November 6, 2025 • 47 mins
If you need a place to vent about the tribulations of American politics today, this raw, real episode of Levels to This has your back! Sheryl Swoopes and Terrika Foster-Brasby discuss how the government shutdown, halted SNAP benefits, and natural disasters are impacting millions, including their own families. With honesty and heart, they unpack what it means to care for your community, hold leaders accountable, and still find faith and fight in the middle of chaos. PLUS: Resources for anyone effected by the government gridlock.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Levels to This is an iHeart women's sports production in
partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find
us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
get your podcasts.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Hey, everybody, what's going on? It's your girl, Sarrica Fostor Brasby.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
What up, y'all?
Speaker 4 (00:21):
Is your girl?
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Cheryl's swoop hey? And this is the levels to this.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
This is the show where we talk about all the
levels to the ship that women go through.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
And when I tell you, we've.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Been going through some shit over the last couple of weeks,
but definitely over the weekend. It's been a lot going on,
but I'm excited to be here Cheryl, Like, how how
is everything going on with you?
Speaker 3 (00:43):
We actually got a chance to kick it this week.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
As you know, how how have things been since I
last saw you?
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Well, listen, I'm always excited to see you, sis, because
it's always a good time, great weekend, Good to see
you as always.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
So my weekend was was good.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
I got to speak on the panel at afro Tech,
which was really cool. But my husband decided he wanted
to go into the city and so we had a
little staycation. You got to you got to meet my man,
he got to meet you, and.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
It was good.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
But sis, woo, child, dogs are dogs are different.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Now, you told me that because the staycation was impromptu,
it was you had to put your babies in a
in a pet resort. Yeah, which is a beaudiful resort.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
They like, they love the resort. Well, you know.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
So he decided on Friday after work, like, let's go
into the city. So I'm like, all right, great, but
you do know I have we not I we have
two dogs. What am I gonna do with the dogs?
And so he said, well, just call the resort. I'm like, great,
but it doesn't work like that. Like I got to
make sure they got space all the things.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
So uh huh they did.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Then she calls me back and says two of their
vaccines had expired, so they will not let you stay
if your vaccines aren't up today.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
So I'm like, well, so much for that.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
She called back and said, oh, but they have their
raby so you can go to tractor supply, you can
buy them. We can administ them here. So I did
all of that right, get them there. Great weekend. So
on my way home, I'm like, I got to pick
up my dogs.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
So stop by. They gave them a bath. I get my.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Girl dog Queen, put her in the car. Girl, she
just losing her damn mind, like.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
What are we doing?
Speaker 1 (02:45):
No, first of all, she didn't want to go, but
then after being there for the weekend, I put her
in the car and she is like just running all
over the damn car. And my husband's like, girl, if
you don't sit your ass down, down, So I put
her in the car so I can go. The boy
dog right, and Slim is he's a mama's boy, so
he's like, thank you, where have you been?
Speaker 3 (03:07):
All mad at me? I get him put him in
the car. As I'm putting him in the.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Car, she decides she gonna jump her happy ass out
the car.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
So she jumps out the car.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
Girl, I have a ran in years.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
Here.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
I am running around the damn parking lot to get
my dog.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
I'm like, girl, come on.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
So two of the ladies who work at the pet resort,
they had to come outside and they're calling her like, way, quay,
come here.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Girl.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
She starts running towards them and looks at him like, no,
y'all not about to trick me. I spent thirty minutes
running around the parking lot trying to get my dog
to put her in the car.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Mind you, your boy dog is like this bitch, crazy facts.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Girl. He just laying there like you deal with that
because I'm going home and if she don't want to come,
let's just leave it now.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
Mind you.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
Not only my boy dog, my husband is in a car.
And he was like, girl, if you don't get your
ass in this car, we going home and you gonna
find you a new home.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
About You're about to go from the pet resort to
the adoption center if you do not hurry him.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
Listen.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
I don't know if you could hear in my voice
when I called you, I was like, Sis, I need
about thirty more minutes because you didn't tell me you
were chasing your I'm struggling right now. So I finally
get her in a car I'm driving, but still she's
just just hyper girl. We get home, I opened the
door and she she jumps out starts running around the
(04:40):
yard like.
Speaker 4 (04:43):
Chad.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
I listen, dog, did they give her? Seriously?
Speaker 1 (04:47):
I called them, I said, to y'all give my dogs anything.
She said, we just gave him breakfast. I know, because
she's never been like that before. I don't know. I
have no idea. Now she's down here looking on my feet.
She must know I'm talking about her. That's what it is.
That Other than that, I had an amazing weekend. I
got to be in the streets with you for a minute,
(05:08):
because you know, I on be outside on beside.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
You did you? You did you dig it to be
outside with me. So I was in Houston everybody for
the National Panelanic Council seventy third Biennial Conference, and it
just so happened that it's the same week as Afrotech.
So of course when I found out that you would
be downtown, it's like, well, we gotta at least do something,
(05:33):
have lunch, dinner, something, We got something. We did all
the time, right, and so we had a good time.
You know, Halloween is my favorite holiday. So y'all at
this conference. I don't care what we got going on,
but I'm leaving whatever we're doing early because on October
thirty first, I have got to be outside.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
This time out because you destroyed the costume I was.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
So was Naomi the wrestler for Halloween.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
Yeah, the proceed with caution fit. I had the championship
belt like I was like Naomi and I felt this time.
You know, I'm a big kid because her real name
is Trinity Fie too, and Trinity retweeted me, regrammed my
post and it needs to heart video.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Commented on my stuff.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
I was like, I have the stamp of approval from
the Queen herself, so you know, like you just wearing
you destroyed it and what I did and it was fun.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
I was like, oh yeah, yeah, y'all better proceed with
caution because Sis is wearing this costume.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Proceed what caution, bitches.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
I told you this too. I'm just for those of
you who didn't see it, and if you didn't, you
must be living in the rocky. Y'all need to go
look at it because you had a little side by
side picture posted. I was like, oh yeah, yeah, no, no, no,
you you you killed it.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
And I told you this in person when I saw
you though, because I was like, you look, you look good.
Go g o o DT goot.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
I appreciate compliments, ma'am. I like, are all out here,
We are all out here just trying our best. It
was a great it was a great time. I had fun.
It was a great time. It was a great time.
But you know what, it was needed and necessary because
(07:29):
there are so many things that are happening and that's
going on in the world that can really just be
a downer in depressing and it's reality, and so it
felt good for just at least a day or two
to kind of be able to block all of that
out and just enjoy people, enjoy life. You know, folks
(07:51):
out here, if you follow my Instagram enough, you'll know
that I am a cigar girl. So I was like,
let me find a cigar lounge, and you did kick
it and have a smoke, and like, you just got
to find because the world is a mess right now.
People are losing snap benefits, people are losing health care,
and that's what we're going to talk about today.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
Like we have just really got to just.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
Be honest about where shit is right now. And it's
a tough conversation. It's a depressing conversation, but it's kind
of difficult to talk about every other thing that we
want to talk about when we have the real shit
that has really happening right in front of us right now.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
So let's just go ahead and take this to the
next level. True, you know, when.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
We came to record this week's episode. We had so
many things that we were going to talk about, Like
we were going to talk about the NBA gambling situation.
Speaker 3 (08:57):
We were going to use about.
Speaker 4 (09:00):
Hot topic.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
We were going to talk about these new coaching hires
in the WNBA.
Speaker 4 (09:04):
Because that's a hot topic.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
I a't seen on black women yet, right, that's a
hot topic. I'm glad we have been yet yet.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
Yes, question as well.
Speaker 4 (09:16):
We even said we were good.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
I mean, of course we are, because this has levels
to this and so duh, right, duh, We're gonna talk
about it. But all of those things at the time
of this recording seems so insignificant because of everything that's
happening around us right now. We have and I mean obviously,
(09:40):
like you know, you and I are not politicians, we're
not policymakers, we're not legislators, and we are not trying
to like push our political agenda down anybody's throat. But
we are human beings and we have feelings, and we
have empathy and compassion for people, and right now people
are feeling fun up I am to, I mean, just
(10:03):
based off of everything that's going on, and it just
felt like all of the other stuff that we were
going to talk about because it'sn't really matter.
Speaker 4 (10:15):
But it doesn't really matter at this moment.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
Well, because here's the thing.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
The whole NBA gambling shit is going to be there
as long as there's an NBA, in my opinion. But
whatever and the hiring, the WNBA hiring coaches and all
of that, Yep, that's something we can talk about.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
Whenever.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
I told you when I came on, because you were like,
how are you? And I know you were in a
good moon and I hate that I like, wasn't but
my word to you when you said how are you?
My word was I'm blah.
Speaker 4 (10:48):
I don't even know how.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
To spell that, but that's how I feel like.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
I got so many emotions going through my head and
I've cried all morning, just you know, I take a
break from social media, I take a break from the
news because that can be so overwhelming, and especially when
it's a situation where you can't fix it, right like
(11:16):
as an individual, as a person like I can't fix
all the shit that's going on.
Speaker 3 (11:22):
And so it's just been one of those mornings or
days where that's how I feel.
Speaker 4 (11:28):
I'm just bluw.
