International Black Summit Interview Podcast: Malika Redmond

July 24, 2022
Black Summit Interviews
Season 1, Episode #4 - Malika Redmond

In this podcast session, Glenn Greenidge and Grace Lawrence interview Malika Redmond about her work as a former Youth Facilitator of the International Black Summit and as a leader in women's rights, racial justice, and youth empowerment who has effectively used the Summit Tools and Distinctions in her career, in her life, and in the Summit.

Malika Redmond is the co-founder and CEO of Women Engaged, a nonprofit based in Atlanta, GA, that works to inspire Black women and young adults to become impactful leaders, key decision-makers, and effective agents for social change through voter engagement and reproductive justice advocacy and leadership development.  Malika has worked for 20 years both nationally and internationally managing projects that focus on women's human rights, racial justice, and youth empowerment.  

Malika founded the International Black Youth Summit in 1994, and for a decade led community leadership training, networking, and cross-cultural relationship-building opportunities for Black youth from the continent of Africa and among the African Diaspora including hosting conferences in nations such as South Africa, Brazil, Jamaica and the United States of America.  Malika was one of the youngest national field organizers for the 2004 March for Women’s Lives (on the National Mall), and is the proud board Chair-Emeritus of the ProGeorgia Civic Engagement Table. Malika holds a BA from Spelman College and MA from Georgia State University.

For more information about the International Black Summit, please go to:

Website – blacksummit.org
Twitter – @blacksummit
Facebook – facebook.com/blacksummit/
IBS News Sign-Up – bit.ly/IBS-signup
IBS Annual Summit Event Registration – blacksummit.org/ase

The views and opinions expressed by the person interviewed are their own and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the International Black Summit.

Transcript

[This transcript has not been edited or proofread]

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Welcome to the International Black Summit Interview Series this is an interview series podcast that we created in order to engage with current and past participants and facilitators of the International Black Summit.

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If you're not familiar with the International black summit listening to us this evening, will be a great opportunity to get to know us and what we do.

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The International Black Summit is an organization that was created in 1,991, and our purpose is to provide an opportunity for participants to bring into being their provision for the black community, and the world.

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We host a number of events throughout the year, including our annual summit event, which is held the first full weekend in August.

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Every year, somewhere in the world it's been held in countries around the world and in many places around North America.

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And tonight we will be interviewing Molika Redmond.

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Malika is a woman who, was one of the facilitators of the International Black Summit.

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As a young person and i'm going to read her bio, But before I read her bio, I just want to introduce the interviewers.

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Who's the 2 of us who are facilitating this session tonight?

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I'm grace Lawrence and i'm not Chris lunch.

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No i'm glenn thanks glenn so i'm just going to before we get into having Malika join us in our virtual studio here.

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I'm just going to read a little bit about her about her for Bio.

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So let me just read this: Malika Redmond is the co-founder, and CEO of women engaged a 7 year old, nonprofit, based in Atlanta, Georgia that works to inspire black

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women and young adults to become impactful leaders, key decision makers and effective agents for social change through voter engagement and reproductive justice, advocacy and leadership development.

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Malika has worked for 20 years, both nationally and internationally managing protests that focus on women's human rights, racial justice and youth empowerment.

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Malika founded the international black youth summit in 1994, and for a decade led community leadership, training, networking and cross-cultural relationship, building opportunities for black youth from the continent of Africa and among

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the African Diaspora, including hosting conferences in nations such as South Africa, Brazil, Jamaica, and the United States of America.

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Malika was one of the youngest national field organizers for the 2,004 march for women's lives on the National Mall, and is the proud board chair emeritus of the Pro Georgia Civic

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engagement table. Malika holes a Ba. from Spelman College, and an Ma.

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From Georgia State University during the interview we'll be asking Malika about her work as an international black stomach, youth, facilitator, and as a leader in women's rights, racial justice and youth empowerment who has effectively

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used the summit tools and summit distinctions in her career, in her life and in the summit.

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So we want to welcome you and we'd like to welcome Malika to join us.

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Right now. Welcome, Alika. Welcome and for those of you who aren't aware we have 3 divisions in the international black stomach.

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We have the adult summit. We have the youth summit, and we have the young adult summit, and so Malika is going to be joining us momentarily.

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To to engage with us for us to actually speak with her about her experiences with the International Black Summit as a founder and her work in social justice and women's issues welcome Malika welcome welcome

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If Thank you. Can you hear me? Yes, we can hear you now.

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Oh, okay, perfect. So So yeah, doing good doing really good.

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July has been good to me. So Yeah. And happy to be here, happy to finally be able to meet it.

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Yeah, we really wanna thank you for for making the time. I know we tried to do this earlier, and and we had some scheduling conflicts.

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So really thank you for. creating the time to be with us this evening.

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We really appreciate so so one of the things I mean the one of the reasons that we created this podcast was really to look at how the summit tools, and some distinctions are being used in people's lives, and in

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the work that they do out in the world. and we think that you've been such an example of that from the summit, and particularly from the youth summit leadership.

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So by first we just wanted to get a sense of your initial interaction with the summit, like how you first learned about it.

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Your first event, like how you first came to participate in the International like Summit, and what your first summit event it was.

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Do you recall. oh, absolutely I you know I don't know if any of us can forget our very first summit moment.

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And so I absolutely can remember my very first time a moment.

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So The My very first summit moment was in Oakland, California, in 1993.

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Was it in Oakland? 93? Yeah. so.

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And then 94 was in New Orleans.

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So yeah, so It was in Oakland, California, and you know, got there because my mother had a attended the summit in 1992 in Highland Park, Michigan, which was her very first summit and

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something that my mother was always keen on is that if she's doing something that you know is motivational, or you know something that has inspired her, that she wants her children to have the opportunity.

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As well, so pretty much any kind of like seminar, or any kind of empowerment kind of thing that you would have been a part of.

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She would have us go along. And so she I remember, when she came back from Holland Park, Michigan and she's talked about the experience there, and you know how moving it was, and the conversation I believe at that point was about the

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relationship between black men and black women, and just really kind of getting into that.

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But also, you know, really thinking about through the lens of black economics being in Highland Park.

