Episode 8 Featuring Dee C Marshall

Episode 8 Featuring Dee C Marshall

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:07):
Hello, America.

Speaker 2 (00:08):
This is Dear America with Chanel Barnes, and I am
joined here with someone who I love, admire, who I
just could not wait to share her story with America today,
and that is d Marshall. D Hi, it's so so
good to have you here. I'm thrilled to tell the

(00:29):
story before we jump into just you know who you
are in your background, I wanted to share with our
audience how I met D. I met D because D
decided to organize a group of incredible women to go
on the hill and to actually speak with our legislators about.

Speaker 4 (00:46):
What we want.

Speaker 2 (00:48):
And it was my first introduction to actually going from
activating voters, activating my own vote, to going to truly
understanding policy and understanding of power of my voice. We
had the privilege and the honor to at the time
work with our former Congressman Pain Yes, may he rest

(01:08):
in peace. He was incredible. But can we just go
back to that moment, because this was a big moment
for me and I think you've been doing it ever
since or even before my time, before my time, well
before my time, I mean before I met.

Speaker 3 (01:21):
You, right, Well, actually, that was the beginning of something
new for me. But you on the other side of
hearing my heart and my passion and what I was
attempting to do, you added significant value, like we needed
each other. Yes. So that was the beginning of another
level of my work. It was diversity on the Hill,

(01:42):
and my intention was to occupy the hill for more
black and brown faces to show up on Capitol Hill,
because I was beginning to understand at another level that
it was important for us to be seen and to
be heard physically show up in Washington, d C. And
you were on the other side of it. I remember

(02:04):
sharing with you that I had text Congressman Pain at
the time a privilege because I said text absolutely right.
And when I downloaded and you heard it, You're like, yes,
d yes, let's go.

Speaker 4 (02:15):
Do you remember that I do.

Speaker 2 (02:17):
It's a crazy excitement that I felt just getting on
the train heading down there, having these conversations talking about
a policy agenda. I truly felt for the first time
as a black woman a part of America. Wow, you know,
since we're here, I was going to start off with
some of your work, but why don't we just talk
a little bit about At what point did you recognize

(02:40):
what your voice means to you and the power of
using it specifically as a black woman.

Speaker 1 (02:45):
Let's go there.

Speaker 4 (02:46):
You know what.

Speaker 3 (02:47):
I think a part of it was that moment or
that season. And I was sitting in Austin at the
Google office in Austin, Texas, and I member hearing about
the one hundred and seventeenth Congress and the opportunity for

(03:08):
all of us selene in where there would be opportunity
to lend our voices to causes that we could care about.
And I think it was in that room that, you know,
whether it was the first occurrence or a new level
or the next occurrence, and the invitation to use my
voice politically, that was it. In fact, in that room

(03:31):
at Google, hearing about the one hundred and seventeenth Congress
being the most diverse there were, you know, younger representation
there was first I think openly LGBTQ plus and it
was so diverse and the invitation, and it was in
that room I sent a text to the late Congressman
Donald Paine Jr. To say, Hey, I'd like to come

(03:53):
to DC to have a conversation about what I am
seeing and hearing. And you know how we worked together,
and I don't want to come alone.

Speaker 4 (04:03):
I'd like to bring some folks.

Speaker 3 (04:04):
So surely I could have gone to the office, you know,
in our backyard.

Speaker 4 (04:09):
We could go over and meet.

Speaker 3 (04:10):
With the congressman in his office, you know, in our backyard.
But it was in that moment I knew using my voice,
but bringing others along was so important because I could
have had a conversation with him over the phone. You
and I could have just had a conversation in an
email and and email. So I love your question about

(04:34):
you know, when did I recognize my voice and then
using my voice? And again, maybe there was a time
earlier or you know, years ago, but I think in
a new and different way politically, because I really don't
identify as a political or political You've heard me say
that before, right, I just you know, I just do
what I do, and I think I do fill a gap.