Speaker 3 (11:29):
I want to cry for our country.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
And for people, I just I just feel like us
having this conversation is way more important than what we
were going.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
To talk about.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
And I also told you, like I just need a
space where I can be vulnerable and I can be
me and I feel very safe in doing that here
with you.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
And with all the listeners.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
So yes, I mean, because that's that's what we do
and that's what we are, like we want to make
sure that we always create a safe space for people
to feel the way they want to feel and be
honest about their feelings and their vulnerability. And I'm still
in a great mood overall, right, So like you didn't
like damper my mood, but I mean the real is
(12:18):
the real, right and really is Like you can compartmentalize
various things, but at the end of the day, like
this is just something that is plaguing everybody, Like none
of us are immune.
Speaker 4 (12:29):
And what bothers me.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
Is people who tend to think that because something may
not directly affect them, that there's no reason for them
to have care or concern for it. And that is
problematic to me, Like we, you know, should at least
care enough about humanity, should care that there are people
(12:51):
like we should care enough about other people to the
point that we should care if there are children who
may not have food, because that's what.
Speaker 4 (13:00):
We're looking at.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
One of the issues that we are about to discuss,
so we might as well get into it, is that,
according to the USDA website that was up on October
twenty seventh, SNAP benefits are going to cease on November first.
And for anyone out there who does not know what
SNAP benefits are, it is basically the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
(13:24):
Program and they are the ones that provide certain resources
like food stamps and things like that for low income
families and those who need to afford healthy food. And
so what we are facing is that come November friars
according to the government, based on the government shutdown and
them not allocating any money for the twenty twenty six
(13:46):
fiscal year, it's millions of families that are not going
to be able to get food benefits come November first.
Speaker 4 (13:56):
That's like huge deal.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
Like roughly, I think it's like forty one million, Yes, Americans,
Like that's.
Speaker 4 (14:06):
A lot of American people.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
Yeah, And to your point, I want to stress that, yeah, right,
and to your port and I'm saying that for a reason,
because people tend to get this notion that we're talking
about black people.
Speaker 4 (14:21):
They're no.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
Black people, white people, Hispanic people, men, women, children, American Americans.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
That's all. That's all that needs to be said. The
race that doesn't really matter.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
But people want to throw the race card and think
that this is only affecting black people.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
No, no, no.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
And we can have that conversation too, But to me,
doesn't matter black, white, brown, orange, green, purple, I don't care.
It's a it's affecting American families, Like this is stuff
that I've been thinking about for a while. But you know,
I have friends, I have family that rely on this stuff.
(15:06):
And I told you I have to get to a point,
not that I want to be that person, but you know,
getting text messages or phone calls like.
Speaker 3 (15:16):
Like I need help.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
To help me, not just me directly, but point me
in a direction where I can go and to not
have answers to be able to help everybody like that.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
Shit's overwhelming. It's a lot like it.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
Like I thank God every morning when I wake up
that he has put me in a position where I
can help people when I can. But at the end
of the day, This shit's affecting everybody because you know
why when come come November first, and these people don't
have their food stamps, they don't have their money to
(15:55):
pay rent to get groceries. Whatever it is that's gonna
affect grocery stores, that's gonna affect Walmart or wherever it
is you're shopping. And listen. I don't condone violence, I
don't condone stealing. I don't condone any of that stuff.
But I've been on you know, social media and listening
to people's stories and tea. This shit's gonna get ugly
(16:18):
when people can't eat and can't feed their families. What
do you think they're gonna do? And you said this, No,
we're not politicians, And to me, I'm not even making
this political because Democrats are to blame, Republicans are to blame. Somebody,
get back to work and open the fucking government because
there are people that are relying on the assistance that
(16:42):
they need, like be better than that, and then and
then to take it even further than that. I'm not
trying to get on an airplane right now because you
you you hire federal workers who aren't being paid, and
I don't blame them everybody that works. Right, let's talk
(17:03):
about the Democrats, Republicans, y'all getting paid. You you you're
not even going to work, but just still getting paid.
Speaker 4 (17:14):
Everybody else stop coming in.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
You expect everybody else to go to work and not
get paid.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
Like, make that shit make sense.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
There's no, it doesn't make sense. It doesn't make sense,
and it can't make sense. And I mean, the the
part that's even more disheartening is that these forty one
million Americans, yeah, forty two million Americans that are gonna
be without the benefits that they need, whether that's food benefits,
(17:44):
whether that's here and full transparency moment. I grew up
on food stamps.
Speaker 3 (17:49):
Me too, honey.
Speaker 4 (17:50):
I passed no judgment, me too.
Speaker 3 (17:52):
I we were lied on it every monra lied.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
To every single time, every single time. So every single time.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
I get it, there is no judgment. I get it.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
Every single time. And this was before we had them,
Before y'all got these nice little debit cards. We had
actual money stamps with cover paper, take to the store
paper stamps, paper money.
Speaker 4 (18:22):
Damn right, we did. And ain't no shaming our game
for needing it, you know.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
But to your point, we you and I are and
others have been blessed to have come from humble beginnings.
And now we know, you know, we have other resources
and other options.
Speaker 4 (18:37):
But there are so many people who don't.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
And these people, of those forty one forty two a
million American American families, American people who will have to
face this, I often wonder how many of those people
believe the bullshit and believed the rhetoric that they were
given about grocery prices going down, about things would be better,
(19:05):
about the recession would be different, about like how many
of them believed even though we told y'all, don't believe
that shit, even though we told folks.
Speaker 4 (19:14):
Tragic twenty five real.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
But I wonder how many people believed the foolishness that
came out of the mouth of the individual who calls
himself the forty fifth and forty seventh president of the
United States and now in such a cruel political stunt,
is basically starving American people, weaponizing hunger. That's essentially what
(19:40):
this is. Like, this is bigger, and this is much
greater than just a few people. You know, we just
at a standstill with the government. If you look over
the course of history, and I ain't gonna go too deep,
but I'm just saying if you look over the course
of history. Everybody who knows me knows I am a
history nerd. I study the fuck out of things that
came before me because it always comes back. And when
(20:03):
I tell you the player with that d is pulling from,
it's from one of the worst human beings to ever
walk this earth. This is not new. People have to
really pay attention to what's happening. This isn't new.
Speaker 5 (20:16):
So I do know that they're a part of the plan.
It's all a part of the part of the plan.
It's a part of the plan. It is a part
of the plan. People have to pay attention because it's
part of the plan.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
Now, what I can say is that there are several
states and full transparency. We're recording this before November first,
but you guys will hear this podcast after November first. However,
there are several states that have emergency funding. I know
Connecticut is one of them. I know Michigan is one
(20:52):
of them. I know Massachusetts, I know, but they have
see what I'm saying, So ain't that some shit? But
there are some states that do have emergency funding available
for residents, and so you have to go to your
state government website in order to find out how to
(21:14):
access those particular funds. They have emergency funding for utility bills,
So if you are in danger of having your lights
cut off, or especially in the north where you in
winter in states that could be facing any type of
winter conditions and you're worried about like light, gas, utility,
they have benefits that can help for those. And then
(21:34):
they also have food pantries. Check your local food pantry. Churches.
People are really trying to pull together to bring their
community to a place where they can feel good and
try to provide for them as much as possible. So
I don't want everybody to hear this and feel like
it's a desolate time. People are really trying to pull
(21:56):
together their communities to donate what they have.
Speaker 4 (21:59):
I know doing it. I know Cheryl is doing it.
Speaker 2 (22:02):
So we are coming together as best as possible as
a community to try to help each other. The other thing,
the other thing that we got going on out here,
because you know we internationally known't.
Speaker 4 (22:16):
On the microphone, there's a whole.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
Hurricane Category five YEP that has made landfall in the
country of Jamaica.
Speaker 4 (22:26):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
If nothing else, Americans should understand what a category five
can and will do. Because Katrina did not just happened
that long ago. We know what a category five can
do to people, to a community, to a state, let
alone the whole country. Like folks, people got family in Jamaica,
(22:52):
People got friends that live in Jamaica.
Speaker 3 (22:56):
Or have friends a certain part Jamaica for like vacation,
and I got stuck.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
And Jesus and again, So I'm so glad that we
were like, hell no, we ain't talking about no NBA
betting stuff, no coaching, because there's way too much other
stuff going on in this world, in this country that's
way more important than that.
Speaker 3 (23:25):
So what they gambling, whatever it is, we'll.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
Talk about this, talk about that some other time, because
right now, what is going on is affecting every single American,
every one of us. We're being affected by what's going
on with this government as far as Jamaica.
Speaker 3 (23:44):
Listen, I just my heart just hurts.
Speaker 1 (23:50):
You know, I've prayed, I've sent thoughts, I've done all
the things that I can do. And you're right, let's
not forget it wasn't that long ago that hurricane Katrina
hit us.
Speaker 4 (24:01):
Honey, huck that thing.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
I watched the Hurricane Katrina documentary that was on Netflix.
Speaker 4 (24:13):
I did too when Katrina hit.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
Originally I was in my early twenties, and so you
see it, you know it, you, I mean, like you
live through it, so you saw it, but like to see.
Speaker 4 (24:26):
It again from a different lens.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
I was just like our government failed us, like they
failed the people in the state of Louisiana, they failed
the people in the city of New Orleans, and here
comes Hurricane Melissa doing something similar. And I just truly
hope that the people in Jamaica because I'm not Jamaica
(24:49):
and I don't have any family there, but I have
a lot of friends who are Jamaica and have family
in Jamaica, and I just truly hope and pray that
there was proper taken. I was reading something just a
couple of days ago that there were shelters put in
place and there was housing available, and some people just
(25:10):
had not taken advantage of it. And I just say, please, God,
let these people at some point have wisened up to say,
let me take advantage of these resources that's available, because
I don't want to see another country or group of
people or community go through what we saw the people
in New Orleans go through. After thinking we get hurricanes
all the time, we'll just ride it out all this
(25:33):
other stuff like no, And then you also think about again,
Americans being Americans. Usually we're the ones that's able to
help other countries and other nations whenever there are devastating
and catastrophic natural disasters like this, whether it's the Red Cross,
whether it's the World Central Kitchen, whether it's you know whomever.
