June 6, 2023 • 59 mins
Wille D sits down with entrepreneur and community activist Jasmine Terry to discuss her journey, standing on and embracing the legacy of her great grandfather John Henry "Jack" Yates, her societal perspectives and much more. Tune in and join the conversation in the socials below.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Yip yip. You know boys is back and reloaded all
in your mind. Yeah, now deep throating. This is for
the streets, the real, the real goading, the distenfranchise, the.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Truth, escapegoating, and they ain't know when we speak the truth.
So they quoted because we wrote it. The North South
East coaches. The ge be mocked for keeping your head, Bobby,
it ain't no stopping and wants to be drops head
by then the system is so corrupt they threw the.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Rock out their heads and then blame it on us.
Don't get it twisted on coding. We danced to put
no butterment biscuits. It's Willie d y'all ghetto boys in
the house back with another episode of information and instructions
to help you navigate through this wild, crazy, beautiful world
in the studio. Visionary of the Year candidate for the
(00:50):
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society jas Man Terry, I love, congratulations.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
Thank you, thank you somebody else.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
What an honor to be doing something that helped saved lives?
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Absolutely right?
Speaker 1 (01:04):
How long have you been involved with this?
Speaker 3 (01:06):
So? I was nominated early part of the year from
a friend, Maggie Noell. She participated last year fundraiser, and
we prepped I guess for a few months on you know,
the direction and if you're serious about it, and so
I was like, you know, I'm all in. You know,
leukemia actually is something that runs in my family. So
(01:29):
it was my great grandmother. So it was something that's
really personal to me because no one in my family
knew what happened to her. We like, we literally didn't know.
I was at the age of three at the time,
but my grandmother passed away within a week and a
half time period. So my family was like, what is this.
It's cancer, but you know, the culture wise of not
(01:53):
sharing if there's health issues and if there's information, she
didn't really know what's going on. So by the time
we found out, she passed away the following week. So
there was a lot of testing in the family, like, okay,
you have Liukemi or her kids, my grandmother and my aunt,
to my mother and now to myself, just to make
sure you know it's a bloodline. Especially with a lot
(02:14):
more research, you know, it's definitely more evident and it's
a lot more prominent. You know, there's resources to actually
go to. So when I was asked to be a
part of this and to be nominated to be a
Visionary of the Year. I was highly honored, honestly to
be a part of such an amazing organization and to
give back, you know, and learn in this process as well.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
How old was your grandmother when she died she passed away?
Speaker 3 (02:41):
I would say she was in her sixties.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Oh wow, I'm sorry.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
She was actually your great things.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
This was your great grandmother.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
Yeah, I passed away three I mean, my god, not
I passed away. She passed away when I was three
years old. So she passed away in eighty nine and
my my mother was living. So this is my grandmother's mother.
So yeah, she passed away in her late fifties. I'd
say early sixties to be honest.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
Yeah, so and to do to pass away and there's
no information, so she didn't give us an information.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
You know.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
My family's from my mother's side is from Louisiana, so
you know, when it comes to medicine, right, my family
don't believe in medicine. You know. My great grandfather, my
great grandmother is everything is in the pantry, you know,
from honey to everything that comes from the farm. So
trusting doctors, trusting physicians, that's been a and even as
a child, that's a knug something's wrong. Let me fix
(03:39):
this for you, focusing on your gut, you know, and
things of that. So this was her in real time
that she had no control of what's going on and
the remedies that she was possibly doing for herself. It
didn't help the situation. And so by the time she
let the family know I have leukemia, she passed away
shortly after, you know, so it was very devastating. Of
(04:02):
course I was a kid, but I remember as a
child my mother and my grandmother. I remember the funeral,
I remember my grandfather, and I'm like, what happened to granny?
You know, like, you know, because we had such a
close connection. You know, even now you know, family, you
look so much like your great grandmother. You know, y'all
are similarly the same, you know, just like you know
all these things, and you know, to know that she
(04:24):
passed away without any research really being available to her,
you know, was it's it's a disconnect, you know.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
So I'm tripping a little bit on you being able
to remember at three years old. Oh yeah, I think
my earliest memory is somewhere around five, maybe four and
a half five.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
Yeah, so I remember, you know, for me energy, I
can't I remember smells, I remember feelings, and I think
that's that's energy is so important, like connecting, Like I
can't tell you at three years old what the conversation was,
but I remember what I felt. I remember the smell,
I remember the touch. I remember kind of these small memories.
(05:09):
But it was really like her energy that more any
more than anything, you know, So yeah, I do.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Do people in your family typically live to be a
long you know?
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Yeah, you know, honestly, on both sides of the family,
they do. And I think that's a that's a beautiful
thing to have because growing up as a kid, I
had my great great grandfather, I had my great grandfather,
I had my great my great grandmother passed away, but
I had my great aunts that lived to like one
hundred and five one hundred. In my I believe man
(05:41):
free to live was the longest maybe one hundred and
six mothers.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
By your grandma, your great grandma died at sixty.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
You know, And no, no, not really, because I mean
I had such an older with like an older group
of family members to kind of connect with, you know. Now,
my grandmother heard my grandmother's uh, my great grandmother's daughter,
my mother's mother. She passed away fairly early. She passed
away in her fifties from some issues. She was depression
(06:12):
and other things. But she passed away fairly early. But
along those lines, my family lives like a pretty long time,
to be honest, and with everything that's going on in
the world right now, I think about because everyone's like, oh,
my god, you had your great grandfather. Yeah, like y'all
didn't have it great aunts and they were like nineties
and eighties, and you know, I think even me growing
(06:35):
into a woman and understanding now how important information is that,
even on foods and like knowing your culture, you know,
knowing different things. It's a lot of people know nothing
about their grandmothers, their grandparents or didn't have the opportunity
I can go back to like my great grandparents, you know.
And then that's my mother's side, my father's side, even
(06:56):
with my great great grandfather being Jack Yates and to
see like the legacy here in Houston of what he created,
you know. And my grandmother now my great my my
grandmother and my father's brother. She's in her mid eighties,
you know. So I've always had that type of blessings
actually to have family around, and you know it's like
(07:20):
older family.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
So yeah, you mentioned your great grandfather, John Henry jack Yatates.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
Yeah that dude.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
Yeah what a legacy, what a claim? Yeah yeah, it's
how proud are you of being you know, a part
of that bloodline?
Speaker 3 (07:39):
You know. Honestly, growing up, I kind of shied from it.
I didn't really you know, I attended Jacky's High school.
You know, I know about my great grandfather, but I
wanted to be cool. I didn't want anyone to be like, Okay,
you know this is you know, this is school is
name and yeah you know.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
It is my great grandfather school to do. I ain't
going to I ain't coming to school.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
Yeah, so you know, to have that knowledge, right, It
was just kind of like I don't want aboudy know,
you know. And school was different than you know, like
you're like, yeah, this school name after my great grandfather and.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
It's a trip. How we how we trivialize things that
are mine and we we elevate these things that are
really important, Like we shy away from things like things
that we should be proud.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
You know, you can't tell me now like I tell everybody,
even in in bios, you know that is that is
a part of that is historic, not even for Houston,
but just for me and my bloodline. The power, you know,
and think about who you are as a person, like
what makes you who you are? And I think about
myself like being an entrepreneur, being an advocacy, you know,
(08:52):
just how we connected just from talking about aggovacy, you know.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
What I mean.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
And and to be able to it's something that's rooted
in me. It's actually something that's actually it's in my blood,
like to create and to want to help others. And
how connected I am to my culture as Black culture
and my seeking of like where does all this energy
(09:19):
come from? You know, like what makes you you? And
then you have like this information to go back to.
You know. It's like it's powerful, you know, and it's
actually a great feeling, like a blessing. You know.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
Yeah. I first saw, I think at first came across
you on the Isaiah Factor Show and I was like, oh,
she got something. She was talking about some type of
social issue. I can't remember exactly what it was. The
way you articulated yourself. I was like, oh, yeah, she
shocked and you stood on it. It was something controversial.
(09:58):
You wasn't dancing around.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
Oh no, oh no, that's not me. I wasn't raised
to be that way. And you know, I you know,
to be able to talk about culture, black culture, there's
no shyness about that. That's no change in my tone.
There's no when I'm around a certain group, you know,
being proud of who you are, you know, that's that's
(10:22):
that's in my blood, you know, and you stand on it,
you know, in any space. And so if it's something
dealing with health care, if it's education, if it's something
dealing with the financial systems, you know, advocacy is important.
It's in me and I have That's what I feel
connected to do you know, even with my travels around
(10:43):
the world that I do. You know, this is all
a part of a learning process, you know. And I
don't know where it comes from, but I know.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
From your great grandparents, great great grand perhaps.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
Yeah, yeah, just his story alone, you know, being a
slave in Virginia, to be free and to come back
to be with your wife in Texas and become a
slave again, you know, to not only that, to kind
of lead the way through the mascipation to build, teach
your people how to build homes and with the importance
(11:19):
of land and how to read and you know, to
be a minister to minister to people. And this is
how we create our own economic systems. We don't have
to be a part of these systems that that we
were given.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
You know.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
So this is a person that's been out of was
a slave, out of slave, came back into slavery, the
massurpation happened. Then create when it land where we have
our own land. We don't want, we don't need to
participate with you. We're going to create our own you know,
these different struggles, you know, the fights that in order
just to be yourself and so to know the legacy
that not only my great grandfather, my great grandfather's children.
(11:57):
We know what my grandmother has done with my five,
with my family, just who we are. It's innately in us,
you know. So to get on Isaiah Factor show, and
I'm gonna say what I gotta say, because this is
something that's like, you know, it's important to me, you know,
and it's carrying information you know, So it is you know,
and I'm a proud I'm definitely proud. Now I'm not
(12:20):
saying I wasn't proud as I was immature. Then I
didn't want to tell people, you know, this is my
great grandfather, this is the school was after you know,
I was like, I don't need to do that. You know,
pretty modest, you know, but that's roalsy, you know, in
your area.
Speaker 4 (12:34):
So Little Boys reloaded podcast right after spot.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
When you look at the racial climate in this country, yeah,
there's a lot of division and there are a lot
of people that are in high positions, especially politicians who
are flaming the hire. Yeah, considering your your lineage, considering
(13:09):
what we've been through historically, do you what's your concern
level that slavery could actually happen again?
Speaker 3 (13:20):
Slavery is happening right now.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
Well, I'm talking about I'm talking about slavery. You know,
they actually like actually having black folks in physical change,
not the mental change, the change, but the physical change
and you know everything that came with that.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
In certain parts of the world, that's happening still, right,
we're just talking about America.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
Talking about right, I don't think I don't.
Speaker 3 (13:54):
Think that's going to happen, right. I think there's these
systems around us, and I know you said about like
physically happening. You know, I don't. I don't really think
that's going to happen. I know, I'm not getting no chance.
I don't. I don't see it. I mean, what do
you think you think? I don't see?
Speaker 1 (14:08):
I can, I can, I can. I can't say what
can and what will and won't happen, because some things
are happening now that I never thought would happen.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
Absolutely, you know, hell.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Donald Trump became president. We wanted the dumb as motherfuckers
in the United States of America, you know. But I can't.
I don't know, you know, but I do know this.
I'm killing everything. I'm not going to be a.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
Slave, you know.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
I'm not going to be a slave, especially knowing what
I know, knowing what they did, that information, especially knowing
that what I know, knowing that there is no get back,
knowing that there is no mercy, knowing that there is
no there is no there will be no conversations of rationalism.
Speaker 3 (14:51):
Though, absolutely it's not.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
I don't see no rationalizing, you know, Like, I'm not
na man. I already know I'm man.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
I'm killing everything, walking everything, you know. I had a
conversation with a friend about how do we get out
of these systems? Right?
Speaker 4 (15:11):
Like?
Speaker 3 (15:11):
How you know? Who are well? Who are we uninterrupted?