(04:55):
But that's when I recognize. But I think I recognize then, Oh,
you know what you have perspective, You have insight that
would be valuable to contribute to whatever is happening in DC.
Because if you're not at the table, you're on the menu.

Speaker 1 (05:14):
That's right, that's right.

Speaker 2 (05:16):
And speaking of the table versus the we love it
by the way, America, our production team is going wild
for that comment.

Speaker 4 (05:24):
Yes she is, she is, Yes love her.

Speaker 1 (05:26):
Yes we love it.

Speaker 2 (05:27):
At what point did you recognize the distinction in between Okay,
I'm just going to go and vote to taking it
to the next level and understanding that policy actually shapes
and shifts how America is and how we are able
to engage in America.

Speaker 3 (05:45):
So this is going to sound like a setup, like
between you and I. It's going to sound like because
there couldn't be a better setup for this conversation. Because
I'm going to go back to that occurrence of the
when the one hundred and seventeen Congress was sworn in
and in that season, I think and thank God for Google,
So I am actually a Google tech policy influencer or

(06:07):
they'd say a fellow yes, and that afforded me the opportunity.

Speaker 4 (06:11):
So I have to really frame it from that.

Speaker 3 (06:13):
That afforded me the opportunity and also the challenge of
just being much more mindful about policy and such. Right,
that's what the whole initiative was for.

Speaker 4 (06:23):
It's all.

Speaker 3 (06:24):
It was like a handful of influencers from around around
the country.

Speaker 2 (06:28):
Let's go back to your background tell us a little
bit about what inspired you to focus on DEI work.

Speaker 3 (06:35):
So what inspired me to focus on DEI work was
this prior to starting my company. So I'm the CEO
of managing partner at Diverse and Engage, where we speak
two languages, Oh yes, Leadership development and DEI. So we
essentially advise Fortune five hundred corporations on how to create
inclusive workspaces. That's about seventy percent of our work and

(06:58):
then thirty percent is you know, coaching high level, high ranking,
high profile executives, women senators as part of that. And
what led me there was when I started, I was
an executive coach and working with women. And so while
I'm working with women in the workplace and they're doing

(07:19):
what they need to do, sure, there was an awareness
that it is the environment that is a big variable
and element to how women Black women show up and
how they go up at work. That's right, I like
the show up and go up. It's the environment, the
workplace culture. So part of me leaning in more to

(07:42):
the DEI space was really recognizing that black women in
America have a different work experience, live experience, and going
into spaces where they are one of few and one
of only really was part of the guidance into leaning
into d no longer just working with women, women of color,

(08:03):
black women in particular, but looking at the environment. Those
are all of the sort of dynamics. But those poison
pills are things that my eyes see, I will see
if there's a big title. But then there's still pay,
you know, disparities, how many FTEs? Again, what's your budget?

Speaker 4 (08:21):
Right?

Speaker 1 (08:21):
This is good?

Speaker 2 (08:22):
Now let me ask you getting a little personal, Yes,
is there a personal moment that you experienced yourself or
that you saw a specific woman you don't have.

Speaker 1 (08:31):
To name the name, but.

Speaker 2 (08:33):
A specific woman experience where you knew you needed to
say committed to this work because this work is hard.
And we're going to talk a little bit about how
you're making headlines in a bit, but we know it
takes a lot.

Speaker 3 (08:44):
It was both there was me observing the way black
women were handled and from personal friends, but also inside
of corporate America seeing what's happening. And when I say inside,
as a principle, as a free agent, I'm the consultant,
so I am seen in a different way as an expert.

(09:05):
So I've seen a lot, but I'd also get the
phone calls D pray, you know I just got a
performance review. You're not gonna believe or D. Now I'm
no longer reporting to the CEO. I'm reporting to and
I'll say, respectfully, Becky, I'm now reporting to Becky. I
may happen to be of a respectfully right, but you were.

