September 12, 2024 • 41 mins
In this empowering episode of The Q-Chat, Councilwoman Carmelitha Gumbs shares her journey of breaking barriers and making an impact in local government. As a dedicated community advocate and political leader, she offers a behind-the-scenes look at her efforts to uplift underrepresented communities, especially women of color. We delve into her path to leadership, the importance of advocacy, and her mission to inspire other women to step into their power. Listen as Councilwoman Gumbs talks about the challenges she’s overcome and the importance of creating spaces where women can thrive in leadership roles. If you’re looking for inspiration on leadership, advocacy, and making real change, this episode is a must-listen! Record Date: [Aug 6] Release Date: [Sept 12] www.geauxqueen.com Connect with Geaux Queen: https://linktr.ee/geauxqueen Check out our Magazine: https://publuu.com/flip-book/109160/5... Instagram: www.instagram.com/iam_geauxqueen TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@geaux_queen?_... LinkedIn: / shronda-ann-a-0a7683203 Facebook: / thegeauxqueenbrand #selfimprovement #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthawareness #blackwomenpodcasters #selfimprovement #selflovepodcast
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Grab your print or digital. Copy of Go Queen.
Magazine Today. Stay.
Inspired by the incredible stories and features inside?
Visit our website to grab your copy now.
Hey Queen, welcome to another episode of the Q Chat.
Today, we have the honor of speaking with the remarkable
Councilwoman Carmelita Gums, a trailblazer who is making waves
(00:22):
in both her community and beyond.
As an accomplished leader, public servant, and advocate,
Carmelita is known for her dedication to uplifting others
and driving positive change. Her passion for community
development and her commitment to excellence have earned her
recognition as a powerful voice for empowerment and
transformation. In this episode, we'll explore
(00:43):
her inspiring journey, the challenges she's overcome, and
her vision for creating a brighter future for those she
served. Get ready to be inspired by
Carmelita Gunz and her unwavering dedication to making
a difference. Working hard on a mission.
(01:29):
You guys are joining another episode of the Key Chat today.
My very special guest is Miss Councilwoman Carmelita L Gums
and miss this Councilwoman, she's been representing the City
of Fulton in Atlanta, GA, Atlanta for quite some time.
And she has a lot of great initiatives.
And some of her initiatives are things that are really close to
our platform, including mental health.
So we're going to discuss that. And of course, as we know, this
(01:52):
is a big election year, it's going to be life changing.
So we're also going to have a conversation about that as well
and the significance of voting and making a difference.
So how you doing today? I'm doing wonderful.
Thank you for having me on your show today.
Awesome. I'm so happy to speak with you.
Like I said, there's a lot of things I definitely want to ask
you, but I want to get off and start just with your history
(02:13):
because I know politics has got to be a very complex career.
So I want to get some backgroundinto your upbringing and what
led you into this career. Oh, wow.
So I moved to Atlanta about 17 years ago and I came from a
corporate background and wanted to kind of take an opportunity
(02:34):
to really make an impact and a difference.
I did a lot of work in the community once moving here and I
ended up losing my job in corporate America and all of the
people that I met and work with.It was considerably hard,
especially for women to, you know, you got to be in the click
in Atlanta. Atlanta is a relationship driven
(02:55):
city. So one of the things I was like,
I have to make sure that I always find a way to reach back
to other women, especially people that are not natives from
Atlanta of how to navigate through that.
But what happened in the processof me losing my corporate job, I
went to go work for a small black planning firm and ended up
(03:17):
working in DeKalb County under an elected official.
And that's when I got that buzz.I was her chief of staff and
chief of communications officer and I got to see first hand how
resources were not given to communities of color or
communities that look like me, if that's a better way of saying
it. And we were going through city
(03:39):
hood for our second time in the city of South Fulton.
And I wanted to ensure that thatdidn't happen in in the city
that I was spending my money andyou know, where I brought my
house and things of that nature.So in that process, umm, I
decided to go to a form where I got to see all the candidates
that were throwing their hats inthe ring.
(04:01):
I had no intentions on actually running for office, but by the
time I left there, I stood up and offered myself for office.
I didn't know what I was doing, I just knew that the people that
were talking about what they wanted to see in the city did
not align with the views and what I thought would resonate
with people that look like me. So I threw my hat in the ring,
(04:24):
decided to run, and I didn't have no money.
I tell people I ran off a penny and a prayer.
I ran against 12 people. And again, like I said, I had no
idea. But you know, I was considered
the underdog. I actually ended up winning in a
runoff by three votes, making itto the runoff by three votes.
(04:45):
And that's why I tell people it's very important that every
vote does count and ended up winning the seat.
And I've been in the seat for the past seven years.
I'm really just trying to make adifference and an impact
throughout my community. So that's how it happened.
It was just so random. I decided, you know, hey, I want
(05:06):
to make a difference. You know those people, I don't
know what they talking about, but that's not what I want to
see here. So here I am, and that's how it
happened. Now, I know you said it was
random when you decided to do it, that you think that you
would win. Or did you just think, well,
hey, I'm just going to show people that, you know, because
sometimes it does help because Iknow we've all had an election
(05:26):
where there was a candidate thatwe really like.
They necessarily not win, but westill remember them.
Were your intentions initially to maybe just encourage people
like you said that look like youfrom our generation to just get
involved and want to vote? You know, I do want to kind of
get deep, like, did you expect to win or?
I actually didn't expect to win,to be honest.
(05:48):
I wanted to be a disruptor, and I'll tell people that as well.
I wanted to be a disruptor. I knew that once I probably made
it to the runoff that I would probably win because I knew how
to market. I knew I was a genuine person.