As a culture? And when I say uninterrupted, meaning without
the trauma, without your back, your record, and you know this,
this poverty and all these things, who are we as
a culture? Uninterrupted? We are royal buildings? I know who
(15:32):
you are? Right, So it's you have to interrupt. You
have to interrupt in order to shake it up, right
I can't And so you I'm gonna interrupt you in education,
I'm gonna interrupt you in the financial system. I have
to interrupt you in so many places because the moment
you're uninterrupted, you train, your energy transcends. You're a whole
(15:53):
nother you are Who are you? You know what I mean?
In my mind I heard something like that. I was like,
who is Jasmine uninterrupted? You know, if I'm not worried
about bills, I'm not worried about walking around, if the
police is this, and what? Who am I? Uninterrupted? And
that's from now on, That's how I see myself. I'm uninterrupted,
(16:14):
you know, as a culture. So when we look on
the news and you see prime example, you know the
guy that raised two million dollars you know, for now
and the GoFundMe.
Speaker 1 (16:26):
Yeah, I ain't worth for d penny.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
So so you know what does that look like? Right?
And the media would show the music. We're so interrupted
in so many ways, right, the things that we're listening to,
the foods that we eat. It's a it's a part
of a system. Right, How do we get uninterrupted as
a culture? And I hate to say it, the only
I don't know other way but to fight, to be honest,
(16:51):
And my friends like fighting, you know, and we love
and you know, I I love Martin Luther King that
that was a he's a great man. But I also
unders sand with Malcolm X felt right as a culture
and I just feel that, you know, we're gonna have
to fight. It's going to be a point where sorry,
it's a point where you know, I'm uninterrupted period, And
(17:14):
so by any means, in any way necessary, I will
not be interrupted. I don't want to hear so even
listening to news and sometimes with social media and all
these different things, right, that's interrupted. That's interrupting, like your
mind to think, you know what I mean, the foods
we're eating, it's interrupting our systems. The healthcare, all of that,
(17:36):
you know what I mean. So if I can be
in a place as simple as being uninterrupted, you can't
stop me. You can't stop nothing. It's nothing that you
can do to do that. And so as a people,
if we can figure out ways how we are uninterrupted,
meaning if it starts with the children and education, we're
teaching our own right, if it goes into building our
(17:58):
own hospitals, creating our own willness cities, you know, creating
our own military, because we will be uninterrupted because everybody
has their hands on our culture, everybody, you know. So
for me, back to what you're saying about slavery, I
don't see it going that far, as far as chains
and all of that. I think as a people and
(18:21):
at this point in time in life, that we have
a conscious that it's awakening, that is beyond just what
we see right, and it's happening. So therefore, the world
is shifting, the earth is purging, it's you know, I'm
into nature. I mean, I don't know if you know
that really, but so for me, the mountains, so for me, you.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
Know, walking down walking on the beach in Morocco.
Speaker 3 (18:50):
So for me, you know, that's a lifestyle that comes
with lifestyle, and that's something that you teach others, you
know what I mean, looking in different directions, you know.
So I don't don't see that happening. It's putting us
into being slaves and all of that, you know. And
I don't think every other culture is bad, but I
am focused on my culture and my goal is to
help us be in you know, uninterrupted period, you know,
(19:13):
the mind and to do that. And so with that,
I don't see it happening.
Speaker 4 (19:18):
You know.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
That's your ministry.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
Yeah, that's my ministry.
Speaker 1 (19:21):
That's your ministry. Your ministry is helping people service. Yeah,
that's your ministry because even when you do it with
your event center, your event center is not just you know,
fuck you pay me, it's it's yo. We're going to
(19:42):
provide a superiod experience, absolutely, you know, and we're going
to create a beautiful space for you to come. It's
going to be it's going to be a warm and
welcoming space and you're going to feel it. You're going
to feel that personal touch. I mean I felt it myself,
and I.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
You know, the reason for me opening Lace Chateau. And
of course all of this is energy for me, everything
is energy. So it was to create a safe space
for creatives, right I complain, an't nowhere to go in Houston.
At some points it was like the clubs, it was like,
(20:24):
you're gonna tell me what I can We're I see
you profiling by the clothes or you know, just certain things.
I want a space where we can be safe and connect,
grow and learn. So it's not just opening a bar,
you know, lay Chatau. Houston for me is a space
where we can be safe and also connect. So we
can have greade eats, we can have music where creatives
(20:45):
from all of the world. Because Houston being such a
big city, there's not like a place a platform where
indie artists just really come in. You have like your
warehouse lives, and you have like these other places, but
there's no hub of like this is where talent is made,
you know. So I wanted to be able to participate
in creating that rhythm in Houston. And it doesn't have
(21:05):
to be just a club and your normal live music shows.
But there's so many forms of art that you that
I want La Chautaud to be able to display, you know,
So from theatrical art to musicians to dancers, you know,
singers like all of that into the space and even
art of networking with other people. How do you get
(21:25):
into a room and connect. A lot of times we
want to I want to go talk to really th man,
I want to, you know, how do you do that?
How do you when you have that opportunity, how do
you connect? You know? So it's really like a like
you said, I guess a teaching space right to having
a safe space for culture, and then you also having
these different you know, different places I visit around the world.
(21:46):
I was like, I gotta I want to bring it
back to Houston, and if you didn't go with me,
I want you to be able to see through my
eyes what I saw. And so whether it's in other
countries and we come back in these different performers of
sounds and music to place it into the space. That's
what Lai's Chateau is about, you know, to create whatever
you want. You know. So what I initially opened, that's
(22:07):
the plan I closed during COVID and then from there
I reopened. And I'm like, you know, the bar industry
is a lot. You know, it was a lot on me,
and I don't know how I maintained for three years
kind of solo. This is I've never owned a bar before,
never worked in the bar, but I was like, okay,
I have this vision, and everything just happened. You know,
(22:27):
even the guys would earn your leisure.
Speaker 4 (22:29):
You know.
Speaker 3 (22:30):
I created one programming of lais Chateau, which is the office,
which actually today there is an event, a networking event
to just kind of connect with people professionals and entrepreneurs
in Houston and really engaging, going how do we you
know when you're in the room, this is not just
looking at each other, really get to know somebody, not
(22:50):
just being around the people that you're close to, actually
getting in and connect. So I was able to reach out.
They reached out to me, Actually, hey, we like what
you're doing in Houston. We want to come down and
to see where they started from with this financial literacy,
even him and shout out to my guy Wall Street
Trap as well, that talking about the market, the stock
(23:13):
market with nineteen keys like all of them. Well, Wall
Street Trap met earned your leisure in my space and
to see where they were then and where they are now.
And we all are cool in these relationships, you know
what I mean. Lace Shatau is a place that you
were able to connect and to see that and then
to have them come out and then to not just them,
(23:34):
just different people, musicians and artists. So you know, for
me as a visionary, I just want to create rooms
and spaces and energy where things evolved, you know, so
instead of having a bar, now it's a creative space.
You know. So you bring your creativity and we hope
you make it happen, you know, and it's all about
(23:55):
you know. When I open Lace Chateau, then I had
a lady because I'm in sophomore SANDERSONO, so I'm in
the museum district. It's their reward. I had a lady,
a white lady. Her name is Karen. Also. Karen came
in and said, oh, you're opening up a jazz bar.
And I was like, yeah, I'm excited to tell her.
And you know, she came in as if she wanted
(24:16):
to help me with the you know, I want to.
I want to help you, you know, I want to.
I want to. I want you to be successful. Now,
she don't know that my great grandfather helped cultivate this
whole area where you living with your husband. That's not
too far from a massipation. My grandfather created that space, right.
But she doesn't know me. So she's coming in and
(24:38):
she's like, well, you know, I want you to be
successful in this area. And the food is great, the
music is great, but I think the artwork in here,
I think you should make it about everybody. I think
you should make this space not just about Black culture.
It should be about Asian culture. It should be about
all these different cultures. You know, it should be about
(24:59):
every you know, because that's the way the world is.
And I let her talk, and I was so thankful
that I handled her with grace, because who are you
to come into my business and tell me how I
should make space for everybody. Did you go to Papito's
and you see all of these pictures of these other
(25:20):
cultures on the wall, and they have no black people.
Did you tell them you should make this about black
people too. I said, that's the problem. I should be
able to be proud and you should be of my
culture and the legacy of Arika Franklin and Ray Charles
and mal Davis, and you should be in here, be
excited to see this experience because this is a part
(25:41):
of my culture. It's not because it's only for black people.
She said, Well, when you have things like that, it
makes it seem like only black people are welcome. I said,
you're the only one feeling and uncomfortable. Why making what
my culture is doing and me promoting and wanting a
safe space for my people, you feel uncomfortable and for
you to have the balls to come into my business
(26:05):
and smile at me and to tell me be black,
but just don't be too black. Make it black. This
is this area is for everybody. You know, there's black
people here, there's Asian people here, even more reasons where
you should be want to welcome and understand my culture
and understand the legacy. It's more than just music. You
comeing to eat our food and our great like understand this,
come in and connect with people. And I think her
(26:27):
husband was from Brooklyn, and so he was you know,
he was really nice, but he could feel like he
was like, I think you were out of line. The
next day, the opening she sends like a flood of flowers.
She said, she said, you are so highly aware and
with the way that you handle me with care. In
that moment, I had no idea what I was doing,
(26:47):
Like for me to come in to tell you don't
make your space about your culture is insensitive. And I
didn't even realize this because I mean, I have black friends.
That was one you know, I have. I've traveled around
the world, and the way that you broke it down
to me, I didn't even realize that was me and
my form of not being able to connect. And so
even with that, you know, leys Chateau, it was just her.
(27:10):
They always came after that, you know, and I forced
her to connect with other people. This is what life
is about. It's about connecting, you know, Like you can't
come in my business and help me to be black.
WI just don't be too black because you make me
uncomfortable with your blackness.
Speaker 4 (27:29):
The boys revoting podcasts will be right back after sport.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
Imagine going to a Mexican restaurant and being offended that
there's only Mexicans on the wall. The people who started
the restaurant, you know, like these are the people who
started the generations of people who started the restaurants where yeah,
I think you should add more diversity here because to
(28:00):
make me comfortable, make me comfortable. But that but they
only do that to us. That's that they only I
know that for a fact, they only do that when
a black person owns a restaurant something. And like now
you put whoever you want to put on the walls,
(28:21):
if you if a person likes the product or services,
they they patronize the business or they don't. It doesn't
matter to me one way or the other. It's like
my music. I make my music for the people and
if you get it, cool, If you don't, that's cool too.
But I am not about to acquiesque to your style,
(28:42):
to your preference to make you feel comfortable. Fuck you
straight up, right straight up like uh, and I'm unapologetic
about that. You know. Why why do we have to
change who we are? You know? I mean, but you
know it's like you like our talents, like what we do,
(29:08):
but then you want to take it and then you
want to make it the way you want to make it,
and so that you can be comfortable with it.
Speaker 3 (29:15):
Like I said, you want to interrupt it.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
You want to interrupt it, right, and.
Speaker 3 (29:19):
So you don't leave us uninterrupted. You want to interrupt
in any form because I want you no, no, no, no,
it can't be too good, you know. And I think
and to go back to your point, what you just
said about here in America. It's a mentality. So as
a person that has traveled in different places around the world,
I didn't realize with this whitewash mentality that I've had,
(29:44):
right that when I went to other places, when I
went to France, went to Paris, I'm so used to
America has programmed us that we are the center of
the world and we're not. We are behind, right, but
we are so great, like a concept about branding and marketing,
right that we go around, Oh, I'm American, you know,
(30:06):
the dollar is American. What is the dollar tied to?
You know what I mean? Like all of this to
not until I went to China, not until I went
to Europe and I'm seeing like, you know, I'm American,
you know, I go there and I think you don't
speak English, like we have been programmed honestly, so not
only are we as black people, right and just thinking
as humans, I mean just a culture of people. We're
(30:29):
American also, And when I've gone to other places, like
this is not in English, you know, everything is English
and French English, Like we have this type of supremacy
around the world to being like these this is it
and we're not, and I had someone tell me in
China when I was in it was a program which
seen what Africa and China's doing in Africa. That's the
(30:51):
whole thing. I seen that back in twenty fourteen. But
maybe you are in another country. I know America were
popular with the entertainment and you know we have this.