(09:27):
You were a direct report. So now you've been downgraded.
And that was in a season where I said, sis,
let me tell you what just happened. Because Kamala Harris
is the first, uh you know, black vice president. If
you are a black woman or South Asian woman, you
are intimidating and you are now a threat. And so

(09:49):
for the Becky's of the world and others, you are
now a threat and you can't have the number two
seat because Kamala Harris took the number two seat and
stole history from white white women.

Speaker 4 (09:59):
And so I'm sorry, but do you understand.

Speaker 1 (10:02):
I mean, if we're gonna go, we're gonna go there.

Speaker 4 (10:04):
That's it.

Speaker 2 (10:05):
So we're in a space right now, we're headed toward
the presidential election. We all know in a nonpartisan way,
right that Kamala is headed for the first seat. How
do you think her heading for the first seat puts
black women in potentially, and let's be honest, it could
be black women women of color.

Speaker 1 (10:26):
How do you think that puts them.

Speaker 2 (10:28):
In a new threatening position versus when she taken the
second seat.

Speaker 3 (10:33):
Yeah, I think it puts You know, black women have
always been I think a threat or a perceived threat.
It doesn't show up that way or I don't know
if the rest of America feels it on the surface,
but we've always been viewed and seen as a threat,
disguised in other ways. And I think it just intensifies

(10:56):
with the potential of the vice president now going from
stealing history really didn't earning history as the VP and
the VP set, but now another stealing broken potentially, it's
just going to intensify. But I think it's also intensified

(11:17):
because of, or in other ways the Black women movement
that fueled America's new grassroots movement.

Speaker 4 (11:25):
I think.

Speaker 3 (11:26):
So, I think the threat and the experiences of black
women intensifies, although I think this moment has created a
softer I would I want to say embrace of black women,
and I'll say it for this reason. I think there

(11:48):
are some Americans who are grateful for black women I'm
going to say what I feel a little bit of
love for We get black women now.

Speaker 4 (12:00):
Or at least we're grateful for black women.

Speaker 2 (12:02):
We see you, we see you, we see you because
and to be seen.

Speaker 3 (12:06):
To be seen because of the movement, the Black women
movement led by I want to be respectful when with
black women, Joe Taika, Edie, Yes, and all of that
shout out when with black women. I think it softened
some folks, right, like white women joining a movement led

(12:27):
by black women. I think there was a breakthrough, a
bit of a breakthrough there. So even though to answer
your question, I think it intensifies, but I do think
there was a bit of a breakthrough for the relationship
between black women and white women.

Speaker 4 (12:44):
Some white women. I think white women.

Speaker 3 (12:47):
Said okay, okay, right, They're like, oh, you know what, sorry,
we now understand the assignment. We take responsibility. And I
think it was a sweet moment, right, do you get
what I'm saying? I do?

Speaker 1 (13:02):
I do.

Speaker 2 (13:03):
And my wondering is because even with this sweet moment,
I think women, black women, let's be honest, people across
the nation, we're carrying the heavy burden of the next
what is it twenty eight twenty nine or so days
away from the election, what do you say to people,

(13:25):
maybe even specifically are women, about how they can care
for themselves in this moment, even with the tenderness of
the acknowledgment of what it is that we've done for America.

Speaker 3 (13:35):
Yeah, I think that's a good question in terms of
how we care for ourselves. In fact, I've had this
conversation in the last five days. I've had this conversation
several times. So this morning I had the conversation on
a prayer call.

Speaker 2 (13:51):
Yes, and you lead a rather incredible and large prayer call.

Speaker 1 (13:57):
Shout out to the prayer call, right.

Speaker 4 (13:58):
But that was before black women.

Speaker 3 (14:00):
That was so all of this is very synergistic, right
in terms of my work from you know, Wall Street,
I trained million dollar producers on Wall Street, you know,
Birthing Girlfriends, Prey Ministries years ago. That was for black women.
My work on Wall Street and training and development in
M and OD it was for people. But then you know,

(14:21):
workforce and then and then women the work that I
do now, you know, two weeks ago I was called
to do a strategy session for women senators, which I
have been for a few years now with emerge and
so I'm calling Yeah, I'm always calling plays so so
so yeah, but here's what I've shared. And last week
I was called to speak with women executives in pharma

(14:45):
because because there's a lot of layoffs happening right now
across industry. So it's not just pharma, it's tech, it's
professional services.