So I knew that my relationships would resonate with people, but
I did not. I think I was going to win.
(06:10):
I actually didn't think, you know, running against 12 people
is a lot. I didn't think that I had money,
enough money. But people resonated with me as
far as, you know, being the underdog or, you know, people
just didn't take me seriously. And I actually, you know,
outworked the competition because when you look at
(06:31):
politics, people already know, you know, who they want to put
in these seeds. So you're working against a
machine. And I was that, like I said,
disruptor, that I wasn't workingagainst the machine.
I was just working off of my passion for my community and
wanting the residents to know. So I I think that resonated with
people and I ended up winning. Now, how important do you think
(06:54):
it is to just be a leader in your community?
Because just like you mentioned,you had a passion for your
community. And I think sometimes people
take that lightly, You know, to have a passion for where you
live, where you're from, the citizens in your community.
And you don't necessarily have to run for public office, but
you can be passionate your community and volunteer.
You can be passionate and can your community and try and clean
(07:16):
it up or you know, do several different things.
So how important do you think itis for people, especially
younger people? Because I think that's really
the generation that is really important with voting and
politics. And sometimes I think they just
feel like they're not included. But how important do you think
it is to just have that passion for a community because they
really can't make a difference? I think it's very important.
(07:39):
And one of the things too is that you hear us, we complain a
lot about what we don't have, what we don't get, what we don't
see in our communities and communities of color.
So sitting back and just complaining does not, you know,
help. You have to take action.
And that was one of the things that I wanted to make sure is
that I was, if there was something that I did not like, I
(08:00):
was going to make a difference. Either I ran for office or I
will probably be the loudest person in the room and people
know what it is that I did not like and trying to activate.
And I think that's where we kindof get stuck sometimes is that
we don't activate. And that was one of the things I
try to encourage a lot of young people as well.
If you don't like something, stand up for it and make sure
(08:23):
that, you know, either you run for office where you can really
impact change or be a voice thatcan really carry a community.
So you have to you got to have influence.
You got to have courage. Courage is definitely it, but
also to I also encourage people to be your authentic self.
Don't change just to kind of meet the status quo.
(08:44):
Be who you are and and lead by that.
So that's always been my biggest, my biggest model.
Yeah. And I want to ask you, of
course, we know this is a huge election year right now.
We are on the cusp of we may have our first female president
and not only our first female president, but of course a woman
of color. So this is a very important
(09:04):
year. And as you mentioned, you have
your seat because of three votesand that's the big consensus.
Every election year, people think that their vote does not
count. So I wanted to ask you because
it gets kind of complex wheneverit's a presidential year,
because I think sometimes peoplethink, well, that's the
important election. And yeah, it is.
But a lot of times people sometimes, not everyone, but
(09:26):
sometimes kind of skirt over their local elections, which are
extremely important. So King, for people who may.
And like I said, sometimes people when you know better, you
do better. So for some people who may not
be fully abreast of the importance of voting for your
local community leaders, can youjust break down the importance
of putting your vote in for yourlocal Senate or council person?
(09:50):
Can you just, you know, give everyone some background on
that? So definitely a lot of people
always, you know, really focus on the presidential election,
which again this year is definitely super, super
important. So I do encourage people to
vote, but local elections is what really impacts you is the
closest to the people. We make laws and decisions that
(10:12):
really impact your day-to-day and your quality of life.
So it is very important to to vote, whether it's, you know,
putting up speed cameras where citations can impact your your
household or where we're fixing roads and potholes.
Those are the things that really, really impact our
communities. And that's why people have to
(10:33):
activate local judges. You know, though, people have to
understand how politics work andhow they can really impact
change. You know, I'm not saying that
our presidential elections are not important, but I do want
people to understand the local is the closest to the people and
they really impact we can make laws that will impact your
(10:56):
day-to-day. And I don't think people really
pay attention to that. So when I'm, I'm speaking to
people, I, I let them know this is the race that really matters.
Where you focusing on your City Council, you're focusing on your
judges, your, your county commissioners.
Those are the ones that matter because it is the closest to the
people and they impact what you got going on day-to-day.
(11:17):
Oh. Yeah, definitely.
What would you say to the encourage the younger people?
Because again, you know, I thinka lot of votes would make a lot
of elections would make a huge difference, of course, if there
were a bigger voter turn out. And of course the young people
really are our future. May sound cliche, but they
really, truly are our future. So what are some things I guess
to maybe encourage the younger people because sometimes I think
(11:38):
they're the most, they're the biggest generation sometimes
where they feel like, you know, these people who are running,
they don't look like me. They're not saying anything I
want to hear. So what can be something, I
guess, to be done, maybe to encourage them to still want to
go out there and vote? Well, I think one of the things
is that we have to make voting look fun.
We have to make it look appealing to our younger people.
(12:01):
Voting is seem to be like an oldpersons thing or you know, they
don't really pay attention to it.
So we have to find creative waysto meet young people where they
are, whether it's through tick tock.
Like for instance, you know, when, um, Vice President Harris
came to Atlanta, she brought in some icons, you know, Megan the
(12:23):
stallion Quavo, something that kind of resonates with younger
people. And, you know, getting on
TikTok, doing creative things and not just finding a way to
communicate where they are and letting them know that politics
and even though it is supposed to be born unless you're in an
orange jumpsuit. But other than that, it is
(12:43):
supposed to be a way that we cankind of talk about issues that
impact them as young people create forums.
We do have a lot of younger politicals that do kind of help,
you know, giving guidance and inways that really impact.
We just got to make sure that weactivate those, those people let
him know, hey, your voice does matter.