That was the first time a slap in face. I
was like, we are behind. I am behind right, Like
the kids here are making the games that my children
(31:12):
will play. They're creating the technology that I will use.
What are we doing? I went there. My friends were like, oh,
see if you can get us some hair, will you
connect or some boutiques, some clothes And I'm like, yeah, girl,
I got you. I'm in China. I'm gonna be here
for a while. Not until I joined the Africa to
Business Council that Asian a Chinese girl asked me to
(31:34):
join that I realized the conversations were different, and I
was quiet because I'm not Africa. I'm not from Africa,
but there was people from Nigeria and other places in Africa.
They were brokering deals and China, the government in twenty
fourteen was creating this Chinese to Africa Business Council, which
I have photos to show where you know, and still
(31:55):
a part of this group. We want to do business
in Africa. And so while I'm looking that of how
can I get to connect on some clothes to start
a boutique, and some hair, maybe some makeup, and you
know these smaller things, these are people my age brokering
big world deals, meaning creating room for tomato paste companies,
rice farms, you know. And I'm like, oh my god,
(32:17):
this is like on a bigger scale. You know, I'm behind.
I'm thinking I'm American and you know all of these no,
I'm behind, you are we are. America is a small
part of what the world is. And we made this
Donald Trump mentality to be like this this thing that
we are not, we are falling. I saw this in
(32:38):
twenty fourteen. I'm like, my god, this is where we
are on a scale of what the world. The conversations
are happening around the world, so right now to where
we understand where the dollar is. And I saw this
in twenty fourteen and to see how China has created
these alliances around the world. They're in Africa and I'm
brokering deals because they think I'm from Nigeria. I didn't
(33:00):
say I wasn't. I just you know, I'm trying to
understand what's going on and to see this and I'm like,
my gosh, I am really behind. I'm worried about weave.
My friend want to start a makeup line and a boutique,
you know, And these are real life, these are global
impacts around the world, you know. So as a culture
and I say, as an American, so not only being black,
(33:23):
but then you have to get outside of the world
and we've been programmed to think, oh, we big, we
big shit.
Speaker 1 (33:31):
Well, you know, sometimes they do behaveing on us though,
because I was I lived in Paris for I lived
in Paris for they do. And I remember going into
the grocery stool once, yeah, and I asked for, uh,
a shaver, you know, a razor, yeah, and it's like
a shave, right. So I'm asking about the razors and
(33:54):
it's like maybe like it's like six cash registers, about
three cashiers and they're all women and so and they
got people standing in the line and I'm asking about
the razors and she's like she's talking to me like that,
(34:17):
like like really like talking down on me like, huh
what And she's frowning up. Why she asked, and I'm
I'm I'm the tourists, but I'm in the tourists area.
I'm in a tourist. I know that they want us
to try to speak French. I got that they want
us to make an effort to speak French. But I
ain't got time to be making the damn efforts to
(34:38):
speak French. Man. I got stuff to do. I'm not
here trying to vacate. I'm trying to I'm trying to
kill man. So the woman was like, what say you,
And so the other lady h she She's looking at
the other lady, and I see them laughing about it, right,
So I said, do you have any razors, bitch? And
(35:05):
the other one like, oh, they're right there, like ma,
you know, like that. But you know, excuse my French
apartment of vernacular. But I ain't usually like that with women,
you know. But I mean, she just she tried to
make and she was insulting me, you know. And but
you know what another thing was feeling that at all.
Speaker 3 (35:25):
Not until an understanding, like and she was don't get
me wrong, they can't be people of the culture to
be rude. The reason why as Americans as a totality,
not just you and what you mean, when we go places,
we think we are the ship. Yeah, we think we
are the ship. You go to you're in another country,
you go to Mexico. We have had this mentality of
(35:49):
you know, I'm better than you.
Speaker 1 (35:50):
I'm American collectively because because I've never been that.
Speaker 3 (35:53):
Way, so right, and so many people like, eh, your food,
like what is this? You know, because we have been
pro that we are the center of the world and
we're not. We're behind education, our health is bad, you
know what I mean. Our dollar is crappy, and we
we it's bullshit. Not even just Europe. You go to Mexico.
(36:15):
We feel as though we're better than other people, you
know what I mean. It's a mentality.
Speaker 1 (36:19):
Families have been decimated.
Speaker 3 (36:22):
Listen, listen, and so and I'll say this and I
you know, my experience, Like for me, I'm going to Ghana.
So I went to Ghana January. I plan on in
June to be there all the way through December. I'll
come back and forth. But I want to plant my
roots in Africa. Right, And I'll say this, it's not
the thing of you know, I'm black and I'm you know,
(36:42):
I want to go back to Africa because that's a
whole other topic of we're not the same people as
far as because we're Black African, it's completely we're different.
We're the same of same genes, right, but we're different.
And me being in Africa and to not just Africa,
but places I've been right to go to places when
you see people that look like you, right, and you
(37:07):
know in America, we have always been in this capitalist
kind of mentality, right, money, money, money, you know, it's
a pressure. But yeah, there's places where they're poor. You know,
they don't have but we have a poverty, but they
have something way more powerful, which is community.
Speaker 1 (37:20):
Right.
Speaker 3 (37:21):
If somebody's out there selling chickens and eggs, it's such
a it's such a community based culture that is beautiful
to me. You know, we can come here and yeah,
money and all this we're so disconnected on who we
are and the things and the soil is bad. You know,
so my experience and being there and you're welcoming another feeling.
(37:42):
You know, I went to Nigeria and Nigeria was cool.
You know. I had some instance with some of my
friends I went to college with, you know, because I
didn't feel even though I love the culture of the
African Nigerian culture, to learn about it and I thought like, oh,
you know, my ancestry say, I'm forty percent Nigerian, so
you know, I'm like, I didn't feel connected. But they
(38:04):
and again I am a spiritual person. It's it's what
felt calm to my spirit. I felt like I just
didn't think that these are my people. You know what
I mean?
Speaker 1 (38:14):
I love did they make you feel welcome?
Speaker 3 (38:16):
Very welcome? Even the people here, my Nigerian friends that
are here barrier. It's not even the language barrier. I honestly,
I lived in so much afrobeats and I've talked to
so many people in Houston. Houston alone has a lot
of Nigerians and people culture. I love the food. I
just thought I did not feel like home to me.
When I went to Ghana when I was seven years old,
(38:36):
I was a turning elementary. Bush created HIZ created program
the Multicultural Program, and it was a turner elementary where
you could pick Europe, Africa, China and all these other
countries that your study was in and the mine was
mine was France and mine was Africa, and the focus
in Africa was Ghana. And so I met the president
(38:57):
Jerry Rawlins. It's a picture of me seven years old.
I met him. They had me and this can take clothing.
And I remember asking him a question why are Africans poor?
Like why are everybody poor? And he just looked at me.
He looked at me and said, Africa's not poor. Baby.
He said it's not poor. And he explained, there's so
(39:19):
many because I had no idea when I thought of Africa.
We looked on the television. It was flies, kids, big bellies,
you know, like, oh they're poor. He said, it's not poor,
you know. And he was telling me the food is
so we had these tastings of like different types of food.
That was my first exposure.
Speaker 1 (39:36):
Right.
Speaker 3 (39:37):
So here I am at thirty six years old. Well,
I went to Africa at thirty five, but at thirty
six I was in Ghana and to be able to
connect as soon as immediate. When I was in Nigeria,
Nigeria felt like everybody's chasing money. That's what the feeling.
It's a beautiful place, don't get me wrong, but I'm
energy right and I felt like this is beautiful as fun.
Speaker 1 (40:00):
And I'm going back on the cities in America.
Speaker 3 (40:03):
It was just like the energy was just it was money,
like everything was like about money. But the minute I
landed in Ghana, it's a feeling of it was like
you know, it was a feeling of just peace, a
feeling of peace, like seriously, and it wasn't because and
(40:24):
I was like, all right, maybe it's my psych of
like I have always wanted to go to Ghana, so
I'm gonna look at it different, the air, the different,
it's a different feeling, right, It's not it's different. It's different.
Men to go somewhere and you see money with people,
the faces that look like you right to go to
(40:45):
the museum and this is their history. Not all it's
not as beautiful or you know, as as big buildings
as the States, but it's a quality that you can't
get here. It's a feeling of like, man, this is peaceful, right,
like this is this is to me what life feels like.
And I feel like I've experienced some highs and being
around but these people, it's in community, rooted in community,
(41:08):
you know, and you know you have these markets and
people are exchanging foods and you know it's not as
it's not as wealthy in some areas, right, but that
is up to have peace and to have happiness. That
is something that that money you and to arrive back
in America and you feel it's like automatics. Soon as
you got to the plan, you feel pressure, anxiety. Everybody's
(41:31):
like it's this, it's this thing, like I got the money.
Oh you know, it's this, it's the news. It's it's
so much pressure. But to be able to go a
place that you just feel like, oh my god, this
is peaceful.
Speaker 1 (41:42):
And I'm assuming that it's the same way when you
walk into a store. You you feel like you feel
that the person is grateful that you're there and not
that you feel some type of burden.
Speaker 3 (41:58):
Yeah, and it's a welcoming it's a welcoming feeling. It's
a welcoming feeling that you feel. And also let's get
to the food that is live soil. The soil here
is dead. You know, when I was in Israel back
manufactured listen, food, it's dead. The food here is not food.
(42:20):
When I was in Israel back in twenty I think
it was like two thousand and eight, I was in Galileabo.
I went to Tel Aviv. I never taste fruit before,
like I love fruit, but it was tastes and I
see why they're fighting over the soil. It was a
whole nother taste. The food was different, the food in Ghana.
It is different. The tastes like I'm telling you, it tastes.
(42:43):
It was great immediately what you think a great strawberry
tastes like and you have it in another place, You're like, man,
this is dead. Even your stomach right. You know, your
gut is really like the mouth of your soul. So
if your gut is the mouth of your soul, what
you put it in replenish the body. If we're putting
in fake foods and eating dead corpse and all this craziness,
(43:07):
our minds were interrupted. We're interrupted within our minds. But
to be able to eat vibration, high level, like vibrating foods,
like it feels different. You're not tired. You know you're
not big because and I eat, I'm greedy.
Speaker 1 (43:22):
Are you vegan?
Speaker 3 (43:23):
I'm not vegan, but I think I eventually kind of pescatarian.
The scents and sometimes I don't eat pork, I don't
eat any port, but you know, I still have these slips.
I love chicken, even chicken. Listen, I don't eat chicken.
I try not to eat chicken here in the States.
I'm telling you, And that's mark my word. Jasmin Terry
(43:44):
said that chicken, the antibodies, the things that are in
these chickens really mess with your brain. I love Pope's
it hands down't care how much money I have in
the world. You eat it, your mind is messed up
gold Like, really do with a cleanse and go eat
something that's like that, like the chicken. It throws your
(44:04):
mind off. So if you have some imbalances, hormonal imbalance,
mental balance, depression, anger, the foods we put in our
body really affects that.
Speaker 1 (44:13):
So you still eat pop No, man, you cut it
all the way out.
Speaker 3 (44:17):
I cut it out when it's been a while, and
I'll try it and every now and then I'll be like, oh,
let me my mind. I'm telling you, like your mind
is clear.
Speaker 1 (44:27):
Like, how long has it been since you've eating Popeyes?
Speaker 3 (44:31):
Man, it's been like a few years, because you know.
Speaker 1 (44:33):
Me, I bust left in the papies quick.
Speaker 3 (44:36):
Really. I love listen. I love Popeyes, I listen, but
the hormones and the stuff in that chicken and in
that food, and you go somewhere else and you eat
and you still feel different. The chicken sizes aren't the same.