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A sitting within inside a city, and you know what sort of put the positionality of Highland Park with regards to black economic empowerment, and for the one of the co-founders of international Black Summit, being from there and

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wanting to really just, you know, talk about those things. And so I remember that I remember hearing my mother talk about that when she came home and let us know my sisters and I that we would be going the following year with her and so we did so we

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went to Oakland, California, and I mean it was such a moving experience, because there were black people. You know it's.

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It's one thing where hmm how to say it's like being, I think, on one hand like

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It's never, I guess, in my mind, aesthetically it never we never lose interest in my mind, because we are so complex, diverse in our features, in our look, and you know, in our wealth of experience.

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And you know all of those kinds of things. And so, as a 14 year old young person, I was just sort of mostly aw struck by the beauty first of the diversity, you know, and the range of who we are for someone who is coming from

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a small city, you know it. it was it was eye opening and beautiful, you know.

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On the one hand, and the other part is that there were not a lot of young people.

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There was just about 10 of us, so we found each other and became close, really quickly.

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But also really engulfed in the in the space and you know black people are not.

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You know we're gonna like not, only be beautiful you know but we look in beautiful and and all these black people that got, you know, the beautiful things to say, and you know, and I was just kind of in raptured I think with all

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of what was going on. So it's interesting to be because you were so young, and the the youth summit hadn't been created.

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Yet. no. so what was it like being 14 years old in what was then?

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Only in adult space. Really, it sounds like you were still were able to, you know, engage in the conversation like it was.

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It sounds like it. wasn't really fully going over your head but you were really being able to participate.

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Well, it wasn't going over I don't think was going over any of our heads, and I wasn't the youngest person there. right? so but it wasn't necessarily the conversation was going over our heads but I do think that one of

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the things that we were sort of dealing with was a Vc.

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Not heard kind of space at the time, so people were happy that we were there, but we weren't necessarily sort of like, included in like, included included in terms of

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You know we were we were welcomed but it was more of that space kind of like you is. we love our youth.

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We're happy that you're here and we're having grownful conversation.

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So it was kind of like that, you know so we weren't unwelcome.

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We were you know folks were happy. We were there, We, you know.

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We felt loved. We understood what was going on in the conversation but it wasn't necessarily ours.

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Hmm. and and I I don't know that that the adults knew how to embrace you.

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All your energy, or you know your enthusiasm and the things that you actually wanted to do.

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Yeah, Well, and I think in in Oakland. I don't think we knew what we wanted to do yet.

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We I think what we we were talking about it though because we'd be we'd come into the into the room where the conference was happening.

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Get inspired right? and then we go back to 1 one of the young people's hotel room, and then we would talk amongst ourselves about how we would do whatever what was being said.

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Oh, that's interesting! Oh, even from that first annual event that you attended!

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The young people were already beginning to have their own youth. Yeah.

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Centered conversation. very, very true that's another way to say it it was pretty much an impromptu, you summit, so that's what we were doing.

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We were, you know, in a sense, debriefing, talking to each other about what we.

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You know what we were hearing our perspective on it how we would wanna do it, and also thinking about like, why aren't there more use here?

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Because this is a really great space to be in and how to have to get more youth involved.

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So, Malika, At what point did you determine that you wanted to have your own?

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I know at the at the New Orleans you actually announced it to the adults.

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But when when were you kind of percolating that common conversation, and having your own event inside of the International box summit? Was it?

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Was it solidified in Oakland or or New Orleans solidified that that that request now let's start. The The right rumblings happened in Oakland, and the the rumblings were happening in

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Oakland, and you know it was because all of the all of the young people that were there like my sisters and I.

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We're brought there by people mostly more often not family members who are in attendance.

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Lot of you know. Yeah, So so so I say that also to say, in other words, we were young people who were already sort of raised in order to to think think in those kind of ways, you know in a sense, because if you're there you're

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there because somebody, you know, somebody who is conscientious about like wanting to be a part of.

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You know spaces that thinking, you know on the cutting edge of what's possible, and they brought you they want you to have that.

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So. we were already kind of queued in in that way, you know, and I think that was the other thing for us.

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What had us really cling to each other, too, is because I think the other part is that we were leaders in our own spaces at home in different ways, as young leaders.

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Youth leaders. and it may be sometimes maybe considered a little bit of like I stand out in some way at home, but we were all together, and so then we had some shared experiences, because we had either parents or people in our lives who

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were exposing us to these kinds of spaces which is not not common, so it wasn't like we were common with our friends.

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If that makes sense. We were a among each other. who could say, Yeah, my, I did the Forum.

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And this when I was 10 or this or that or had this experience where a lot of our friends they they don't they don't know anything about a forum, I didn't know anything about a landmark.

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You know, so we could like It was like one of those things were like.

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We found each other, because even if in the form space you may be one of the only black children in the Forum, you know.

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So it was that was also that's What i'm saying we were very, very much unique unique.

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If that makes sense. So all that to say it was already percolating for us in open, when we would have our conversations.

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And There was a young man from detroit and I can't remember his name now, who was really speaking like we?

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He was like, we should have our own use summit and we were all like That's a great idea, and then everybody's like.

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But, Maliki, you gotta be the one to say it. Why do I have to be the one that said, No.

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You gotta say it. i'm like okay, i'll say it so we did, we.

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I I think we went up to the Senior Facilitators.

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Catherine was there. i'm not sure who else might be on the call.

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That was there that day. But we asked them we didn't tell what we were gonna say.

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We just said we haven't announced we have something we want to say so.

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We geared ourselves up week to be out you know those 3 days to prepare for a moment on Sunday to announce that we were going to do an international black and summit.

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And we didn't ask permission we we made a declaration

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And that declaration was done in in Oakland.

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So just to just to give a little context for anybody who's listening.

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And who's not familiar with some of what you're referring to or please? Yeah, in terms of referring to the Forum in terms of referring to Landmark for people who are listening

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landmark education. Now landmark hosts a program a course called the Landmark Forum, and when the International Black Stomach was created in 1,991 participants had to have completed the landmark forum before

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attending the and before attending the international Black Summit event.

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And so, when you talk about having access to tools for empowerment, the youth who were self expressed being youth who were engaged in leadership in their own communities and being you who had as black youth had completed the

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Landmark Forum, and have had those tools before gaining access to the tools of the International Black Summit.