(13:05):
We want you, you to have a seat at the table and communicate
with us. Let us know what it is that you
want to see, whether or not you feel like the citations or you
know, you're, I'm being, you're being unfairly profiled, those
type of things, finding ways to connect.
And I, I think that's probably the biggest thing, but they have
(13:25):
to let us know. Don't be afraid. e-mail your,
your council people, your senators, let them know how you
feel. And I'm a responsive council
person. So I really like to hear from
the younger people I employ younger people on my staff.
I didn't realize I thought I wasa millennial, but I'm not.
(13:47):
But I, I do try to bring youngerpeople in because you can't
always be the smartest person inthe room.
It's always somebody that's smarter than you.
And I love to hear young people,especially my daughter, have a
young daughter. She shares with me all the time.
Hey, this is what we want to see.
So again, take those in consideration and be serious
(14:08):
about it and try to impact change.
And I think they'll get it. Mm hmm.
I definitely hope so. So of course, I want to ask you
with your job, you have a very important job and good history
working in the city of Atlanta. So I want to ask you to give you
some background on some of the initiatives that you started.
I know that mental health, of course, is one of the most
important initiatives, but I want to get some background on
(14:28):
just what are some of the main highlights the most, some of the
main important initiatives that you've started since you had
your position. Well, it's definitely the city
of South Fulton, which we're like maybe 5 miles from the city
of Atlanta. We did break off 7 years ago
from this. I just want to make sure I kind
of clear that up. But some of the initiatives that
I really do focus on is making sure that we're being impactful
(14:52):
in our community. Mental health awareness is a
really, really big thing. We've launched several campaigns
because in a city, as the city of South Fulton, who is
predominantly African American, there are a lot of things that
kind of give us pause. Especially since the pandemic,
we've seen a spike in mental health issues.
(15:12):
We've also seen a spike in suicide deaths and attempts.
So we wanted to what I didn't really wanted to focus on how do
we change that trajectory? How do we get or create a space
for people to really talk about mental health in an organic
space? You know, in communities of
color, it's always been a taboo to talk about mental health.
(15:34):
You know, you might see a auntieor a cousin and they'll be like,
oh, just sending a church or pray it away, that kind of
thing. And that doesn't work.
We have to find creative ways totalk about mental health in a
just the organic fashion and then be able to provide
resources. One of the things that we did,
we partnered with Silence the Shame, which Ashanti Dawson's
(15:57):
organization, trying to make sure that we brought those
resources to our community. I wanted to kind of infuse art,
music and fashion into talking about mental health.
So we did a had compassion and contour fashion show and it was
sold out. I it was just something that we
wanted to try and it actually went pretty well and people
(16:20):
loved it. Where we had local designers
come in and a lot of youth as well to come in and design
fashions or outfits based off oftheir their feelings or
emotional. And it was, it was lovely.
It was incredible. So we're going to continue to
keep pushing that narrative. Again, we recognize mental
(16:43):
health awareness day, Black mental health awareness day.
We do a lot also too. We have a great Christmas end of
the year kickoff. It's called BU in Every Hue,
which is our toy drive where youbring out toys that look like
you. It was similar to our Bring Out
the Doll initiative that we started in South Fulton in
(17:07):
Atlanta. So we wanted to kind of try to
have another play on that. So where people, movers and
shakers come out, we have a goodtime and we bring dolls and
collect toys that look like the people that are bringing them
in. And it's always a good time.
So again, we want to find creative initiatives to really,
really focus on the the individual and have a, a
(17:30):
community that is full of, how can I say it, not necessarily
happiness, but I wanted to create a utopia of where it's OK
to be your authentic self in thecity of South Fulton.
Awesome, that's wonderful. I want to ask you to, you know,
just to stick with the subject of mental health.
And you're right, that's a he stigma still in our community
(17:51):
after all these years, even I feel like conversations about
mental health, they are taking place more, you know, we are
talking about it more, but there's still the stigma, you
know, which is which is very interesting considering like I
said, I think now people are more open and say, Hey, I go to
a therapist or just even encouraging therapy because we
know like our history, we're rooted in religion.
(18:14):
Like you said, prayed away, justgo talk to your pastor and
that's supposed to be the end ofit, which as we know you can
have God and therapy and have noshame involved.
What are just something just from your personal opinion on
just ways that we can have more conversations because again, the
stigma for some reason is still there, even though we're more
(18:36):
transparent and talking about mental health, there's still
some communities where it's really hard to explain.
And then, of course, when we seethings where people sometimes
are in mental distress and there's a fear of even calling
the police, which of course that's a second conversation.
So what are just some things we can do to just have bigger
conversations? Because these bigger
(18:57):
conversations save lives. Well, again, I think it's where
we have to be creative and meeting people where they are,
whether it's through barbershop talks or going to the local
beauty salons. We have to meet people where
they are, especially with young people as well.
You know, social media has always been a big thing where we
(19:20):
have our kids that are on socialmedia.
They see these, you know, imagesand you know, they compare
themselves to those type of things because we've also had,
you know, quite a spike in suicide attempts with our youth.
So it's being able to let them know that some of the stuff that
you're seeing is not real. Social media is a perception.
(19:41):
It's not, you know, everybody's not doing all of these great
things on social media or, you know, it's an image that people
are trying to portray and just being able to continue to talk
about it. You know, I'm going into the
schools we found creative, especially in our elementary
schools. We've done some things where we
bring in characters and we'll put on plays.
(20:03):
Again, like I said, I like to infuse the arts and music and
just culture into trying to talkabout mental health, so.
I've learned my community, I tryto find again, holistic ways
that are fun and creative to getpeople to just really start
talking about it. And the only thing we can do,
the more we talk about it, the more people will feel
(20:24):
comfortable. And it'll continue to create a
space of openness where people will, you know, talk out of, you
know, just being around and being comfortable about it.