The wings we have here, these big chicken breasts. And
then you see what the chicken because I'm like, this
(44:57):
is chicken, this is fish. Yeah, but it's it's uninterrupted me, right,
you know what I mean? Like nothing, this is you know,
this is food, your stomach, your your time to go
to the party is. It's a different experience and it's
the body. So that's why the plan is, we can't
get y'all want to come over here to Africa. The
(45:17):
minute you are, we have to interrupt you to not
want to be in these places because the minute you
go to these places, what's happening. The best thing the
government did and gone in twenty eighteen was do the
return of homecoming. As amazing as Nigeria is, Ghana is
the right Black Americans are. I mean homes there are
people by laying are like crazy. If you see how
(45:39):
fast is going to the market is up and down,
but it's going really fast, and you have that experience
and then you think I'm going to come back here
and listen to this absolutely, so moving to go. I
do want to I do want to live family behind.
So this is the thing. I want to be able
(46:00):
to have experiences in other places. Right I do. But
like I said early on about not feeling like that's home,
you know, I believe we are in the indigenous people
of America. We are the indigenous people. I do believe
that the Moors were already here and they these that's
our family, like black people were already here in America.
(46:21):
I don't believe though, because I'm black, I'm from Ghana,
and I'm from Nigeria, and I'm from these other places.
I do believe that we are indigenous people of America
and it is very important for us to get our
land here by any means.
Speaker 1 (46:34):
So do you believe, So you don't believe that Africa
is the cradle of civilization, then I but know, I
do believe all civilization started.
Speaker 3 (46:44):
All civilization does start in Africa. I do believe that.
But even when I was in Ghana and I went
to and I've toured Cape Coast, the Door of No Return,
that's where the last place the Africans were, and they
shipped them to the States they shipped them to Jamas,
the Caribbean areas all over. I'm just saying that I
(47:05):
believe black we were already here and I know what
I feel like, and whether people believe it or not,
this is our land. We were already here. The story
of Africa just try all these slaves, millions of slaves.
It just came through America. Brown black people were here.
Their mores were traveling all over the world before the slaves,
(47:29):
before this even happened. So you're telling me my great
great grandparents people were Black people were already here, right,
And the idea wasn't that the Europeans the ones that said, hey,
let's make black people. You know, slavery was a former
technology where it's wrong, right. What they did to us
in America is like the worst, right, But it was
(47:52):
a former technology. The Middle Easterns came with were some
of the ones that influenced the Africans to rally up
the black people to ship them off in this slave trade.
Because we were able to stay outside. White people were coming.
They had white slaves too that came into Africa because
they wanted to take and the they were dying, they
(48:13):
were dying. They couldn't survive there the heat. You know,
their bodies were not a lot of the Middle Easterns
that were in Africa, right, you need to get more
black people. And yes, Africans were. They were selling off
other Africans for trade for money, right. But my point,
what I'm saying is that in America, black people were
(48:36):
here already, not Christopher Columbus. And I'm not just saying
the Native Americans. Those are still a part of indigenous people.
There are indigenous Black people here that were already here.
They needed more in order to do what they were doing,
you know, So does that make sense?
Speaker 1 (48:55):
Like I just feel like where were You're seeing something
that I that I have knowledge of already. I just
wanted to hear.
Speaker 3 (49:04):
You said, yeah, I think we were already here. Honestly,
I don't think that, and I don't think that we're
the same people. I think what they're doing right now
in these forms, they're trying to turn us against each other.
And the job rolls in Black Americans and Africans. So
(49:24):
because right now, you think about in music, think about
what's happening right now, think about in jobs like even
with Black Panther, these movies, right you just think about
what's going on in this moment. It's to steal, to
keep black people at a lower level, yes, perpetuate the
lit and to turn instead of us bridging the gap
(49:45):
between Black Americans and Africans. Oh no, no, no, we
got to turn, y'all. Y'all are better than them. Think
about what's happening when there's job rolls and in healthcare,
and yes, a lot of African people are more well,
often edgy that we are the opportunities here in America
as black people. When you think about, they're turning us
(50:05):
against each other. Even with this music situation right now,
of course we connect with music. Oh I want to
go to Africa. Oh, afrobeats and all this. Think about
how fast this is going right and where is black
people at this moment, even with this whole immigration thing
that's happening with what is it Florida about the immigrants
that can't work, You can't be with your families and
(50:27):
all of that. I mean, because I'm for my people,
this is the perfect time for black men that need
jobs and need, you know, to have different trades. Go
get those jobs, Go get your land. That's what other
people are doing when they come here. You know, why
why are we like, oh, I'm not gonna do that.
I'm not cleaning up toilets. I'm not gonna go build.
I don't want to do those jobs. This is the
(50:47):
time for us to wake up and to focus and
go get those jobs. I'm not knocking any immigrants. I'm
not saying about the my Mexican friends or not, but
I am about my people at this point. Go get
those jobs up, you know, go get its time, like
in order to have the revenue and some power, because
that's what's happening in other cultures. We're still asking people
(51:08):
to help us, help me, help me, help me, serve me.
We're so in this slave mentality, like you said, and
those people will be in change. Possibly that would be
the case, because we're so like, tell me what to do.
These people from Mexico coming here, they're not teaming tell
me what to do. They coming in here, like we
gonna live together in this house together, we're gonna build,
(51:29):
we're making money, then we're gonna own the small company.
Then we're gonna eventually create the consulting company and you
work from there. And we're still asking. So I just said,
it's a deference in everybody's against us, you know, as
black people at this point.
Speaker 1 (51:43):
Yeah, we gotta know that, we gotta know that we
on own. We all we got Let's talk about let's
talk about leukemia and lymphoma. Both of both leukemia and
lafhoma are a blood cancers. But what's the primary difference
(52:04):
between the two.
Speaker 3 (52:06):
Honestly, I would have to have somebody I'm still learning
about what's the big difference to be honest, I I
don't want to give a medical to say exactly what
it is. My only focus with leukemia. It is a
blood disease and there's so many different levels of it,
and I honestly, I can't say exactly what the difference is.
And I'm still learning.
Speaker 1 (52:27):
Forms of it. And you know it it uh, it
attacks the body at different stages.
Speaker 3 (52:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (52:35):
Yeah, Well it's good that you're that you're doing it.
I mean, it's a worthy cause. It's good to see
you involved in that. I did want to ask you
this about your your tranquil persona. Yeah, yeah, tranquil persona.
Speaker 3 (52:51):
You know, my friends, my friends always say.
Speaker 5 (52:55):
Yeah, yeah, you know, like you you you have like
a persona where it's like like you know, an unbothered persona.
Speaker 1 (53:08):
It's like you're unbothered, and it's hard to find that
these days. Everybody's so angry. Everybody is very angry. But
you have this, this persona. But you alluded to it
a little earlier about the club business. The club business
is a very brutal business. I used to own a
(53:28):
bunch of clubs, and so it's a very very brutal business.
And to see you in the bar business. You're in
the bar.
Speaker 3 (53:39):
Business and skincare business too, yea.
Speaker 1 (53:42):
But but but I want to talk about I want you.
I want to mention the skincare business, but I want
to talk about the bar business, particularly in particular, that
is a very brutal business. How do you maintain your
sanity in a business like this?
Speaker 3 (53:58):
So when I first arted, I died the first year.
I know what. I knew nothing about the bar business.
You know, I had to figure out how it was
going to protect myself from people from stilling. Oh man,
these bartenders are cold. I mean I had people they're counting,
they count ways, you know, to count the liquor, and
(54:19):
then you know the money and their friends are taking money.
Like it was so much to learn in a year.
But I did it. I did it, and then when
I tell you, it made me so sharp, like as
far as now I can go in and identify. That's
the whole reason. Now I don't want to have like
a full offering. You need a really really good team,
you know. So I have to understand what's my strengths.
I like to create, you know what I mean. And
(54:39):
the bar was just the small part of it. And
I was just like learning as I go. But the
first year I died, I mean, seeing people steal, people
complaining fraudulent money, you know, people that it was hurtful
to me because I'm like, man, you're not see that
I'm doing this for us. Why would you come in
here and try to give me counterfeit money?
Speaker 2 (54:59):
You know.
Speaker 3 (54:59):
I'm literally getting into it with guys like really, like
you know, what is this? You know? So it was
a it broke me down. But in that breakdown, I
was so strong. Oh my god, I honestly, and I
mean just working in and banking in general when it
come to count money, like I could count money with
my eyes closed, you know, and all of that, but
to actually know and to have a system, I did it,
(55:20):
you know, and I don't know. I just knew that
was a way of getting people to connect socially. We
like to drink in Texas, and I wanted to get
people in the room. You know. I had a therapist
asked me that. She asked me what my mom did
and what my father did. And because at the time
I was like thirty when I opened the bar in
(55:41):
third Ward, rent about twelve thousand dollars a month for
this huge space right there on Sophomore Center. Just saying, now,
it was a big house. It's a pink house, that's
what's called. It was called chateau like back in the day,
but it has been the other names. But it was
a huge like mansion the state that was a bar
right there on that corner. I just went for it.
(56:04):
I think in my mind, I think I'm unstoppable, to
be honest, and I know that I feel like I
have this magic, which I call it my magic, that
if I think of something, everything else is gonna connect
with it. I mean, I know how I'm gonna pull
it off or what I'm gonna do, but I know
that my mind, if I think of something is gonna happen,
(56:25):
and then everything else just kind of codes along with it,
and it connects the dots. I had never owned a
bar before. I didn't even know how to make drinks,
to be honest, So I'll just and then I called, uh,
one of these I ain't gonna say his name, but
you know, in a male dominant industry, these promoters and
(56:45):
all these guys with these bars, like, hey, can you
help me? I want to learn how to you know,
how do I get a look at license? Oh? Man,
you can't get a look at like you need attorney
to get a liquor license. You need all of this.
And then it was like nobody wanted to really help me.
You won't come just promoting in my space. You know,
you can come in when I say that, even the
people that I thought we were cool, that these promoters
(57:06):
and you know, and you know, I'm on the corner
of Sophomore just Santa Cino at the time, and so
this almeta, you got fifty fifteen, you got a turkey
leg hut, you got all these places. And I'm like, man, y'all,
I want to learn. Can you see nobody? All right,
I'm gonna do it. So I didn't get attorney, get
a local license. I didn't even have all the stuff
(57:26):
to uh open the bar. I literally had to learn,
like literally just kind of learn what do I need
the permits? You know what is this? And I had
one guy who had a prominent live music venue who
was calling the City of Houston on me because he
didn't understand how I got the building that I got
and how it passed all the codes. White guy here
(57:48):
in Houston been making money off he was making money
off of.
Speaker 1 (57:55):
Man, Let's put him out there, let's exposure. Come on, Jed,
give me the name, do the rest.
Speaker 3 (58:10):
You know, I ain't gonna put him out there like that, man,
but I will say that I even went to him
and was like, hey, you know, I want to open
a lot of music video You know you had this
place for a while ago and musicians and stuff. Can
you you know your bar is closed? You know, Oh,
you ain't gonna be able to get that building. That's hard,
That's that's just too much. You're you're not going to
make it a year there, And I did. I made
(58:32):
it three plus years, and then the pandemic came until
I closed.
Speaker 1 (58:36):
And now you're back at it again, and you're.
Speaker 3 (58:38):
Going again and again. We're gonna run it in. You
know what I'm saying, I'm backing better downtown right across
from the Toyota Center.
Speaker 1 (58:46):
Yeah yeah, great, great location. Thank you from great hospitality,
great service. I attested that how do somebody get in
touch with you if they want to reach.
Speaker 3 (58:59):
Out, So they go to the website which is Blaschateau
Houston dot com, where they can locate when we have events,
if they want to book the venue, they can also
email us at info at Blayschateau Houston dot com as well. Yeah, Jasmine,
Terry ya, thank you, thank you.
