April 21, 2021 • 51 mins
Farah Muscadin serves as the City of Austin, Director, Office of Polic Oversight. She was appointed to this position due to her wide range of experience and expertise, and for her demonstrated commitment to fairness and transparency. Farah’s mission is to improve trust between Austin residents and the Austin Police Department.
Farah studied business and law and holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Iowa College of Law. She served in leadership roles at Chicago State University, Cook County Public Defender’s office, and for the Mayor of the City of Chicago. Her community involvement includes being a mentor through the GirlForward organization and serving on the board of YWCA Greater Austin.
We are so proud to present this interview, led by Founder of Movement Maker - Terri Broussard Williams.
This episode was recorded in October of 2020.
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Season 2 of the Pink Granite Podcast is generously sponsored by:
Davis Kaufman
Public Blueprint
Denise Rose
Amy Whited
Thank you for listening!
Guest: Farah Muscadin
Host: Terri Broussard Williams
Editing: Amy Whited
Music: "Only the Brave Run Wild" Sounds Like Sander
Voice Talent: Sarah Keats
Executive Producer: Amy Whited
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Terri Broussard William (00:04):
Welcome to this episode of Pink Granite,
(00:37):
I'm Terri Broussard Williams,the founder of Movement Maker.
And it's always the pleasure andan honor to be here on this
platform. And today, it's even areal treat or like a greater
treat than normal, because I'mhere with Farah Muscadin, who is
in an incredible Firestarter, afemale leader, and someone who
always shows up with integrityin their heart. Welcome Farah.
Farah Muscadin (01:01):
Welcome. Thank you for being here. It's good to
see you Terri.
Terri Broussard Williams (01:06):
I know I have not seen people it since
March. But to see you on videois definitely a treat. I can
always feel your energy. So eventhrough video I can I can feel
it.
Farah Muscadin (01:21):
Thank you.
Terri Broussard Williams (01:23):
Well, I have been looking forward to
this conversation for a lot ofreasons. One, because you are
such a sparkly, smart human. Andto because you've had such a
journey since you've been herein Austin. And I think it's
something that the listeners canlearn from but also be inspired
by. So I want to just getstarted with some some basics.
(01:46):
Tell us who you are, how longyou've been in Austin, and how
you made your way here.
Farah Muscadin (01:54):
Okay, so my name is Farah Muscadin. I am the
Director of the Office of PoliceOversight. It's a department in
the City of Austin. And weprovide oversight over the
Austin Police Department. And weare also basically the place
where members of the communityif they have a positive or
negative experience with APD,they come to our office. And so
(02:17):
it's been an interesting journeywith coming into this role. I am
originally from Chicago. I grewup in a small suburb of Chicago.
And in 2016, I was reallylooking to making a change in my
life. And so I was working at auniversity that was going
through state university thatwas going through some financial
(02:39):
troubles. They were state fundeduniversity in the state hadn't
passed a budget and so they hadto really make some tough
decisions. And they had tolayoff 300 people. So I'm the
300 people that was a third oftheir staff and staff of 900
have been laid off 300 and so Iwas one of those 300 at the end
(03:00):
of April. And I was just lookingfor something different. I
honestly thought I was going togo to DC DC is like one of my
favorite cities. I thought I wasgoing to go work at George Mason
University. But that didn't workout. And in a weird way. Austin
kind of fell in my lap. The lasttime I had been Austin was maybe
(03:21):
20 years ago. I came for springbreak during law school. And
Austin is so different sodifferent than what I remember.
SXSW was literally just on SixthStreet and you got dropped off a
couple blocks and you just kindof walk in and out of bars on
Sixth Street. It isn't what itis now. It's amazing what is
going into but and so I decidedto come out to visit Austin
(03:47):
Memorial Day weekend 2016. AndI'm somebody that I go how I
feel about situations and kindof one of those universe people.
And so literally the second Igot off the plane, I knew I was
meant to be in Austin. And so Ijust got off the plane and
started looking for an apartmentand so I wound up moving to
(04:07):
Austin on July 2016. So once Icome once I came back from
holiday weekend I put my houseon the market, found a tenant
and sold all my stuff packed upmy car and moved to Austin. And
so it's been an interestingjourney. I don't know if I would
recommend moving to a place withno friends and no job and no
connections. I don't know if Iwould recommend that. But I
(04:28):
think that everybody's journeyis their own journey. I left
Chicago in a pretty even thoughI'd been laid off. I had worked
in politics in Chicago. And so Iwasn't concerned about not
having a job in Chicago. Andworking in politics affords a
lot of opportunities. So theywere there for me and I left a
few job offers in Chicago tocome to Austin with no job. It
(04:52):
was humbling, I'd have to saybecause I tend to be very proud
of my resume. But when you cometo a city that's not where
you're from, like, no one elsein cared about my experience in
Chicago, you don't I mean, andso it was interesting, my
humbling journey because, youknow, I really did start over
(05:13):
like with meeting friends,networking, having new
professionals connections, Ireally have nothing when I came
here. So I was building up fromscratch. And so you know, I, I
took every opportunity to, tomeet people. So I did all sorts
(05:37):
of jobs. So I was areceptionist, I worked in music
store I was, I did legaldocument review, which really
kind of sucks the life out ofyou. I hated legal document. So
then I decided, you know what,let me spend some time
volunteering, getting to knowmore people in the community. So
I just did that. And then it wasit was I hit a year of kind of
(06:02):
being unemployed orunderemployed. I was like, What
am I going to do? And so Irandomly found this job on
LinkedIn, because I scouredLinkedIn every single day, being
a community engagementstrategist in this department,
but I couldn't find thedepartment on the city's
website. And so I want tocalling a few people asking them
I'm like, is this a realdepartment because the job also
(06:24):
wasn't posted on the citywebsite. So I was like, is this
a scam? We'll turn it in. Andbut it was a two month job. And
I remember having a conversationwith my parents, like, I can't
take a two month job, like, Ineed a job job. And I remember
parents are like, you shouldn'tworry about that is two to two
months, you're like, go in, doyour thing, he'll be fine. And
so my parents were right. And soI took that job in August of
(06:49):
2017. Didn't know thisliterally. And then from that
job, it was working on aconsumer protection grant. And
it was housed in the partner wasthe innovation office, and they
were housing City Hall. So I wasliterally in City Hall every
day, and you meet all sorts ofpeople in City Hall. And so from
(07:10):
then I was asked to be theproject manager for the redesign
of the city's website, which wascrazy to me, because like, I can
barely do Excel, right? And me,I like, okay, you want me to,
like help manage the redesign ofthe city's website using it
wasn't just the design, there'sthe technology behind it. And
(07:31):
they're like, nope, you'll befine. I mean, you have the skill
set that we're looking for. Andso they were actually right,
like, it actually worked outthat a non techie was on the
team, because the team was madeup of techies, and they speak a
completely different language.
We practice I'm like, Well, ify'all can get me to understand
it, then you can get the messageto understand it, you know what
I mean. And so, and it helpswith getting them organized and
(07:51):
getting the project back, backon track. And then I started
that job in October 2017. Andthen I started getting these
random phone calls. from peopleI didn't know when I was like,
kind of what's going on.
Eventually, I figured out thatsomeone had recommended me to be
the interim police monitor, andthat was really interesting,
(08:13):
because at the time, I didn'tknow Austin had police monitors
office. And then I wound upmeeting with the interim city
manager in January. And sheoffered me the job and so I had
that job by the end of Januaryof 2018. So it's amazing because
even though a year to finallyget a job that two month job, I
(08:35):
essentially had two three jobsin six months with the city and
then I got the job permanentlyabout five months later. So it
just seemed kind of like thingsjust fell into place. For me
that just the the networking andjust not giving up because it's
sometimes can get really easy togive up and kind of second guess
(08:57):
yourself but really, I had a lotof support. And I just kind of
had to hang in there until theright thing happened and what's
the right thing happened doorsjust started opening and it was
just insane.
Terri Broussard Williams (09:11):
I want to jump in here you said a whole
lot. But there's some thingsthat I would love for us to just
double click on and talk aboutbecause I mean you said so many
things, so many things that willresonate with the people that
are listening. And the first isjust moving Austin you know, I
moved to Austin knowing twopeople and I did have a job so I
(09:36):
was fortunate in that manner.
But it can be a hard city tocrack into we think you know
keep Austin weird. It's so muchfun. But especially when you're
a person of color or you're ablack woman coming to the city
it can be a very challengingthing just to find your your
your way in. And so you did thatI remember you calling you know,
email telling me, you know,saying, Hey, I'm new to town and
(10:02):
I'm like, this girl really No,she getting into this is a hard
place to navigate. But, youknow, I think that you can
really give some inspiration topeople who are thinking about
moving here. You know, as a youand I have talked before, Austin
is the only city in the countrywhere the number of black people
(10:26):
who are here today are not goingto be the number of black people
who are here a year from now,it's going to be less than. So
tell us a little bit about whatthat was like. Yeah, especially
coming from Chicago.
Farah Muscadin (10:38):
Yeah, no, it was interesting. I put out into the
universe that I wanted to movesomewhere that was the polar
opposite of Chicago. And Austinis absolutely the polar opposite
of Chicago. And in every aspect,we literally have nothing in
common and so. So yeah, it was,I feel like I'm a natural
networker. And so it comes veryeasy to me, one of the things
(11:02):
that I did is that when I,before I moved out here, I sent
out like 500, random LinkedInrequests to people I didn't know
like, I didn't know anybody. Andmost people accepted it. And I
would email them and be like,I'm not an expert, or I'm just
kind of moving to Austin, and Idon't know anybody. And can we
(11:22):
connect. And so it wasinteresting, because one of the
people that I connected withworked for the city in the
Procurement Office, and she'sjust like, the second you get
here, call me, and we'll gettogether. And so literally, I
came to Austin on a Wednesday,and I called her when I got
here. And she invited me to, todinner, and to go to a movie and
(11:48):
with her friends, and who areher friends Sylnovia Holt-Rabb
who's the deputy director of theeconomic development department,
and Dr. Pierce Burnette, who'sthe president of HTU. So it was
just amazing. So they have beensuper, super helpful. And what
(12:08):
was interesting is about eightmonths into living here, I was
appointed to the AfricanAmerican quality of life
commission. And that wasamazing. And who was the liaison
to the commission was SylnoviaHolt-Rabb. And so it was just,
you know, and I had coffee withLinda Medina Lopez was one of
the people I met is just like,she will help anybody. And so I
(12:32):
met with her and she helped memeet people in the Girl Scouts.