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So coming together, having that background and having that, that that common, that commonality, something that brought you together on a whole different level.

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I I I do kind of wonder. You know, given that most of the youth would have been there because their parents were graduates of the Landmark Forum, and we're also, you know, black people looking to engage in this kind of

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empowering conversation together, and might have been dragged to their first event by their parents or their relatives, or whatever was there ever a sense that that they didn't want to come back?

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Or was it clear that you guys wanted to come back the following year?

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And did you, main? Did you maintain any kind of communication between that that initial summit that you attended?

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And the next summit, where you came together to create to propose the creation of the International Black So we like, I said we.

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We proposed it in Oakland, You know we make the declaration in Oakland.

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What happened in New Orleans was, we were able to invite more young people, and the way we did it.

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Really was by holding those who were in an attendance of the adult salmon, accountable to bringing a young person with them.

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The next time, and that we would create a space for each other there.

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So that was what we did between Oakland and New Orleans.

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Was that and that was how we got more young people there.

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But what I would say is, is that I think the only thing that we talked about in Oakland that was, you know, if at all, wasn't a being dragged to a thing It was one it was like again happy to see you Oh.

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user. your mom made you do the form or whatever we could talk about that right?

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Because again, like I was saying, not only was it rare to see other it wasn't often that you would see other black people in a landmark space for the most part, but even more so like as a young person seeing other people that look like you and

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your age in that space. So it was really like It was exciting to be able to, you know.

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Talk to each other from that perspective and through that lens when we wanted to right.

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But we were always, you know, code switching. So it was.

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But it was, you know, of our time, right? so you know.

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But it was that we could do that with each other, and we understood each other because we had that experience in common.

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So we could see each other in a particular way, which also allowed us to be able to hold each other accountable in a different way through our friendship.

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Oh, the last thing I was gonna say is the only thing I think we felt like between Oakland and New Orleans, because there was a desire to you know.

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To do that to you know, create more of a youth space.

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I think the only 2 things that we knew were going to be that were going to make the difference for young people participating.

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One was the time we just were like. This goes on way too long.

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We get There's a lot of stuff we can talk about and we can get to a lot faster.

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That was the one thing we just felt like. these breakthroughs can happen faster.

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So that was what we were talking about because we're like we're in these beautiful places.

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We should be able to see these places, so we need to make time for that.

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So that was one. The second thing was up was cost and access.

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We knew that if we don't figure out a way for you guys to be able to attend and eat and have a hotel room and be able to you know that it's we're not going to be able to grow it and so that

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will the 2 things, and then then oh, and then the third thing for us after New Orleans, because New Orleans was the other place where, and and New York?

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Where the form was still a prerequisite. but we were very clear early on that.

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We were going to let go of the Forum as a prerequisite, because we just knew that we wanted to use Summit to be to to to be able to grow in a particular way.

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And we also felt like whatever the distinctions that were coming out of landmark were things that you know in our mind felt like.

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Well, our curriculum. is Better that's just how we saw it. So we so these breakthroughs, or whatever these things are, we can support each other.

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Get there, get there faster, and not have to pay so much money.

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That was our perspective. What was it like to formulate your own curriculum?

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And then and then ultimately, create your own prerequisite free.

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I think the thing that was because we already felt and I will tell you it's, and i'll give you some inside conversation.

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I think that for for some of us we really felt like

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We felt like landmark was holding in some ways black people back from leadership, and we didn't, and we just felt like we don't need that.

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That was the that was the use. Summer perspective you know that we didn't need them to express our leadership or to validate it, or something. and we felt like that that there was Yeah, there was there were and there were you know under terms

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of racism that we just that, you know we got what we got from it, or whatever for some of us.

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It was, you know we really for me, I will say for me. I really enjoyed what I got out of the the Forum, but in my mind it was it the deeper cut was at the summit for me.

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So I was okay with moving on and I think that the and then that was just kind of like where we were as a use.

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And so we knew that we had enough knowledge from that, but also from I think the other thing was.

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We were way more interested in what we were learning from the senior Facilitators.

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You know, anyway, and so I think that that was more like how we were trying to.

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You know, in some ways replicate, and a use summit kind of environment, because I think the thing that we saw, too, is that with the facilitator body is that you know you could find yourself in somebody You know different personalities different parts.

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Of the country. from the perspective. of like what it looks like on this stage, you know, there's a particular kind of you know, gender equity that's happening.

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So we also didn't feel like we had to ascribe to some kind of way of who gets a talk who doesn't, who gets to be that kind of thing?

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Or what you have to look like, or those kinds of things.

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I think that was also very important to us, Malika.

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You know one of the things you know i'll share a little bit about about what you guys created.

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But there was a There was a quite a emphasis on knowing who we were.

00:26:00.000 --> 00:26:07.000
You know conversations about what we thought about black people, what we think, what other people think about it.

00:26:07.000 --> 00:26:23.000
I think that that was that development was one of the probably the most critical things in terms of being clear who you were as black youth inside of that whole consciousness.

00:26:23.000 --> 00:26:33.000
And I think that the use curriculum really points to that, and and reinforces it at every turn of the conversation.

00:26:33.000 --> 00:26:36.000
Do you want to expand a little bit more on? What had you?

00:26:36.000 --> 00:26:44.000
What had you all Have it be so? So centric around who we were, as black people?

00:26:44.000 --> 00:26:54.000
Well, I would say, you know let's see you know shout out to Joyce, Shout out to blend!

00:26:54.000 --> 00:27:12.000
Shout out to Robin, shout out to So many Chicago shout out to so many people who helped us with the development of the curriculum, you know

00:27:12.000 --> 00:27:26.000
And because 2 and giving context, this was a big deal folks were not happy that we were letting go before it wasn't like.

00:27:26.000 --> 00:27:33.000
No, this was a real point of contention. you know. There was some real divide, you know.

00:27:33.000 --> 00:27:36.000
There was some real divide in the space, and I understood.

00:27:36.000 --> 00:27:41.000
You know I understood it, you know. So I mean it was literally something that brought some folks to tears.

00:27:41.000 --> 00:27:47.000
I mean it was really something, you know that so you know to be clear, you know.