Speaker 4 (59:22):
This episode was produced by a King and brought to
you by
Speaker 1 (59:25):
The Black Effect Podcast Network at iHeartRadio
Yip yip. You know boys is back and reloaded all
in your mind. Yeah, now deep throating. This is for
the streets, the real, the real goading, the distenfranchise, the.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Truth, escapegoating, and they ain't know when we speak the truth.
So they quoted because we wrote it. The North South
East coaches. The ge be mocked for keeping your head, Bobby,
it ain't no stopping and wants to be drops head
by then the system is so corrupt they threw the.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Rock out their heads and then blame it on us.
Don't get it twisted on coding. We danced to put
no butterment biscuits. It's Willie d y'all ghetto boys in
the house back with another episode of information and instructions
to help you navigate through this wild, crazy, beautiful world
in the studio. Visionary of the Year candidate for the
(00:50):
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society jas Man Terry, I love, congratulations.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
Thank you, thank you somebody else.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
What an honor to be doing something that helped saved lives?
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Absolutely right?
Speaker 1 (01:04):
How long have you been involved with this?
Speaker 3 (01:06):
So? I was nominated early part of the year from
a friend, Maggie Noell. She participated last year fundraiser, and
we prepped I guess for a few months on you know,
the direction and if you're serious about it, and so
I was like, you know, I'm all in. You know,
leukemia actually is something that runs in my family. So
(01:29):
it was my great grandmother. So it was something that's
really personal to me because no one in my family
knew what happened to her. We like, we literally didn't know.
I was at the age of three at the time,
but my grandmother passed away within a week and a
half time period. So my family was like, what is this.
It's cancer, but you know, the culture wise of not
(01:53):
sharing if there's health issues and if there's information, she
didn't really know what's going on. So by the time
we found out, she passed away the following week. So
there was a lot of testing in the family, like, okay,
you have Liukemi or her kids, my grandmother and my aunt,
to my mother and now to myself, just to make
sure you know it's a bloodline. Especially with a lot
(02:14):
more research, you know, it's definitely more evident and it's
a lot more prominent. You know, there's resources to actually
go to. So when I was asked to be a
part of this and to be nominated to be a
Visionary of the Year. I was highly honored, honestly to
be a part of such an amazing organization and to
give back, you know, and learn in this process as well.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
How old was your grandmother when she died she passed away?
Speaker 3 (02:41):
I would say she was in her sixties.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Oh wow, I'm sorry.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
She was actually your great things.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
This was your great grandmother.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
Yeah, I passed away three I mean, my god, not
I passed away. She passed away when I was three
years old. So she passed away in eighty nine and
my my mother was living. So this is my grandmother's mother.
So yeah, she passed away in her late fifties. I'd
say early sixties to be honest.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
Yeah, so and to do to pass away and there's
no information, so she didn't give us an information.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
You know.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
My family's from my mother's side is from Louisiana, so
you know, when it comes to medicine, right, my family
don't believe in medicine. You know. My great grandfather, my
great grandmother is everything is in the pantry, you know,
from honey to everything that comes from the farm. So
trusting doctors, trusting physicians, that's been a and even as
a child, that's a knug something's wrong. Let me fix
(03:39):
this for you, focusing on your gut, you know, and
things of that. So this was her in real time
that she had no control of what's going on and
the remedies that she was possibly doing for herself. It
didn't help the situation. And so by the time she
let the family know I have leukemia, she passed away
shortly after, you know, so it was very devastating. Of
(04:02):
course I was a kid, but I remember as a
child my mother and my grandmother. I remember the funeral,
I remember my grandfather, and I'm like, what happened to granny?
You know, like, you know, because we had such a
close connection. You know, even now you know, family, you
look so much like your great grandmother. You know, y'all
are similarly the same, you know, just like you know
all these things, and you know, to know that she
(04:24):
passed away without any research really being available to her,
you know, was it's it's a disconnect, you know.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
So I'm tripping a little bit on you being able
to remember at three years old. Oh yeah, I think
my earliest memory is somewhere around five, maybe four and
a half five.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
Yeah, so I remember, you know, for me energy, I
can't I remember smells, I remember feelings, and I think
that's that's energy is so important, like connecting, Like I
can't tell you at three years old what the conversation was,
but I remember what I felt. I remember the smell,
I remember the touch. I remember kind of these small memories.
(05:09):
But it was really like her energy that more any
more than anything, you know, So yeah, I do.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Do people in your family typically live to be a
long you know?
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Yeah, you know, honestly, on both sides of the family,
they do. And I think that's a that's a beautiful
thing to have because growing up as a kid, I
had my great great grandfather, I had my great grandfather,
I had my great my great grandmother passed away, but
I had my great aunts that lived to like one
hundred and five one hundred. In my I believe man
(05:41):
free to live was the longest maybe one hundred and
six mothers.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
By your grandma, your great grandma died at sixty.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
You know, And no, no, not really, because I mean
I had such an older with like an older group
of family members to kind of connect with, you know. Now,
my grandmother heard my grandmother's uh, my great grandmother's daughter,
my mother's mother. She passed away fairly early. She passed
away in her fifties from some issues. She was depression
(06:12):
and other things. But she passed away fairly early. But
along those lines, my family lives like a pretty long time,
to be honest, and with everything that's going on in
the world right now, I think about because everyone's like, oh,
my god, you had your great grandfather. Yeah, like y'all
didn't have it great aunts and they were like nineties
and eighties, and you know, I think even me growing
(06:35):
into a woman and understanding now how important information is that,
even on foods and like knowing your culture, you know,
knowing different things. It's a lot of people know nothing
about their grandmothers, their grandparents or didn't have the opportunity
I can go back to like my great grandparents, you know.
And then that's my mother's side, my father's side, even
(06:56):
with my great great grandfather being Jack Yates and to
see like the legacy here in Houston of what he created,
you know. And my grandmother now my great my my
grandmother and my father's brother. She's in her mid eighties,
you know. So I've always had that type of blessings
actually to have family around, and you know it's like
(07:20):
older family.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
So yeah, you mentioned your great grandfather, John Henry jack Yatates.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
Yeah that dude.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
Yeah what a legacy, what a claim? Yeah yeah, it's
how proud are you of being you know, a part
of that bloodline?
Speaker 3 (07:39):
You know. Honestly, growing up, I kind of shied from it.
I didn't really you know, I attended Jacky's High school.
You know, I know about my great grandfather, but I
wanted to be cool. I didn't want anyone to be like, Okay,
you know this is you know, this is school is
name and yeah you know.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
It is my great grandfather school to do. I ain't
going to I ain't coming to school.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
Yeah, so you know, to have that knowledge, right, It
was just kind of like I don't want aboudy know,
you know. And school was different than you know, like
you're like, yeah, this school name after my great grandfather and.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
It's a trip. How we how we trivialize things that
are mine and we we elevate these things that are
really important, Like we shy away from things like things
that we should be proud.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
You know, you can't tell me now like I tell everybody,
even in in bios, you know that is that is
a part of that is historic, not even for Houston,
but just for me and my bloodline. The power, you know,
and think about who you are as a person, like
what makes you who you are? And I think about
myself like being an entrepreneur, being an advocacy, you know,
(08:52):
just how we connected just from talking about aggovacy, you know.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
What I mean.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
And and to be able to it's something that's rooted
in me. It's actually something that's actually it's in my blood,
like to create and to want to help others. And
how connected I am to my culture as Black culture
and my seeking of like where does all this energy
(09:19):
come from? You know, like what makes you you? And
then you have like this information to go back to.
You know. It's like it's powerful, you know, and it's
actually a great feeling, like a blessing. You know.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
Yeah. I first saw, I think at first came across
you on the Isaiah Factor Show and I was like, oh,
she got something. She was talking about some type of
social issue. I can't remember exactly what it was. The
way you articulated yourself. I was like, oh, yeah, she
shocked and you stood on it. It was something controversial.
(09:58):
You wasn't dancing around.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
Oh no, oh no, that's not me. I wasn't raised
to be that way. And you know, I you know,
to be able to talk about culture, black culture, there's
no shyness about that. That's no change in my tone.
There's no when I'm around a certain group, you know,
being proud of who you are, you know, that's that's
(10:22):
that's in my blood, you know, and you stand on it,
you know, in any space. And so if it's something
dealing with health care, if it's education, if it's something
dealing with the financial systems, you know, advocacy is important.
It's in me and I have That's what I feel
connected to do you know, even with my travels around
(10:43):
the world that I do. You know, this is all
a part of a learning process, you know. And I
don't know where it comes from, but I know.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
From your great grandparents, great great grand perhaps.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
Yeah, yeah, just his story alone, you know, being a
slave in Virginia, to be free and to come back
to be with your wife in Texas and become a
slave again, you know, to not only that, to kind
of lead the way through the mascipation to build, teach
your people how to build homes and with the importance
(11:19):
of land and how to read and you know, to
be a minister to minister to people. And this is
how we create our own economic systems. We don't have
to be a part of these systems that that we
were given.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
You know.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
So this is a person that's been out of was
a slave, out of slave, came back into slavery, the
massurpation happened. Then create when it land where we have
our own land. We don't want, we don't need to
participate with you. We're going to create our own you know,
these different struggles, you know, the fights that in order
just to be yourself and so to know the legacy
that not only my great grandfather, my great grandfather's children.
(11:57):
We know what my grandmother has done with my five,
with my family, just who we are. It's innately in us,
you know. So to get on Isaiah Factor show, and
I'm gonna say what I gotta say, because this is
something that's like, you know, it's important to me, you know,
and it's carrying information you know, So it is you know,
and I'm a proud I'm definitely proud. Now I'm not
(12:20):
saying I wasn't proud as I was immature. Then I
didn't want to tell people, you know, this is my
great grandfather, this is the school was after you know,
I was like, I don't need to do that. You know,
pretty modest, you know, but that's roalsy, you know, in
your area.
Speaker 4 (12:34):
So Little Boys reloaded podcast right after spot.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
When you look at the racial climate in this country, yeah,
there's a lot of division and there are a lot
of people that are in high positions, especially politicians who
are flaming the hire. Yeah, considering your your lineage, considering
(13:09):
what we've been through historically, do you what's your concern
level that slavery could actually happen again?
Speaker 3 (13:20):
Slavery is happening right now.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
Well, I'm talking about I'm talking about slavery. You know,
they actually like actually having black folks in physical change,
not the mental change, the change, but the physical change
and you know everything that came with that.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
In certain parts of the world, that's happening still, right,
we're just talking about America.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
Talking about right, I don't think I don't.
Speaker 3 (13:54):
Think that's going to happen, right. I think there's these
systems around us, and I know you said about like
physically happening. You know, I don't. I don't really think
that's going to happen. I know, I'm not getting no chance.
I don't. I don't see it. I mean, what do
you think you think? I don't see?
Speaker 1 (14:08):
I can, I can, I can. I can't say what
can and what will and won't happen, because some things
are happening now that I never thought would happen.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
Absolutely, you know, hell.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Donald Trump became president. We wanted the dumb as motherfuckers
in the United States of America, you know. But I can't.
I don't know, you know, but I do know this.
I'm killing everything. I'm not going to be a.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
Slave, you know.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
I'm not going to be a slave, especially knowing what
I know, knowing what they did, that information, especially knowing
that what I know, knowing that there is no get back,
knowing that there is no mercy, knowing that there is
no there is no there will be no conversations of rationalism.
Speaker 3 (14:51):
Though, absolutely it's not.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
I don't see no rationalizing, you know, Like, I'm not
na man. I already know I'm man.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
I'm killing everything, walking everything, you know. I had a
conversation with a friend about how do we get out
of these systems? Right?
Speaker 4 (15:11):
Like?
Speaker 3 (15:11):
How you know? Who are well? Who are we uninterrupted?