And she's involved in a lot ofstuff. And so she just kind of
opened herself to me, she's theone who introduced me to
leadership, Austin encouraged meto apply, I and so it was just
amazing how a lot of the peoplethat I just reached out to
randomly on LinkedIn, were justso helpful. And, you know, part
(12:54):
of networking is also followingup. So, you know, I was
messaging these people in May, Imoved in July. And so it was
also kind of continuing havingthose connections and just, you
know, pinging them every sooften. And many of them I met,
you know, in person and hadcoffee with and, you know, just
try it because it is hard, likewhen you move to a city and you
(13:16):
have no friends. You know what Imean? There's no I do know,
like, girl night, you know, doesnot exist, it doesn't exist. You
have to you have to build that.
And to your point about theAfrican American community I
made the rookie mistake isnumber one, I told you, I got
off the plane, I went to lookfor an apartment, well it took
me to Westlake.
Terri Broussard Williams (13:35):
Oh.
Farah Muscadin (13:41):
Yeah, and so that was interesting. I just
loved 360 and I love justbeautiful 360. And so I was just
like, and I was leaving such astressful job. And part of me
making the decision to move itwasn't because I wanted
something different. It's alsobecause I really wanted a
different lifestyle for myselfbecause I mean, you can
Chicago's just a fast lifestyle.
And it's really about kind ofwho you know, and in people want
(14:03):
things yesterday and it's a hardplace to kind of stop and smell
the roses. And that's reallywhat I was looking for. And so I
was looking to really kind ofslow down, breathe, literally
breathe and take a break. And soI remember when I was driving
down 360 I was like, just thescenery was so calming to me. I
was like, I want to live overhere. So that's really how I got
(14:23):
there, not knowing that it's notthe most diverse.
Terri Broussard Williams (14:30):
Okay, I lived off 360 my first
apartment was the gableschampion. grandview off 360 and
I just remember driving downthat road and thinking like how
blessed am I to live here withthis is beautiful.
Farah Muscadin (14:42):
Yeah, it's it's beautiful over there. Yeah, no,
it was it was it was so nice. Ilived there you know two years
and you know, because I didn'treally have like a steady job. I
can you know, come and go as Iplease. I wasn't really stuck in
that 360 traffic. You know whatI mean? And I just you know,
wherever anybody invited me, Ididn't care what it was, because
(15:04):
I didn't really know the citywell enough to understand how
the traffic patterns and kind ofliving kind of closer to where
you work. So I went everywhere.
I was in South Austin, EastAustin, north, I went everywhere
and care. I mean, as long as theGPS could guide me there, I, you
know, it was fine with me. Andso from that standpoint, it
helped me get to know the city alittle bit more, and just kind
of the uniqueness of thedifferent neighborhoods and
(15:25):
stuff like that. So yeah, no, Iappreciated that. I would just
say that. I think it's importantto be consistent when you meet
people, and you're networking.
Because everybody's busy. And Ithink that people have good
intentions is not that reallypeople ignore you from not
(15:45):
responsible, they just get busy.
And so I know, I appreciate theextra ping saying, because half
the time I forgot to respond, orit's in draft, or I didn't
respond, I forgot to hit STAT.
Do you know what I mean? And solike, I always appreciate when
someone follows up with me andsays, Hey, can you do you know
what I mean? And so I did a lotof that. And I went to a lot of
(16:06):
free events. There's a lot offree events, I think people I
mean, now with COVID, it'sdifferent. But Austin is a place
where there's a lot of freeevents. And I had a dog at the
time I have to now, but thereare a lot of free dog events in
Boston. So I went to a lot ofthose. And it was just a great
way to meet people. And Iremember there's this yoga
(16:28):
studio 360 that I would want toand I remember just randomly
talking to this woman. And shewas so nice. And she we just hit
it off. And she wound upinviting me to a fundraiser for
the refuge. And it was allwomen. And I swear they raised
like $250,000 in like an hourand room of like powerful women
(16:52):
in Austin like the who's who,from a random woman I met at the
yoga studio who invited mebecause, you know, she thought
it would be a good place for meto network. And so I just met
all sorts of people fromattending that event that she
invited me to, and in she comesmy ticket, I didn't pay anything
I like to do is show up. And soI thought that was really nice.
(17:13):
But those I have a lot ofstories like that for people in
Austin, that I met here.
Terri Broussard Williams (17:19):
And I you know, I think there were a
couple of things that you saidthat we should underline. And I
think you'd have to beintentional with what you put
out. You started off by sendingout 500 connection requests in
May, but you didn't move tillJuly. And then you were
determined, like you followed upand you made sure that people
knew that you really wanted toget to know them. But also some
(17:42):
of it is just who you are. Youtruly are this, this ray of
light and sparkly persons. Ithink that people are drawn to
that. And Austin welcomes that.
So if you are listening andyou're thinking about moving to
Austin, know that there isdefinitely a path in a way I
have a very similar story. Imoved here again, the only two
people and the week that Imoved, neither of them were
(18:03):
here. But you know, I had servedon the board of leadership
Lafayette and had just graduatedfrom leadership, Louisiana,
which is like leadership,Austin, it's a co ed program,
which is a little different thanleadership, Texas. But you know,
I didn't know anyone. So Icalled leadership Austin and was
like, hey, I want to volunteerwhat you got. And Heather
(18:25):
mckissick was in her first monthon the job and she had coffee
with me and found me a committeespot. And you know, next thing I
knew I was plugged in, but youhave to, you know, show up with
a good heart, good work ethicand good intentions. And I say
that all the time. If you havethose three things, three
things, when you're here, you'regoing to be fine. And so one
thing that you said that I justlove was that you know you were
(18:48):
thinking about Should I applyfor the job, that's two months
or not, and your parents arelike, just go and do your thing.
What I've learned from you isthat you are so connected with
your family and your heritage,and you have this incredible
political story, even withinyour family, tell us how your
family has really shaped yourlife.
Farah Muscadin (19:10):
Yeah, so both my parents are immigrants from
Haiti, my whole family isHaitian. And it is how I
identify it's a very huge partof my life. And how I see the
world I have a very kind ofglobal perspective. And I think
that definitely comes from myfrom my parents. And so Haitian
(19:35):
Parents are very strict. Youknow, you become lawyers or
doctors or engineers. And soambitions were high. You know,
college was not an option. Iactually grew up with my parents
telling me that they were goingto pick the college and I was
going to go to which wasinteresting. I mean, they never,
they never really, they're justtold me that but it didn't
(19:57):
happen that way. I got to go toAnd so it's just I also have a
very close relationship with mymom's siblings. So my mom's
younger sister is one of my bestfriends. And my uncle, my mom's
younger brother. My mom'soldest, is a huge mentor. He's
(20:18):
an attorney. And he's ashareholder with green Greenberg
Traurig, and so he was the onewho connected me with Karen. And
so the four of them really, Idon't really make a decision in
my life without consulting thefour of them. And so they, it
was actually my uncle who putAustin and said, Why don't you
live in Austin? And that's howthe research started. And so
(20:41):
yeah, so it's just very, veryclose knit. very supportive. I
had, you know, part of thereason why I stayed in Chicago
for so long is because myparents were there. And I had
such a close relationship withmy parents. I mean, the first
house I bought was down thestreet. And so, um, so it was,
(21:02):
it was tough decision to move.
But I also realized that, youknow, it was my time, right, you
know, and it was time for me todo what I wanted to do for
myself. And just because Iwasn't geographically close to
my parents didn't mean that Iwouldn't maintain being close to
them. And so they understoodthat I really needed to be on my
own journey. And were really asuper supportive, and they just
knew that it was just a matterof time. And so like, there was
(21:28):
one moment where I thought,well, because I still pretty so
connected to Chicago, and I wasstill getting calls for
opportunities. And, you know, mydad's like, no, they're like,
You're not coming back.
(21:57):
So yeah, there was a point intime where I thought I was
approaching. This was summer2017. And I was approaching like
(22:22):
a year of being unemployed,underemployed, really
unemployed. And I've just alwaysbeen a very independent person.
I've just always kind of done myown thing and supporting myself.
And you know, it was just, Ifelt like I needed to make some
decisions. And then a part of mewas like, Well, did I make the
(22:43):
right decision by moving? Youknow, especially with not having
anything? Should I have waiteduntil I had something before I
moved, you know, all those kindof self doubt thoughts that come
come into your head, and myparents were like, no, they're
like, you're meant to be there.
Just be patient. It's coming in.