00:27:47.000 --> 00:27:54.000
And then there were. There were people. there were folks leadership, you know, founders of the International Black Summit who felt like it.

00:27:54.000 --> 00:28:05.000
This is such a critical piece to being able to do the work of the summit is being able to have these these particular distinctions that come out of Lamar.

00:28:05.000 --> 00:28:11.000
So when we like, go of it first, and you know in our mine, you know, and a way you know.

00:28:11.000 --> 00:28:17.000
Look you know, kind of a youthful mind we didn't understand why, why, you know what?

00:28:17.000 --> 00:28:27.000
Why that was hard, you know, cause we're like you know this is this is better than anything else you know so like.

00:28:27.000 --> 00:28:48.000
But you know. but but just to give that contact so really shouting out to all of those you know, the those that were adopt in the adult space at the time, who were navigating that with us, and helping to be of voice in that

00:28:48.000 --> 00:28:52.000
space in that time, because it was upsetting For some it was really upsetting for it.

00:28:52.000 --> 00:29:03.000
It was really really upsetting, you know, and but we were able to, you know to to to move forward.

00:29:03.000 --> 00:29:12.000
We we had. we had maybe a little bit of an arrogant confidence in in our you know, in ourselves, and in what we knew.

00:29:12.000 --> 00:29:27.000
And here's what was funny to me it is what's funny to be is, and I think about it now like as a mother, and as i'm raising amira i'm like it's so funny how we give these children

00:29:27.000 --> 00:29:44.000
strong names. We put them in positions, and places for them to feel powerful and empowered, and then they demonstrate it, and it's like, Wait a minute, but I didn't say yet, you know you know so is it's wonderful

00:29:44.000 --> 00:29:47.000
you know, but at the same time I get it was like it was a little bit like.

00:29:47.000 --> 00:29:51.000
Wait a minute. now. meet you. We got you have your use.

00:29:51.000 --> 00:29:55.000
Summit. Okay, you're doing your thing over there now, you wanna do this, too.

00:29:55.000 --> 00:29:58.000
And we were like, yeah we're gonna do that too.

00:29:58.000 --> 00:30:04.000
And then we're gonna have these prerequisites and then we decided to do a whole thing where we were gonna have prerequisites around the country.

00:30:04.000 --> 00:30:12.000
$25, and and and I might add that you were not only where you were.

00:30:12.000 --> 00:30:22.000
The youth first in the prerequisite conversation, but having a standalone prerequisite pay for itself and I was the you know.

00:30:22.000 --> 00:30:28.000
The youth came to to the summit and said, We want to have our own prerequisite.

00:30:28.000 --> 00:30:36.000
Wherever, and the only restriction that we had was that it paid for itself.

00:30:36.000 --> 00:30:44.000
And the youth demonstrated that, and actually created the bonfire of prerequisites and activity.

00:30:44.000 --> 00:30:56.000
And you know, I must add that that Bonita was was baking cookies, I mean Benita was like 14 years old when she first came to the summit.

00:30:56.000 --> 00:31:11.000
She had to get permission cause her parents weren't coming along, but she was making cookies and cakes and whatnot, so that she could fund her trip to the International black summit, so I mean that's an example of the kind

00:31:11.000 --> 00:31:22.000
of camaraderie and ingenuity that was available to these young people. and they took it on, and and they really took it on. so.

00:31:22.000 --> 00:31:37.000
I I know we want to talk a little bit about your current what you're doing, but is there anything else that you want to say about the formulation of the use summit, and your participation as one of the leaders and and

00:31:37.000 --> 00:31:40.000
or when was the last time that you actually led a use?

00:31:40.000 --> 00:31:47.000
Some was one of the questions that we that was Brazil, Brazil.

00:31:47.000 --> 00:31:54.000
And what was that? most? I think Brazil was 2,003 or 2,008.

00:31:54.000 --> 00:32:03.000
That sounds about right. Yeah. So 1919 years ago, yeah, So yeah.

00:32:03.000 --> 00:32:11.000
So like, Glenn said, as we move, because we really wanna have an opportunity to to dive deep into some of what you're doing now.

00:32:11.000 --> 00:32:26.000
And how you weather you and how you use the summit tools and distinctions in in life, and in particular the work that you're doing now around social justice and women's engagement and and the reproductive rights

00:32:26.000 --> 00:32:42.000
but before we do that anything else about those those youth summit leadership years, any funny stories about that time? Oh, my goodness, I mean you know I I could talk forever about the use of it because it was such a beautiful time in

00:32:42.000 --> 00:32:51.000
my life and my development as a young person. I think the thing that I would say I will say something that let me see funny.

00:32:51.000 --> 00:33:01.000
Oh, God, we got a lot of funny stories There's a lot of funny stories, a a few we can't share It's fewer kids here because with you about the same thing.

00:33:01.000 --> 00:33:14.000
Land, you know, and we got a lot of funny stories there's been a lot of funny stories a lot of really great times, you know, because we bonded and became really good friends, you know, and like I said part of it is that.

00:33:14.000 --> 00:33:28.000
we were able to. You know we were, I apologetic with each other and calling each other out on our stuff when we had to, you know, and folks will call me out.

00:33:28.000 --> 00:33:33.000
We could call each other out on our stuff, you know, and we, because we created the same space within the summit.

00:33:33.000 --> 00:33:49.000
But we were able to to have that safe space to create that there, you know, because we have, you know, a lot of support around us and our parents, you know, and the people who cared for us who you know he did everything that they could to make sure that we

00:33:49.000 --> 00:34:05.000
could participate as much and as often as possible, you know, and everybody in a community of folks who were always you know, giving to you know whether it's, you know, education, or to you know scholarships for young people with you know

00:34:05.000 --> 00:34:10.000
all the kinds of things. And so, you know, it was really a community affair.

00:34:10.000 --> 00:34:14.000
But I would say that you know that that but i'll say that

00:34:14.000 --> 00:34:29.000
There was a lot of magic that came out of the New York summit, We, and that was the first time we really used our own curriculum, our full curriculum, and we had about 50 young people there that really represented the

00:34:29.000 --> 00:34:34.000
African diaspora in New York, and

00:34:34.000 --> 00:34:44.000
This was our first summit as facilitators with our own curriculum, the blah blah blah, and it was so much magic that happened there, and I remember some.