So I think it's a work in progress.
I think there's something that we just got to continue to keep
hitting it all cylinders becausethe narrative of just acting
like it's not going to happen toyour family.
(20:45):
I think people realize that it'sin all of our families.
And we just got to make sure that, you know, we create or be
a vehicle to where people are comfortable with coming out and
saying, hey, I need help or I'm not OK.
I want people to realize that it's OK to not be OK, right?
Right, definitely. And again, I just feel like it's
(21:07):
great when we have people who are especially in political
office who are using mental health as one of their platforms
because it's so important and just to build that knowledge in
the community, it can change lives and it is very important.
So I definitely commend you for working on that.
So I want to ask you to, as I mentioned with Sonia Massey, of
(21:27):
course, that is something to that is something that's
weighing heavy on a lot of people right now.
What are just some of the, I guess, I guess my question as
far as politics and we have the upcoming election.
Are there ways that we can make a difference and just maybe this
our relationship with the policeor maybe to be more comfortable
(21:47):
and seeking help from them? I know a lot of it has to just
do with just the people that they're hiring, which I don't
know we have any states on that obviously.
But just what are some things that we can do as a community to
just feel safer? Well, I, I think what we have
done, and I can just only speak on the city of South Fulton, is
that we really want our officersto be a part of our community.
(22:10):
They are really focusing on justdoing a lot of community
policing. And that way we have a lot of,
you know, talks where we have cops in the park where, you
know, they are actually a part of any type of football game,
basketball game. They're out there, you know,
meeting with people. We have our officers, they're on
(22:32):
bicycles and they're riding through our neighborhoods and
just, you know, doing the stop and talk type of thing.
But we've also instituted legislation to where we want to
make it more friendly to for ourofficers.
We also have established a task force for where citizens are a
(22:53):
part of the review of any type of excessive force.
Also to we've also instituted legislation about hiring
practices. If any of our officers from any
other agencies have been involved in any type of
excessive incident or have a sketchy pass, they won't get
(23:14):
hired with the city of South Fulton.
So we are being a little bit more intentional about the
officers that we do hire. And I think that's important as
well because we want to create aplace of comfortability with our
with our community, but also too, we have to find a way to
where our officers and our community are getting to know
(23:36):
each other. So tonight is National Night
Out. We have a big kick off off of
Old National Hwy. where our officers will be out there will
be intermingling with the community as well as our elected
officials. So we do again want to continue
to create a place of community policing and we hold them
accountable. We definitely do.
(23:56):
So I can tell you what we do in South Fullerton and, and you
know, there's no perfect Police Department and there will be
some bad apples, but we want to have more good apples than bad.
And we do really focus on tryingto make our police officers a
part of the community. I love it and I have heard that
(24:17):
a lot that by including officerswith the community, it does
build a relationship and it builds a relationship with
trust. So I definitely see how that is
important. So I know he's asked a lot about
all the things that you're working on, but I want to ask
questions about yourself right now.
Like you have a very heavy job and I know you mentioned that
you're a mother and of course mental health is one of your
main initiatives. I want to ask you personally,
(24:39):
what are some things that you doto cater to your own mental
health so that you're not takingall your work at home 24/7, that
you're catering to yourself? So what are some of the ways
that you cater to your mental health and Wellness?
Well, I can definitely tell you as a woman in politics, it's
it's tough. And then also to this is a part
time job, so I also work a full time corporate job as well.
(25:02):
So mental health is definitely important.
But what I have learned is that self-care is got to be one of my
top things, and I've learned to really take time for myself.
Whether it's just shutting down,cutting the computer off,
cutting the cell phone off, or just making sure that I just
(25:25):
take time to go to the spa. I need to take time for me and
it can get very overwhelming. I'm not flipping over tables,
but there's some days that I want to flip over like tables.
But at the end of the day, I have to realize that I have to
channel that energy and try to really take care of myself.
(25:45):
Because if I'm not good for myself or anybody, I really
can't be good to my community. So I really, I like to travel, I
love reading and just quiet timeand I do enjoy my dogs.
I have, you know, 3 doggies, believe it or not.
So I do like to spend time with them and that's kind of like my
(26:07):
peace. But it is important.
I do remind a lot of elected officials, especially females,
is that we have to take time because we're nurturing by
nature, we're giving by nature. We want to make sure things and
you know, women do a better. And no offense to the men, but
we also at the same time have toremember that we got to take
(26:27):
care of ourselves. So whether it's just even just
sitting for just 5 minutes just listening to ratchet music,
because I like ratchet music, that's what I got to do to
regroup. So it's important.
Self-care is definitely important.
Oh yeah. So what's actually as well,
what's your career and your profession?
Have there been any specific challenges for a woman of color
(26:51):
and politics? And if so, how did you find a
way to overcome those challenges?
I can tell you. So when I got into this thing,
you know, people, I guess I wasn't the traditional, I don't
know what a politician looks like, but I wasn't the
traditional politician, you know?
(27:12):
And now that I see it's a lot ofbeautiful women entering
politics. But I was told, Oh, well, you
need to, you know, take out your, your weave where you need
to, you know, take off your eyelashes.
It's too much or you shouldn't wear so much makeup.
And I'm just like, what? Because I'm a girly girl?
(27:33):
I'm all things girly girl. But I didn't feel like I needed
to dumb it down or change who I was in order to be in office or
to be run for office. And I think that's one of the
stigmas because I often hear, oh, well, you don't look like a
politician. Well, please tell me what a
politician looks like because atthe end of the day, you know, I
(27:53):
have a brain and I know what I want to see from our community.