So. And they really pushed me toapply for that two month job,
(23:05):
because I thought like, youknow, this two month job is a
two month job, right. And Ithink they even said that they
weren't going to extend it inthe job posting. And so yeah, so
it was, it was just amazing toget that job. And then it was a
community engagement job. So Iutilized that job to not only do
(23:29):
community engagement on theproject I was working on, but
also to meet people in thecommunity. And a lot of those
people that this is why I thinkthat like, for me, like
understanding kind of theuniverse and how everything
happens for a reason. But a lotof those people that I was
meeting during communityengagement for that project, or
a lot of the people who kind ofsigned off and endorsed me to
(23:51):
become the interim policemonitor. And so like, had I not
had that job and taking thoseopportunities to meet the people
in the community who was workingwith you this grant, I just
don't know, like if that wouldhave happened. And so it was, it
was helpful for me in gettingthis job that I wasn't from
Austin, which was odd, because Ifelt like part of the reason why
(24:13):
I was having a hard time gettinga job is because most of
everything on my resume wasChicago. But the fact that I had
had, you know, relationships inthe community really helps,
helps me and kind of pushed meover the edge and getting that
job too. So it wasn't just aboutbeing new. It was about Yeah, I
knew but also members of thecommunity knew who I was.
Terri Broussard Williams (24:34):
I talk a lot about faith and fortitude.
Just faith is having this beliefthat there's something out there
bigger than yourself, you know,this belief that you know, what
is meant to be for you to workon or to be a part of what
happened. fortitude is justknowing there's always, always a
way. And so, you know,everything that you said speaks
to both of those things. And Ithink that we don't realize how
(24:59):
much What is happening to peopleright now, you know, you were at
a university that had to layoffa third of the workforce, how
many state institutions arehaving lay people off right now?
You know, and, and then you showup at the space and just find a
way. And so I think that I justwant, I appreciate your
(25:20):
sincerity and your honesty,because these are things that
are happening to people rightnow. And I think that you can
really just show people thatthere, there is always a way,
you have to have that fortitude.
And so I want to change theconversation up a little bit and
talk about fortitude even alittle more. And so you know,
I've had the opportunity ofwatching you from afar lead, at
(25:41):
a time when it is not easy tolead, no lead at a time where
you know, the skin that you werethat we were, can be heavy
inside, and also heavy just inthe world around us. And the
watch you lead at a time wherethe work that you do. Everyone
has all their eyes on you. Andso fortitude, knowing that there
(26:07):
is a way knowing that you aremeant for this role. Knowing
that you have worked your way tohave this role definitely serves
you every day. But tell us alittle bit what is it like day
to day being in charge ofsomething that is so bigger than
all of us?
Farah Muscadin (26:26):
Yeah, so it is it has changed. It has changed a
lot. So I've been in this roletwo and a half years. And when I
first was appointed, it was likebeing thrown into the fire
because it was unchartedterritory for the city and the
police department. Because thereit had been maybe the first time
in a very, very long time inrecent memory that the city
(26:48):
didn't have a contract with theUS to Police Association. And
obviously, I didn't have thatbackground, because I wasn't you
know, here. And so it threw mein the into the fire of that
situation, it threw me into avery, very heavy political
climate. I got to know councilmembers very well right away,
(27:14):
which was interesting. And a lotof my work that I was doing or
that I was tasked with was goingto receive a lot of public
attention and praise andscrutiny, right? Because
essentially, I was tasked withfiguring out what the best
police oversight structure wasfor the city of Austin. And so
(27:38):
it it, it was really interestingin that I felt like I was like,
I'm built for this, like, I feltlike every job and every
experience that I had prior tothat really prepared me for this
moment. And it was a hot seatmoment. And I was working
(28:00):
constantly. But I didn't like noone was really gonna see me
sweat, right. And so I also feltlike, you know, I got this
because I've been in thosesituations as a lobbyist, as a
public defender, you know, whatI mean, is working, I used to be
on a lobbying team. So I wasjust like, with all of those
things that I had experiencedthere. I'm like, this is really
(28:22):
important. And it is a big deal.
But I knew I could handle it.
And I knew it was also anopportunity to establish myself
as a person in the city ofAustin that nobody knew. And so
in a way I was proving myselfand also establishing myself in
the position. And so I thinkthat's always something that
(28:45):
particularly with new peoplethat you have to be mindful of,
is that in a way, I guess youcan say it was an audition, so
to speak. But I was really I wasfundamentally passionate about
the work because I had alwaysbeen interested in wanting to be
involved in community policing.
And what was so odd again, thisis the universe was so odd about
this is that obviously I didn'tknow that this is my path,
(29:09):
right? I didn't even know thisoffice existed. But when I got
here, I got involved in policingissues. And so one of the things
that I took up when I was on thecommission was getting to know
APD and going on a ride alongand Who would have known that
only a few months later, would Ibe in this position and the
(29:30):
chain of command would have beenlike oh yeah, we know her she
contact we know from thecommission and she contact has
to be on a ride along and she'scalled us to talk to us about
you know, the Austin policedepartment so like, those touch
points and kind of relationshipswere already kind of there by
got there, but I didn't even butI didn't know that it would be
helpful to me later on. Right.
(29:52):
And so now it's it's I say it'sdifferent. Because we have built
this new office. We gone fromthe Office of police monitor the
Office of police oversight. Ithink that we have more kind of
public recognition. And peopleknow that we exist and are more
educated about what we do. But,you know, post George Floyd and
(30:13):
the protests the work hasbecome, it has always been
important. But I think nowpeople really see how it can be
meaningful to to long standingchange. And it has absolutely
elevated my position. And so I'mon the executive team working on
reimagining public safety forthe city of Austin. I'm the
(30:35):
project lead for a lot ofassessments that's going on in
the police department. And, andI see this as a compliment. And
also a vote of trust, when weare my office has practically
doubled in two years in terms offunding, staffing, and we have
(30:55):
been given our scope hasexpanded exponentially. And so I
see that as a vote of confidencefrom the city manager and
council saying that we knowFarah's work, we know she can
handle this expansion. And wealso want to invest in police
oversight, because we think it'simportant for our community. So
(31:17):
we went from 1.7 million to 3.4million, and, you know, 11
employees to know, excuse me,20. And so that is that is
unbelievable. And part of you,I'm saying it's unbelievable,
because city of Austin has hadoversight since 2002. And so for
(31:37):
16 years, it had basically hadthe same budget, maybe about a
million dollars, 1.1 million.
And in two years, we havedoubled the budget. So I mean,
for me, I see. And I you know, Italked about this with my staff,
I mean, it's not just about me,it's about us as a staff in
terms of what we were able toaccomplish and how we have not
only the trust of the community,but we have the trust of Council
(31:59):
of the city manager to reallysay we're going to invest in
this work, because we see it asa key stakeholder in getting us
to where we want to be, which isequitable policing, where that's
fundamentally what we're talkingabout what we want is every
community in the city of Austinto be released in the same way,
and we know that they're not.
(32:19):
And so and I appreciate us, theOffice of police oversight
really being an activestakeholder in that
conversation. Because we clearlyhave a vested interest in
ensuring that everybody feelssafe and is treated
respectfully.
Terri Broussard Williams (32:36):
Yeah, you can grow that team from 11
to 20. Because you're showing upwith a good heart, good
intentions and good work ethic.
And so those are the things thatallow you to be a leader that's
going to turn this moment into amovement. So I'm not surprised
by any of that. And I know thatit hasn't come easy, you know,
there ever been a time where youjust wanted to throw your hands
(32:57):
in the air and say I'm, I mighthave come here with nothing, I
might have waited two years forthis perfect role for me. But
I'm done. I give up. Has thatmoment ever crossed your mind?
Farah Muscadin (33:07):
No, no, if anything is the opposite. I have
always been somebody who hasbeen very upwardly mobile. And I
generally get the two year itch,because I just want to move up
the ladder. And this is probablythe first job that I've had. I
mean, this is literally myeighth career change all over
the place and make sense to me.
But I mean, I've, I've done somany different things. But this
(33:29):
is the first time I've been in aposition where I felt like I
wanted to stay. And I just feellike I I am building and
expanding at the same time. AndI really want to see it. Like
kind of my, my, my goals and myexpectations for the office come
to fruition. So no, I'm not butI mean, I am regularly
frustrated. I am you know, it isfrustrating working in a male
(33:55):
dominated environment. And Iwill say that male dominated and
policing is different than maledominated in lobbying. When I
was a, it was primarilyobviously white males who are
mainly lobbyists, there werevery few black female lobbyists
and even less female Latinxlobbyists. And so I'm, I'm used
(34:15):
to kind of the male dominatedindustries. When you add law
enforcement and the historicalcontext and kind of the the
institution of that into theequation, it's different. It's,
you know, I don't know what I'mdoing, or I don't know anything
about law enforcement. Icouldn't possibly know anything
(34:36):
about law enforcement. And, youknow, and you're a woman and you
don't really understand, youknow, what I mean?
Terri Broussard Williams (34:42):
The intimidation tactics, they're
not pretty.
Farah Muscadin (34:45):
Yeah, I mean, but they don't work on me and I
make it very clear.
Terri Broussard Williams (34:49):
Of course, you should talk about
that. You know, I don't thinkpeople realize just the
fortitude it takes everyday toshow up and show up with a good
heart and get you know, into thework that you do isn't easy. And
I don't think that people makeit easy for you tell us a little
bit about that.
Farah Muscadin (35:07):
No, they don't.
I think that the policedepartment and the Police
Association are used to, youknow, utilizing intimidation
tactics, and they've tried touse it on me, they've come after
me personally. But at the end ofthe day, you know, I am who I
am, I have good intentions and aperson for integrity. And
whatever they throw at me willnever stick. Right, it will
(35:29):
never stick period. And, andsometimes I have to be very
direct. And, you know, I havefour things that I'm very proud
of, right? I'm proud of the factthat I'm a Black woman, I'm
Black, I'm proud of the factthat I'm a woman. I'm proud of
the fact that I'm Haitian. AndI'm proud of the fact that I'm
from Chicago. So those fourthings I can tell you that the
Austin Police Department and theAustin Police Association has
not encountered, and I have allfour strategy in terms of what
(35:51):
they're used to, in terms oftheir intimidation tactics, may
have worked on other people, butthey're, they've, they're not
going to work on somebody withthose 4 characteristics that I
have. And so they're gonna haveto come up with something
different because I've seen it,I've been through it. And this
is really kind of childsplay interms of their tactics. And so
it's not going to inhibit mefrom really pushing the
(36:15):
conversation forward and doingthe work. Because at the end of
the day, we're talking aboutlives, right. And so, you know,
I've told people this, thisexample, when I decided to move
down here, it was a year afterSandra Bland incident, and I am
someone who was veryindependent. I live my life,
like, no one could tell meanything, right. And I have
(36:39):
never been afraid to driveanywhere in my life. And one of
my closest friends from collegelaw school is a white woman. And
I called her and I asked her ifshe would drive from Chicago
with me to Austin. And so thatshould tell you a lot about what
it is for a person of color,particularly a Black person,
(37:00):
because I felt safer driving, Ithink that 16 or 14 hour drive
with a white woman with me inthe car than by myself. And I
related a lot to Sandra Bland.