00:34:44.000 --> 00:34:49.000
There was so much, so many good things that happened. I remember, you know, one of the things that happened.

00:34:49.000 --> 00:34:58.000
There were some young people that were there who had, you know, were who had been dealing with being in and out of the foster care system.

00:34:58.000 --> 00:35:05.000
And You know we were at the point in our prerequisite where we talk about what don't you want people to know about you?

00:35:05.000 --> 00:35:12.000
You know we asked the question about What do you want people to know about you? Would you want, you know, if you could brag on yourself like what would you say?

00:35:12.000 --> 00:35:16.000
You know in in a safe space. Then what you know wouldn't you want people to know about you.

00:35:16.000 --> 00:35:26.000
But if they knew it would set you free. you know and one of the young people said, You know, because you know I've been in and out the foster care system.

00:35:26.000 --> 00:35:29.000
So on. He was a teenager, he said. I never.

00:35:29.000 --> 00:35:34.000
No one ever taught me how to time I shoot so I still don't know how to do that, and it was amazing.

00:35:34.000 --> 00:35:40.000
Everybody was really just kind of like holding him in space, you know.

00:35:40.000 --> 00:35:45.000
And another young person came over and just started teaching him how to do it.

00:35:45.000 --> 00:35:50.000
Right then in the air, and it just was so much love in the space.

00:35:50.000 --> 00:36:03.000
No shame, no stigma, no whatever love and caring and support. and that to me always is like one of those moments where, you know, I knew we.

00:36:03.000 --> 00:36:07.000
We We had what we needed, you know, to be able to do something.

00:36:07.000 --> 00:36:17.000
What we and what we have is very special, and it makes a difference, you know, and can make a difference in a moment, you know, in a moment.

00:36:17.000 --> 00:36:24.000
And so you know, yeah, it was just like a really powerful power for me.

00:36:24.000 --> 00:36:40.000
But I would say to pivot you know to pivot a bit, you know there's so much of what I think coming from the use summit space that I've been able to take into my education and my career and

00:36:40.000 --> 00:36:56.000
all that, and I think the most important thing. I feel like i've taken a taken along with me is that if I dream it, it's possible absolutely, you know.

00:36:56.000 --> 00:37:03.000
So so. therefore you know you know I can. I can begin to build.

00:37:03.000 --> 00:37:18.000
I you know. I I honed in on my visionary builder muscle through the use summit how to be a visionary builder.

00:37:18.000 --> 00:37:28.000
Yeah, I mean that's the purpose of the summit to to provide an opportunity for participants to bring into being their vision for the black community in the world starts with actually identifying a vision.

00:37:28.000 --> 00:37:43.000
You know it it doesn't mean that I don't get in my own way, you know, and past and different things don't get in the way at times.

00:37:43.000 --> 00:37:54.000
And it does, and you know, and having to, you know, like work those things out, you know and not just like by myself, you know.

00:37:54.000 --> 00:38:08.000
But you know, even when it requires for me like you know I need to get some professional support around this you know that's that's in the way for me of actualizing a thing, or whatever.

00:38:08.000 --> 00:38:23.000
So, you know. but that's what I would say say is the muscle that you, that I was able to really like strengthened as a young person doing your summit.

00:38:23.000 --> 00:38:28.000
What What would you say? Are the your Goo distinctions?

00:38:28.000 --> 00:38:32.000
Have you gotten any go to distinctions that that keep coming up?

00:38:32.000 --> 00:38:44.000
Over the years go to distinction that I go to oh, let's see

00:38:44.000 --> 00:38:49.000
Trigger. No, up there. No. yeah, I mean, I was just thinking about.

00:38:49.000 --> 00:39:03.000
I was like I was gonna say I mean I think the thing that I I find really important, especially now in the role i'm in especially with all the things that are happening.

00:39:03.000 --> 00:39:20.000
And is being able to being able to give myself enough space to see

00:39:20.000 --> 00:39:37.000
To see what others might not be seen you know so it's like, you know, giving myself the space to be able to look for that, you know, even when everybody's saying this one thing for me i'm like I got I got it

00:39:37.000 --> 00:39:48.000
and I you know there's other possibilities. here. and you know, and I will allow spirit to let me you know like I will trust we are to God in that way. You know.

00:39:48.000 --> 00:39:50.000
So I think that that's one thing that's been really important.

00:39:50.000 --> 00:40:04.000
And yeah, I mean you know. Oh, go ahead grace i'm sorry as you were speaking and describing that there are a couple of different distinctions that came to mind for me as you're hearing that one was is listening

00:40:04.000 --> 00:40:17.000
right, the the summit distinction authentic, listening, and so having that git creates the capacity to hear what other people are not absolutely Absolutely.

00:40:17.000 --> 00:40:27.000
Yeah. Yeah. And you can also talk about allowing space, to which is which is a conversation inside the summit as well.

00:40:27.000 --> 00:40:32.000
So. Yeah, no. And thank you for saying that because it was really that.

00:40:32.000 --> 00:40:41.000
How how I got to women engaged because the context was really, you know.

00:40:41.000 --> 00:40:46.000
Now, just putting on my political hat real quick. Is that The context?

00:40:46.000 --> 00:40:55.000
At the time when I started the organization was, you know we were in like, you know, this .

00:40:55.000 --> 00:41:03.000
You know, Obama Era right, and but sort of nearing the end of that time.

00:41:03.000 --> 00:41:20.000
And there were a few things that I noticed that were like bubbling to the surface, that I thought was really important to pay someone attention to at their intersection, and I thought, as you know, base 2 based on sort of my with my study

00:41:20.000 --> 00:41:26.000
was in the work of anything, but that was the intersection of voting rights and reproductive rights.

00:41:26.000 --> 00:41:42.000
I knew that in 4,014 that these 2 rights were gonna come to a particular head, and the one indication for me of it was the 20 thirteenth Scotus decision and Shelby V Holder when even at

00:41:42.000 --> 00:41:51.000
that point which was the decision to undermine the Voting Rights Act by removing the the the key component around the pre clearance.