So having to get over that challenge was a bit difficult at
first, but I think, you know, it's about having to show and
prove that, you know, I'm a woman, I can do all things.
And I think that's where we justhave to make sure that we stand
(28:15):
up and continue to be authentic.But it was a very, it was a
challenge and I got a lot of that Flack from a lot of
females, which disheartened me as well.
But hey, I went for the challenge.
And what I do now when I'm talking to any young person that
wants to be in politics, especially a female, I let them
know don't change it down. People gravitate to you being an
(28:38):
authentic person. So if you are at the table, be
yourself and make a difference. And don't let you know the
haters that are out there say anything to you because at the
end of the day, you serve a community and you want to see
impact. So be who you are and that's
just that's what I go with. But it was very difficult
(28:59):
because this, you know, politicsis normally a male dominated
field. You start to see more women of
color now entering into politics, especially in Atlanta.
So we just got to continue to, you know, elevate women and
champion them to run for office.I love it.
Now that's my next question. I was going to ask you like what
advice did you have for people that want to enter the field?
(29:20):
But you can still, if you have any additional advice that
expound on that, because like you said, we need to see more
people that look like us. And as you mentioned, just being
authentic, because I think that's the miscommunication.
That's the disconnect that happens sometimes when these
elections come because we look at the candidates and it's like,
I don't relate to this person. How can they speak for me?
(29:42):
Because that's what you want. You want that council person,
that Senator that you know, they, you want them to be there
to be your voice. That really is what they're
supposed to do, speak for you, speak for your community.
So I think that's a disconnection when sometimes
people look at the and it's like, I don't relate to them.
So it's refreshing when you do see people that is like, wow, I
(30:02):
get it. Like they, you know, it seems
like somebody that you would really have a conversation with
that you feel comfortable representing you.
So what advice would you have for people who, you know, they
may have some political aspirations or also advice with
someone who may think that they don't have what it takes, but
they really could make a difference.
So what advice do you have for those individuals?
(30:24):
I would say first prey on it. That's one of the things that I
did when I first decided that I was going to run.
I prayed, I talked to my family,I talked to my girlfriends.
I was like, hey, I'm thinking about doing this because it is a
disruption to your what you're normally accustomed to.
So you have to make sure that you have support centered around
(30:47):
you that will help you through those tough days.
And again, I would say just do it.
You can do it with your eyes closed, but just do it.
Don't let people talk you out ofit.
If you are passionate about it, do it.
Run for office because the only way you will know if you can do
something is if you do it. So that's that's always been my
(31:10):
big thing. Be your authentic self and just
know what drives your passion. What is it that you want to make
a difference? Don't get into it just because
you feel like it's going to elevate your career or things of
that nature. How can you people will see
through that? How can you really make a
difference for your community? So I just tell people if that is
(31:30):
your what you want to do, just do it and it'll happen.
Wow, I. Love it.
So and I believe in God, God, God centers people to you know
their passion and he will put you in places and open doors for
you that you may not have never thought of.
So again, you just can't be afraid.
You got to have the the courage to step out on faith.
(31:52):
Yes, faith will take you anywhere and faith puts you in
rooms that you didn't think you belonged in or you may think,
hey, I want to be in that room. I don't know how I'm going to
get there. All you have to have is faith
and believe in God. So I definitely know the power
of prayer and the power of believing in God for sure
because it'll take you anywhere in life.
So one thing I want to ask you, one of the big proponents of our
(32:14):
platform is self love. Self love is that field to you.
Put that fire in your belly to make you go ahead and pursue
your dreams, to follow your dreams and also make a
difference. And also sometimes to be a
disruptor because sometimes we have to be a disruptor in order
to be hurt. So I want to ask you, how do you
define self love and what role has it played in your life?
(32:36):
So I'm going to be honest with you as as a female I didn't.
I didn't know for a while what self love was, you know, and
some of that could be, you know,through family experiences or,
or trauma that I may have experienced in life because I
didn't identify with what self love meant to me.
(32:57):
And I'm trying not to get teary eyed, but I think one of the
things that comes with growth and maturity is understanding
what it means to love yourself. They're going to be a lot of
hiccups that happen in life. And if I love myself
differently, I probably wouldn'thave experienced those hiccups.
So that's something, if you could identify what it means to
(33:19):
love yourself pretty early on, some things, you know, you
wouldn't be dealing with for such a long period of time or
wasting, you know, energy and something that didn't suit you.
So for me it took a lot of growth.
It's a time and maturity for me to realize what it was that I
(33:41):
loved about me that I can show other people as to why, but it I
had to really find me first. And I think that comes with a
lot of maturity and growth. I could tell you my 20 year old
self and my in my teens, I probably I didn't, I didn't love
myself enough. You know what I'm saying?
(34:02):
And again, that's just being transparent.
And as women, I think it comes with time and probably have to
experience a few setbacks and obstacles.
But what it means to me now is that I actually enjoy being with
me, just enjoying who I am and the person and the woman that
I've become. I enjoy talking not, I'm not
(34:24):
crazy or anything, but I enjoy having conversations with myself
and saying, Carl, you know what,that you should have did
something different, you know, and realizing when you need to
have those conversations, havingaffirmations.
There will be days that are tougher than others, but you
sometimes still have to go back and say, you know what, I love
(34:44):
myself way too much for this. So again, I just think it comes
with time and learning who you are as a person and the impact
that you want to leave and your legacy.
So I, I think for me, that's what self love is.
I've learned to love myself and that's a a learning process.
I appreciate your transparency and you're right, it's it takes
(35:08):
wisdom and we know wisdom comes with time.
So a lot of us, our teen years, our 20 year old self, we didn't
understand what it was to love ourselves.