We're both from a sort ofChicago, we're both moving to
Texas start on new lives. Andthat could have been me. Yeah,
(37:21):
that could have been me.
Terri Broussard Williams (37:22):
I just got goosebumps.
Farah Muscadin (37:23):
You know what I'm saying? And so that was a
real wakening for me becausethat that shifted for me is when
the world really changed when Iwhen I when I and my friend
understood. And she said yes,immediately, and she jumped out
with me. And we, we didn't blinkan eye. But the fact that I felt
like I needed to do that wasreally, you know, troubling. And
(37:47):
even most recently, I had todrive to Florida, because my
grandmother passed. And it's a16 hour drive. And my family
called me every hour on the hourto make sure I was okay. Tell me
what person, what white person,has to has a family member that
is concerned about them beingstopped by police on a road
trip, and they call you everyhour on the hour to make sure
(38:09):
you're safe. And so that, to me,is why I'm never going to stop
or feel that way about this workis because like I shouldn't need
my white friend to drive with mefrom Chicago. And I shouldn't
need my family to call me everyhour to make sure I'm safe from
police, from police. Right? Notthat the car broke down, or I
(38:30):
got into an accident, you knowwhat I mean? Like they want to
make sure I was because I'mdriving through Texas,
Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi,and three, all the names. They
want you to make sure I was safefrom police on a 16 hour trip.
And so that that should beconcerning to everybody, not
just the people who look likeme, that should be concerning,
(38:51):
because that essentially, is theworld that we live in. And I'm
not I'm not accepting that as astatus quo. I will never accept
that as the status quo, ever.
Terri Broussard Williams (39:01):
I don't, you know, life is so
complicated yet. So oftentimes,our perception of life is what
we see on TV, you know, what wemight see on CSI or Chicago PD
or whatever. People think thatthose things only happen on TV.
They happen in real life. Youknow, when, you know, people I
(39:25):
know walk their dogs aroundtheir neighborhood, I'm like,
are you walking your dog like indaylight? Like what you know,
like, we shouldn't have to, weshouldn't have to worry about
those things. And you know, whenyou do work, like what you're
doing or even the work that Ido, as you know, a Black
lobbyist because there are veryfew when I was in Louisiana,
rural like to same age, youknow, work hits different. It
(39:49):
feels different. You have agreater ownership of it. And
it's something that you chooseto do and you do it because you
know that if not you then whoand if not you then when So I'm
not surprised that you say theintimidation tactics don't work
on you. First of all, you'refrom Chicago. So when they go
low, you go high, right? But,but that work is just so much
(40:11):
more meaningful. And so, youknow, I want to begin to close
our conversation. And I want toask you, so what's next? What
does life look like beyond this?
Farah Muscadin (40:26):
Yeah, so I think what's next, I'm looking forward
to life post COVID. Because Ithink even that, that requires
some sort of reflection, becauseit's just our lives are just so
different. And so I'm absolutelylooking forward to towards life
post COVID. I am looking forwardto this transformation in
(40:54):
policing, it's going to be hard,but I know we can do it. And I
have faith that we can do ithere in Austin. And, you know,
I'm also looking forward to somemore kind of personal growth and
advancement in myself. Becauseeven though I've been here for
four years, it still feels new.
And so I, you know, I considermyself an Austinite, But I, you
(41:15):
know, I, I, I'm looking forwardto not feeling new anymore.
Terri Broussard Williams (41:24):
I don't know if that ever goes
away? I've been in Austin since2008. And I don't know, if I
still feel rooted. You know, Ican check all the boxes, I've
won, like all the awards, all ofthings and still don't have
those roots.
Farah Muscadin (41:36):
Yeah, it's gonna be important for me, because I
feel like I'm in Austin for areason. And I think that some of
those reasons have presentedthemselves, some of them
haven't. I don't really seemyself starting over and moving
again. And so I mean, granted,notwithstanding that, you
know...
You do say that quite often,I've heard you say that before.
(41:57):
You know, I tell people I'mlike, Well, you know, let's
Michelle Obama calls me y'all,then, you know, I'm out. But
beyond that happening, I do planon being in Austin. And so. So
that, for me is with thatcommitment of knowing that I
want to be here and stay here isis also showing how I need to
have that stronger connection.
And I'm looking forward to that.
(42:20):
I think I think I'm close. Ithink COVID has kind of veered
it in a different direction. Youknow, post COVID. I think that
it'll be easier for me. And alsojust kind of getting used to. I
don't have much anonymityanymore. With working, so I
still have to get used to that.
But I mean, I've had, I've had areally, really tough days. And I
(42:42):
remember I was just so upsetabout something. I was walking
out into the hall and thisrandom woman came up to me, I
had no idea who she was. And shesaid, Are you the police
monitor? And I said, Yes. Andshe said, you're doing a good
job. She said, I know it's agood job, and we support you.
And that just made my dayinstead. So it's just those a
friend of mine called it the Godweek. And I was like, Okay, I'll
(43:04):
take it. And so yeah, so I'mlooking forward to that work,
because it will positivelyimpact everybody.
Terri Broussard Williams (43:19):
So how do you wind down, is that wind
with a D? Or is it wine with anE? How do you relax?
Farah Muscadin (43:28):
Yeah, so that's one of the things that I love
about Austin that I felt missingin Chicago. And so, you know, I
am a universe person. And sothat that, to me, is very
accepting and non judging inAustin, and I'm into meditation
and yoga and Reiki and all ofthose things are non judgy. in
Austin that are you kind of doon a low in Chicago. It's not
(43:51):
really commonplace there. And soI felt like when even though I'm
proud of being from Chicago, Inever really felt like it was my
city. I lived there because Igrew up there, right? My parents
brought me there. And so I didnot have that. That kind of
deeper soul connection to it,because Chicagoans are super
proud. And it is reallyimportant where you went to high
(44:13):
school in Chicago, you know,what I mean?
Terri Broussard Williams (44:16):
as in the south.
Farah Muscadin (44:19):
It's very strange to me. But I do feel
that connection, that kind ofspiritual connection to Austin,
which makes it feel like it'smore my city. I know, I come off
as a big city girl, but I I kindof like the slower pace not too
slow, but like slower, you know.
And so I do feel that more kindof spiritual level connection.
(44:39):
And so I appreciate the thingsthat I'm into to relax, like, I
love acupuncture. I love Love,love acupuncture. I love Reiki I
love meditation. I love the factthat there are almost meditation
centers all over the city. Youdon't really find that in
Chicago. And I love the factthat people are so open and
accepting to it like it's notyou're not going to get the side
(44:59):
eye, when you're saying, Oh, Ihave a meditation room, or I do
that here, and also people whoare like, oh, what meditation
technique do you use? You knowwhat I mean? And so that is what
I love, and I feel supercomfortable about. And the other
thing I love about Austin, ispeople say, Hello. I mean, I
talk to strangers pre-COVIDalmost every day. And it's just
not something I experienced inChicago, you know, people say hi
(45:22):
to you here. And maybe it's thesouthern hospitality. But I love
that, because it's, it'spersonable, and it's welcoming.
And I think saying, hello, issomething small that you can do.
That's very nice. And they meana lot to someone that you know,
but you just don't know. Butthat could mean make somebody's
day, and then happened to somuch in Austin, that I
(45:44):
appreciate that a lot.
Terri Broussard Williams (45:48):
Hello, it's like, you know, it opens
the door to so manypossibilities. They probably
take that for granted. You know,being from the south that
everyone says, Hello, my motheralways say that Hello, is for
everyone. So before we closeout, is there anything that you,
you want to share with thelisteners that we haven't
covered?
Farah Muscadin (46:08):
Um, I would say that it's okay to have some self
doubt, it's okay to because thatvoice is going to be there. And
you can't necessarily shut it upall the time. But you can tell
it to be quiet. And I thinkwhat's most important is to
believe in yourself. There's twothings that do models that I
(46:31):
have from my mother that Iabsolutely live by. And they
mean so much to me now, as I gotolder than I was when she was
telling me this when I wasyounger. But she told me, she
always told me everythinghappens for a reason. And not to
expect to know the reasonssometimes you may know the
reasons, sometimes you may not,but know that there always is a
reason. And then she also toldme to be open to receive.
(46:52):
Because there are things thatmay be there for you, but you
might be blocking them, it couldbe the self doubt, it could be
the fear, right? And addressingthose things will make you more
open so that you can receivewith what is yours. And so I
live my life in that way. And Ithink that had I not been open
to being to receive that havingthree different jobs and six
(47:15):
months and that trajectory withme in the city of Austin, it
wouldn't have happened. So Ijust say, you know, to the
extent that you can, because youcan't control kind of those
negative feelings and the fearthat comes up because I think
those are natural, but I thinkyou can tell them to shut up.
And I think, you know, have youknow, continue to have faith in
(47:36):
yourself and just be openbecause if it's meant for you,
it'll be for you.
Terri Broussard Williams (47:41):
That's right. It always is right.