(25:55):
But now I'm thinking, Lord, how we're gonna help somebody
else when we can't even help ourselves here in the
United States.
Speaker 4 (26:02):
No, it's like it's a it's a it's a domino effect. Listen.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
But we meaning this government, they pick and choose who
they helped. Of course, of course, I'm just saying, how
how how can we girl? How how how can we
send all this money to Argentina?
Speaker 3 (26:26):
Am I correct?
Speaker 1 (26:29):
But yet our government is shut down and we have
our We're just gonna let our own people starve to
death here.
Speaker 3 (26:36):
So we we help who we want to help.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
In addition to all of the other crazy nonsense that's
going on in all these different cities and States with
with ice and and the detaining of innocent It's.
Speaker 3 (26:51):
Just it's a lot.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
It's a lot that we're that we're dealing with in
this country right now. And I still don't think I
still don't.
Speaker 4 (27:04):
Think people.
Speaker 3 (27:07):
Are really truly paying attention.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
It's all right there in front of our eyes to
see every day. Yeah, so what yeah, what are we
going to do about it? It's just a question that
I that I pose every single day when I see
this stuff happening.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
I wonder that myself and I often say, you know,
we started this year saying, like us, we black women specifically,
we were like, we're gonna sit this one out. Yeah,
because we we wei the eighty two percent said we time.
We've been doing it, We've been saying it. But here
it is October November, election day is right around the corner,
(27:57):
and we still have to you know, as much as
we said we tad, we've done, we're still the ones
out here leading the charge. I just went in September,
the last couple of weeks of September, I went to
Congressional Black Caucus in DC. And when I tell you
a time was had, surel a time was had. But
outside of the time that was had, there were so
(28:19):
many great discussions around what we need to do, how
we can continue to empower and uplift our community, what
legislation and policy we can make impactful change to that
can help. And at the forefront of majority of those conversations,
we're still black women. So it's like, even when we
say we tied, even when we say we're done, even
(28:41):
when the eighty two percent say we got to sit
this one out, we don't know how to sit it
out for real.
Speaker 4 (28:47):
We don't know how to sit down for real.
Speaker 3 (28:49):
We're not made like that, and we're not built like
we're not made like that. But I'm not.
Speaker 4 (28:57):
Speaking of women and black woman.
Speaker 2 (29:01):
You know.
Speaker 1 (29:01):
I have this conversation with someone during the elections, and
this person was pro the dude in office now, and
I was pro the woman who's not in office, Kamala.
So we were having just a discussion and she said
(29:22):
to me, she said, well, Kamala is not perfect. I said, well,
that man that you're voting for, absolutely I'm perfect, I said,
but let's just even bring it to a different level.
Speaker 3 (29:37):
Are you perfect?
Speaker 4 (29:40):
Am I perfect?
Speaker 2 (29:41):
No?
Speaker 3 (29:42):
To me, there's never been a perfect.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
Candidate ever because there's always going to be something that
somebody's not going to agree with, So you're never going
to have a perfect candidate, right But I to this
day do believe had Kamala been in office, we wouldn't be.
Speaker 3 (30:02):
Going through a lot of this shit we're going through
right now, all.
Speaker 1 (30:06):
Because people wouldn't people would not vote for I'm gonna
just say a woman, and then I'm gonna add black
to that, but all because people said, oh, hell no,
we do not want a woman running this country, let
alone a black woman running this country.
Speaker 3 (30:22):
And what did that get us?
Speaker 2 (30:25):
It's definitely, it's definitely a black woman because people showed
up to vote for that black man.
Speaker 4 (30:31):
They showed up to vote for Barack Obama. I was
one of them. Both, that was two of them, you
know what I'm saying. So I can't even vote.
Speaker 2 (30:40):
Yes, So at this point, I can't even say, y'all
want to vote for a black candidate, because you absolutely
did multiple times, and I'm with it, but you did
not vote, but you didn't vote.
Speaker 4 (30:54):
But you didn't vote for Hillary Clinton either.
Speaker 2 (30:56):
No. I mean, granted, Hillary had her own things that
she could have done differently in certain circumstances, but when
I look at the voting in terms of the numerical
data from twenty sixteen when Hillary loss to twenty twenty four.
Speaker 4 (31:14):
Y'all really wasn't trying to vote for that black woman.
Y'all really wasn't at all.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
And that is just and mind blowing, all mind blowing
to me, like how many how many white men do
you have to get in this office to fuck? Shut
up before you say maybe maybe maybe difference, maybe maybe
I'm really just maybe now by something different. I don't
(31:40):
mean Steven A.
Speaker 4 (31:41):
Smith. Don't y'all go vote for that food?
Speaker 3 (31:43):
Can we not say his name on?
Speaker 4 (31:46):
Can we not say his name saying I heard you're
trying to make you're trying to make a president.
Speaker 3 (31:51):
Anybody vote for that?
Speaker 2 (31:53):
Than you know what the end of the day, y'all,
We're not really going to have a super long podcast today, y'all,
because I think this was just more event.
Speaker 4 (32:04):
Session it for me. I'm mom, we just needed to
get that out.
Speaker 1 (32:09):
But to my my heart hurts right like like I'm
I am a god fearing, spiritual woman without a doubt,
and I put all of my trust in the man above.
Speaker 4 (32:25):
But but I'm but I'm also.
Speaker 1 (32:30):
Very open to to what my eyes are showing me,
not what I what I hear from people.
Speaker 4 (32:37):
I see it what I see, and and it's.
Speaker 1 (32:41):
It's a scary time to be an American in this country.
And and and I think what's devastating. I think what
makes it even scarier for me is I don't see
it getting anybody better anytime soon.
Speaker 4 (33:02):
Not.
Speaker 3 (33:03):
I absolutely say it's getting worse.
Speaker 2 (33:07):
And it doesn't have to like I don't think we
and I'm saying we generally speaking, but I really ain't
referring to me because I know and I know you know,
but I don't think we realize the power that we
have as people, like we live in a democratic society.
That's for a reason we don't live in an authoritarian society,
(33:27):
even though it feels like we're going that way. We
have so much power. The democracy was meant to be
for the people, and we can make the change when
we have to do our part to do that, which means,
come November fourth, no matter where you are, no matter
what you got going on, you need to take your
ass to the polls and it cares to vote for
(33:48):
the people who will truly make a change and a
difference in your community. It means in twenty twenty six,
when these midterm seats are available, don't.
Speaker 4 (33:58):
Sit there in say that there's nothing.
Speaker 2 (34:01):
Your vote don't count, there's no get your ass up
and go out there and educate yourself because education is
free ninety nine, so that you can literally put the
people in position who are going to do better, who
are going to stand up for you. Y'all got a
lot to say about my girl Jazz and Crockett, but
the bottom line is she'd be holding a doubt for
(34:23):
her constituents wants. She gets down for what she says
she gets down for, and you have got to love
and respect.
Speaker 3 (34:30):
That's fact.
Speaker 2 (34:31):
We can't just be sitting here talking about it's nothing
we could do.
Speaker 4 (34:35):
It is what it is.
Speaker 2 (34:35):
I'm gonna just ride out until twenty twenty because because
if you following along, if you're paying attention, riding it
out until twenty twenty eight might be a problem because
the way that these people are moving, they're trying to
make it legal for people to continue terms after serving
a second consecutive term.
Speaker 1 (34:56):
If you're paying attention, well, we better wake up or
y'all better wake up, because I am.
Speaker 2 (35:01):
They're trying to they're trying. They're trying to That's what
I'm saying, like I ain't. I'm saying we but I
really ain't speaking to Tarika and Cheryl because we know
what's I'm really speaking to everybody out there that's like
trying to pretend like this shit ain't happening for real.
Speaker 4 (35:15):
You've ever seen a Handmaid's Tale.
Speaker 2 (35:17):
I used to joke years ago that the Handmaid's Seal,
this whole dystopian universe is gonna fuck around and come
to the US if we didn't get.
Speaker 4 (35:24):
Our ship together.
Speaker 2 (35:25):
And I used to say that jokingly, and now it
ain't so funny.
Speaker 3 (35:31):
It's real. It's not so funny.
Speaker 2 (35:34):
Because it's every other day there's a different law, a
different policy that's repealing something that was put in place
to help us improve and get better and progress. Every
other day there's something different that's being repealed, recalled, overturned.
Every other day it's something new. Every other day is
something new. Now y'all got now, y'all got? The National
(35:57):
Guard just popping up in random cities. I feel bad
for the city of Detroit because it's only a matter
of time. It's only a matter of time before the
National Guard pop in town. Mytown has one of the
largest Arabic populations in the country.
Speaker 4 (36:13):
All of the people, all of the Chaldeans.
Speaker 2 (36:14):
Folks from Yemen, Bangladesh, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Honey, be worried
because y'all are flourishing, and y'all are doing whatever it
is that y'all doing in your arib American community in
the state of Michigan. It is only a matter of
time before forty seven get pissed off about something and
send the National Guard to Detroit to start messing with
(36:36):
them who ain't dead nothing to nobody.
Speaker 4 (36:39):
It's only a matter of time.
