm getting the colorism. So in Buried Alive. It's basically like you know, I'm going to commit to giving the message that my people need. They might not even notice it.
Speaker 4:Fast forward to Poetic Justice. I know that song, okay, kendrick Lamar's album. And who else is on it, drake. Drake is featuring on Poetic Justice. I know that song, kendrick Lamar's album and who is on it? Drake. Drake is featuring on Poetic Justice. Go back and read it. You might even see the YouTube video. Poetic Justice Drake ate Kendrick because of Poetic Justice, kendrick made Drake displeased and Drake didn't even know it until after the video was done, after everything was done. Drake doesn't write. He's not a writer.
Speaker 4:Kendrick learned that when he joined his group and had that conversation, and so there's lines all through it. I can never write my wrongs unless I write them down for real, my wrongs, unless I write them down for real. And in the song and in the video, kendrick is talking to this black woman Beautiful, black, complected, she's got baby hairs. You can tell she's from the block, she's on the bus right. So he's talking about his love and how he wants to protect her and how he wants to this, that, yada, yada. And then here come drake and and he's talking to the same girl trying to trying to seduce her. But in the bed with him he's got some light-skinned shorty with long hair, and the whole time drake is hugged up to and actually giving his time and affection to.
Speaker 4:What does it necessarily? Isn't necessarily naturally us is the he? He's been saying they not like us for decades. Kendrick has been saying it forever. He just now has to say it because we don't dissect nothing, no more.
Speaker 4:But so so the message there to me, the whole message in the beef, is like white America has decided what is safe for so long, white America has created what is normal to the extent that somebody like her can say that something as obvious, as colorism doesn't exist when the fact that drake and kendrick lamar came out at the same time. But drake is the one that got the machine behind him and is pushing him to me, me, it's the embodiment of this battle that we have. He's one of them. He's the light-skinned pretty boy that they can trust. So they put all the money behind them. They bought him the best writers, they bought him the best producers, they gave him any and everything. They wanted to push a message that does not speak truth to power Wow. That does not speak truth to power, wow. And all the little black boys and little black girls are kind of left out of the conversation.
Speaker 3:Makes sense.
Speaker 4:And so I feel like Kendrick's whole point has been to I can't say fix or to like platform that which hasn't been platformed and it normally doesn't look like you and me. It normally doesn't To the extent that our experience is so erased. People who aren't us don't even know that that's our experience. So, yes, colorism is a real thing and the reason why people don't think it is is because of colorism. Because you won't hear my black behind. Hey, I didn't. You won't platform my struggles, you won't platform me. Want you want the cute stuff, the safe stuff, the the bone, bone, straight 40 inch malaysian, you know whatever with the bbl and all that stuff. There's, there's real, real people out here living real lives and we deserve a chance to be heard. It's true, and so, yeah, I think that's that's the only thing I could think of when you said that. I was like, yeah, of course the white woman wouldn't think it's colorism.
Speaker 3:They don't hear us at all at all and I mean I have. I mean because the type of things that I involve myself in, I have a rainbow of people that I be around.
Speaker 4:However, they know Monique now and not what monique went to to get went through to get to where, yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean when you're growing up and and the lyrics are, I like them thick, long hair, red bone yeah, and you know you know. So thank you for kindred. Who's like? Show me something natural, like af Afro-Rosa stretch marks. Show me something like you know, like platform, something different.
Speaker 4:Yeah, and it's not even different. We're the majority. Most of us look like us. If I go to the club, most of us look like us. That's true. The mothers of these men look like us. That's true. The mothers of these men look like us. But the system wants to platform that which is, you know, safe, that which they deem is better than and they've done it to us since. You know the days of slavery, when you know, based on your skin color, whether or not you can come inside and work, you know whether or not I a cook or or a butcher, determined by the hue of my, my color my skin.
Speaker 3:That's crazy. It's crazy, but I I really hate that a lot of our people, even our peers, aren't woke yeah you know they they're not woke, you know you, you have sleep. You can't wake up and pay attention because, honestly, a lot of people you know, since you brought up Kendrick and Drake, a lot of people didn't get the Super Bowl performance.