As a culture? And when I say uninterrupted, meaning without
the trauma, without your back, your record, and you know this,
this poverty and all these things, who are we as
a culture? Uninterrupted? We are royal buildings? I know who
(15:32):
you are? Right, So it's you have to interrupt. You
have to interrupt in order to shake it up, right
I can't And so you I'm gonna interrupt you in education,
I'm gonna interrupt you in the financial system. I have
to interrupt you in so many places because the moment
you're uninterrupted, you train, your energy transcends. You're a whole
(15:53):
nother you are Who are you? You know what I mean?
In my mind I heard something like that. I was like,
who is Jasmine uninterrupted? You know, if I'm not worried
about bills, I'm not worried about walking around, if the
police is this, and what? Who am I? Uninterrupted? And
that's from now on, That's how I see myself. I'm uninterrupted,
(16:14):
you know, as a culture. So when we look on
the news and you see prime example, you know the
guy that raised two million dollars you know, for now
and the GoFundMe.
Speaker 1 (16:26):
Yeah, I ain't worth for d penny.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
So so you know what does that look like? Right?
And the media would show the music. We're so interrupted
in so many ways, right, the things that we're listening to,
the foods that we eat. It's a it's a part
of a system. Right, How do we get uninterrupted as
a culture? And I hate to say it, the only
I don't know other way but to fight, to be honest,
(16:51):
And my friends like fighting, you know, and we love
and you know, I I love Martin Luther King that
that was a he's a great man. But I also
unders sand with Malcolm X felt right as a culture
and I just feel that, you know, we're gonna have
to fight. It's going to be a point where sorry,
it's a point where you know, I'm uninterrupted period, And
(17:14):
so by any means, in any way necessary, I will
not be interrupted. I don't want to hear so even
listening to news and sometimes with social media and all
these different things, right, that's interrupted. That's interrupting, like your
mind to think, you know what I mean, the foods
we're eating, it's interrupting our systems. The healthcare, all of that,
(17:36):
you know what I mean. So if I can be
in a place as simple as being uninterrupted, you can't
stop me. You can't stop nothing. It's nothing that you
can do to do that. And so as a people,
if we can figure out ways how we are uninterrupted,
meaning if it starts with the children and education, we're
teaching our own right, if it goes into building our
(17:58):
own hospitals, creating our own willness cities, you know, creating
our own military, because we will be uninterrupted because everybody
has their hands on our culture, everybody, you know. So
for me, back to what you're saying about slavery, I
don't see it going that far, as far as chains
and all of that. I think as a people and
(18:21):
at this point in time in life, that we have
a conscious that it's awakening, that is beyond just what
we see right, and it's happening. So therefore, the world
is shifting, the earth is purging, it's you know, I'm
into nature. I mean, I don't know if you know
that really, but so for me, the mountains, so for me, you.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
Know, walking down walking on the beach in Morocco.
Speaker 3 (18:50):
So for me, you know, that's a lifestyle that comes
with lifestyle, and that's something that you teach others, you
know what I mean, looking in different directions, you know.
So I don't don't see that happening. It's putting us
into being slaves and all of that, you know. And
I don't think every other culture is bad, but I
am focused on my culture and my goal is to
help us be in you know, uninterrupted period, you know,
(19:13):
the mind and to do that. And so with that,
I don't see it happening.
Speaker 4 (19:18):
You know.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
That's your ministry.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
Yeah, that's my ministry.
Speaker 1 (19:21):
That's your ministry. Your ministry is helping people service. Yeah,
that's your ministry because even when you do it with
your event center, your event center is not just you know,
fuck you pay me, it's it's yo. We're going to
(19:42):
provide a superiod experience, absolutely, you know, and we're going
to create a beautiful space for you to come. It's
going to be it's going to be a warm and
welcoming space and you're going to feel it. You're going
to feel that personal touch. I mean I felt it myself,
and I.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
You know, the reason for me opening Lace Chateau. And
of course all of this is energy for me, everything
is energy. So it was to create a safe space
for creatives, right I complain, an't nowhere to go in Houston.
At some points it was like the clubs, it was like,
(20:24):
you're gonna tell me what I can We're I see
you profiling by the clothes or you know, just certain things.
I want a space where we can be safe and connect,
grow and learn. So it's not just opening a bar,
you know, lay Chatau. Houston for me is a space
where we can be safe and also connect. So we
can have greade eats, we can have music where creatives
(20:45):
from all of the world. Because Houston being such a
big city, there's not like a place a platform where
indie artists just really come in. You have like your
warehouse lives, and you have like these other places, but
there's no hub of like this is where talent is made,
you know. So I wanted to be able to participate
in creating that rhythm in Houston. And it doesn't have
(21:05):
to be just a club and your normal live music shows.
But there's so many forms of art that you that
I want La Chautaud to be able to display, you know,
So from theatrical art to musicians to dancers, you know,
singers like all of that into the space and even
art of networking with other people. How do you get
(21:25):
into a room and connect. A lot of times we
want to I want to go talk to really th man,
I want to, you know, how do you do that?
How do you when you have that opportunity, how do
you connect? You know? So it's really like a like
you said, I guess a teaching space right to having
a safe space for culture, and then you also having
these different you know, different places I visit around the world.
(21:46):
I was like, I gotta I want to bring it
back to Houston, and if you didn't go with me,
I want you to be able to see through my
eyes what I saw. And so whether it's in other
countries and we come back in these different performers of
sounds and music to place it into the space. That's
what Lai's Chateau is about, you know, to create whatever
you want. You know. So what I initially opened, that's
(22:07):
the plan I closed during COVID and then from there
I reopened. And I'm like, you know, the bar industry
is a lot. You know, it was a lot on me,
and I don't know how I maintained for three years
kind of solo. This is I've never owned a bar before,
never worked in the bar, but I was like, okay,
I have this vision, and everything just happened. You know,
(22:27):
even the guys would earn your leisure.
Speaker 4 (22:29):
You know.
Speaker 3 (22:30):
I created one programming of lais Chateau, which is the office,
which actually today there is an event, a networking event
to just kind of connect with people professionals and entrepreneurs
in Houston and really engaging, going how do we you
know when you're in the room, this is not just
looking at each other, really get to know somebody, not
(22:50):
just being around the people that you're close to, actually
getting in and connect. So I was able to reach out.
They reached out to me, Actually, hey, we like what
you're doing in Houston. We want to come down and
to see where they started from with this financial literacy,
even him and shout out to my guy Wall Street
Trap as well, that talking about the market, the stock
(23:13):
market with nineteen keys like all of them. Well, Wall
Street Trap met earned your leisure in my space and
to see where they were then and where they are now.
And we all are cool in these relationships, you know
what I mean. Lace Shatau is a place that you
were able to connect and to see that and then
to have them come out and then to not just them,
(23:34):
just different people, musicians and artists. So you know, for
me as a visionary, I just want to create rooms
and spaces and energy where things evolved, you know, so
instead of having a bar, now it's a creative space.
You know. So you bring your creativity and we hope
you make it happen, you know, and it's all about
(23:55):
you know. When I open Lace Chateau, then I had
a lady because I'm in sophomore SANDERSONO, so I'm in
the museum district. It's their reward. I had a lady,
a white lady. Her name is Karen. Also. Karen came
in and said, oh, you're opening up a jazz bar.
And I was like, yeah, I'm excited to tell her.
And you know, she came in as if she wanted
(24:16):
to help me with the you know, I want to.
I want to help you, you know, I want to.
I want to. I want you to be successful. Now,
she don't know that my great grandfather helped cultivate this
whole area where you living with your husband. That's not
too far from a massipation. My grandfather created that space, right.
But she doesn't know me. So she's coming in and
(24:38):
she's like, well, you know, I want you to be
successful in this area. And the food is great, the
music is great, but I think the artwork in here,
I think you should make it about everybody. I think
you should make this space not just about Black culture.
It should be about Asian culture. It should be about
all these different cultures. You know, it should be about
(24:59):
every you know, because that's the way the world is.
And I let her talk, and I was so thankful
that I handled her with grace, because who are you
to come into my business and tell me how I
should make space for everybody. Did you go to Papito's
and you see all of these pictures of these other
(25:20):
cultures on the wall, and they have no black people.
Did you tell them you should make this about black
people too. I said, that's the problem. I should be
able to be proud and you should be of my
culture and the legacy of Arika Franklin and Ray Charles
and mal Davis, and you should be in here, be
excited to see this experience because this is a part
(25:41):
of my culture. It's not because it's only for black people.
She said, Well, when you have things like that, it
makes it seem like only black people are welcome. I said,
you're the only one feeling and uncomfortable. Why making what
my culture is doing and me promoting and wanting a
safe space for my people, you feel uncomfortable and for
you to have the balls to come into my business
(26:05):
and smile at me and to tell me be black,
but just don't be too black. Make it black. This
is this area is for everybody. You know, there's black
people here, there's Asian people here, even more reasons where
you should be want to welcome and understand my culture
and understand the legacy. It's more than just music. You
comeing to eat our food and our great like understand this,
come in and connect with people. And I think her
(26:27):
husband was from Brooklyn, and so he was you know,
he was really nice, but he could feel like he
was like, I think you were out of line. The
next day, the opening she sends like a flood of flowers.
She said, she said, you are so highly aware and
with the way that you handle me with care. In
that moment, I had no idea what I was doing,
(26:47):
Like for me to come in to tell you don't
make your space about your culture is insensitive. And I
didn't even realize this because I mean, I have black friends.
That was one you know, I have. I've traveled around
the world, and the way that you broke it down
to me, I didn't even realize that was me and
my form of not being able to connect. And so
even with that, you know, leys Chateau, it was just her.
(27:10):
They always came after that, you know, and I forced
her to connect with other people. This is what life
is about. It's about connecting, you know, Like you can't
come in my business and help me to be black.
WI just don't be too black because you make me
uncomfortable with your blackness.
Speaker 4 (27:29):
The boys revoting podcasts will be right back after sport.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
Imagine going to a Mexican restaurant and being offended that
there's only Mexicans on the wall. The people who started
the restaurant, you know, like these are the people who
started the generations of people who started the restaurants where yeah,
I think you should add more diversity here because to
(28:00):
make me comfortable, make me comfortable. But that but they
only do that to us. That's that they only I
know that for a fact, they only do that when
a black person owns a restaurant something. And like now
you put whoever you want to put on the walls,
(28:21):
if you if a person likes the product or services,
they they patronize the business or they don't. It doesn't
matter to me one way or the other. It's like
my music. I make my music for the people and
if you get it, cool, If you don't, that's cool too.
But I am not about to acquiesque to your style,
(28:42):
to your preference to make you feel comfortable. Fuck you
straight up, right straight up like uh, and I'm unapologetic
about that. You know. Why why do we have to
change who we are? You know? I mean, but you
know it's like you like our talents, like what we do,
(29:08):
but then you want to take it and then you
want to make it the way you want to make it,
and so that you can be comfortable with it.
Speaker 3 (29:15):
Like I said, you want to interrupt it.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
You want to interrupt it, right, and.
Speaker 3 (29:19):
So you don't leave us uninterrupted. You want to interrupt
in any form because I want you no, no, no, no,
it can't be too good, you know. And I think
and to go back to your point, what you just
said about here in America. It's a mentality. So as
a person that has traveled in different places around the world,
I didn't realize with this whitewash mentality that I've had,
(29:44):
right that when I went to other places, when I
went to France, went to Paris, I'm so used to
America has programmed us that we are the center of
the world and we're not. We are behind, right, but
we are so great, like a concept about branding and marketing,
right that we go around, Oh, I'm American, you know,
(30:06):
the dollar is American. What is the dollar tied to?
You know what I mean? Like all of this to
not until I went to China, not until I went
to Europe and I'm seeing like, you know, I'm American,
you know, I go there and I think you don't
speak English, like we have been programmed honestly, so not
only are we as black people, right and just thinking
as humans, I mean just a culture of people. We're
(30:29):
American also, And when I've gone to other places, like
this is not in English, you know, everything is English
and French English, Like we have this type of supremacy
around the world to being like these this is it
and we're not, and I had someone tell me in
China when I was in it was a program which
seen what Africa and China's doing in Africa. That's the
(30:51):
whole thing. I seen that back in twenty fourteen. But
maybe you are in another country. I know America were
popular with the entertainment and you know we have this.