Speaker 1 (36:40):
It's only a matter of time before it's happening in
every city.
Speaker 3 (36:45):
That is part of the plan.
Speaker 1 (36:48):
When people can't when people don't get their food stamps
on November first, they gotta eat.
Speaker 3 (36:56):
So what do they mean, What does that look like?
What happens?
Speaker 1 (37:00):
So now there's all these riots, there's all this stuff
going on in all these cities, and now he can
call martial law and send.
Speaker 3 (37:07):
Like it's all part of the plan. This is this
is me thinking.
Speaker 4 (37:13):
November November just right around the corner.
Speaker 3 (37:17):
What is that?
Speaker 2 (37:18):
Which is which is it is not todays. It's not
even that it's around the corner. It's just that what
holiday happens in November.
Speaker 4 (37:27):
Yeah, you got Christmas?
Speaker 1 (37:30):
Girl, I ain't even thought about no holidays. I just
I don't know how. Seriously, I don't know how any
of us right now could be like ooh making all
these plans for Thanksgiving, and first of all, that's.
Speaker 4 (37:43):
A whole nother conversation. But yeah, and Christmas, I'm definitely.
Speaker 3 (37:49):
Your money, your package.
Speaker 2 (37:51):
I'm just saying, yeah, I'm definitely trying to go see
my mother and I as you should. But I might
end up driving. I was gonna fly, but I might
end up driving. And it's a nine and a half
to ten hour drive. It depends on traffic with time
I leave, and if I go through Canada or if
I just stay in the States, because that can take
(38:11):
a good thirty to forty five minutes off the drive.
Speaker 4 (38:14):
But I'm going to go see my parents are older.
Speaker 2 (38:18):
Yeah, And for those moistters out there who may not
know my parents are older, I was raised by my
great grandmother. She's ninety five years old and she lives
with her daughter, who is my grandmother, who just turned
seventy nine this year.
Speaker 3 (38:33):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (38:34):
And so so they're both they're both two older elderly
women who live together take care of each other.
Speaker 3 (38:41):
I love that.
Speaker 4 (38:42):
I'm blessed.
Speaker 2 (38:43):
Right, Yeah, my grandmothers still they're still getting around, they're
still doing what they're doing. She's still like, still doing
what they're doing. Right, But it's a little difficult being
in Connecticut and my parents are in Michigan. So I've
had to hook up the Alexas so that I can, you know,
visually drop in and see what they're doing and talk
(39:04):
to them in that way. But my parents are also
on Social Security. They get Social Security to survive, they
get Medicare, Medicaid.
Speaker 4 (39:13):
Like all of these resources and programs.
Speaker 2 (39:16):
There's a food like a food pantry of food give place,
food share place in Michigan called Focused Hope, and they
give food to.
Speaker 4 (39:26):
The kids and they get food to the elderly.
Speaker 2 (39:27):
And so once a month, my mom gets a box
from Focus Hope that adds bread and milk and all
types of stuff and most of the time it's way
more stuff than she needs, and so she will give
it away to the people in her neighborhood. Right.
Speaker 4 (39:39):
But the point is all of these resources While.
Speaker 2 (39:43):
Tarrika's household may not need them, my mother's my mother does,
and I'm not near her to get her what she needs.
So dave I care because, like you give what I'm saying.
I care because it may not affect me, but it's
so even affects my family, and it certainly affects the
livelihood of my parents.
Speaker 4 (40:05):
My mama can't pay her bills without her social Security.
Speaker 2 (40:08):
So it's like, like people really got to wake up
and realize I've worked my ass off for forty damn years.
Speaker 3 (40:14):
It feels like and y'all telling me that I might not.
Speaker 2 (40:17):
Even have Social Security when I'm doing ye, Like, these
are things that matter and things that people pay attention to,
so it do matter. Yeah, I definitely, I'm definitely gonna
gonna go home and visit my mom for Thanksgiving.
Speaker 4 (40:28):
But I need to see how this shit is gonna.
Speaker 2 (40:31):
Shake, because because some tough conversations don't have to have
to be had if shit don't shake, Like I can't
have Ma Mama living in Michigan by herself now, ran
my grandma myself.
Speaker 4 (40:42):
I mean, if stuff ain't happening.
Speaker 1 (40:43):
Tea, and this is it's like a trickle down effect right, like,
although it may not affect you directly, somewhere down the line,
it does, right, And as you said, just as a
human being, like we care, we care about people that
(41:07):
are being affected behind the dumb shit this government is doing.
Speaker 3 (41:15):
And I don't know.
Speaker 1 (41:17):
I wish I could come on here today and just
give y'all some words of encouragement and be like, y'all,
it's gonna be all right, Like I want to believe that,
but right now I need I need.
Speaker 3 (41:32):
Somebody to give me some words of encouragement because.
Speaker 1 (41:39):
Just it, don't it just this is just not not
the America I I.
Speaker 3 (41:46):
Remember not saying that about has always been perfect.
Speaker 4 (41:53):
But yes, that part not the ones my nces to
spotful that part.
Speaker 2 (41:58):
Yeah, Well, before we get out of here, like I said, y'all,
I want everybody out there who might be dealing with
being furloughed from the government shut down. Maybe you don't
have working, a working check coming in right now. There
are different states that have unemployment benefits that are available
(42:21):
for furloughed employees, So definitely check out to see if
your government offers grants, loans, things that you can do,
layoff resources, hardship resources. Check with your utility companies and
your credit card companies. A lot of them offer different
types of extensions and resources for people who have been
(42:44):
furloughed or laid off and can't make the payments timely.
Speaker 4 (42:48):
Mortgage companies are the same.
Speaker 2 (42:50):
Definitely don't want to hear anybody losing their home because
they're unable to make their mortgage payments. And that's a
real thing that people are facing. So please check with
your mortgage company to see if they're offering hardship benefits.
I want you guys to walk away from this podcast
knowing that we feel you and we understand. But there
is help available. You just have to go to the
(43:11):
right places to find it. So check your state government,
local government. There's a website called fee fee a dot
org and it also has a bunch of different information
for resources for people who have been furloughed or laid off.
But don't give up, y'all, Like, don't give up, don't
(43:32):
let this government get you down. Don't let what's happening
right now get you down. Continue to fight, continue to
find ways to better yourselves and educate yourselves. And when
it's time to cast your vote in the ballot box,
do what meet stand on business, y'all.
Speaker 4 (43:47):
That's where we can make a difference. That's where we
can make a difference, stand on business. Yeah, all right, y'all.
We will be right back after this, all right, cheryls.
Speaker 2 (44:09):
So I'm just happy that we were able to get
that out, get all of that off our chests, feel
a little bit better about moving into these next because
you know what's crazy, twenty twenty five is about to
be over right, Like, I don't know how we got
here so quickly, but this year is literally there's literally
a month of some change.
Speaker 3 (44:29):
Lest yeah, this year.
Speaker 1 (44:30):
And my thing is, yes, let's please get out of
twenty twenty five. But there's a part of me that's like, damn,
what is twenty twenty six?
Speaker 3 (44:38):
Gona bring crul? What that shifting to look like? What
that shifting look like?
Speaker 1 (44:42):
But you know, Tea, I just hoof geez, you got
me crying all over again, just a real conversation. And
I think there's so many people out there that are
that are feeling it like they're feeling the way we're feeling,
if not worse. And sometimes you just got to talk
about shit and get it out. And like we said,
no judgment here because I get it.
Speaker 3 (45:06):
I totally get it. So yeah, it's a mess.
Speaker 2 (45:10):
It is a mess, but you know what I know.
But you know what, it's all right though we got
it out.
Speaker 4 (45:14):
It's a safe space.
Speaker 2 (45:15):
This is always going to be a safe space for
people to come and hear the real and feel the
real and be vulnerable and where they are, and we
are always going to leave them with some positive, uplifting
words to help them get through what they need to
get through.
Speaker 3 (45:28):
So go ahead and level us up.
Speaker 1 (45:30):
Sure, this is a it's actually more about I ain't
even gonna explain it because I'm hoping this will help somebody.
Speaker 3 (45:39):
Because I know it helps me.
Speaker 1 (45:41):
And it's Mark five seven twenty eight and it says,
just when you are hanging on by a thread, make
sure it's the hem of his garment.
Speaker 3 (45:56):
Self explanatory. Yeah, y'all, we I said this before. We
will get through this. And just know you're not alone,
whoever you are. And just I know it's hard.
Speaker 1 (46:11):
I know it's difficult, but we gotta we gotta find
a way to keep the faith and make sure that
we're taking care of each.
Speaker 2 (46:17):
Other absolutely, And if you do need somebody to lean on,
as the quote says, just make sure it's the hem
of his garment and that that that is always enough.
And so with that, we just want to thank you
guys for continuing to rock out with us and listening
to us at Levels to this podcast. You know, like
I say every single week, this is not just our show,
(46:38):
it is our show. So we want to hear from you, Like,
if you were touched by this episode, send us a message,
send us an email at Levels to this Podcast at
gmail dot com, follow us on Instagram at ltt pod.
Let us know how you felt in what you're thinking.
You guys always do such a great job of tagging
us when you're listening to the show, or show it
(46:59):
up when we have live events, and so we appreciate
the love and we want to continue just you know,
making sure that you guys feel us. So please continue
to follow us, leave us a review, leave us an email.
We will be back next week with more next Level conversations,
but until then, keep your mental's ground level.