Always Always is. Well, thankyou all for listening to this
episode of pink granite. If youliked what you were listening to
definitely subscribe, leave areview and tell a friend tell a
friend that pink granite is allabout women, Texas politics and
(48:01):
the intersection of all thosethings. If you really really
like what you listen to you, besure to become a patron and keep
the movement of this podcastmoving by supporting it. Again,
I am Terri Broussard Williamsand I'm always honored to be a
part of this podcast andcheering all of you on and
wishing you all well. So we'llsee you next time on the next
(48:25):
episode of pink granite.
Welcome to this episode of Pink Granite,
(00:37):
I'm Terri Broussard Williams,the founder of Movement Maker.
And it's always the pleasure andan honor to be here on this
platform. And today, it's even areal treat or like a greater
treat than normal, because I'mhere with Farah Muscadin, who is
in an incredible Firestarter, afemale leader, and someone who
always shows up with integrityin their heart. Welcome Farah.
Farah Muscadin (01:01):
Welcome. Thank you for being here. It's good to
see you Terri.
Terri Broussard Williams (01:06):
I know I have not seen people it since
March. But to see you on videois definitely a treat. I can
always feel your energy. So eventhrough video I can I can feel
it.
Farah Muscadin (01:21):
Thank you.
Terri Broussard Williams (01:23):
Well, I have been looking forward to
this conversation for a lot ofreasons. One, because you are
such a sparkly, smart human. Andto because you've had such a
journey since you've been herein Austin. And I think it's
something that the listeners canlearn from but also be inspired
by. So I want to just getstarted with some some basics.
(01:46):
Tell us who you are, how longyou've been in Austin, and how
you made your way here.
Farah Muscadin (01:54):
Okay, so my name is Farah Muscadin. I am the
Director of the Office of PoliceOversight. It's a department in
the City of Austin. And weprovide oversight over the
Austin Police Department. And weare also basically the place
where members of the communityif they have a positive or
negative experience with APD,they come to our office. And so
(02:17):
it's been an interesting journeywith coming into this role. I am
originally from Chicago. I grewup in a small suburb of Chicago.
And in 2016, I was reallylooking to making a change in my
life. And so I was working at auniversity that was going
through state university thatwas going through some financial
(02:39):
troubles. They were state fundeduniversity in the state hadn't
passed a budget and so they hadto really make some tough
decisions. And they had tolayoff 300 people. So I'm the
300 people that was a third oftheir staff and staff of 900
have been laid off 300 and so Iwas one of those 300 at the end
(03:00):
of April. And I was just lookingfor something different. I
honestly thought I was going togo to DC DC is like one of my
favorite cities. I thought I wasgoing to go work at George Mason
University. But that didn't workout. And in a weird way. Austin
kind of fell in my lap. The lasttime I had been Austin was maybe
(03:21):
20 years ago. I came for springbreak during law school. And
Austin is so different sodifferent than what I remember.
SXSW was literally just on SixthStreet and you got dropped off a
couple blocks and you just kindof walk in and out of bars on
Sixth Street. It isn't what itis now. It's amazing what is
going into but and so I decidedto come out to visit Austin
(03:47):
Memorial Day weekend 2016. AndI'm somebody that I go how I
feel about situations and kindof one of those universe people.
And so literally the second Igot off the plane, I knew I was
meant to be in Austin. And so Ijust got off the plane and
started looking for an apartmentand so I wound up moving to
(04:07):
Austin on July 2016. So once Icome once I came back from
holiday weekend I put my houseon the market, found a tenant
and sold all my stuff packed upmy car and moved to Austin. And
so it's been an interestingjourney. I don't know if I would
recommend moving to a place withno friends and no job and no
connections. I don't know if Iwould recommend that. But I
(04:28):
think that everybody's journeyis their own journey. I left
Chicago in a pretty even thoughI'd been laid off. I had worked
in politics in Chicago. And so Iwasn't concerned about not
having a job in Chicago. Andworking in politics affords a
lot of opportunities. So theywere there for me and I left a
few job offers in Chicago tocome to Austin with no job. It
(04:52):
was humbling, I'd have to saybecause I tend to be very proud
of my resume. But when you cometo a city that's not where
you're from, like, no one elsein cared about my experience in
Chicago, you don't I mean, andso it was interesting, my
humbling journey because, youknow, I really did start over
(05:13):
like with meeting friends,networking, having new
professionals connections, Ireally have nothing when I came
here. So I was building up fromscratch. And so you know, I, I
took every opportunity to, tomeet people. So I did all sorts
(05:37):
of jobs. So I was areceptionist, I worked in music
store I was, I did legaldocument review, which really
kind of sucks the life out ofyou. I hated legal document. So
then I decided, you know what,let me spend some time
volunteering, getting to knowmore people in the community. So
I just did that. And then it wasit was I hit a year of kind of
(06:02):
being unemployed orunderemployed. I was like, What
am I going to do? And so Irandomly found this job on
LinkedIn, because I scouredLinkedIn every single day, being
a community engagementstrategist in this department,
but I couldn't find thedepartment on the city's
website. And so I want tocalling a few people asking them
I'm like, is this a realdepartment because the job also
(06:24):
wasn't posted on the citywebsite. So I was like, is this
a scam? We'll turn it in. Andbut it was a two month job. And
I remember having a conversationwith my parents, like, I can't
take a two month job, like, Ineed a job job. And I remember
parents are like, you shouldn'tworry about that is two to two
months, you're like, go in, doyour thing, he'll be fine. And
so my parents were right. And soI took that job in August of
(06:49):
2017. Didn't know thisliterally. And then from that
job, it was working on aconsumer protection grant. And
it was housed in the partner wasthe innovation office, and they
were housing City Hall. So I wasliterally in City Hall every
day, and you meet all sorts ofpeople in City Hall. And so from
(07:10):
then I was asked to be theproject manager for the redesign
of the city's website, which wascrazy to me, because like, I can
barely do Excel, right? And me,I like, okay, you want me to,
like help manage the redesign ofthe city's website using it
wasn't just the design, there'sthe technology behind it. And
(07:31):
they're like, nope, you'll befine. I mean, you have the skill
set that we're looking for. Andso they were actually right,
like, it actually worked outthat a non techie was on the
team, because the team was madeup of techies, and they speak a
completely different language.
We practice I'm like, Well, ify'all can get me to understand
it, then you can get the messageto understand it, you know what
I mean. And so, and it helpswith getting them organized and
(07:51):
getting the project back, backon track. And then I started
that job in October 2017. Andthen I started getting these
random phone calls. from peopleI didn't know when I was like,
kind of what's going on.
Eventually, I figured out thatsomeone had recommended me to be
the interim police monitor, andthat was really interesting,
(08:13):
because at the time, I didn'tknow Austin had police monitors
office. And then I wound upmeeting with the interim city
manager in January. And sheoffered me the job and so I had
that job by the end of Januaryof 2018. So it's amazing because
even though a year to finallyget a job that two month job, I
(08:35):
essentially had two three jobsin six months with the city and
then I got the job permanentlyabout five months later. So it
just seemed kind of like thingsjust fell into place. For me
that just the the networking andjust not giving up because it's
sometimes can get really easy togive up and kind of second guess
(08:57):
yourself but really, I had a lotof support. And I just kind of
had to hang in there until theright thing happened and what's
the right thing happened doorsjust started opening and it was
just insane.
Terri Broussard Williams (09:11):
I want to jump in here you said a whole
lot. But there's some thingsthat I would love for us to just
double click on and talk aboutbecause I mean you said so many
things, so many things that willresonate with the people that
are listening. And the first isjust moving Austin you know, I
moved to Austin knowing twopeople and I did have a job so I
(09:36):
was fortunate in that manner.
But it can be a hard city tocrack into we think you know
keep Austin weird. It's so muchfun. But especially when you're
a person of color or you're ablack woman coming to the city
it can be a very challengingthing just to find your your
your way in. And so you did thatI remember you calling you know,
email telling me, you know,saying, Hey, I'm new to town and
(10:02):
I'm like, this girl really No,she getting into this is a hard
place to navigate. But, youknow, I think that you can
really give some inspiration topeople who are thinking about
moving here. You know, as a youand I have talked before, Austin
is the only city in the countrywhere the number of black people
(10:26):
who are here today are not goingto be the number of black people
who are here a year from now,it's going to be less than. So
tell us a little bit about whatthat was like. Yeah, especially
coming from Chicago.
Farah Muscadin (10:38):
Yeah, no, it was interesting. I put out into the
universe that I wanted to movesomewhere that was the polar
opposite of Chicago. And Austinis absolutely the polar opposite
of Chicago. And in every aspect,we literally have nothing in
common and so. So yeah, it was,I feel like I'm a natural
networker. And so it comes veryeasy to me, one of the things
(11:02):
that I did is that when I,before I moved out here, I sent
out like 500, random LinkedInrequests to people I didn't know
like, I didn't know anybody. Andmost people accepted it. And I
would email them and be like,I'm not an expert, or I'm just
kind of moving to Austin, and Idon't know anybody. And can we
(11:22):
connect. And so it wasinteresting, because one of the
people that I connected withworked for the city in the
Procurement Office, and she'sjust like, the second you get
here, call me, and we'll gettogether. And so literally, I
came to Austin on a Wednesday,and I called her when I got
here. And she invited me to, todinner, and to go to a movie and
(11:48):
with her friends, and who areher friends Sylnovia Holt-Rabb
who's the deputy director of theeconomic development department,
and Dr. Pierce Burnette, who'sthe president of HTU. So it was
just amazing. So they have beensuper, super helpful. And what
(12:08):
was interesting is about eightmonths into living here, I was
appointed to the AfricanAmerican quality of life
commission. And that wasamazing. And who was the liaison
to the commission was SylnoviaHolt-Rabb. And so it was just,
you know, and I had coffee withLinda Medina Lopez was one of
the people I met is just like,she will help anybody. And so I
(12:32):
met with her and she helped memeet people in the Girl Scouts.