Speaker 4:No.
Speaker 3:And I was highly upset. You know that was the worst performance ever. I was like did you pay attention to what was going on?
Speaker 4:A lot of people didn't get the beef. That's what Scares me. I'm like a lot of y'all don't, I can't and I don't hate To me. I feel bad for Drake because he's been a tool. He's a personification Of an idea that you can wear Blackness as a commodity and make money off of it. Don't choose the power. Don't do anything to change it, change it, change those people's position or whatnot. You know that's the message of the beef and so how we've missed that into like, oh, but Drake isn't done, his career isn't over. No, his career probably isn't over, but hopefully the careers of, or the idea that that, uh, that a uh music label can create another drake. Hopefully that's dead.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's that's another, a pond or a front person. Yeah, you know, hopefully upon or from person.
Speaker 4:Hopefully we can wake up as a community and see that our culture is losing its value. It's losing its potency.
Speaker 3:It is, and a lot of people feel like they've arrived once you get to a certain point and they forget totally about one where they came from. Two, even reaching back and teaching their you know, their kids basic Black history, you know.
Speaker 4:Another nod to Corinthian. I tell people all the time I don't know how people, if you're not in church, if you're not raising your kids in church, I don't know how you're teaching them history, black history, unless you are the, unless you know it and you are very intentional in doing it. I learned 90 of what I know about my people there in that daggone basement. I learned it or in the or in the vestibule at sunday school. Deacon freeman, you know like it was such a rich education you could not pay for that. That's true. That taught me who I am. That was a part of me knowing who I am, who my people are, and so I quickly reject stereotypes and anything that doesn't fit what I was literally shown. I mean, we went to church with Black excellence and we're giving Black excellence every week.
Speaker 3:Most of the lawyers, judges and doctors.
Speaker 4:Yep politicians and it's for granted. When I was there, yeah take's for granted.
Speaker 4:You know, when Lovelace or whoever would run and he'd have such and such speak and this politician speak, man, I used to roll my eyes. I'm like if. And I would say, you know, when I went to college, when I grew up, I left. I did, I went to a different church because I wanted a little bit more of a different experience, same as a grown adult. If I had children to raise in dayton, ohio today, I would be a member of corinthian baptist church. It would just, it just made it easier, just you go get that education.
Speaker 3:That's one man that that help is that education is priceless one thing, so you didn't want us to talk about the church? Devil is alive right, I give mr toes his flowers and nobody really understands. Mr tolls is the reason why I was able to go to college and still sing yeah um, mr tolls, you will not be in gospel corral unless you win select choir. Yeah, learn how to read music, because anybody can holler, but you're gonna know how to sing so you're gonna know how to.
Speaker 4:Yeah man, it is really special. I I've gone as far as I've gone as a musician. I went as far as I went as a musician, not off of talent, I went off of character, I went off of devotion. I went as far because people could trust me. Rodney evans taught me a long time ago anybody could sit on some drums, but not anybody could be a musician that anybody can understand. Balance that everybody can understand. When is your time to show out, when it's not. You know, rodney taught me everything I know important about music. I give to that man. Man, I miss that man.
Speaker 4:It breaks my heart, but I really appreciate the people that were at that church. Man, you should send this to Reverend Henderson because I think he should know. Yes, a lot of us have gone away. Don't look at my Facebook page. You might think some other stuff, but don't get it twisted, man. I know where I came from and Corinthian is a major part of when I say where I came from. It's a major part of where I came from. I'm this African kid but I've got these deep roots in this Baptist church and it'll have my heart forever because it taught me a lot of what I need in life, wow.
Speaker 3:See, ashley got me going back to my childhood. Only certain people come on here can make me think like that. Now, as we go on in February, I have to ask Ashley you know, is there something that you feel, as before we go, that you feel that people of color should continue to do or work harder on?