Speaker 3 (47:19):
And we'll be back next week. Me listen to Levels
to This on America's number one
Speaker 1 (47:26):
Podcast network, iHeart, open your free iHeart app and search
Levels to This with Cheryl Swoops and Treka Foster Brasby
and start listening
Levels to This is an iHeart women's sports production in
partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find
us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
get your podcasts.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Hey, everybody, what's going on? It's your girl, Sarrica Fostor Brasby.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
What up, y'all?
Speaker 4 (00:21):
Is your girl?
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Cheryl's swoop hey? And this is the levels to this.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
This is the show where we talk about all the
levels to the ship that women go through.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
And when I tell you, we've.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Been going through some shit over the last couple of weeks,
but definitely over the weekend. It's been a lot going on,
but I'm excited to be here Cheryl, Like, how how
is everything going on with you?
Speaker 3 (00:43):
We actually got a chance to kick it this week.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
As you know, how how have things been since I
last saw you?
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Well, listen, I'm always excited to see you, sis, because
it's always a good time, great weekend, Good to see
you as always.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
So my weekend was was good.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
I got to speak on the panel at afro Tech,
which was really cool. But my husband decided he wanted
to go into the city and so we had a
little staycation. You got to you got to meet my man,
he got to meet you, and.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
It was good.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
But sis, woo, child, dogs are dogs are different.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Now, you told me that because the staycation was impromptu,
it was you had to put your babies in a
in a pet resort. Yeah, which is a beaudiful resort.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
They like, they love the resort. Well, you know.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
So he decided on Friday after work, like, let's go
into the city. So I'm like, all right, great, but
you do know I have we not I we have
two dogs. What am I gonna do with the dogs?
And so he said, well, just call the resort. I'm like, great,
but it doesn't work like that. Like I got to
make sure they got space all the things.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
So uh huh they did.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Then she calls me back and says two of their
vaccines had expired, so they will not let you stay
if your vaccines aren't up today.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
So I'm like, well, so much for that.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
She called back and said, oh, but they have their
raby so you can go to tractor supply, you can
buy them. We can administ them here. So I did
all of that right, get them there. Great weekend. So
on my way home, I'm like, I got to pick
up my dogs.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
So stop by. They gave them a bath. I get my.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Girl dog Queen, put her in the car. Girl, she
just losing her damn mind, like.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
What are we doing?
Speaker 1 (02:45):
No, first of all, she didn't want to go, but
then after being there for the weekend, I put her
in the car and she is like just running all
over the damn car. And my husband's like, girl, if
you don't sit your ass down, down, So I put
her in the car so I can go. The boy
dog right, and Slim is he's a mama's boy, so
he's like, thank you, where have you been?
Speaker 3 (03:07):
All mad at me? I get him put him in
the car. As I'm putting him in the.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Car, she decides she gonna jump her happy ass out
the car.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
So she jumps out the car.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
Girl, I have a ran in years.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
Here.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
I am running around the damn parking lot to get
my dog.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
I'm like, girl, come on.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
So two of the ladies who work at the pet resort,
they had to come outside and they're calling her like, way, quay,
come here.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Girl.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
She starts running towards them and looks at him like, no,
y'all not about to trick me. I spent thirty minutes
running around the parking lot trying to get my dog
to put her in the car.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Mind you, your boy dog is like this bitch, crazy facts.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Girl. He just laying there like you deal with that
because I'm going home and if she don't want to come,
let's just leave it now.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
Mind you.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
Not only my boy dog, my husband is in a car.
And he was like, girl, if you don't get your
ass in this car, we going home and you gonna
find you a new home.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
About You're about to go from the pet resort to
the adoption center if you do not hurry him.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
Listen.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
I don't know if you could hear in my voice
when I called you, I was like, Sis, I need
about thirty more minutes because you didn't tell me you
were chasing your I'm struggling right now. So I finally
get her in a car I'm driving, but still she's
just just hyper girl. We get home, I opened the
door and she she jumps out starts running around the
(04:40):
yard like.
Speaker 4 (04:43):
Chad.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
I listen, dog, did they give her? Seriously?
Speaker 1 (04:47):
I called them, I said, to y'all give my dogs anything.
She said, we just gave him breakfast. I know, because
she's never been like that before. I don't know. I
have no idea. Now she's down here looking on my feet.
She must know I'm talking about her. That's what it is.
That Other than that, I had an amazing weekend. I
got to be in the streets with you for a minute,
(05:08):
because you know, I on be outside on beside.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
You did you? You did you dig it to be
outside with me. So I was in Houston everybody for
the National Panelanic Council seventy third Biennial Conference, and it
just so happened that it's the same week as Afrotech.
So of course when I found out that you would
be downtown, it's like, well, we gotta at least do something,
(05:33):
have lunch, dinner, something, We got something. We did all
the time, right, and so we had a good time.
You know, Halloween is my favorite holiday. So y'all at
this conference. I don't care what we got going on,
but I'm leaving whatever we're doing early because on October
thirty first, I have got to be outside.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
This time out because you destroyed the costume I was.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
So was Naomi the wrestler for Halloween.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
Yeah, the proceed with caution fit. I had the championship
belt like I was like Naomi and I felt this time.
You know, I'm a big kid because her real name
is Trinity Fie too, and Trinity retweeted me, regrammed my
post and it needs to heart video.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Commented on my stuff.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
I was like, I have the stamp of approval from
the Queen herself, so you know, like you just wearing
you destroyed it and what I did and it was fun.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
I was like, oh yeah, yeah, y'all better proceed with
caution because Sis is wearing this costume.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Proceed what caution, bitches.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
I told you this too. I'm just for those of
you who didn't see it, and if you didn't, you
must be living in the rocky. Y'all need to go
look at it because you had a little side by
side picture posted. I was like, oh yeah, yeah, no, no, no,
you you you killed it.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
And I told you this in person when I saw
you though, because I was like, you look, you look good.
Go g o o DT goot.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
I appreciate compliments, ma'am. I like, are all out here,
We are all out here just trying our best. It
was a great it was a great time. I had fun.
It was a great time. It was a great time.
But you know what, it was needed and necessary because
(07:29):
there are so many things that are happening and that's
going on in the world that can really just be
a downer in depressing and it's reality, and so it
felt good for just at least a day or two
to kind of be able to block all of that
out and just enjoy people, enjoy life. You know, folks
(07:51):
out here, if you follow my Instagram enough, you'll know
that I am a cigar girl. So I was like,
let me find a cigar lounge, and you did kick
it and have a smoke, and like, you just got
to find because the world is a mess right now.
People are losing snap benefits, people are losing health care,
and that's what we're going to talk about today.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
Like we have just really got to just.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
Be honest about where shit is right now. And it's
a tough conversation. It's a depressing conversation, but it's kind
of difficult to talk about every other thing that we
want to talk about when we have the real shit
that has really happening right in front of us right now.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
So let's just go ahead and take this to the
next level. True, you know, when.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
We came to record this week's episode. We had so
many things that we were going to talk about, Like
we were going to talk about the NBA gambling situation.
Speaker 3 (08:57):
We were going to use about.
Speaker 4 (09:00):
Hot topic.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
We were going to talk about these new coaching hires
in the WNBA.
Speaker 4 (09:04):
Because that's a hot topic.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
I a't seen on black women yet, right, that's a
hot topic. I'm glad we have been yet yet.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
Yes, question as well.
Speaker 4 (09:16):
We even said we were good.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
I mean, of course we are, because this has levels
to this and so duh, right, duh, We're gonna talk
about it. But all of those things at the time
of this recording seems so insignificant because of everything that's
happening around us right now. We have and I mean obviously,
(09:40):
like you know, you and I are not politicians, we're
not policymakers, we're not legislators, and we are not trying
to like push our political agenda down anybody's throat. But
we are human beings and we have feelings, and we
have empathy and compassion for people, and right now people
are feeling fun up I am to, I mean, just
(10:03):
based off of everything that's going on, and it just
felt like all of the other stuff that we were
going to talk about because it'sn't really matter.
Speaker 4 (10:15):
But it doesn't really matter at this moment.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
Well, because here's the thing.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
The whole NBA gambling shit is going to be there
as long as there's an NBA, in my opinion. But
whatever and the hiring, the WNBA hiring coaches and all
of that, Yep, that's something we can talk about.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
Whenever.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
I told you when I came on, because you were like,
how are you? And I know you were in a
good moon and I hate that I like, wasn't but
my word to you when you said how are you?
My word was I'm blah.
Speaker 4 (10:48):
I don't even know how.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
To spell that, but that's how I feel like.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
I got so many emotions going through my head and
I've cried all morning, just you know, I take a
break from social media, I take a break from the
news because that can be so overwhelming, and especially when
it's a situation where you can't fix it, right like
(11:16):
as an individual, as a person like I can't fix
all the shit that's going on.
Speaker 3 (11:22):
And so it's just been one of those mornings or
days where that's how I feel.
Speaker 4 (11:28):
I'm just bluw.
Speaker 3 (11:29):
I want to cry for our country.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
And for people, I just I just feel like us
having this conversation is way more important than what we
were going.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
To talk about.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
And I also told you, like I just need a
space where I can be vulnerable and I can be
me and I feel very safe in doing that here
with you.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
And with all the listeners.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
So yes, I mean, because that's that's what we do
and that's what we are, like we want to make
sure that we always create a safe space for people
to feel the way they want to feel and be
honest about their feelings and their vulnerability. And I'm still
in a great mood overall, right, So like you didn't
like damper my mood, but I mean the real is
(12:18):
the real, right and really is Like you can compartmentalize
various things, but at the end of the day, like
this is just something that is plaguing everybody, Like none
of us are immune.