Speaker 4 (14:54):
And so here's what I'm sharing.

Speaker 2 (14:56):
Standard Is it the standard or is it or are
you seeing a trend with the.

Speaker 1 (14:59):
Being more women?

Speaker 3 (15:01):
So I think one part of it is standard. This
is what happens in business, particularly in the private sector,
commercial corporate. They go through seasonal downsize and restructuring. Okay,
so that's it's typical. What I am hearing is no,
d it's worse. And I said, how so why is

(15:22):
it worse? Complete departments being you know, wiped down. I'm like, okay,
but just know, because see I'm a mature, professional black woman,
I've seen this. I'm like, it's seasonal, it's cyclical, it happens.
They're like, no, it's really bad. And so so here's
what I shared, right back to your question and how

(15:42):
we should be caring for ourselves. It's the GIP. I
want everybody to run the play. It's grateful, intentional and prayerful.
It's how we need to move through this season g
ip grateful, being grateful for where we are right now,
so grateful for the job, for the moment. And the
exercise is writing a letter. You know, it's almost like

(16:04):
dear America, I love this. It's like dear fill in
the blank. Right, I'm a woman of faith, So dear
God or dear job or dear season, and just thank
you for this moment and everything good and great that
has come out of it. So we call it a
positive asset search give it a pass, a pas. What
is positive? So you write the letter of gratitude, a

(16:25):
letter of gratitude, even if it's a painful departure, even
if you're leaving a job, if you're relocating, whatever it
is in this season. Sure, right, And then I is intentional,
being very intentional about who you want to be and
how you want to land. So who do you want
to be right now, in this moment, in the next
thirty days, during the most consequential election in this you know,

(16:46):
in this moment, this point in time in America and
US history, deciding who do you want to be and
how do you want to land? Do you want to
be the person who is anxious? And you know who
is the conspiracy theorists like you know, or tracking every
negative thing sidebar, But I do believe we should be tracking.

Speaker 4 (17:08):
We need to be educated and aware.

Speaker 3 (17:09):
But deciding who you want to be in the season,
and then how do you want to land? And I'll
say this, I had this conversation with God earlier this
year about just being mindful that I wanted to have
the absolute best year of my life. I didn't want
to go down this path of doom and gloom because
that's where we were in March and April. It was oh, God, right,

(17:32):
and so I said, God, I want to wake up
on November sixth and be okay. I want to be grounded.
I want to be anchored. I don't want to be emotional.

Speaker 1 (17:41):
I don't have to you.

Speaker 2 (17:43):
I know you teach us all about manifesting. We talked
a little bit about the breakthrough I want to talk
about and correct me if I'm using the right term
the breakdown.

Speaker 1 (17:57):
Do you believe DEI as is right now.

Speaker 3 (18:00):
Is under a tech Absolutely, We're in the season of reversity.
It's an anti DEI movement. We're at deifour dot Oh,
that's what it is. It is highly politicized, complicated relationship
that's being led by.

Speaker 4 (18:14):
Influencers in the US.

Speaker 3 (18:16):
There are political influencers and you know, the billionaire influencers
that are driving an anti DEI movement that is the
biggest pushback against fifty years of black progress. Absolutely, and
so absolutely it is. Absolutely, there's no I don't think
it's no longer a secret. It's not hidden, it's not

(18:37):
things are being done and sort of swept under the carpet.

Speaker 4 (18:40):
No, it's upfront and center. There is you know, a.

Speaker 2 (18:43):
Course looking at things that happen with the Fearless Fund.
We tracked everything there. If I'm honest, that was really
truly my first indicator that okay, we're going backward. And
that's after and you've been in this work for so long,
but it seemed we had COVID nineteen and set DEI
popped and now it feels like there's a regression from

(19:05):
COVID nineteen.