00:41:51.000 --> 00:42:07.000
So that states who had a habit of disenfranchising and marginalizing black voters and and folks like that would would be able to create those kind of bills and stuff like that, and likely pass them.

00:42:07.000 --> 00:42:13.000
I mean that we would see another kind of uptick and voter suppression behavior, and that kind of thing.

00:42:13.000 --> 00:42:22.000
So I knew that then and and I thought to myself. we're not even you know fully out of this like Obama and the backlash is right.

00:42:22.000 --> 00:42:37.000
Starting to really rear itself, and and then the other was. You know I knew that for the people I was talking to a lot in the repro rights choice space.

00:42:37.000 --> 00:42:46.000
I thought we're too confident that row would never be overturned.

00:42:46.000 --> 00:42:51.000
People thought that could never happen, and I just thought that yeah wow! I guess it can.

00:42:51.000 --> 00:42:56.000
You know it really can't it can and then can happen in our lifetime.

00:42:56.000 --> 00:43:16.000
It really can't. you know because it's about you know justices, and you know, and voting about all these things that so so can't, and so I I so in 14 I had that understanding and wanted to be in a position where

00:43:16.000 --> 00:43:32.000
we were working, and I was working. I had a organization that could be proactive about doing the kinds of things necessary to you know, to face this and to work towards you know, protecting these issues.

00:43:32.000 --> 00:43:35.000
So, anyway. but you know it was about listening in a particular way.

00:43:35.000 --> 00:43:43.000
It was about, even though colleagues and stuff like this will never happen, or whatever I just I I was like I got it.

00:43:43.000 --> 00:44:02.000
I hear you, and you know. So there was there was some of that that came came from me as I started putting putting those pieces together. You know it's interesting that That remind me just just briefly. and i'll pass it to you glenn it just

00:44:02.000 --> 00:44:05.000
reminds me of the conversation leading into now i'm Canadian right This is the international Black Summit, I'm Canadian I'm.

00:44:05.000 --> 00:44:08.000
In Toronto, Canada, watching, or from the outside, the American political landscape.

00:44:08.000 --> 00:44:25.000
But what you just said reminds me of the conversation leading into your Presidential election in 2,016 when people were so convinced that Hillary Clinton was going to win, and I thought I was losing my mind because I was

00:44:25.000 --> 00:44:30.000
like, Why am I the only person who seems to think that trump has a real chance here?

00:44:30.000 --> 00:44:36.000
Why, like I i'm not hearing anybody talk about the fact that he has the energy.

00:44:36.000 --> 00:44:46.000
He had the energy. So you know again that authentic listing, that ability to hear what other people may not be hearing or or willing to listen to, You know.

00:44:46.000 --> 00:45:03.000
So what you know one of the things that when you said that our current declaration, you know, as you as you know, from year to year, we listen for a particular space, and we either in inquiry or declaration, and this year's

00:45:03.000 --> 00:45:23.000
declaration is when I allow space I become present to who I am and so clearly not knowing that you clearly have been demonstrating that inside of who you've been. being I i'm gonna ask you this what I

00:45:23.000 --> 00:45:29.000
know that you have maintained some of the relationships from the youth summit.

00:45:29.000 --> 00:45:36.000
What a and tell us a little bit about why those relationships are so you know.

00:45:36.000 --> 00:45:46.000
So i'm still important to you yeah I mean

00:45:46.000 --> 00:45:58.000
There's let's see so I would say that for those of us that were young people at the time, and facilitating

00:45:58.000 --> 00:46:11.000
There are a number of us, who i'm able to stay in touch with, I think social media has been really really helpful in us being able to reunite and you know at least be able to see pictures of what's going on in each

00:46:11.000 --> 00:46:19.000
other's lives and things like that that's been really important, but also just over the years.

00:46:19.000 --> 00:46:38.000
I think that not only did we have the summit space, because we were so young, you know, we really became each other's like dear friends, you know, and you know, and and best friends, and even almost like siblings in a way you

00:46:38.000 --> 00:46:46.000
know in a lot of ways with all of the dynamics that come with those types of relationships.

00:46:46.000 --> 00:46:54.000
Of course, you know. but it but I think because there was so again, almost like a very kind of you know it.

00:46:54.000 --> 00:47:08.000
It's you know the kinds of conversations that we were having with each other, with other young people in different parts of the world.

00:47:08.000 --> 00:47:16.000
You know that kind of level of stimuli at your Pre team team even elsewhere.

00:47:16.000 --> 00:47:22.000
You know, these kind of years does create this kind of memory.

00:47:22.000 --> 00:47:29.000
Love affinity, you know, for each other, bond in in in ways shapes, you know, really shapes you and I.

00:47:29.000 --> 00:47:40.000
So I would say that, and I know no like filami and I we've been best friends since we met we met in New Orleans, and I guess 90 93.

00:47:40.000 --> 00:47:48.000
That was Sanders saunders that's orange Okay, yes, yes.

00:47:48.000 --> 00:48:02.000
Yeah, so you know. And but all of you know, all of us, Anita, you know Alexis, like you know, all of you know, you know.

00:48:02.000 --> 00:48:11.000
Stay in touch, you know, in different ways. and you know I was asking that question about Fullami, so that we could get the last names in here.

00:48:11.000 --> 00:48:19.000
So I I know you have a transcript

00:48:19.000 --> 00:48:34.000
And so the wasn't gonna say Oh, and then also I would say for me is what's also been the joy is to see what see how other you you leaders at the time.

00:48:34.000 --> 00:48:50.000
What they're doing now. Yeah, it's amazing you know you know, Glenn, i'll talk about my spellman sister for a second here, and Taran, you know who was the youngest our youngest use

00:48:50.000 --> 00:49:07.000
facilitator at 9 years old you know when we first started to use summit, you know, and i'd love to know like how that I can only imagine what you would say in terms of how that shaped her at such a pivotal such a

00:49:07.000 --> 00:49:19.000
young age but like, you know, and we were teenagers and tearing was like 9 and And I think hey? Just so she was 8.

00:49:19.000 --> 00:49:25.000
She was actually 8. Okay,

00:49:25.000 --> 00:49:32.000
Okay. So Tan was 8. okay, and then I think maybe Rashida was like right after her or something.