Speaker 4 (12:29):
And what bothers me.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
Is people who tend to think that because something may
not directly affect them, that there's no reason for them
to have care or concern for it. And that is
problematic to me, Like we, you know, should at least
care enough about humanity, should care that there are people
(12:51):
like we should care enough about other people to the
point that we should care if there are children who
may not have food, because that's what.
Speaker 4 (13:00):
We're looking at.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
One of the issues that we are about to discuss,
so we might as well get into it, is that,
according to the USDA website that was up on October
twenty seventh, SNAP benefits are going to cease on November first.
And for anyone out there who does not know what
SNAP benefits are, it is basically the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
(13:24):
Program and they are the ones that provide certain resources
like food stamps and things like that for low income
families and those who need to afford healthy food. And
so what we are facing is that come November friars
according to the government, based on the government shutdown and
them not allocating any money for the twenty twenty six
(13:46):
fiscal year, it's millions of families that are not going
to be able to get food benefits come November first.
Speaker 4 (13:56):
That's like huge deal.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
Like roughly, I think it's like forty one million, Yes, Americans,
Like that's.
Speaker 4 (14:06):
A lot of American people.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
Yeah, And to your point, I want to stress that, yeah, right,
and to your port and I'm saying that for a reason,
because people tend to get this notion that we're talking
about black people.
Speaker 4 (14:21):
They're no.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
Black people, white people, Hispanic people, men, women, children, American Americans.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
That's all. That's all that needs to be said. The
race that doesn't really matter.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
But people want to throw the race card and think
that this is only affecting black people.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
No, no, no.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
And we can have that conversation too, But to me,
doesn't matter black, white, brown, orange, green, purple, I don't care.
It's a it's affecting American families, Like this is stuff
that I've been thinking about for a while. But you know,
I have friends, I have family that rely on this stuff.
(15:06):
And I told you I have to get to a point,
not that I want to be that person, but you know,
getting text messages or phone calls like.
Speaker 3 (15:16):
Like I need help.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
To help me, not just me directly, but point me
in a direction where I can go and to not
have answers to be able to help everybody like that.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
Shit's overwhelming. It's a lot like it.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
Like I thank God every morning when I wake up
that he has put me in a position where I
can help people when I can. But at the end
of the day, This shit's affecting everybody because you know
why when come come November first, and these people don't
have their food stamps, they don't have their money to
(15:55):
pay rent to get groceries. Whatever it is that's gonna
affect grocery stores, that's gonna affect Walmart or wherever it
is you're shopping. And listen. I don't condone violence, I
don't condone stealing. I don't condone any of that stuff.
But I've been on you know, social media and listening
to people's stories and tea. This shit's gonna get ugly
(16:18):
when people can't eat and can't feed their families. What
do you think they're gonna do? And you said this, No,
we're not politicians, And to me, I'm not even making
this political because Democrats are to blame, Republicans are to blame. Somebody,
get back to work and open the fucking government because
there are people that are relying on the assistance that
(16:42):
they need, like be better than that, and then and
then to take it even further than that. I'm not
trying to get on an airplane right now because you
you you hire federal workers who aren't being paid, and
I don't blame them everybody that works. Right, let's talk
(17:03):
about the Democrats, Republicans, y'all getting paid. You you you're
not even going to work, but just still getting paid.
Speaker 4 (17:14):
Everybody else stop coming in.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
You expect everybody else to go to work and not
get paid.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
Like, make that shit make sense.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
There's no, it doesn't make sense. It doesn't make sense,
and it can't make sense. And I mean, the the
part that's even more disheartening is that these forty one
million Americans, yeah, forty two million Americans that are gonna
be without the benefits that they need, whether that's food benefits,
(17:44):
whether that's here and full transparency moment. I grew up
on food stamps.
Speaker 3 (17:49):
Me too, honey.
Speaker 4 (17:50):
I passed no judgment, me too.
Speaker 3 (17:52):
I we were lied on it every monra lied.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
To every single time, every single time. So every single time.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
I get it, there is no judgment. I get it.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
Every single time. And this was before we had them,
Before y'all got these nice little debit cards. We had
actual money stamps with cover paper, take to the store
paper stamps, paper money.
Speaker 4 (18:22):
Damn right, we did. And ain't no shaming our game
for needing it, you know.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
But to your point, we you and I are and
others have been blessed to have come from humble beginnings.
And now we know, you know, we have other resources
and other options.
Speaker 4 (18:37):
But there are so many people who don't.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
And these people, of those forty one forty two a
million American American families, American people who will have to
face this, I often wonder how many of those people
believe the bullshit and believed the rhetoric that they were
given about grocery prices going down, about things would be better,
(19:05):
about the recession would be different, about like how many
of them believed even though we told y'all, don't believe
that shit, even though we told folks.
Speaker 4 (19:14):
Tragic twenty five real.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
But I wonder how many people believed the foolishness that
came out of the mouth of the individual who calls
himself the forty fifth and forty seventh president of the
United States and now in such a cruel political stunt,
is basically starving American people, weaponizing hunger. That's essentially what
(19:40):
this is. Like, this is bigger, and this is much
greater than just a few people. You know, we just
at a standstill with the government. If you look over
the course of history, and I ain't gonna go too deep,
but I'm just saying if you look over the course
of history. Everybody who knows me knows I am a
history nerd. I study the fuck out of things that
came before me because it always comes back. And when
(20:03):
I tell you the player with that d is pulling from,
it's from one of the worst human beings to ever
walk this earth. This is not new. People have to
really pay attention to what's happening. This isn't new.
Speaker 5 (20:16):
So I do know that they're a part of the plan.
It's all a part of the part of the plan.
It's a part of the plan. It is a part
of the plan. People have to pay attention because it's
part of the plan.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
Now, what I can say is that there are several
states and full transparency. We're recording this before November first,
but you guys will hear this podcast after November first. However,
there are several states that have emergency funding. I know
Connecticut is one of them. I know Michigan is one
(20:52):
of them. I know Massachusetts, I know, but they have
see what I'm saying, So ain't that some shit? But
there are some states that do have emergency funding available
for residents, and so you have to go to your
state government website in order to find out how to
(21:14):
access those particular funds. They have emergency funding for utility bills,
So if you are in danger of having your lights
cut off, or especially in the north where you in
winter in states that could be facing any type of
winter conditions and you're worried about like light, gas, utility,
they have benefits that can help for those. And then
(21:34):
they also have food pantries. Check your local food pantry. Churches.
People are really trying to pull together to bring their
community to a place where they can feel good and
try to provide for them as much as possible. So
I don't want everybody to hear this and feel like
it's a desolate time. People are really trying to pull
(21:56):
together their communities to donate what they have.
Speaker 4 (21:59):
I know doing it. I know Cheryl is doing it.
Speaker 2 (22:02):
So we are coming together as best as possible as
a community to try to help each other. The other thing,
the other thing that we got going on out here,
because you know we internationally known't.
Speaker 4 (22:16):
On the microphone, there's a whole.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
Hurricane Category five YEP that has made landfall in the
country of Jamaica.
Speaker 4 (22:26):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
If nothing else, Americans should understand what a category five
can and will do. Because Katrina did not just happened
that long ago. We know what a category five can
do to people, to a community, to a state, let
alone the whole country. Like folks, people got family in Jamaica,
(22:52):
People got friends that live in Jamaica.
Speaker 3 (22:56):
Or have friends a certain part Jamaica for like vacation,
and I got stuck.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
And Jesus and again, So I'm so glad that we
were like, hell no, we ain't talking about no NBA
betting stuff, no coaching, because there's way too much other
stuff going on in this world, in this country that's
way more important than that.
Speaker 3 (23:25):
So what they gambling, whatever it is, we'll.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
Talk about this, talk about that some other time, because
right now, what is going on is affecting every single American,
every one of us. We're being affected by what's going
on with this government as far as Jamaica.
Speaker 3 (23:44):
Listen, I just my heart just hurts.
Speaker 1 (23:50):
You know, I've prayed, I've sent thoughts, I've done all
the things that I can do. And you're right, let's
not forget it wasn't that long ago that hurricane Katrina
hit us.
Speaker 4 (24:01):
Honey, huck that thing.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
I watched the Hurricane Katrina documentary that was on Netflix.
Speaker 4 (24:13):
I did too when Katrina hit.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
Originally I was in my early twenties, and so you
see it, you know it, you, I mean, like you
live through it, so you saw it, but like to see.
Speaker 4 (24:26):
It again from a different lens.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
I was just like our government failed us, like they
failed the people in the state of Louisiana, they failed
the people in the city of New Orleans, and here
comes Hurricane Melissa doing something similar. And I just truly
hope that the people in Jamaica because I'm not Jamaica
(24:49):
and I don't have any family there, but I have
a lot of friends who are Jamaica and have family
in Jamaica, and I just truly hope and pray that
there was proper taken. I was reading something just a
couple of days ago that there were shelters put in
place and there was housing available, and some people just
(25:10):
had not taken advantage of it. And I just say, please, God,
let these people at some point have wisened up to say,
let me take advantage of these resources that's available, because
I don't want to see another country or group of
people or community go through what we saw the people
in New Orleans go through. After thinking we get hurricanes
all the time, we'll just ride it out all this
(25:33):
other stuff like no, And then you also think about again,
Americans being Americans. Usually we're the ones that's able to
help other countries and other nations whenever there are devastating
and catastrophic natural disasters like this, whether it's the Red Cross,
whether it's the World Central Kitchen, whether it's you know whomever.