So it altered a lot of our decisions in life.
And that doesn't mean that we made any mistakes, but sometimes
you got to go through the rain to appreciate the rainbow and
the sunshine. So I really, really, really
(35:30):
appreciate your transparency with that.
So I want to ask you, what are some of the what's on your wish
list? What are some things that you
hope for in the future that you can work on for Fulton County,
South Fulton County? What are some of the things that
you have on your your list rightnow to work on?
Well, some of the things that I have on my list is really again
expanding our reach for mental health.
(35:51):
I am hoping that other cities will kind of take on the
initiative because we do have 8 neighboring cities that are near
7 or 8 neighboring cities. A lot of municipalities don't
really talk about mental health.They say that is the county
function, but I really believe that this is something that we
can make an impact if we get more cities that that come on
(36:13):
board. Also, to really focusing on our
environment, creating cities that are green friendly, are
really healthy focused initiatives.
I want us to have a healthy community, especially as African
American. So I've been partnering with a
lot of organizations such as theAmerican Diabetes Association,
(36:34):
also to the American Heart Association, as well as even the
Cancer Association. Because again, if you look at
our predominantly African American city, there are a lot
of elements that we're really now focusing on.
And I'm in healthcare by nature,that's what I love to do, but I
(36:54):
want us to have a really healthycity.
So we're focusing on actually driving a lot of senior
initiatives where they're working out, getting them out
their house. They're not focused on
isolation. So that's one of the things that
I want to continue to champion, getting them moving and fit and
things of that nature. And lastly, just overall, I'm
really building community engagement.
(37:16):
And building community engagement allows people to
understand local politics and understanding voter engagement
and things of that nature. So I want people to really get
into government, local government, and understanding
how it impacts them. So those are some key
initiatives. And then lastly, it would be
economic development. That should be first and
(37:38):
foremost. But I do know that economic
development takes time, but we really want to make sure that
we're driving businesses here, quality businesses, and then
also to creating a space for entrepreneurs and young people
because we're building a city for our future.
And that's the biggest thing forme is that I want to be able to
(38:00):
build a city where we are friendly to a business and
entrepreneurs. And then I also want my daughter
to come home and, and, and live.I don't want her to live with
me, but I want her to be able ina community that's fit for her.
So I want to make sure that young people are attracted to
the city as well. I understand that last part too,
(38:24):
but I love this. This has been an amazing
conversation. Before we end everything, I want
to ask you, can you please leaveus with the affirmation?
Now your affirmation could be just encourage us to love
ourselves or it could be even encourage us to get in those
polls. So just I'll leave it up to you
on what you'd like to leave us with affirmation, but please
leave us with some encouraging words.
(38:44):
Let's see, passion with our purpose is pointless.
Wow, enough said. I love it, I love it.
Thank you so much. And before we end everything,
tell everybody how they can findyou, how they can find you on
social media and also how they can contact you and just give
them all your information. Well, you can definitely find me
(39:06):
on Instagram IG at I am Carmelita Gums.
You can also follow me on Facebook, which is Carmelita
Gums without the L. The L is my personal.
So if I don't know, you probablywon't get on that one.
And then also too, you can find me on Twitter.
Well they call it X now. So you can find me on X at
(39:29):
Carmelita Gums and then you can go to
www.councilwomancarmelitagums.comand that is my website.
That way if you wanted to leave me a message, shoot me Adm or
anything like that, it's all connected.
So I really try to, again, like I said, reach individuals where
they are. So whatever mechanism you need
(39:49):
to reach, I usually respond. So Yep, that's it.
Awesome. Thank you so much for your time.
I really appreciate it talking shit and this has been a great
great, great conversation and I definitely hope that people that
TuneIn they can get some more information on just how to be a
stored in their community. No matter where they are.
You can make a difference even if you have to be a disruptor
(40:11):
and shake the room. It's.
Perfectly OK, a try is worth better than just sitting back
and complaining. So I definitely appreciate you
being clear about that message. So guys, I hope you were able to
pick up on some gems in this conversation.
Remember, we have some importantelections coming up.
And also remember, it's not justabout November, It's also right
in your community. Your senator, your
(40:32):
congressperson, your Councilman,they're waiting for you to go
into that poll and make a difference.
You can make a difference in your community in the most
simplest way just by simply walking into that poll and given
your choice. So don't feel like discourage
and think that your vote does not matter.
We have someone sitting right here.
She won days off of three votes,so your vote does count.
(40:53):
So thank you guys for tuning in to the key chat.
You can check this episode and more on www.goclean.com.
Make sure you be safe and of course, go love yourself.
She's acquaint about a business working hard on a mission head
hyperb driven crown on.
Grab your print or digital. Copy of Go Queen.
Magazine Today. Stay.
Inspired by the incredible stories and features inside?
Visit our website to grab your copy now.
Hey Queen, welcome to another episode of the Q Chat.
Today, we have the honor of speaking with the remarkable
Councilwoman Carmelita Gums, a trailblazer who is making waves
(00:22):
in both her community and beyond.
As an accomplished leader, public servant, and advocate,
Carmelita is known for her dedication to uplifting others
and driving positive change. Her passion for community
development and her commitment to excellence have earned her
recognition as a powerful voice for empowerment and
transformation. In this episode, we'll explore
(00:43):
her inspiring journey, the challenges she's overcome, and
her vision for creating a brighter future for those she
served. Get ready to be inspired by
Carmelita Gunz and her unwavering dedication to making
a difference. Working hard on a mission.
(01:29):
You guys are joining another episode of the Key Chat today.
My very special guest is Miss Councilwoman Carmelita L Gums
and miss this Councilwoman, she's been representing the City
of Fulton in Atlanta, GA, Atlanta for quite some time.