00:49:32.000 --> 00:49:40.000
And like, you know, but I just wanna I just wanna do a quick check in, so that I catch all of these names because I was not as I.

00:49:40.000 --> 00:49:41.000
You know Glenn was an adult youth facilitator.

00:49:41.000 --> 00:49:46.000
I was never really very connected to the youth summit back in that time.

00:49:46.000 --> 00:49:56.000
Period. So i'm just trying to Chat track people here Oh, He referred to Alexis, who was Alexis Gums you referred to Bonita.

00:49:56.000 --> 00:50:19.000
What's Benita's last name a Fullami Saunders Rashida Redman Okay, And Glenn's daughter Tara to do a little role problem again.

00:50:19.000 --> 00:50:32.000
Just just tracking there's many more you know ebony is easy, Right? Yeah, you know.

00:50:32.000 --> 00:50:37.000
And i'm a speaker i'm a Fika, her brother, children.

00:50:37.000 --> 00:50:50.000
Education so but all that to say that was I saying, Yeah, the friendships the the affinity for each other.

00:50:50.000 --> 00:51:01.000
It's it's been it's been something that Oh, I was saying, what people have done since you know it's really been exciting to see the kinds of differences folks are making in the world.

00:51:01.000 --> 00:51:21.000
You know, from writing books, and you know and doing substantive work that's making huge differences in communities. in the legal space, you know, in the academic space, you know in the entrepreneurial space entertainment

00:51:21.000 --> 00:51:29.000
entertainment entertainment space you know It's it's really amazing.

00:51:29.000 --> 00:51:39.000
And you know i'm i'm you know i'm just i'm just really proud of that in the you know it's in having families and in in in in parenting you know and and watching those things happen as

00:51:39.000 --> 00:51:45.000
Well, you know and so it's really been exciting to see that, too.

00:51:45.000 --> 00:51:59.000
You know it's interesting alika you you just mentioned parenting, and it makes me think about how you are using or have used the summit tools and distinctions in your own life. like we've talked about the youth summit

00:51:59.000 --> 00:52:09.000
we've talked about your career and your work in social justice and like What about your your personal life?

00:52:09.000 --> 00:52:13.000
The tools and distinctions there is that something that you're present to?

00:52:13.000 --> 00:52:18.000
Or is that something you is it like driving a car like you're doing it?

00:52:18.000 --> 00:52:26.000
And you're using the tools and distinctions without I have to be vigilant to be vigilant.

00:52:26.000 --> 00:52:39.000
I I revert very quickly to you know too to my to my you know to by Yeah, I don't know too much to my I don't know my inner cell I have to be vigilant I mean You

00:52:39.000 --> 00:52:56.000
know it's It's it's interesting yeah So there is the like choose, you know, and I think people who who say this all the time about relationships and stuff like that you know you have to choose it you know on a

00:52:56.000 --> 00:53:03.000
regular basis, you know. So you know it is about the I have to be conscious, though.

00:53:03.000 --> 00:53:19.000
No it's not a oh, i'm just in the no, it is a something that I have to have to be conscious about and choose, and you know, and and also watch like I know that like when I think about my old daughter and

00:53:19.000 --> 00:53:29.000
i'm like you know I do a lot of projecting I mean it just happens, you know it's just like I want you to do this, or I want you to.

00:53:29.000 --> 00:53:46.000
You know, down to you know I want you to you know I want to take you, you know, like things that I want you do in this moment, you know, and thinking about her agency, you know, and that's something I have to be conscious of

00:53:46.000 --> 00:53:50.000
you know, and so I would say that it's something that you know.

00:53:50.000 --> 00:54:04.000
But I do get to. I definitely get to practice it moment by moment.

00:54:04.000 --> 00:54:12.000
You know, dig out of your toolbox and use. or yeah, like I think about choice like her, you know.

00:54:12.000 --> 00:54:23.000
I think about I think about I guess it's at her agency, you know, is kind of how I think about it is.

00:54:23.000 --> 00:54:34.000
You know where you know I can, you know, continue to support that her self-expression?

00:54:34.000 --> 00:54:42.000
You know, like you know, when when am I, You know, like educating, or what am I like?

00:54:42.000 --> 00:54:57.000
Kind of in the way, because i'm trying to get add a thing or something so, but like I like i'm saying it now isn't how it lives itself out all the time sometimes I win at that and sometimes I

00:54:57.000 --> 00:55:17.000
don't How old is she she's 3 Oh, sure yeah, So so, Malika, we're we're kind of getting to the to the end to wrap up what what would you say to someone who is considering doing

00:55:17.000 --> 00:55:32.000
the International Black Summit as an adult so 2 2 parts as an adult, and then as a youth, what would you say to them about what's available in the International Black Summit.

00:55:32.000 --> 00:55:43.000
Well, I would say that what I would say to anyone young person, or you know or not.

00:55:43.000 --> 00:55:59.000
Is bring, bring your your bring, your your most important dream like the thing that you're holding.

00:55:59.000 --> 00:56:08.000
Really tight, and you know, Bring that to bring that with you to the summit.

00:56:08.000 --> 00:56:17.000
Give it some. Allow yourself to give it a bit of air, and maybe even be nurtured.

00:56:17.000 --> 00:56:22.000
You know, and allow yourself to be able to have that right.

00:56:22.000 --> 00:56:37.000
In a way where you can give yourself the space to really like, dance in your own vision and not limit that vision.

00:56:37.000 --> 00:56:45.000
Use the summit space to do that, you know so that you can play like play in your vision.

00:56:45.000 --> 00:56:53.000
In that dream, you know. Just you got tight like give it some air because you'll get distinctions.

00:56:53.000 --> 00:56:56.000
You'll get some tools. Get some ways in which to think about that.

00:56:56.000 --> 00:57:16.000
And and then to think about yourself, and you know And then I would also say, in addition to that, for young people in particular is the use space is yours.

00:57:16.000 --> 00:57:30.000
So give yourself the opportunity to, you know. make it yours to really make it yours, you know.

00:57:30.000 --> 00:57:39.000
And to and and in that way like ask for the support you want in need.