(25:55):
But now I'm thinking, Lord, how we're gonna help somebody
else when we can't even help ourselves here in the
United States.
Speaker 4 (26:02):
No, it's like it's a it's a it's a domino effect. Listen.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
But we meaning this government, they pick and choose who
they helped. Of course, of course, I'm just saying, how
how how can we girl? How how how can we
send all this money to Argentina?
Speaker 3 (26:26):
Am I correct?
Speaker 1 (26:29):
But yet our government is shut down and we have
our We're just gonna let our own people starve to
death here.
Speaker 3 (26:36):
So we we help who we want to help.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
In addition to all of the other crazy nonsense that's
going on in all these different cities and States with
with ice and and the detaining of innocent It's.
Speaker 3 (26:51):
Just it's a lot.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
It's a lot that we're that we're dealing with in
this country right now. And I still don't think I
still don't.
Speaker 4 (27:04):
Think people.
Speaker 3 (27:07):
Are really truly paying attention.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
It's all right there in front of our eyes to
see every day. Yeah, so what yeah, what are we
going to do about it? It's just a question that
I that I pose every single day when I see
this stuff happening.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
I wonder that myself and I often say, you know,
we started this year saying, like us, we black women specifically,
we were like, we're gonna sit this one out. Yeah,
because we we wei the eighty two percent said we time.
We've been doing it, We've been saying it. But here
it is October November, election day is right around the corner,
(27:57):
and we still have to you know, as much as
we said we tad, we've done, we're still the ones
out here leading the charge. I just went in September,
the last couple of weeks of September, I went to
Congressional Black Caucus in DC. And when I tell you
a time was had, surel a time was had. But
outside of the time that was had, there were so
(28:19):
many great discussions around what we need to do, how
we can continue to empower and uplift our community, what
legislation and policy we can make impactful change to that
can help. And at the forefront of majority of those conversations,
we're still black women. So it's like, even when we
say we tied, even when we say we're done, even
(28:41):
when the eighty two percent say we got to sit
this one out, we don't know how to sit it
out for real.
Speaker 4 (28:47):
We don't know how to sit down for real.
Speaker 3 (28:49):
We're not made like that, and we're not built like
we're not made like that. But I'm not.
Speaker 4 (28:57):
Speaking of women and black woman.
Speaker 2 (29:01):
You know.
Speaker 1 (29:01):
I have this conversation with someone during the elections, and
this person was pro the dude in office now, and
I was pro the woman who's not in office, Kamala.
So we were having just a discussion and she said
(29:22):
to me, she said, well, Kamala is not perfect. I said, well,
that man that you're voting for, absolutely I'm perfect, I said,
but let's just even bring it to a different level.
Speaker 3 (29:37):
Are you perfect?
Speaker 4 (29:40):
Am I perfect?
Speaker 2 (29:41):
No?
Speaker 3 (29:42):
To me, there's never been a perfect.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
Candidate ever because there's always going to be something that
somebody's not going to agree with, So you're never going
to have a perfect candidate, right But I to this
day do believe had Kamala been in office, we wouldn't be.
Speaker 3 (30:02):
Going through a lot of this shit we're going through
right now, all.
Speaker 1 (30:06):
Because people wouldn't people would not vote for I'm gonna
just say a woman, and then I'm gonna add black
to that, but all because people said, oh, hell no,
we do not want a woman running this country, let
alone a black woman running this country.
Speaker 3 (30:22):
And what did that get us?
Speaker 2 (30:25):
It's definitely, it's definitely a black woman because people showed
up to vote for that black man.
Speaker 4 (30:31):
They showed up to vote for Barack Obama. I was
one of them. Both, that was two of them, you
know what I'm saying. So I can't even vote.
Speaker 2 (30:40):
Yes, So at this point, I can't even say, y'all
want to vote for a black candidate, because you absolutely
did multiple times, and I'm with it, but you did
not vote, but you didn't vote.
Speaker 4 (30:54):
But you didn't vote for Hillary Clinton either.
Speaker 2 (30:56):
No. I mean, granted, Hillary had her own things that
she could have done differently in certain circumstances, but when
I look at the voting in terms of the numerical
data from twenty sixteen when Hillary loss to twenty twenty four.
Speaker 4 (31:14):
Y'all really wasn't trying to vote for that black woman.
Y'all really wasn't at all.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
And that is just and mind blowing, all mind blowing
to me, like how many how many white men do
you have to get in this office to fuck? Shut
up before you say maybe maybe maybe difference, maybe maybe
I'm really just maybe now by something different. I don't
(31:40):
mean Steven A.
Speaker 4 (31:41):
Smith. Don't y'all go vote for that food?
Speaker 3 (31:43):
Can we not say his name on?
Speaker 4 (31:46):
Can we not say his name saying I heard you're
trying to make you're trying to make a president.
Speaker 3 (31:51):
Anybody vote for that?
Speaker 2 (31:53):
Than you know what the end of the day, y'all,
We're not really going to have a super long podcast today, y'all,
because I think this was just more event.
Speaker 4 (32:04):
Session it for me. I'm mom, we just needed to
get that out.
Speaker 1 (32:09):
But to my my heart hurts right like like I'm
I am a god fearing, spiritual woman without a doubt,
and I put all of my trust in the man above.
Speaker 4 (32:25):
But but I'm but I'm also.
Speaker 1 (32:30):
Very open to to what my eyes are showing me,
not what I what I hear from people.
Speaker 4 (32:37):
I see it what I see, and and it's.
Speaker 1 (32:41):
It's a scary time to be an American in this country.
And and and I think what's devastating. I think what
makes it even scarier for me is I don't see
it getting anybody better anytime soon.
Speaker 4 (33:02):
Not.
Speaker 3 (33:03):
I absolutely say it's getting worse.
Speaker 2 (33:07):
And it doesn't have to like I don't think we
and I'm saying we generally speaking, but I really ain't
referring to me because I know and I know you know,
but I don't think we realize the power that we
have as people, like we live in a democratic society.
That's for a reason we don't live in an authoritarian society,
(33:27):
even though it feels like we're going that way. We
have so much power. The democracy was meant to be
for the people, and we can make the change when
we have to do our part to do that, which means,
come November fourth, no matter where you are, no matter
what you got going on, you need to take your
ass to the polls and it cares to vote for
(33:48):
the people who will truly make a change and a
difference in your community. It means in twenty twenty six,
when these midterm seats are available, don't.
Speaker 4 (33:58):
Sit there in say that there's nothing.
Speaker 2 (34:01):
Your vote don't count, there's no get your ass up
and go out there and educate yourself because education is
free ninety nine, so that you can literally put the
people in position who are going to do better, who
are going to stand up for you. Y'all got a
lot to say about my girl Jazz and Crockett, but
the bottom line is she'd be holding a doubt for
(34:23):
her constituents wants. She gets down for what she says
she gets down for, and you have got to love
and respect.
Speaker 3 (34:30):
That's fact.
Speaker 2 (34:31):
We can't just be sitting here talking about it's nothing
we could do.
Speaker 4 (34:35):
It is what it is.
Speaker 2 (34:35):
I'm gonna just ride out until twenty twenty because because
if you following along, if you're paying attention, riding it
out until twenty twenty eight might be a problem because
the way that these people are moving, they're trying to
make it legal for people to continue terms after serving
a second consecutive term.
Speaker 1 (34:56):
If you're paying attention, well, we better wake up or
y'all better wake up, because I am.
Speaker 2 (35:01):
They're trying to they're trying. They're trying to That's what
I'm saying, like I ain't. I'm saying we but I
really ain't speaking to Tarika and Cheryl because we know
what's I'm really speaking to everybody out there that's like
trying to pretend like this shit ain't happening for real.
Speaker 4 (35:15):
You've ever seen a Handmaid's Tale.
Speaker 2 (35:17):
I used to joke years ago that the Handmaid's Seal,
this whole dystopian universe is gonna fuck around and come
to the US if we didn't get.
Speaker 4 (35:24):
Our ship together.
Speaker 2 (35:25):
And I used to say that jokingly, and now it
ain't so funny.
Speaker 3 (35:31):
It's real. It's not so funny.
Speaker 2 (35:34):
Because it's every other day there's a different law, a
different policy that's repealing something that was put in place
to help us improve and get better and progress. Every
other day there's something different that's being repealed, recalled, overturned.
Every other day it's something new. Every other day is
something new. Now y'all got now, y'all got? The National
(35:57):
Guard just popping up in random cities. I feel bad
for the city of Detroit because it's only a matter
of time. It's only a matter of time before the
National Guard pop in town. Mytown has one of the
largest Arabic populations in the country.
Speaker 4 (36:13):
All of the people, all of the Chaldeans.
Speaker 2 (36:14):
Folks from Yemen, Bangladesh, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Honey, be worried
because y'all are flourishing, and y'all are doing whatever it
is that y'all doing in your arib American community in
the state of Michigan. It is only a matter of
time before forty seven get pissed off about something and
send the National Guard to Detroit to start messing with
(36:36):
them who ain't dead nothing to nobody.
Speaker 4 (36:39):
It's only a matter of time.
Speaker 1 (36:40):
It's only a matter of time before it's happening in
every city.
Speaker 3 (36:45):
That is part of the plan.
Speaker 1 (36:48):
When people can't when people don't get their food stamps
on November first, they gotta eat.