And she's involved in a lot ofstuff. And so she just kind of
opened herself to me, she's theone who introduced me to
leadership, Austin encouraged meto apply, I and so it was just
amazing how a lot of the peoplethat I just reached out to
randomly on LinkedIn, were justso helpful. And, you know, part
(12:54):
of networking is also followingup. So, you know, I was
messaging these people in May, Imoved in July. And so it was
also kind of continuing havingthose connections and just, you
know, pinging them every sooften. And many of them I met,
you know, in person and hadcoffee with and, you know, just
try it because it is hard, likewhen you move to a city and you
(13:16):
have no friends. You know what Imean? There's no I do know,
like, girl night, you know, doesnot exist, it doesn't exist. You
have to you have to build that.
And to your point about theAfrican American community I
made the rookie mistake isnumber one, I told you, I got
off the plane, I went to lookfor an apartment, well it took
me to Westlake.
Terri Broussard Williams (13:35):
Oh.
Farah Muscadin (13:41):
Yeah, and so that was interesting. I just
loved 360 and I love justbeautiful 360. And so I was just
like, and I was leaving such astressful job. And part of me
making the decision to move itwasn't because I wanted
something different. It's alsobecause I really wanted a
different lifestyle for myselfbecause I mean, you can
Chicago's just a fast lifestyle.
And it's really about kind ofwho you know, and in people want
(14:03):
things yesterday and it's a hardplace to kind of stop and smell
the roses. And that's reallywhat I was looking for. And so I
was looking to really kind ofslow down, breathe, literally
breathe and take a break. And soI remember when I was driving
down 360 I was like, just thescenery was so calming to me. I
was like, I want to live overhere. So that's really how I got
(14:23):
there, not knowing that it's notthe most diverse.
Terri Broussard Williams (14:30):
Okay, I lived off 360 my first
apartment was the gableschampion. grandview off 360 and
I just remember driving downthat road and thinking like how
blessed am I to live here withthis is beautiful.
Farah Muscadin (14:42):
Yeah, it's it's beautiful over there. Yeah, no,
it was it was it was so nice. Ilived there you know two years
and you know, because I didn'treally have like a steady job. I
can you know, come and go as Iplease. I wasn't really stuck in
that 360 traffic. You know whatI mean? And I just you know,
wherever anybody invited me, Ididn't care what it was, because
(15:04):
I didn't really know the citywell enough to understand how
the traffic patterns and kind ofliving kind of closer to where
you work. So I went everywhere.
I was in South Austin, EastAustin, north, I went everywhere
and care. I mean, as long as theGPS could guide me there, I, you
know, it was fine with me. Andso from that standpoint, it
helped me get to know the city alittle bit more, and just kind
of the uniqueness of thedifferent neighborhoods and
(15:25):
stuff like that. So yeah, no, Iappreciated that. I would just
say that. I think it's importantto be consistent when you meet
people, and you're networking.
Because everybody's busy. And Ithink that people have good
intentions is not that reallypeople ignore you from not
(15:45):
responsible, they just get busy.
And so I know, I appreciate theextra ping saying, because half
the time I forgot to respond, orit's in draft, or I didn't
respond, I forgot to hit STAT.
Do you know what I mean? And solike, I always appreciate when
someone follows up with me andsays, Hey, can you do you know
what I mean? And so I did a lotof that. And I went to a lot of
(16:06):
free events. There's a lot offree events, I think people I
mean, now with COVID, it'sdifferent. But Austin is a place
where there's a lot of freeevents. And I had a dog at the
time I have to now, but thereare a lot of free dog events in
Boston. So I went to a lot ofthose. And it was just a great
way to meet people. And Iremember there's this yoga
(16:28):
studio 360 that I would want toand I remember just randomly
talking to this woman. And shewas so nice. And she we just hit
it off. And she wound upinviting me to a fundraiser for
the refuge. And it was allwomen. And I swear they raised
like $250,000 in like an hourand room of like powerful women
(16:52):
in Austin like the who's who,from a random woman I met at the
yoga studio who invited mebecause, you know, she thought
it would be a good place for meto network. And so I just met
all sorts of people fromattending that event that she
invited me to, and in she comesmy ticket, I didn't pay anything
I like to do is show up. And soI thought that was really nice.
(17:13):
But those I have a lot ofstories like that for people in
Austin, that I met here.
Terri Broussard Williams (17:19):
And I you know, I think there were a
couple of things that you saidthat we should underline. And I
think you'd have to beintentional with what you put
out. You started off by sendingout 500 connection requests in
May, but you didn't move tillJuly. And then you were
determined, like you followed upand you made sure that people
knew that you really wanted toget to know them. But also some
(17:42):
of it is just who you are. Youtruly are this, this ray of
light and sparkly persons. Ithink that people are drawn to
that. And Austin welcomes that.
So if you are listening andyou're thinking about moving to
Austin, know that there isdefinitely a path in a way I
have a very similar story. Imoved here again, the only two
people and the week that Imoved, neither of them were
(18:03):
here. But you know, I had servedon the board of leadership
Lafayette and had just graduatedfrom leadership, Louisiana,
which is like leadership,Austin, it's a co ed program,
which is a little different thanleadership, Texas. But you know,
I didn't know anyone. So Icalled leadership Austin and was
like, hey, I want to volunteerwhat you got. And Heather
(18:25):
mckissick was in her first monthon the job and she had coffee
with me and found me a committeespot. And you know, next thing I
knew I was plugged in, but youhave to, you know, show up with
a good heart, good work ethicand good intentions. And I say
that all the time. If you havethose three things, three
things, when you're here, you'regoing to be fine. And so one
thing that you said that I justlove was that you know you were
(18:48):
thinking about Should I applyfor the job, that's two months
or not, and your parents arelike, just go and do your thing.
What I've learned from you isthat you are so connected with
your family and your heritage,and you have this incredible
political story, even withinyour family, tell us how your
family has really shaped yourlife.
Farah Muscadin (19:10):
Yeah, so both my parents are immigrants from
Haiti, my whole family isHaitian. And it is how I
identify it's a very huge partof my life. And how I see the
world I have a very kind ofglobal perspective. And I think
that definitely comes from myfrom my parents. And so Haitian
(19:35):
Parents are very strict. Youknow, you become lawyers or
doctors or engineers. And soambitions were high. You know,
college was not an option. Iactually grew up with my parents
telling me that they were goingto pick the college and I was
going to go to which wasinteresting. I mean, they never,
they never really, they're justtold me that but it didn't
(19:57):
happen that way. I got to go toAnd so it's just I also have a
very close relationship with mymom's siblings. So my mom's
younger sister is one of my bestfriends. And my uncle, my mom's
younger brother. My mom'soldest, is a huge mentor. He's
(20:18):
an attorney. And he's ashareholder with green Greenberg
Traurig, and so he was the onewho connected me with Karen. And
so the four of them really, Idon't really make a decision in
my life without consulting thefour of them. And so they, it
was actually my uncle who putAustin and said, Why don't you
live in Austin? And that's howthe research started. And so
(20:41):
yeah, so it's just very, veryclose knit. very supportive. I
had, you know, part of thereason why I stayed in Chicago
for so long is because myparents were there. And I had
such a close relationship withmy parents. I mean, the first
house I bought was down thestreet. And so, um, so it was,
(21:02):
it was tough decision to move.
But I also realized that, youknow, it was my time, right, you
know, and it was time for me todo what I wanted to do for
myself. And just because Iwasn't geographically close to
my parents didn't mean that Iwouldn't maintain being close to
them. And so they understoodthat I really needed to be on my
own journey. And were really asuper supportive, and they just
knew that it was just a matterof time. And so like, there was
(21:28):
one moment where I thought,well, because I still pretty so
connected to Chicago, and I wasstill getting calls for
opportunities. And, you know, mydad's like, no, they're like,
You're not coming back.
(21:57):
So yeah, there was a point intime where I thought I was
approaching. This was summer2017. And I was approaching like
(22:22):
a year of being unemployed,underemployed, really
unemployed. And I've just alwaysbeen a very independent person.
I've just always kind of done myown thing and supporting myself.
And you know, it was just, Ifelt like I needed to make some
decisions. And then a part of mewas like, Well, did I make the
(22:43):
right decision by moving? Youknow, especially with not having
anything? Should I have waiteduntil I had something before I
moved, you know, all those kindof self doubt thoughts that come
come into your head, and myparents were like, no, they're
like, you're meant to be there.
Just be patient. It's coming in.
So. And they really pushed me toapply for that two month job,
(23:05):
because I thought like, youknow, this two month job is a
two month job, right. And Ithink they even said that they
weren't going to extend it inthe job posting. And so yeah, so
it was, it was just amazing toget that job. And then it was a
community engagement job. So Iutilized that job to not only do
(23:29):
community engagement on theproject I was working on, but
also to meet people in thecommunity. And a lot of those
people that this is why I thinkthat like, for me, like
understanding kind of theuniverse and how everything
happens for a reason. But a lotof those people that I was
meeting during communityengagement for that project, or
a lot of the people who kind ofsigned off and endorsed me to
(23:51):
become the interim policemonitor. And so like, had I not
had that job and taking thoseopportunities to meet the people
in the community who was workingwith you this grant, I just
don't know, like if that wouldhave happened. And so it was, it
was helpful for me in gettingthis job that I wasn't from
Austin, which was odd, because Ifelt like part of the reason why
(24:13):
I was having a hard time gettinga job is because most of
everything on my resume wasChicago. But the fact that I had
had, you know, relationships inthe community really helps,
helps me and kind of pushed meover the edge and getting that
job too. So it wasn't just aboutbeing new. It was about Yeah, I
knew but also members of thecommunity knew who I was.