And she has a lot of great initiatives.
And some of her initiatives are things that are really close to
our platform, including mental health.
So we're going to discuss that. And of course, as we know, this
(01:52):
is a big election year, it's going to be life changing.
So we're also going to have a conversation about that as well
and the significance of voting and making a difference.
So how you doing today? I'm doing wonderful.
Thank you for having me on your show today.
Awesome. I'm so happy to speak with you.
Like I said, there's a lot of things I definitely want to ask
you, but I want to get off and start just with your history
(02:13):
because I know politics has got to be a very complex career.
So I want to get some backgroundinto your upbringing and what
led you into this career. Oh, wow.
So I moved to Atlanta about 17 years ago and I came from a
corporate background and wanted to kind of take an opportunity
(02:34):
to really make an impact and a difference.
I did a lot of work in the community once moving here and I
ended up losing my job in corporate America and all of the
people that I met and work with.It was considerably hard,
especially for women to, you know, you got to be in the click
in Atlanta. Atlanta is a relationship driven
(02:55):
city. So one of the things I was like,
I have to make sure that I always find a way to reach back
to other women, especially people that are not natives from
Atlanta of how to navigate through that.
But what happened in the processof me losing my corporate job, I
went to go work for a small black planning firm and ended up
(03:17):
working in DeKalb County under an elected official.
And that's when I got that buzz.I was her chief of staff and
chief of communications officer and I got to see first hand how
resources were not given to communities of color or
communities that look like me, if that's a better way of saying
it. And we were going through city
(03:39):
hood for our second time in the city of South Fulton.
And I wanted to ensure that thatdidn't happen in in the city
that I was spending my money andyou know, where I brought my
house and things of that nature.So in that process, umm, I
decided to go to a form where I got to see all the candidates
that were throwing their hats inthe ring.
(04:01):
I had no intentions on actually running for office, but by the
time I left there, I stood up and offered myself for office.
I didn't know what I was doing, I just knew that the people that
were talking about what they wanted to see in the city did
not align with the views and what I thought would resonate
with people that look like me. So I threw my hat in the ring,
(04:24):
decided to run, and I didn't have no money.
I tell people I ran off a penny and a prayer.
I ran against 12 people. And again, like I said, I had no
idea. But you know, I was considered
the underdog. I actually ended up winning in a
runoff by three votes, making itto the runoff by three votes.
(04:45):
And that's why I tell people it's very important that every
vote does count and ended up winning the seat.
And I've been in the seat for the past seven years.
I'm really just trying to make adifference and an impact
throughout my community. So that's how it happened.
It was just so random. I decided, you know, hey, I want
(05:06):
to make a difference. You know those people, I don't
know what they talking about, but that's not what I want to
see here. So here I am, and that's how it
happened. Now, I know you said it was
random when you decided to do it, that you think that you
would win. Or did you just think, well,
hey, I'm just going to show people that, you know, because
sometimes it does help because Iknow we've all had an election
(05:26):
where there was a candidate thatwe really like.
They necessarily not win, but westill remember them.
Were your intentions initially to maybe just encourage people
like you said that look like youfrom our generation to just get
involved and want to vote? You know, I do want to kind of
get deep, like, did you expect to win or?
I actually didn't expect to win,to be honest.
(05:48):
I wanted to be a disruptor, and I'll tell people that as well.
I wanted to be a disruptor. I knew that once I probably made
it to the runoff that I would probably win because I knew how
to market. I knew I was a genuine person.
So I knew that my relationships would resonate with people, but
I did not. I think I was going to win.
(06:10):
I actually didn't think, you know, running against 12 people
is a lot. I didn't think that I had money,
enough money. But people resonated with me as
far as, you know, being the underdog or, you know, people
just didn't take me seriously. And I actually, you know,
outworked the competition because when you look at
(06:31):
politics, people already know, you know, who they want to put
in these seeds. So you're working against a
machine. And I was that, like I said,
disruptor, that I wasn't workingagainst the machine.
I was just working off of my passion for my community and
wanting the residents to know. So I I think that resonated with
people and I ended up winning. Now, how important do you think
(06:54):
it is to just be a leader in your community?
Because just like you mentioned,you had a passion for your
community. And I think sometimes people
take that lightly, You know, to have a passion for where you
live, where you're from, the citizens in your community.
And you don't necessarily have to run for public office, but
you can be passionate your community and volunteer.
You can be passionate and can your community and try and clean
(07:16):
it up or you know, do several different things.
So how important do you think itis for people, especially
younger people? Because I think that's really
the generation that is really important with voting and
politics. And sometimes I think they just
feel like they're not included. But how important do you think
it is to just have that passion for a community because they
really can't make a difference? I think it's very important.
(07:39):
And one of the things too is that you hear us, we complain a
lot about what we don't have, what we don't get, what we don't
see in our communities and communities of color.
So sitting back and just complaining does not, you know,
help. You have to take action.
And that was one of the things that I wanted to make sure is
that I was, if there was something that I did not like, I
(08:00):
was going to make a difference. Either I ran for office or I
will probably be the loudest person in the room and people
know what it is that I did not like and trying to activate.
And I think that's where we kindof get stuck sometimes is that
we don't activate. And that was one of the things I
try to encourage a lot of young people as well.
If you don't like something, stand up for it and make sure
(08:23):
that, you know, either you run for office where you can really
impact change or be a voice thatcan really carry a community.
So you have to you got to have influence.
You got to have courage. Courage is definitely it, but
also to I also encourage people to be your authentic self.
Don't change just to kind of meet the status quo.
(08:44):
Be who you are and and lead by that.