Speaker 3 (36:56):
So what do they mean, What does that look like?
What happens?
Speaker 1 (37:00):
So now there's all these riots, there's all this stuff
going on in all these cities, and now he can
call martial law and send.
Speaker 3 (37:07):
Like it's all part of the plan. This is this
is me thinking.
Speaker 4 (37:13):
November November just right around the corner.
Speaker 3 (37:17):
What is that?
Speaker 2 (37:18):
Which is which is it is not todays. It's not
even that it's around the corner. It's just that what
holiday happens in November.
Speaker 4 (37:27):
Yeah, you got Christmas?
Speaker 1 (37:30):
Girl, I ain't even thought about no holidays. I just
I don't know how. Seriously, I don't know how any
of us right now could be like ooh making all
these plans for Thanksgiving, and first of all, that's.
Speaker 4 (37:43):
A whole nother conversation. But yeah, and Christmas, I'm definitely.
Speaker 3 (37:49):
Your money, your package.
Speaker 2 (37:51):
I'm just saying, yeah, I'm definitely trying to go see
my mother and I as you should. But I might
end up driving. I was gonna fly, but I might
end up driving. And it's a nine and a half
to ten hour drive. It depends on traffic with time
I leave, and if I go through Canada or if
I just stay in the States, because that can take
(38:11):
a good thirty to forty five minutes off the drive.
Speaker 4 (38:14):
But I'm going to go see my parents are older.
Speaker 2 (38:18):
Yeah, And for those moistters out there who may not
know my parents are older, I was raised by my
great grandmother. She's ninety five years old and she lives
with her daughter, who is my grandmother, who just turned
seventy nine this year.
Speaker 3 (38:33):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (38:34):
And so so they're both they're both two older elderly
women who live together take care of each other.
Speaker 3 (38:41):
I love that.
Speaker 4 (38:42):
I'm blessed.
Speaker 2 (38:43):
Right, Yeah, my grandmothers still they're still getting around, they're
still doing what they're doing. She's still like, still doing
what they're doing. Right, But it's a little difficult being
in Connecticut and my parents are in Michigan. So I've
had to hook up the Alexas so that I can, you know,
visually drop in and see what they're doing and talk
(39:04):
to them in that way. But my parents are also
on Social Security. They get Social Security to survive, they
get Medicare, Medicaid.
Speaker 4 (39:13):
Like all of these resources and programs.
Speaker 2 (39:16):
There's a food like a food pantry of food give place,
food share place in Michigan called Focused Hope, and they
give food to.
Speaker 4 (39:26):
The kids and they get food to the elderly.
Speaker 2 (39:27):
And so once a month, my mom gets a box
from Focus Hope that adds bread and milk and all
types of stuff and most of the time it's way
more stuff than she needs, and so she will give
it away to the people in her neighborhood. Right.
Speaker 4 (39:39):
But the point is all of these resources While.
Speaker 2 (39:43):
Tarrika's household may not need them, my mother's my mother does,
and I'm not near her to get her what she needs.
So dave I care because, like you give what I'm saying.
I care because it may not affect me, but it's
so even affects my family, and it certainly affects the
livelihood of my parents.
Speaker 4 (40:05):
My mama can't pay her bills without her social Security.
Speaker 2 (40:08):
So it's like, like people really got to wake up
and realize I've worked my ass off for forty damn years.
Speaker 3 (40:14):
It feels like and y'all telling me that I might not.
Speaker 2 (40:17):
Even have Social Security when I'm doing ye, Like, these
are things that matter and things that people pay attention to,
so it do matter. Yeah, I definitely, I'm definitely gonna
gonna go home and visit my mom for Thanksgiving.
Speaker 4 (40:28):
But I need to see how this shit is gonna.
Speaker 2 (40:31):
Shake, because because some tough conversations don't have to have
to be had if shit don't shake, Like I can't
have Ma Mama living in Michigan by herself now, ran
my grandma myself.
Speaker 4 (40:42):
I mean, if stuff ain't happening.
Speaker 1 (40:43):
Tea, and this is it's like a trickle down effect right, like,
although it may not affect you directly, somewhere down the line,
it does, right, And as you said, just as a
human being, like we care, we care about people that
(41:07):
are being affected behind the dumb shit this government is doing.
Speaker 3 (41:15):
And I don't know.
Speaker 1 (41:17):
I wish I could come on here today and just
give y'all some words of encouragement and be like, y'all,
it's gonna be all right, Like I want to believe that,
but right now I need I need.
Speaker 3 (41:32):
Somebody to give me some words of encouragement because.
Speaker 1 (41:39):
Just it, don't it just this is just not not
the America I I.
Speaker 3 (41:46):
Remember not saying that about has always been perfect.
Speaker 4 (41:53):
But yes, that part not the ones my nces to
spotful that part.
Speaker 2 (41:58):
Yeah, Well, before we get out of here, like I said, y'all,
I want everybody out there who might be dealing with
being furloughed from the government shut down. Maybe you don't
have working, a working check coming in right now. There
are different states that have unemployment benefits that are available
(42:21):
for furloughed employees, So definitely check out to see if
your government offers grants, loans, things that you can do,
layoff resources, hardship resources. Check with your utility companies and
your credit card companies. A lot of them offer different
types of extensions and resources for people who have been
(42:44):
furloughed or laid off and can't make the payments timely.
Speaker 4 (42:48):
Mortgage companies are the same.
Speaker 2 (42:50):
Definitely don't want to hear anybody losing their home because
they're unable to make their mortgage payments. And that's a
real thing that people are facing. So please check with
your mortgage company to see if they're offering hardship benefits.
I want you guys to walk away from this podcast
knowing that we feel you and we understand. But there
is help available. You just have to go to the
(43:11):
right places to find it. So check your state government,
local government. There's a website called fee fee a dot
org and it also has a bunch of different information
for resources for people who have been furloughed or laid off.
But don't give up, y'all, Like, don't give up, don't
(43:32):
let this government get you down. Don't let what's happening
right now get you down. Continue to fight, continue to
find ways to better yourselves and educate yourselves. And when
it's time to cast your vote in the ballot box,
do what meet stand on business, y'all.
Speaker 4 (43:47):
That's where we can make a difference. That's where we
can make a difference, stand on business. Yeah, all right, y'all.
We will be right back after this, all right, cheryls.
Speaker 2 (44:09):
So I'm just happy that we were able to get
that out, get all of that off our chests, feel
a little bit better about moving into these next because
you know what's crazy, twenty twenty five is about to
be over right, Like, I don't know how we got
here so quickly, but this year is literally there's literally
a month of some change.
Speaker 3 (44:29):
Lest yeah, this year.
Speaker 1 (44:30):
And my thing is, yes, let's please get out of
twenty twenty five. But there's a part of me that's like, damn,
what is twenty twenty six?
Speaker 3 (44:38):
Gona bring crul? What that shifting to look like? What
that shifting look like?
Speaker 1 (44:42):
But you know, Tea, I just hoof geez, you got
me crying all over again, just a real conversation. And
I think there's so many people out there that are
that are feeling it like they're feeling the way we're feeling,
if not worse. And sometimes you just got to talk
about shit and get it out. And like we said,
no judgment here because I get it.
Speaker 3 (45:06):
I totally get it. So yeah, it's a mess.
Speaker 2 (45:10):
It is a mess, but you know what I know.
But you know what, it's all right though we got
it out.
Speaker 4 (45:14):
It's a safe space.
Speaker 2 (45:15):
This is always going to be a safe space for
people to come and hear the real and feel the
real and be vulnerable and where they are, and we
are always going to leave them with some positive, uplifting
words to help them get through what they need to
get through.
Speaker 3 (45:28):
So go ahead and level us up.
Speaker 1 (45:30):
Sure, this is a it's actually more about I ain't
even gonna explain it because I'm hoping this will help somebody.
Speaker 3 (45:39):
Because I know it helps me.
Speaker 1 (45:41):
And it's Mark five seven twenty eight and it says,
just when you are hanging on by a thread, make
sure it's the hem of his garment.
Speaker 3 (45:56):
Self explanatory. Yeah, y'all, we I said this before. We
will get through this. And just know you're not alone,
whoever you are. And just I know it's hard.
Speaker 1 (46:11):
I know it's difficult, but we gotta we gotta find
a way to keep the faith and make sure that
we're taking care of each.
Speaker 2 (46:17):
Other absolutely, And if you do need somebody to lean on,
as the quote says, just make sure it's the hem
of his garment and that that that is always enough.
And so with that, we just want to thank you
guys for continuing to rock out with us and listening
to us at Levels to this podcast. You know, like
I say every single week, this is not just our show,
(46:38):
it is our show. So we want to hear from you, Like,
if you were touched by this episode, send us a message,
send us an email at Levels to this Podcast at
gmail dot com, follow us on Instagram at ltt pod.
Let us know how you felt in what you're thinking.
You guys always do such a great job of tagging
us when you're listening to the show, or show it
(46:59):
up when we have live events, and so we appreciate
the love and we want to continue just you know,
making sure that you guys feel us. So please continue
to follow us, leave us a review, leave us an email.
We will be back next week with more next Level conversations,
but until then, keep your mental's ground level.
Speaker 3 (47:19):
And we'll be back next week. Me listen to Levels
to This on America's number one
Speaker 1 (47:26):
Podcast network, iHeart, open your free iHeart app and search
Levels to This with Cheryl Swoops and Treka Foster Brasby
and start listening
Hosts And Creators
Terrika Foster-Brasby
Sheryl Swoopes
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