00:57:39.000 --> 00:58:01.000
You know, and but then also be able to you know Take a stand where you wanna take a stand about you know like what's important to you, you know, and and I would say for those caretakers of that space, you know obviously you

00:58:01.000 --> 00:58:13.000
know to to allow that to be, because I think you know, really, magic happens when when that is available.

00:58:13.000 --> 00:58:20.000
Absolutely. That's great. I'm just curious did you ever participate in in the international book.

00:58:20.000 --> 00:58:30.000
A young adult center, You know I didn't the when I stepped away from the from the use summit.

00:58:30.000 --> 00:58:49.000
I was really at a point where I was I just left undergrad and I was entering like the beginnings of my career, and I just couldn't kind of pull myself at the time really back into the space as much you know and

00:58:49.000 --> 00:58:53.000
so was it really able to do that, and I and the other part was so.

00:58:53.000 --> 00:59:05.000
There was some like life transitioning, you know, kind of young adult milestone kind of things that were happening, and the work that was doing was also having me travel a lot and stuff like that.

00:59:05.000 --> 00:59:22.000
So there was that part to it. But the and the other part was, I think, that at the time to there have been a lot of various sort of like growing pains and tensions, and different things that were and dynamics and you know that were

00:59:22.000 --> 00:59:41.000
happening within the in the summit space for me, for you know, for the development of different things, that I know that No, there were some things that I know that we put we wanted to do in the use summit space that at the time to the

00:59:41.000 --> 00:59:47.000
overall international blacksmith wasn't necessarily yet ready for you know, and I think we were growing antsy.

00:59:47.000 --> 00:59:50.000
You know, we wanted to start at the nonprofit.

00:59:50.000 --> 00:59:56.000
We wanted like we wanted to really move in a particular kind of way.

00:59:56.000 --> 01:00:03.000
We thought it was important. for, for example, use facilitators to have salaries.

01:00:03.000 --> 01:00:12.000
You know we we thought we should get paid to, you know, and then we should figure out how to pay folks to be able to to do this work and go to training and stuff like that.

01:00:12.000 --> 01:00:19.000
We were thinking about it in that those kinds of ways. you know a lot of different kinds of things where we were.

01:00:19.000 --> 01:00:24.000
And so it was just a lot of tensions, 2, and at the time.

01:00:24.000 --> 01:00:34.000
So I also, you know, needed like, Okay, I need some some space, so you know, to kind of like, figure some things out for myself.

01:00:34.000 --> 01:00:47.000
And you know those kinds of things, and so you know all of that combined, you know, just was kinda like to say I didn't get back.

01:00:47.000 --> 01:00:57.000
I think I don't know what year it was but I definitely came back to the summit to participate in the adult summit.

01:00:57.000 --> 01:01:13.000
I think when it was back in atlanta and then you know, and then you know how some conversations about you know how to support the use of which I'm still very much interested in, you know and how to you know

01:01:13.000 --> 01:01:18.000
however, that to look from the background in the background kind of way.

01:01:18.000 --> 01:01:28.000
But anyway, well, let me let me say this you've been echoing this year's declaration throughout your whole.

01:01:28.000 --> 01:01:34.000
This whole conversation. and so I just want people to know when I allow space.

01:01:34.000 --> 01:01:48.000
I become present to who I am and you have been for me a demonstration of discovering who you are continuously, and I don't know that You've ever stopped doing that which is one of the things that I really enjoy about

01:01:48.000 --> 01:02:02.000
this Year's declaration because it allows me the opportunity to continuously grow myself, and to not limit and to understand that the limitations that are there. I've set them up.

01:02:02.000 --> 01:02:14.000
So there are no limitations really, except the ones that that I don't allow myself to grow in, and so I also want to just acknowledge and thank you for your leadership.

01:02:14.000 --> 01:02:22.000
In the youth summit. you know you and Falami were the the main cattleist.

01:02:22.000 --> 01:02:31.000
I know that you had You had a few conversations that were chirping in your air from the rest of the folks.

01:02:31.000 --> 01:02:52.000
But you, the 2 of you, took on the brunt of the whatever was going to come down from the adopt conversation and and and use handle it gracefully, respectful fully and and and owned it, and and owned it with

01:02:52.000 --> 01:03:00.000
dignity and the with leadership. and and for that I thank you for the curriculum.

01:03:00.000 --> 01:03:10.000
That positive curriculum we're still using because it's so powerful for young people to really get the sense of who they are.

01:03:10.000 --> 01:03:23.000
And the just the opportunity to continue to have young people get who they are as a possibility as an opportunity, as a vision.

01:03:23.000 --> 01:03:34.000
And you know I think myself I think that that's probably one of the most powerful things as a human being that you can have is a vision for yourself.

01:03:34.000 --> 01:03:43.000
And then, if you can then apply it to the black community and the world, you've now got gravy on top of a scrumptious meal.

01:03:43.000 --> 01:03:49.000
So thank you for all that you have done, all that you continue to do.

01:03:49.000 --> 01:04:03.000
And lots of luck and love towards you and your emerging family, and maybe we'll see some some other some other little ones coming down the pike.

01:04:03.000 --> 01:04:08.000
I don't know. Do we have to let you go now Malika?

01:04:08.000 --> 01:04:14.000
I do. I have to go. I gotta get. I got this little one, you know, ready to go.

01:04:14.000 --> 01:04:19.000
Get her ready for her bath, and take care in the morning.

01:04:19.000 --> 01:04:31.000
And all those things but really Huh! all those That's right. that's right. but i've enjoyed this.

01:04:31.000 --> 01:04:34.000
Thank you for having me, and you know let's just continue to really take good care of each other.

01:04:34.000 --> 01:04:47.000
I know there's this whole conversation movement around self-care and I I just know that what I've learned through the summit in particular is that there is no self-care without Community care.

01:04:47.000 --> 01:04:54.000
Community care without community care. You can't have this so they work hand in hand.

01:04:54.000 --> 01:05:00.000
We have to support each other and take care of each other, checking on each other, you know.

01:05:00.000 --> 01:05:07.000
Love up on each other. and so you know. so thank you, for this is loving up on me.

01:05:07.000 --> 01:05:13.000
So I I do appreciate it. And Thank you. Thank you.

01:05:13.000 --> 01:05:21.000
Thank you so much, Malika. Okay. good night. Good night.