Speaker 1 (19:05):
But it's my timeline right there.

Speaker 3 (19:07):
Here's your timeline. You're absolutely right. Your timeline was the
diversity tipping point was DEI three dot H the period
beginning May of twenty twenty, when all of corporate America
for the first time acknowledge black lives air quotes do matter,
and they begin making contributions to course correct what they

(19:29):
thought was, you know, course correcting systemic racism. So your
timeline is right, because remember the pandemic was in March
of twenty twenty. Well, the pandemic within the pandemic, the
global or the reckoning, right, we were amid a reckoning
of against black people in the US. That's that was
the timeline, and it began May twenty fifth of twenty

(19:52):
twenty dn I three dot zho yes, and then it
brings us Now that was after the previous season was
d and I two, which was a prioritized gender diversity.
It was as a result of hashtag me too.

Speaker 1 (20:07):
That's right.

Speaker 3 (20:08):
I remember this deis movement based, that's right. Should it
be movement based?

Speaker 4 (20:13):
No, but it is the nature yeah, yeah, but it is.

Speaker 2 (20:18):
Now you're making headlines right now. I just read about
you yesterday. You are a part of a coalition. If
I may of other people who are looking to work
to ensure that we can have the right policies for DEI,
then we can protect DEI policies. Can you share a
little bit more about that.

Speaker 3 (20:35):
Yeah, So earlier this year in watching every week, there
was a law or you know, an anti DEI law.
DEI is a diversity, equity and inclusion, and it really started.
Diversity is really about representation. Is there diverse representation wherever
we are? Inclusion is really about when there's representation, whether

(20:58):
it's workplace or school, where wherever it is. Are you
going into a place that is inclusive or exclusive? Do
people feel welcome seeing her respected for their unique difference? Right,
So that's diversity and inclusion, and of course equity is
about fair fairness, if you will. In March of this year,
I was in DC protesting with Black Women's Roundtable, which

(21:23):
Melanie Campbell is the convener of that. She is the
presidency of National Coalition of Black Melanie President of I
love Melanie Campbell. She really is one of the strongest
and the most well respected general doing the work on
the ground, but in any event protesting, and she asked
me specifically to speak out on DEI. She knew that
was our work. I'm the senior advisor or I serve

(21:43):
as a DEI senior advisor. I've written a report for
her and such. So that was the beginning of having
to have specific conversations around diversity, equity and inclusion. A
few days later, we had a meeting. She convened a
meeting with Majority Leader Chuck. There were only seven women
in the room that Melanie put together. Arian Simone, gorgeous

(22:06):
Greatness was of course in the room with Rachel Norlinger
and doctor Barber Skinner Williams. And it was specifically on
DEI and what are we doing? That was the question,
what are you going to? Yeah, what are you all doing? Like,
we're not going to sit back? And then we went
to a meeting with the Assistant Attorney General, Christian Clark

(22:27):
and Melie Campbell. Black Women's round Table convened a meeting
of black women. There was probably about a dozen of us,
and it was on DEI. It wasn't voting rights, it
wasn't you know, policing, It was diversity, equity, inclusion and
what are you all doing?

Speaker 4 (22:41):
And what And.

Speaker 2 (22:41):
When you say what are you all doing? You mean
that was your question to then exactly let me ask
you something. Did you all already have the answer?

Speaker 1 (22:49):
And if so, what was it?

Speaker 3 (22:51):
Yeah, so you know, I don't know that we had
a specific answer at the moment. It was more their
needs to be I would say, we need to shift
from defense to offensive strategy, like we're not going to
sit back and watch this pushback of you know, fifty

(23:11):
years of black progress and not hold our electeds accountable.
So part of it is accountability, part of it is partnership.
I believe with our elected officials then a work in partnership.
But we also have a responsibility to hold them accountable
and to say something and to use our voice. Which
is why this makes so much sense. Dear America and

(23:32):
letters from us. This is about what you've started. It's
using your voice.

Speaker 1 (23:37):
That's right.