Speaker 4:Is there something I feel like people of color should continue to do, or work harder on? Work harder on is acknowledging our enemy, acknowledging the plot, the real plot, acknowledging real oppression and calling it out and never being afraid to do so. I fear that that generation of leaders that got wiped out our Huey P Newtons, our MLKs, our Medgar Evers it seemed like as one went up, they knock them off, another one up. Like as one went up, they knock them off, another one up, knock them off, and so it's almost as though we don't have many. It feels like we don't have those same type of examples for leadership, you know, like Hakeem Jeffries or something, getting up and just kind of conceding the government to a fascist dictator or whatever.
Speaker 4:That's not who we are, that's not who we are historically, and we have always called out oppression the idea that, oh, my ancestors, don't ever say that, don't you ever, ever downplay what our ancestors did for us, how they fought for us, don't.
Speaker 4:I hate it when people say, oh, don't get it twisted, I ain't my ancestors, no, no, no, baby, you are your ancestors. You're not your ancestors, because even they wouldn't put up with some of this stuff, but the way that they fought for us the stuff that they had to fight through. Don't ever say that. Thank god for our ancestors, thank god for where we've been in this country, and understand that it's been terrible before and sometimes empires have to crumble and if that happens, so be it. But, as a melanated person, on this earth there are more people who look like you and who you can connect with culturally than not. So I say that to say as an expat living in Mexico who's been embraced by the people of Mexico you'll be fine, we'll be fine, mexico, you'll be fine, We'll be fine. Wherever we end up, wherever we got to go, whatever we got to do, we'll be all right, because that's our history, that's who we are.
Speaker 3:That's what we're made of. Wow, I'm going to do a closing remark. After that, you gave a whole benediction.
Speaker 4:Now unto you.
Speaker 3:I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, you know, hey, I think I know it, know it by heart, and I'm like I didn't get that spirit.
Speaker 4:I'm not you know, I don't know by heart, I ain't even gonna start, I'm.
Speaker 3:Able to keep us. But anyway, thank you so much For giving us your time. I told you we were totally going to be unscripted today, guys, because I love this when my friends, come on here. It's hard for me to, like you know, focus. I know you know hate to speak that on myself.
Speaker 3:It's like almost like I got 80, 80 hd. I'm like, okay, I can't read this script. No, no, don't look that. I was just making a reference. I don't want nobody to you know making a reference now but um can I throw my tiktok up here?
Speaker 4:am I allowed to do this?
Speaker 3:if you have businesses or anything, how can we follow you? Look, y'all y'all sleeping asking a dj. You know I I might have to get over to to Mexico and go to one of the parties.
Speaker 4:Yeah, come on, tiktok, I DJ. Sometimes I DJ live. Dj Easy Wine is my name and, yeah, my other business is well, if you happen to or you know of someone who is struggling with an opioid or any type of addiction, I happen to own a drug rehab clinic in dayton, ohio, marathon medical, and, um, I put that information up here too, um contact marathon medical, you can google us phone numbers there and, uh, get the help you need wow, let's see she.
Speaker 3:She ain't tell me that. Y'all know we done closed down.
Speaker 4:How you slipped that one on me. Yeah, that's what I do, that's that's the business, and I have counselors and a doctor and a place where people can come and get help. Yeah, but 100 of my clients are medicaid recipients and there are some very huge cuts on the chopping block. So we're kind of bracing for impact to see how that's going to change the dynamic of how we're able to take care of people. So y'all be in prayer about that. Some Republicans just have a heart for people.
Speaker 3:Man, it's not fair that's amazing work, one of my first jobs when I graduated from wilberforce. It wasn't my first, yeah, um was at daymont west. I don't know if you remember okay yeah yeah um, that was right before I went into a job, before I went into education, because I was finding it. I was like I don't want to be no teacher, my parents are teachers. Who likes that?
Speaker 4:See, and I left education and came here 20, 25 years later, I'm in education.
Speaker 3:I'm not in the classroom, but I'm still.
Speaker 4:Your mama's girl. Shout out to Mama Pop Davis.