Terri Broussard Williams (24:34):
I talk a lot about faith and fortitude.
Just faith is having this beliefthat there's something out there
bigger than yourself, you know,this belief that you know, what
is meant to be for you to workon or to be a part of what
happened. fortitude is justknowing there's always, always a
way. And so, you know,everything that you said speaks
to both of those things. And Ithink that we don't realize how
(24:59):
much What is happening to peopleright now, you know, you were at
a university that had to layoffa third of the workforce, how
many state institutions arehaving lay people off right now?
You know, and, and then you showup at the space and just find a
way. And so I think that I justwant, I appreciate your
(25:20):
sincerity and your honesty,because these are things that
are happening to people rightnow. And I think that you can
really just show people thatthere, there is always a way,
you have to have that fortitude.
And so I want to change theconversation up a little bit and
talk about fortitude even alittle more. And so you know,
I've had the opportunity ofwatching you from afar lead, at
(25:41):
a time when it is not easy tolead, no lead at a time where
you know, the skin that you werethat we were, can be heavy
inside, and also heavy just inthe world around us. And the
watch you lead at a time wherethe work that you do. Everyone
has all their eyes on you. Andso fortitude, knowing that there
(26:07):
is a way knowing that you aremeant for this role. Knowing
that you have worked your way tohave this role definitely serves
you every day. But tell us alittle bit what is it like day
to day being in charge ofsomething that is so bigger than
all of us?
Farah Muscadin (26:26):
Yeah, so it is it has changed. It has changed a
lot. So I've been in this roletwo and a half years. And when I
first was appointed, it was likebeing thrown into the fire
because it was unchartedterritory for the city and the
police department. Because thereit had been maybe the first time
in a very, very long time inrecent memory that the city
(26:48):
didn't have a contract with theUS to Police Association. And
obviously, I didn't have thatbackground, because I wasn't you
know, here. And so it threw mein the into the fire of that
situation, it threw me into avery, very heavy political
climate. I got to know councilmembers very well right away,
(27:14):
which was interesting. And a lotof my work that I was doing or
that I was tasked with was goingto receive a lot of public
attention and praise andscrutiny, right? Because
essentially, I was tasked withfiguring out what the best
police oversight structure wasfor the city of Austin. And so
(27:38):
it it, it was really interestingin that I felt like I was like,
I'm built for this, like, I feltlike every job and every
experience that I had prior tothat really prepared me for this
moment. And it was a hot seatmoment. And I was working
(28:00):
constantly. But I didn't like noone was really gonna see me
sweat, right. And so I also feltlike, you know, I got this
because I've been in thosesituations as a lobbyist, as a
public defender, you know, whatI mean, is working, I used to be
on a lobbying team. So I wasjust like, with all of those
things that I had experiencedthere. I'm like, this is really
(28:22):
important. And it is a big deal.
But I knew I could handle it.
And I knew it was also anopportunity to establish myself
as a person in the city ofAustin that nobody knew. And so
in a way I was proving myselfand also establishing myself in
the position. And so I thinkthat's always something that
(28:45):
particularly with new peoplethat you have to be mindful of,
is that in a way, I guess youcan say it was an audition, so
to speak. But I was really I wasfundamentally passionate about
the work because I had alwaysbeen interested in wanting to be
involved in community policing.
And what was so odd again, thisis the universe was so odd about
this is that obviously I didn'tknow that this is my path,
(29:09):
right? I didn't even know thisoffice existed. But when I got
here, I got involved in policingissues. And so one of the things
that I took up when I was on thecommission was getting to know
APD and going on a ride alongand Who would have known that
only a few months later, would Ibe in this position and the
(29:30):
chain of command would have beenlike oh yeah, we know her she
contact we know from thecommission and she contact has
to be on a ride along and she'scalled us to talk to us about
you know, the Austin policedepartment so like, those touch
points and kind of relationshipswere already kind of there by
got there, but I didn't even butI didn't know that it would be
helpful to me later on. Right.
(29:52):
And so now it's it's I say it'sdifferent. Because we have built
this new office. We gone fromthe Office of police monitor the
Office of police oversight. Ithink that we have more kind of
public recognition. And peopleknow that we exist and are more
educated about what we do. But,you know, post George Floyd and
(30:13):
the protests the work hasbecome, it has always been
important. But I think nowpeople really see how it can be
meaningful to to long standingchange. And it has absolutely
elevated my position. And so I'mon the executive team working on
reimagining public safety forthe city of Austin. I'm the
(30:35):
project lead for a lot ofassessments that's going on in
the police department. And, andI see this as a compliment. And
also a vote of trust, when weare my office has practically
doubled in two years in terms offunding, staffing, and we have
(30:55):
been given our scope hasexpanded exponentially. And so I
see that as a vote of confidencefrom the city manager and
council saying that we knowFarah's work, we know she can
handle this expansion. And wealso want to invest in police
oversight, because we think it'simportant for our community. So
(31:17):
we went from 1.7 million to 3.4million, and, you know, 11
employees to know, excuse me,20. And so that is that is
unbelievable. And part of you,I'm saying it's unbelievable,
because city of Austin has hadoversight since 2002. And so for
(31:37):
16 years, it had basically hadthe same budget, maybe about a
million dollars, 1.1 million.
And in two years, we havedoubled the budget. So I mean,
for me, I see. And I you know, Italked about this with my staff,
I mean, it's not just about me,it's about us as a staff in
terms of what we were able toaccomplish and how we have not
only the trust of the community,but we have the trust of Council
(31:59):
of the city manager to reallysay we're going to invest in
this work, because we see it asa key stakeholder in getting us
to where we want to be, which isequitable policing, where that's
fundamentally what we're talkingabout what we want is every
community in the city of Austinto be released in the same way,
and we know that they're not.
(32:19):
And so and I appreciate us, theOffice of police oversight
really being an activestakeholder in that
conversation. Because we clearlyhave a vested interest in
ensuring that everybody feelssafe and is treated
respectfully.
Terri Broussard Williams (32:36):
Yeah, you can grow that team from 11
to 20. Because you're showing upwith a good heart, good
intentions and good work ethic.
And so those are the things thatallow you to be a leader that's
going to turn this moment into amovement. So I'm not surprised
by any of that. And I know thatit hasn't come easy, you know,
there ever been a time where youjust wanted to throw your hands
(32:57):
in the air and say I'm, I mighthave come here with nothing, I
might have waited two years forthis perfect role for me. But
I'm done. I give up. Has thatmoment ever crossed your mind?
Farah Muscadin (33:07):
No, no, if anything is the opposite. I have
always been somebody who hasbeen very upwardly mobile. And I
generally get the two year itch,because I just want to move up
the ladder. And this is probablythe first job that I've had. I
mean, this is literally myeighth career change all over
the place and make sense to me.
But I mean, I've, I've done somany different things. But this
(33:29):
is the first time I've been in aposition where I felt like I
wanted to stay. And I just feellike I I am building and
expanding at the same time. AndI really want to see it. Like
kind of my, my, my goals and myexpectations for the office come
to fruition. So no, I'm not butI mean, I am regularly
frustrated. I am you know, it isfrustrating working in a male
(33:55):
dominated environment. And Iwill say that male dominated and
policing is different than maledominated in lobbying. When I
was a, it was primarilyobviously white males who are
mainly lobbyists, there werevery few black female lobbyists
and even less female Latinxlobbyists. And so I'm, I'm used
(34:15):
to kind of the male dominatedindustries. When you add law
enforcement and the historicalcontext and kind of the the
institution of that into theequation, it's different. It's,
you know, I don't know what I'mdoing, or I don't know anything
about law enforcement. Icouldn't possibly know anything
(34:36):
about law enforcement. And, youknow, and you're a woman and you
don't really understand, youknow, what I mean?
Terri Broussard Williams (34:42):
The intimidation tactics, they're
not pretty.
Farah Muscadin (34:45):
Yeah, I mean, but they don't work on me and I
make it very clear.
Terri Broussard Williams (34:49):
Of course, you should talk about
that. You know, I don't thinkpeople realize just the
fortitude it takes everyday toshow up and show up with a good
heart and get you know, into thework that you do isn't easy. And
I don't think that people makeit easy for you tell us a little
bit about that.
Farah Muscadin (35:07):
No, they don't.
I think that the policedepartment and the Police
Association are used to, youknow, utilizing intimidation
tactics, and they've tried touse it on me, they've come after
me personally. But at the end ofthe day, you know, I am who I
am, I have good intentions and aperson for integrity. And
whatever they throw at me willnever stick. Right, it will
(35:29):
never stick period. And, andsometimes I have to be very
direct. And, you know, I havefour things that I'm very proud
of, right? I'm proud of the factthat I'm a Black woman, I'm
Black, I'm proud of the factthat I'm a woman. I'm proud of
the fact that I'm Haitian. AndI'm proud of the fact that I'm
from Chicago. So those fourthings I can tell you that the
Austin Police Department and theAustin Police Association has
not encountered, and I have allfour strategy in terms of what
(35:51):
they're used to, in terms oftheir intimidation tactics, may
have worked on other people, butthey're, they've, they're not
going to work on somebody withthose 4 characteristics that I
have. And so they're gonna haveto come up with something
different because I've seen it,I've been through it. And this
is really kind of childsplay interms of their tactics. And so
it's not going to inhibit mefrom really pushing the
(36:15):
conversation forward and doingthe work. Because at the end of
the day, we're talking aboutlives, right. And so, you know,
I've told people this, thisexample, when I decided to move
down here, it was a year afterSandra Bland incident, and I am
someone who was veryindependent. I live my life,
like, no one could tell meanything, right. And I have
(36:39):
never been afraid to driveanywhere in my life. And one of
my closest friends from collegelaw school is a white woman. And
I called her and I asked her ifshe would drive from Chicago
with me to Austin. And so thatshould tell you a lot about what
it is for a person of color,particularly a Black person,
(37:00):
because I felt safer driving, Ithink that 16 or 14 hour drive
with a white woman with me inthe car than by myself. And I
related a lot to Sandra Bland.