Speaker 3 (23:38):
You even asked the question about civic so we're answering
the question here. It's using your voice and your access
and so. But when I came back, and I'll make
this brief, when I came back to New Jersey, I
had already started asking influencers in New Jersey, right, people
who are doing great work in our state. People are
already doing stuff. I'm like, is anybody working on convenience

(24:00):
stakeholders from around the state of New Jersey on this
very topic, Is anybody doing that I asked everybody, the
people that and they said no. They were honest, and
some of them knew that I was asking a bigger question.
And you know what they said to me, They said no,
and go, go, go go, because they already knew the
way that I think. And so what I'm doing right

(24:22):
now to ask your question answer your question is I'm
raising a flag and a call for a state of
DEI emergency, and I'm working with Senator Angela McKnight, who
was stepped with love her jilla, but she really stepped
in because the late Congressman Donald Payne Junior, said yes,

(24:43):
we should do this. We scheduled a meeting. It was
for April twenty fourth to convene stakeholders around the state.
It would be with the congressmen and Congressman Bonnie Watson Coleman,
and unfortunately he passed on the day that we were
to have that meeting. Yes, and so it was yeah
on that day. So I'll say it was so painful.

(25:03):
I didn't know how to recalibrate. I was, you know,
frustrated by what was happening. And then I no longer
had an advocate, which is kind of how we started
our relationship with him, and then congress Woman Bonnie gave
me Senator McKnight and so we have come together and
we are working right now to take care of the
things that you know, you know, those who reside in

(25:24):
the state New Jersey care about and concerned about with
respect to DEI. And so that is what we're doing
convenings so we can get clear and what are the needs,
what are the impact of reversity and the state of
DEI right now? And then we're going to do something
about it as well.

Speaker 2 (25:40):
We have to have every member of the committee on
the show, like we need to have that. Yes, let
me ask you this question. What do you say, just
bringing it back to civics one oh one, what do
you say to the woman of color, the black woman
who is tired, exhausted, broken, and it's not voting or

(26:04):
is not thinking of voting as we approach this presidential.

Speaker 1 (26:07):
What do you say to her?

Speaker 4 (26:09):
Wow?

Speaker 1 (26:10):
What's your letter to her?

Speaker 3 (26:11):
Wow? I don't even know that I thought about us
not voting. I think I thought you'd be surprised. I
thought about the larger contingency of black men. And so
I love your question about the black woman who may
not and.

Speaker 2 (26:31):
Who may not yet I'm going to be hopeful, but
who may right now listening not be convinced.

Speaker 1 (26:38):
What do you tell her?

Speaker 3 (26:39):
Yeah, you know, I think if I had to say,
in short, I have two thoughts. I have one. You're voting.
You're not voting. Is a vote for your daughter to
have less less rights than you have. You're not voting.
Is giving permission or taking away your daughter, your granddaughter,

(27:03):
your niece, your neighbors right, potentially her right to make
decisions about her body. You're not voting, And so vote
for your daughter, your niece, your granddaughter, your neighbor, the girls,
the women who are looking up to you. Vote for

(27:27):
her to have the right to make decisions for herself.
If you can't pull it together for anything else, just
think about her, or think about the ten year old
you so dear black women, think about the ten year
old you, the sixteen year old you, dear black woman

(27:50):
who's tired. I know you're tired. This, I know this
one not last thing, because there'll be more things. But
one in important thing that has to do with your
girls are on the table. They're on the ballot. Babe, baby,
You're girls.

Speaker 1 (28:10):
You're about to have me go home and implement my early.

Speaker 2 (28:13):
Voting, okay, because early voting is open and active. D.
I want to thank you so much, and this is
not going to be the last time we hear your
voice and we see your beautiful face on this show.
This is Dear America with Chanelle Barnes, and we are
interviewing real people, telling real stories, capturing real voices.

Speaker 1 (28:34):
Thank you, D. This has been a Project Ready production.

Speaker 3 (28:40):
To learn more and effect change, log onto Project readyenja
dot org or listen anytime on all major podcast carriers.