That was the first time a slap in face. I
was like, we are behind. I am behind right, Like
the kids here are making the games that my children
(31:12):
will play. They're creating the technology that I will use.
What are we doing? I went there. My friends were like, oh,
see if you can get us some hair, will you
connect or some boutiques, some clothes And I'm like, yeah, girl,
I got you. I'm in China. I'm gonna be here
for a while. Not until I joined the Africa to
Business Council that Asian a Chinese girl asked me to
(31:34):
join that I realized the conversations were different, and I
was quiet because I'm not Africa. I'm not from Africa,
but there was people from Nigeria and other places in Africa.
They were brokering deals and China, the government in twenty
fourteen was creating this Chinese to Africa Business Council, which
I have photos to show where you know, and still
(31:55):
a part of this group. We want to do business
in Africa. And so while I'm looking that of how
can I get to connect on some clothes to start
a boutique, and some hair, maybe some makeup, and you
know these smaller things, these are people my age brokering
big world deals, meaning creating room for tomato paste companies,
rice farms, you know. And I'm like, oh my god,
(32:17):
this is like on a bigger scale. You know, I'm behind.
I'm thinking I'm American and you know all of these no,
I'm behind, you are we are. America is a small
part of what the world is. And we made this
Donald Trump mentality to be like this this thing that
we are not, we are falling. I saw this in
(32:38):
twenty fourteen. I'm like, my god, this is where we
are on a scale of what the world. The conversations
are happening around the world, so right now to where
we understand where the dollar is. And I saw this
in twenty fourteen and to see how China has created
these alliances around the world. They're in Africa and I'm
brokering deals because they think I'm from Nigeria. I didn't
(33:00):
say I wasn't. I just you know, I'm trying to
understand what's going on and to see this and I'm like,
my gosh, I am really behind. I'm worried about weave.
My friend want to start a makeup line and a boutique,
you know, And these are real life, these are global
impacts around the world, you know. So as a culture
and I say, as an American, so not only being black,
(33:23):
but then you have to get outside of the world
and we've been programmed to think, oh, we big, we
big shit.
Speaker 1 (33:31):
Well, you know, sometimes they do behaveing on us though,
because I was I lived in Paris for I lived
in Paris for they do. And I remember going into
the grocery stool once, yeah, and I asked for, uh,
a shaver, you know, a razor, yeah, and it's like
a shave, right. So I'm asking about the razors and
(33:54):
it's like maybe like it's like six cash registers, about
three cashiers and they're all women and so and they
got people standing in the line and I'm asking about
the razors and she's like she's talking to me like that,
(34:17):
like like really like talking down on me like, huh
what And she's frowning up. Why she asked, and I'm
I'm I'm the tourists, but I'm in the tourists area.
I'm in a tourist. I know that they want us
to try to speak French. I got that they want
us to make an effort to speak French. But I
ain't got time to be making the damn efforts to
(34:38):
speak French. Man. I got stuff to do. I'm not
here trying to vacate. I'm trying to I'm trying to
kill man. So the woman was like, what say you,
And so the other lady h she She's looking at
the other lady, and I see them laughing about it, right,
So I said, do you have any razors, bitch? And
(35:05):
the other one like, oh, they're right there, like ma,
you know, like that. But you know, excuse my French
apartment of vernacular. But I ain't usually like that with women,
you know. But I mean, she just she tried to
make and she was insulting me, you know. And but
you know what another thing was feeling that at all.
Speaker 3 (35:25):
Not until an understanding, like and she was don't get
me wrong, they can't be people of the culture to
be rude. The reason why as Americans as a totality,
not just you and what you mean, when we go places,
we think we are the ship. Yeah, we think we
are the ship. You go to you're in another country,
you go to Mexico. We have had this mentality of
(35:49):
you know, I'm better than you.
Speaker 1 (35:50):
I'm American collectively because because I've never been that.
Speaker 3 (35:53):
Way, so right, and so many people like, eh, your food,
like what is this? You know, because we have been
pro that we are the center of the world and
we're not. We're behind education, our health is bad, you
know what I mean. Our dollar is crappy, and we
we it's bullshit. Not even just Europe. You go to Mexico.
(36:15):
We feel as though we're better than other people, you
know what I mean. It's a mentality.
Speaker 1 (36:19):
Families have been decimated.
Speaker 3 (36:22):
Listen, listen, and so and I'll say this and I
you know, my experience, Like for me, I'm going to Ghana.
So I went to Ghana January. I plan on in
June to be there all the way through December. I'll
come back and forth. But I want to plant my
roots in Africa. Right, And I'll say this, it's not
the thing of you know, I'm black and I'm you know,
(36:42):
I want to go back to Africa because that's a
whole other topic of we're not the same people as
far as because we're Black African, it's completely we're different.
We're the same of same genes, right, but we're different.
And me being in Africa and to not just Africa,
but places I've been right to go to places when
you see people that look like you, right, and you
(37:07):
know in America, we have always been in this capitalist
kind of mentality, right, money, money, money, you know, it's
a pressure. But yeah, there's places where they're poor. You know,
they don't have but we have a poverty, but they
have something way more powerful, which is community.
Speaker 1 (37:20):
Right.
Speaker 3 (37:21):
If somebody's out there selling chickens and eggs, it's such
a it's such a community based culture that is beautiful
to me. You know, we can come here and yeah,
money and all this we're so disconnected on who we
are and the things and the soil is bad. You know,
so my experience and being there and you're welcoming another feeling.
(37:42):
You know, I went to Nigeria and Nigeria was cool.
You know. I had some instance with some of my
friends I went to college with, you know, because I
didn't feel even though I love the culture of the
African Nigerian culture, to learn about it and I thought like, oh,
you know, my ancestry say, I'm forty percent Nigerian, so
you know, I'm like, I didn't feel connected. But they
(38:04):
and again I am a spiritual person. It's it's what
felt calm to my spirit. I felt like I just
didn't think that these are my people. You know what
I mean?
Speaker 1 (38:14):
I love did they make you feel welcome?
Speaker 3 (38:16):
Very welcome? Even the people here, my Nigerian friends that
are here barrier. It's not even the language barrier. I honestly,
I lived in so much afrobeats and I've talked to
so many people in Houston. Houston alone has a lot
of Nigerians and people culture. I love the food. I
just thought I did not feel like home to me.
When I went to Ghana when I was seven years old,
(38:36):
I was a turning elementary. Bush created HIZ created program
the Multicultural Program, and it was a turner elementary where
you could pick Europe, Africa, China and all these other
countries that your study was in and the mine was
mine was France and mine was Africa, and the focus
in Africa was Ghana. And so I met the president
(38:57):
Jerry Rawlins. It's a picture of me seven years old.
I met him. They had me and this can take clothing.
And I remember asking him a question why are Africans poor?
Like why are everybody poor? And he just looked at me.
He looked at me and said, Africa's not poor. Baby.
He said it's not poor. And he explained, there's so
(39:19):
many because I had no idea when I thought of Africa.
We looked on the television. It was flies, kids, big bellies,
you know, like, oh they're poor. He said, it's not poor,
you know. And he was telling me the food is
so we had these tastings of like different types of food.
That was my first exposure.
Speaker 1 (39:36):
Right.
Speaker 3 (39:37):
So here I am at thirty six years old. Well,
I went to Africa at thirty five, but at thirty
six I was in Ghana and to be able to
connect as soon as immediate. When I was in Nigeria,
Nigeria felt like everybody's chasing money. That's what the feeling.
It's a beautiful place, don't get me wrong, but I'm
energy right and I felt like this is beautiful as fun.
Speaker 1 (40:00):
And I'm going back on the cities in America.
Speaker 3 (40:03):
It was just like the energy was just it was money,
like everything was like about money. But the minute I
landed in Ghana, it's a feeling of it was like
you know, it was a feeling of just peace, a
feeling of peace, like seriously, and it wasn't because and
(40:24):
I was like, all right, maybe it's my psych of
like I have always wanted to go to Ghana, so
I'm gonna look at it different, the air, the different,
it's a different feeling, right, It's not it's different. It's different.
Men to go somewhere and you see money with people,
the faces that look like you right to go to
(40:45):
the museum and this is their history. Not all it's
not as beautiful or you know, as as big buildings
as the States, but it's a quality that you can't
get here. It's a feeling of like, man, this is peaceful, right,
like this is this is to me what life feels like.
And I feel like I've experienced some highs and being
around but these people, it's in community, rooted in community,
(41:08):
you know, and you know you have these markets and
people are exchanging foods and you know it's not as
it's not as wealthy in some areas, right, but that
is up to have peace and to have happiness. That
is something that that money you and to arrive back
in America and you feel it's like automatics. Soon as
you got to the plan, you feel pressure, anxiety. Everybody's
(41:31):
like it's this, it's this thing, like I got the money.
Oh you know, it's this, it's the news. It's it's
so much pressure. But to be able to go a
place that you just feel like, oh my god, this
is peaceful.
Speaker 1 (41:42):
And I'm assuming that it's the same way when you
walk into a store. You you feel like you feel
that the person is grateful that you're there and not
that you feel some type of burden.
Speaker 3 (41:58):
Yeah, and it's a welcoming it's a welcoming feeling. It's
a welcoming feeling that you feel. And also let's get
to the food that is live soil. The soil here
is dead. You know, when I was in Israel back
manufactured listen, food, it's dead. The food here is not food.
(42:20):
When I was in Israel back in twenty I think
it was like two thousand and eight, I was in Galileabo.
I went to Tel Aviv. I never taste fruit before,
like I love fruit, but it was tastes and I
see why they're fighting over the soil. It was a
whole nother taste. The food was different, the food in Ghana.
It is different. The tastes like I'm telling you, it tastes.
(42:43):
It was great immediately what you think a great strawberry
tastes like and you have it in another place, You're like, man,
this is dead. Even your stomach right. You know, your
gut is really like the mouth of your soul. So
if your gut is the mouth of your soul, what
you put it in replenish the body. If we're putting
in fake foods and eating dead corpse and all this craziness,
(43:07):
our minds were interrupted. We're interrupted within our minds. But
to be able to eat vibration, high level, like vibrating foods,
like it feels different. You're not tired. You know you're
not big because and I eat, I'm greedy.
Speaker 1 (43:22):
Are you vegan?
Speaker 3 (43:23):
I'm not vegan, but I think I eventually kind of pescatarian.
The scents and sometimes I don't eat pork, I don't
eat any port, but you know, I still have these slips.
I love chicken, even chicken. Listen, I don't eat chicken.
I try not to eat chicken here in the States.
I'm telling you, And that's mark my word. Jasmin Terry
(43:44):
said that chicken, the antibodies, the things that are in
these chickens really mess with your brain. I love Pope's
it hands down't care how much money I have in
the world. You eat it, your mind is messed up
gold Like, really do with a cleanse and go eat
something that's like that, like the chicken. It throws your
(44:04):
mind off. So if you have some imbalances, hormonal imbalance,
mental balance, depression, anger, the foods we put in our
body really affects that.
Speaker 1 (44:13):
So you still eat pop No, man, you cut it
all the way out.
Speaker 3 (44:17):
I cut it out when it's been a while, and
I'll try it and every now and then I'll be like, oh,
let me my mind. I'm telling you, like your mind
is clear.
Speaker 1 (44:27):
Like, how long has it been since you've eating Popeyes?
Speaker 3 (44:31):
Man, it's been like a few years, because you know.
Speaker 1 (44:33):
Me, I bust left in the papies quick.
Speaker 3 (44:36):
Really. I love listen. I love Popeyes, I listen, but
the hormones and the stuff in that chicken and in
that food, and you go somewhere else and you eat
and you still feel different. The chicken sizes aren't the same.