We're both from a sort ofChicago, we're both moving to
Texas start on new lives. Andthat could have been me. Yeah,
(37:21):
that could have been me.
Terri Broussard Williams (37:22):
I just got goosebumps.
Farah Muscadin (37:23):
You know what I'm saying? And so that was a
real wakening for me becausethat that shifted for me is when
the world really changed when Iwhen I when I and my friend
understood. And she said yes,immediately, and she jumped out
with me. And we, we didn't blinkan eye. But the fact that I felt
like I needed to do that wasreally, you know, troubling. And
(37:47):
even most recently, I had todrive to Florida, because my
grandmother passed. And it's a16 hour drive. And my family
called me every hour on the hourto make sure I was okay. Tell me
what person, what white person,has to has a family member that
is concerned about them beingstopped by police on a road
trip, and they call you everyhour on the hour to make sure
(38:09):
you're safe. And so that, to me,is why I'm never going to stop
or feel that way about this workis because like I shouldn't need
my white friend to drive with mefrom Chicago. And I shouldn't
need my family to call me everyhour to make sure I'm safe from
police, from police. Right? Notthat the car broke down, or I
(38:30):
got into an accident, you knowwhat I mean? Like they want to
make sure I was because I'mdriving through Texas,
Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi,and three, all the names. They
want you to make sure I was safefrom police on a 16 hour trip.
And so that that should beconcerning to everybody, not
just the people who look likeme, that should be concerning,
(38:51):
because that essentially, is theworld that we live in. And I'm
not I'm not accepting that as astatus quo. I will never accept
that as the status quo, ever.
Terri Broussard Williams (39:01):
I don't, you know, life is so
complicated yet. So oftentimes,our perception of life is what
we see on TV, you know, what wemight see on CSI or Chicago PD
or whatever. People think thatthose things only happen on TV.
They happen in real life. Youknow, when, you know, people I
(39:25):
know walk their dogs aroundtheir neighborhood, I'm like,
are you walking your dog like indaylight? Like what you know,
like, we shouldn't have to, weshouldn't have to worry about
those things. And you know, whenyou do work, like what you're
doing or even the work that Ido, as you know, a Black
lobbyist because there are veryfew when I was in Louisiana,
rural like to same age, youknow, work hits different. It
(39:49):
feels different. You have agreater ownership of it. And
it's something that you chooseto do and you do it because you
know that if not you then whoand if not you then when So I'm
not surprised that you say theintimidation tactics don't work
on you. First of all, you'refrom Chicago. So when they go
low, you go high, right? But,but that work is just so much
(40:11):
more meaningful. And so, youknow, I want to begin to close
our conversation. And I want toask you, so what's next? What
does life look like beyond this?
Farah Muscadin (40:26):
Yeah, so I think what's next, I'm looking forward
to life post COVID. Because Ithink even that, that requires
some sort of reflection, becauseit's just our lives are just so
different. And so I'm absolutelylooking forward to towards life
post COVID. I am looking forwardto this transformation in
(40:54):
policing, it's going to be hard,but I know we can do it. And I
have faith that we can do ithere in Austin. And, you know,
I'm also looking forward to somemore kind of personal growth and
advancement in myself. Becauseeven though I've been here for
four years, it still feels new.
And so I, you know, I considermyself an Austinite, But I, you
(41:15):
know, I, I, I'm looking forwardto not feeling new anymore.
Terri Broussard Williams (41:24):
I don't know if that ever goes
away? I've been in Austin since2008. And I don't know, if I
still feel rooted. You know, Ican check all the boxes, I've
won, like all the awards, all ofthings and still don't have
those roots.
Farah Muscadin (41:36):
Yeah, it's gonna be important for me, because I
feel like I'm in Austin for areason. And I think that some of
those reasons have presentedthemselves, some of them
haven't. I don't really seemyself starting over and moving
again. And so I mean, granted,notwithstanding that, you
know...
You do say that quite often,I've heard you say that before.
(41:57):
You know, I tell people I'mlike, Well, you know, let's
Michelle Obama calls me y'all,then, you know, I'm out. But
beyond that happening, I do planon being in Austin. And so. So
that, for me is with thatcommitment of knowing that I
want to be here and stay here isis also showing how I need to
have that stronger connection.
And I'm looking forward to that.
(42:20):
I think I think I'm close. Ithink COVID has kind of veered
it in a different direction. Youknow, post COVID. I think that
it'll be easier for me. And alsojust kind of getting used to. I
don't have much anonymityanymore. With working, so I
still have to get used to that.
But I mean, I've had, I've had areally, really tough days. And I
(42:42):
remember I was just so upsetabout something. I was walking
out into the hall and thisrandom woman came up to me, I
had no idea who she was. And shesaid, Are you the police
monitor? And I said, Yes. Andshe said, you're doing a good
job. She said, I know it's agood job, and we support you.
And that just made my dayinstead. So it's just those a
friend of mine called it the Godweek. And I was like, Okay, I'll
(43:04):
take it. And so yeah, so I'mlooking forward to that work,
because it will positivelyimpact everybody.
Terri Broussard Williams (43:19):
So how do you wind down, is that wind
with a D? Or is it wine with anE? How do you relax?
Farah Muscadin (43:28):
Yeah, so that's one of the things that I love
about Austin that I felt missingin Chicago. And so, you know, I
am a universe person. And sothat that, to me, is very
accepting and non judging inAustin, and I'm into meditation
and yoga and Reiki and all ofthose things are non judgy. in
Austin that are you kind of doon a low in Chicago. It's not
(43:51):
really commonplace there. And soI felt like when even though I'm
proud of being from Chicago, Inever really felt like it was my
city. I lived there because Igrew up there, right? My parents
brought me there. And so I didnot have that. That kind of
deeper soul connection to it,because Chicagoans are super
proud. And it is reallyimportant where you went to high
(44:13):
school in Chicago, you know,what I mean?
Terri Broussard Williams (44:16):
as in the south.
Farah Muscadin (44:19):
It's very strange to me. But I do feel
that connection, that kind ofspiritual connection to Austin,
which makes it feel like it'smore my city. I know, I come off
as a big city girl, but I I kindof like the slower pace not too
slow, but like slower, you know.
And so I do feel that more kindof spiritual level connection.
(44:39):
And so I appreciate the thingsthat I'm into to relax, like, I
love acupuncture. I love Love,love acupuncture. I love Reiki I
love meditation. I love the factthat there are almost meditation
centers all over the city. Youdon't really find that in
Chicago. And I love the factthat people are so open and
accepting to it like it's notyou're not going to get the side
(44:59):
eye, when you're saying, Oh, Ihave a meditation room, or I do
that here, and also people whoare like, oh, what meditation
technique do you use? You knowwhat I mean? And so that is what
I love, and I feel supercomfortable about. And the other
thing I love about Austin, ispeople say, Hello. I mean, I
talk to strangers pre-COVIDalmost every day. And it's just
not something I experienced inChicago, you know, people say hi
(45:22):
to you here. And maybe it's thesouthern hospitality. But I love
that, because it's, it'spersonable, and it's welcoming.
And I think saying, hello, issomething small that you can do.
That's very nice. And they meana lot to someone that you know,
but you just don't know. Butthat could mean make somebody's
day, and then happened to somuch in Austin, that I
(45:44):
appreciate that a lot.
Terri Broussard Williams (45:48):
Hello, it's like, you know, it opens
the door to so manypossibilities. They probably
take that for granted. You know,being from the south that
everyone says, Hello, my motheralways say that Hello, is for
everyone. So before we closeout, is there anything that you,
you want to share with thelisteners that we haven't
covered?
Farah Muscadin (46:08):
Um, I would say that it's okay to have some self
doubt, it's okay to because thatvoice is going to be there. And
you can't necessarily shut it upall the time. But you can tell
it to be quiet. And I thinkwhat's most important is to
believe in yourself. There's twothings that do models that I
(46:31):
have from my mother that Iabsolutely live by. And they
mean so much to me now, as I gotolder than I was when she was
telling me this when I wasyounger. But she told me, she
always told me everythinghappens for a reason. And not to
expect to know the reasonssometimes you may know the
reasons, sometimes you may not,but know that there always is a
reason. And then she also toldme to be open to receive.
(46:52):
Because there are things thatmay be there for you, but you
might be blocking them, it couldbe the self doubt, it could be
the fear, right? And addressingthose things will make you more
open so that you can receivewith what is yours. And so I
live my life in that way. And Ithink that had I not been open
to being to receive that havingthree different jobs and six
(47:15):
months and that trajectory withme in the city of Austin, it
wouldn't have happened. So Ijust say, you know, to the
extent that you can, because youcan't control kind of those
negative feelings and the fearthat comes up because I think
those are natural, but I thinkyou can tell them to shut up.
And I think, you know, have youknow, continue to have faith in
(47:36):
yourself and just be openbecause if it's meant for you,
it'll be for you.
Terri Broussard Williams (47:41):
That's right. It always is right.
Always Always is. Well, thankyou all for listening to this
episode of pink granite. If youliked what you were listening to
definitely subscribe, leave areview and tell a friend tell a
friend that pink granite is allabout women, Texas politics and
(48:01):
the intersection of all thosethings. If you really really
like what you listen to you, besure to become a patron and keep
the movement of this podcastmoving by supporting it. Again,
I am Terri Broussard Williamsand I'm always honored to be a
part of this podcast andcheering all of you on and
wishing you all well. So we'llsee you next time on the next
(48:25):
episode of pink granite.
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