Speaker 3:Lord Jesus, don't you make her day. My name got called so thank you guys. You saw raw there. You go with her, see, she gonna be okay, she gonna really freak out. Thank you so much again for giving us your time and telling us about your businesses. If you're catching the replay when we do air it the uncut version, please like, share, follow. Follow Ashley, she doing big things, DJing and mental health center. When I grow up, I'm going to be like her, but the ADHD honey, it's the ADHD.
Speaker 4:30 years of untreated ADHD it's miracles.
Speaker 3:Hey, that's a whole nother episode. Okay, hey, that's a whole nother episode okay, it's a whole nother talk my mama cured that real fast, you know. She had me thinking I was taking stuff, and I wasn't even taking my mom they, you know, best educators in the world. I love them to life. I ain't gonna in the world.
Speaker 3:I love them to life, I don't say to death I love them so, yeah, they, they do that and, like I said, I talk to them every day, sometimes four or five times a day. Sometimes I just be like what you doing? She's like get off my phone. Good, mom, what are you doing? I'm just sitting in the chair, dad, what you doing? We just sitting in the chair, we're okay. So, we just sitting in the chair, we're okay. So, if you have your parents, please check and call on them every day. Yeah, because I do.
Speaker 3:I'd be like mom, prepare to be sick of me, and she does she'll never be if you're in this area, check out our health fair on april 13th at uh carpet Library. We also are preparing for our annual sneaker ball. This year is Tux and Tool, and if you are in the area and we even got a place for you to stay at a discount, we will be hosted by the Crown Plaza San Antonio, and I even found a plug on the tool dress. Check out our newsletter for that. So thank you again, ms Ashley. Yeah, monique, so proud of you. I even found a plug on the tool dress.
Speaker 4:Check out our newsletter for that. Thank you again, miss Ashley. I'm so proud of you. Thank you so much, thank you, thank you, thank you. You are incredible. You've always been an inspiration. I've always looked up to you, oh my God, and ensure that I'm watching, or I see the episode where you let these people know what these vocal chorus can do.
Speaker 3:Okay, oh Lord. She done knocked me out as you want me to sing an episode.
Speaker 4:I might shock some people one day, because some people really don't know I haven't sung for, so long, I'm telling y'all man, she grab that mic and say if it was a funeral and my nigga's available, huh.
Speaker 3:Huh, okay.
Speaker 4:I used to say if you sing, I Won't Complain at my funeral. I might get up. I might get up. I might get up. Just try it. I might get up. Okay, but it's gotta be you, I up, okay but it's got to be, you.
Speaker 3:I'm gonna record it and send it to you. See, now you got people, but they're gonna be questioning a little bit.
Speaker 4:I'm a DJ, I got the ear. I know what I'm talking about see, she, okay, so I'm proud of you, sis, and thank you for your work for getting these kids to school, to and through school. I used to run upper bound at Central State. We didn't talk about that either. Yeah, I was doing TRIO at Central State University. So thank you so much for your work, because I know your work is thankless and it's hard and it's grueling, but it's necessary.
Speaker 3:Thank you. Yeah, I enjoy. It's hard and it's grueling, but it's necessary thank you yeah, I, I enjoy it. I like to you know I cry like I'm they mama when they graduate from yeah, it is what it is.
Speaker 3:I just you should. So it's been fun, but we gotta run and thank you so much, ashley. I appreciate you. Let me know how I can support and then you know what ashley got a talented family. But we're gonna talk about that. I'm gonna see if we get them all on here one day together. You know we might get in trouble, oh yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4:I can't. I can't be responsible for what happens when all four of us are on this. It's on my hands, it's above me. It'll work. It's above me thank you so much sis you are welcome welcome.
Speaker 3:So again, thank you for watching. Like, share, comment. Check out Ashley's Instagram, all her social platforms, you on TikTok too that's the TikTok, that's the Instagram and the TikTok okay, see, now I'm about to stalk her page. Yep, allegedly All right, till next time. This is your wonderful host, ms Mo, dr Mo, whatever category you feel like calling that day, but just make sure you respect me and call me one of my real names Period, period, period. Have a good one.
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