The wings we have here, these big chicken breasts. And
then you see what the chicken because I'm like, this
(44:57):
is chicken, this is fish. Yeah, but it's it's uninterrupted me, right,
you know what I mean? Like nothing, this is you know,
this is food, your stomach, your your time to go
to the party is. It's a different experience and it's
the body. So that's why the plan is, we can't
get y'all want to come over here to Africa. The
(45:17):
minute you are, we have to interrupt you to not
want to be in these places because the minute you
go to these places, what's happening. The best thing the
government did and gone in twenty eighteen was do the
return of homecoming. As amazing as Nigeria is, Ghana is
the right Black Americans are. I mean homes there are
people by laying are like crazy. If you see how
(45:39):
fast is going to the market is up and down,
but it's going really fast, and you have that experience
and then you think I'm going to come back here
and listen to this absolutely, so moving to go. I
do want to I do want to live family behind.
So this is the thing. I want to be able
(46:00):
to have experiences in other places. Right I do. But
like I said early on about not feeling like that's home,
you know, I believe we are in the indigenous people
of America. We are the indigenous people. I do believe
that the Moors were already here and they these that's
our family, like black people were already here in America.
(46:21):
I don't believe though, because I'm black, I'm from Ghana,
and I'm from Nigeria, and I'm from these other places.
I do believe that we are indigenous people of America
and it is very important for us to get our
land here by any means.
Speaker 1 (46:34):
So do you believe, So you don't believe that Africa
is the cradle of civilization, then I but know, I
do believe all civilization started.
Speaker 3 (46:44):
All civilization does start in Africa. I do believe that.
But even when I was in Ghana and I went
to and I've toured Cape Coast, the Door of No Return,
that's where the last place the Africans were, and they
shipped them to the States they shipped them to Jamas,
the Caribbean areas all over. I'm just saying that I
(47:05):
believe black we were already here and I know what
I feel like, and whether people believe it or not,
this is our land. We were already here. The story
of Africa just try all these slaves, millions of slaves.
It just came through America. Brown black people were here.
Their mores were traveling all over the world before the slaves,
(47:29):
before this even happened. So you're telling me my great
great grandparents people were Black people were already here, right,
And the idea wasn't that the Europeans the ones that said, hey,
let's make black people. You know, slavery was a former
technology where it's wrong, right. What they did to us
in America is like the worst, right, But it was
(47:52):
a former technology. The Middle Easterns came with were some
of the ones that influenced the Africans to rally up
the black people to ship them off in this slave trade.
Because we were able to stay outside. White people were coming.
They had white slaves too that came into Africa because
they wanted to take and the they were dying, they
(48:13):
were dying. They couldn't survive there the heat. You know,
their bodies were not a lot of the Middle Easterns
that were in Africa, right, you need to get more
black people. And yes, Africans were. They were selling off
other Africans for trade for money, right. But my point,
what I'm saying is that in America, black people were
(48:36):
here already, not Christopher Columbus. And I'm not just saying
the Native Americans. Those are still a part of indigenous people.
There are indigenous Black people here that were already here.
They needed more in order to do what they were doing,
you know, So does that make sense?
Speaker 1 (48:55):
Like I just feel like where were You're seeing something
that I that I have knowledge of already. I just
wanted to hear.
Speaker 3 (49:04):
You said, yeah, I think we were already here. Honestly,
I don't think that, and I don't think that we're
the same people. I think what they're doing right now
in these forms, they're trying to turn us against each other.
And the job rolls in Black Americans and Africans. So
(49:24):
because right now, you think about in music, think about
what's happening right now, think about in jobs like even
with Black Panther, these movies, right you just think about
what's going on in this moment. It's to steal, to
keep black people at a lower level, yes, perpetuate the
lit and to turn instead of us bridging the gap
(49:45):
between Black Americans and Africans. Oh no, no, no, we
got to turn, y'all. Y'all are better than them. Think
about what's happening when there's job rolls and in healthcare,
and yes, a lot of African people are more well,
often edgy that we are the opportunities here in America
as black people. When you think about, they're turning us
(50:05):
against each other. Even with this music situation right now,
of course we connect with music. Oh I want to
go to Africa. Oh, afrobeats and all this. Think about
how fast this is going right and where is black
people at this moment, even with this whole immigration thing
that's happening with what is it Florida about the immigrants
that can't work, You can't be with your families and
(50:27):
all of that. I mean, because I'm for my people,
this is the perfect time for black men that need
jobs and need, you know, to have different trades. Go
get those jobs, Go get your land. That's what other
people are doing when they come here. You know, why
why are we like, oh, I'm not gonna do that.
I'm not cleaning up toilets. I'm not gonna go build.
I don't want to do those jobs. This is the
(50:47):
time for us to wake up and to focus and
go get those jobs. I'm not knocking any immigrants. I'm
not saying about the my Mexican friends or not, but
I am about my people at this point. Go get
those jobs up, you know, go get its time, like
in order to have the revenue and some power, because
that's what's happening in other cultures. We're still asking people
(51:08):
to help us, help me, help me, help me, serve me.
We're so in this slave mentality, like you said, and
those people will be in change. Possibly that would be
the case, because we're so like, tell me what to do.
These people from Mexico coming here, they're not teaming tell
me what to do. They coming in here, like we
gonna live together in this house together, we're gonna build,
(51:29):
we're making money, then we're gonna own the small company.
Then we're gonna eventually create the consulting company and you
work from there. And we're still asking. So I just said,
it's a deference in everybody's against us, you know, as
black people at this point.
Speaker 1 (51:43):
Yeah, we gotta know that, we gotta know that we
on own. We all we got Let's talk about let's
talk about leukemia and lymphoma. Both of both leukemia and
lafhoma are a blood cancers. But what's the primary difference
(52:04):
between the two.
Speaker 3 (52:06):
Honestly, I would have to have somebody I'm still learning
about what's the big difference to be honest, I I
don't want to give a medical to say exactly what
it is. My only focus with leukemia. It is a
blood disease and there's so many different levels of it,
and I honestly, I can't say exactly what the difference is.
And I'm still learning.
Speaker 1 (52:27):
Forms of it. And you know it it uh, it
attacks the body at different stages.
Speaker 3 (52:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (52:35):
Yeah, Well it's good that you're that you're doing it.
I mean, it's a worthy cause. It's good to see
you involved in that. I did want to ask you
this about your your tranquil persona. Yeah, yeah, tranquil persona.
Speaker 3 (52:51):
You know, my friends, my friends always say.
Speaker 5 (52:55):
Yeah, yeah, you know, like you you you have like
a persona where it's like like you know, an unbothered persona.
Speaker 1 (53:08):
It's like you're unbothered, and it's hard to find that
these days. Everybody's so angry. Everybody is very angry. But
you have this, this persona. But you alluded to it
a little earlier about the club business. The club business
is a very brutal business. I used to own a
(53:28):
bunch of clubs, and so it's a very very brutal business.
And to see you in the bar business. You're in
the bar.
Speaker 3 (53:39):
Business and skincare business too, yea.
Speaker 1 (53:42):
But but but I want to talk about I want you.
I want to mention the skincare business, but I want
to talk about the bar business, particularly in particular, that
is a very brutal business. How do you maintain your
sanity in a business like this?
Speaker 3 (53:58):
So when I first arted, I died the first year.
I know what. I knew nothing about the bar business.
You know, I had to figure out how it was
going to protect myself from people from stilling. Oh man,
these bartenders are cold. I mean I had people they're counting,
they count ways, you know, to count the liquor, and
(54:19):
then you know the money and their friends are taking money.
Like it was so much to learn in a year.
But I did it. I did it, and then when
I tell you, it made me so sharp, like as
far as now I can go in and identify. That's
the whole reason. Now I don't want to have like
a full offering. You need a really really good team,
you know. So I have to understand what's my strengths.
I like to create, you know what I mean. And
(54:39):
the bar was just the small part of it. And
I was just like learning as I go. But the
first year I died, I mean, seeing people steal, people
complaining fraudulent money, you know, people that it was hurtful
to me because I'm like, man, you're not see that
I'm doing this for us. Why would you come in
here and try to give me counterfeit money?
Speaker 2 (54:59):
You know.
Speaker 3 (54:59):
I'm literally getting into it with guys like really, like
you know, what is this? You know? So it was
a it broke me down. But in that breakdown, I
was so strong. Oh my god, I honestly, and I
mean just working in and banking in general when it
come to count money, like I could count money with
my eyes closed, you know, and all of that, but
to actually know and to have a system, I did it,
(55:20):
you know, and I don't know. I just knew that
was a way of getting people to connect socially. We
like to drink in Texas, and I wanted to get
people in the room. You know. I had a therapist
asked me that. She asked me what my mom did
and what my father did. And because at the time
I was like thirty when I opened the bar in
(55:41):
third Ward, rent about twelve thousand dollars a month for
this huge space right there on Sophomore Center. Just saying, now,
it was a big house. It's a pink house, that's
what's called. It was called chateau like back in the day,
but it has been the other names. But it was
a huge like mansion the state that was a bar
right there on that corner. I just went for it.
(56:04):
I think in my mind, I think I'm unstoppable, to
be honest, and I know that I feel like I
have this magic, which I call it my magic, that
if I think of something, everything else is gonna connect
with it. I mean, I know how I'm gonna pull
it off or what I'm gonna do, but I know
that my mind, if I think of something is gonna happen,
(56:25):
and then everything else just kind of codes along with it,
and it connects the dots. I had never owned a
bar before. I didn't even know how to make drinks,
to be honest, So I'll just and then I called, uh,
one of these I ain't gonna say his name, but
you know, in a male dominant industry, these promoters and
(56:45):
all these guys with these bars, like, hey, can you
help me? I want to learn how to you know,
how do I get a look at license? Oh? Man,
you can't get a look at like you need attorney
to get a liquor license. You need all of this.
And then it was like nobody wanted to really help me.
You won't come just promoting in my space. You know,
you can come in when I say that, even the
people that I thought we were cool, that these promoters
(57:06):
and you know, and you know, I'm on the corner
of Sophomore just Santa Cino at the time, and so
this almeta, you got fifty fifteen, you got a turkey
leg hut, you got all these places. And I'm like, man, y'all,
I want to learn. Can you see nobody? All right,
I'm gonna do it. So I didn't get attorney, get
a local license. I didn't even have all the stuff
(57:26):
to uh open the bar. I literally had to learn,
like literally just kind of learn what do I need
the permits? You know what is this? And I had
one guy who had a prominent live music venue who
was calling the City of Houston on me because he
didn't understand how I got the building that I got
and how it passed all the codes. White guy here
(57:48):
in Houston been making money off he was making money
off of.
Speaker 1 (57:55):
Man, Let's put him out there, let's exposure. Come on, Jed,
give me the name, do the rest.
Speaker 3 (58:10):
You know, I ain't gonna put him out there like that, man,
but I will say that I even went to him
and was like, hey, you know, I want to open
a lot of music video You know you had this
place for a while ago and musicians and stuff. Can
you you know your bar is closed? You know, Oh,
you ain't gonna be able to get that building. That's hard,
That's that's just too much. You're you're not going to
make it a year there, And I did. I made
(58:32):
it three plus years, and then the pandemic came until
I closed.
Speaker 1 (58:36):
And now you're back at it again, and you're.
Speaker 3 (58:38):
Going again and again. We're gonna run it in. You
know what I'm saying, I'm backing better downtown right across
from the Toyota Center.
Speaker 1 (58:46):
Yeah yeah, great, great location. Thank you from great hospitality,
great service. I attested that how do somebody get in
touch with you if they want to reach.
Speaker 3 (58:59):
Out, So they go to the website which is Blaschateau
Houston dot com, where they can locate when we have events,
if they want to book the venue, they can also
email us at info at Blayschateau Houston dot com as well. Yeah, Jasmine,
Terry ya, thank you, thank you.
Speaker 4 (59:22):
This episode was produced by a King and brought to
you by
Speaker 1 (59:25):
The Black Effect Podcast Network at iHeartRadio
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