So that's always been my biggest, my biggest model.
Yeah. And I want to ask you, of
course, we know this is a huge election year right now.
We are on the cusp of we may have our first female president
and not only our first female president, but of course a woman
of color. So this is a very important
(09:04):
year. And as you mentioned, you have
your seat because of three votesand that's the big consensus.
Every election year, people think that their vote does not
count. So I wanted to ask you because
it gets kind of complex wheneverit's a presidential year,
because I think sometimes peoplethink, well, that's the
important election. And yeah, it is.
But a lot of times people sometimes, not everyone, but
(09:26):
sometimes kind of skirt over their local elections, which are
extremely important. So King, for people who may.
And like I said, sometimes people when you know better, you
do better. So for some people who may not
be fully abreast of the importance of voting for your
local community leaders, can youjust break down the importance
of putting your vote in for yourlocal Senate or council person?
(09:50):
Can you just, you know, give everyone some background on
that? So definitely a lot of people
always, you know, really focus on the presidential election,
which again this year is definitely super, super
important. So I do encourage people to
vote, but local elections is what really impacts you is the
closest to the people. We make laws and decisions that
(10:12):
really impact your day-to-day and your quality of life.
So it is very important to to vote, whether it's, you know,
putting up speed cameras where citations can impact your your
household or where we're fixing roads and potholes.
Those are the things that really, really impact our
communities. And that's why people have to
(10:33):
activate local judges. You know, though, people have to
understand how politics work andhow they can really impact
change. You know, I'm not saying that
our presidential elections are not important, but I do want
people to understand the local is the closest to the people and
they really impact we can make laws that will impact your
(10:56):
day-to-day. And I don't think people really
pay attention to that. So when I'm, I'm speaking to
people, I, I let them know this is the race that really matters.
Where you focusing on your City Council, you're focusing on your
judges, your, your county commissioners.
Those are the ones that matter because it is the closest to the
people and they impact what you got going on day-to-day.
(11:17):
Oh. Yeah, definitely.
What would you say to the encourage the younger people?
Because again, you know, I thinka lot of votes would make a lot
of elections would make a huge difference, of course, if there
were a bigger voter turn out. And of course the young people
really are our future. May sound cliche, but they
really, truly are our future. So what are some things I guess
to maybe encourage the younger people because sometimes I think
(11:38):
they're the most, they're the biggest generation sometimes
where they feel like, you know, these people who are running,
they don't look like me. They're not saying anything I
want to hear. So what can be something, I
guess, to be done, maybe to encourage them to still want to
go out there and vote? Well, I think one of the things
is that we have to make voting look fun.
We have to make it look appealing to our younger people.
(12:01):
Voting is seem to be like an oldpersons thing or you know, they
don't really pay attention to it.
So we have to find creative waysto meet young people where they
are, whether it's through tick tock.
Like for instance, you know, when, um, Vice President Harris
came to Atlanta, she brought in some icons, you know, Megan the
(12:23):
stallion Quavo, something that kind of resonates with younger
people. And, you know, getting on
TikTok, doing creative things and not just finding a way to
communicate where they are and letting them know that politics
and even though it is supposed to be born unless you're in an
orange jumpsuit. But other than that, it is
(12:43):
supposed to be a way that we cankind of talk about issues that
impact them as young people create forums.
We do have a lot of younger politicals that do kind of help,
you know, giving guidance and inways that really impact.
We just got to make sure that weactivate those, those people let
him know, hey, your voice does matter.
(13:05):
We want you, you to have a seat at the table and communicate
with us. Let us know what it is that you
want to see, whether or not you feel like the citations or you
know, you're, I'm being, you're being unfairly profiled, those
type of things, finding ways to connect.
And I, I think that's probably the biggest thing, but they have
(13:25):
to let us know. Don't be afraid. e-mail your,
your council people, your senators, let them know how you
feel. And I'm a responsive council
person. So I really like to hear from
the younger people I employ younger people on my staff.
I didn't realize I thought I wasa millennial, but I'm not.
(13:47):
But I, I do try to bring youngerpeople in because you can't
always be the smartest person inthe room.
It's always somebody that's smarter than you.
And I love to hear young people,especially my daughter, have a
young daughter. She shares with me all the time.
Hey, this is what we want to see.
So again, take those in consideration and be serious
(14:08):
about it and try to impact change.
And I think they'll get it. Mm hmm.
I definitely hope so. So of course, I want to ask you
with your job, you have a very important job and good history
working in the city of Atlanta. So I want to ask you to give you
some background on some of the initiatives that you started.
I know that mental health, of course, is one of the most
important initiatives, but I want to get some background on
(14:28):
just what are some of the main highlights the most, some of the
main important initiatives that you've started since you had
your position. Well, it's definitely the city
of South Fulton, which we're like maybe 5 miles from the city
of Atlanta. We did break off 7 years ago
from this. I just want to make sure I kind
of clear that up. But some of the initiatives that
I really do focus on is making sure that we're being impactful
(14:52):
in our community. Mental health awareness is a
really, really big thing. We've launched several campaigns
because in a city, as the city of South Fulton, who is
predominantly African American, there are a lot of things that
kind of give us pause. Especially since the pandemic,
we've seen a spike in mental health issues.
(15:12):
We've also seen a spike in suicide deaths and attempts.
So we wanted to what I didn't really wanted to focus on how do
we change that trajectory? How do we get or create a space
for people to really talk about mental health in an organic
space? You know, in communities of
color, it's always been a taboo to talk about mental health.
(15:34):
You know, you might see a auntieor a cousin and they'll be like,
oh, just sending a church or pray it away, that kind of
thing. And that doesn't work.
We have to find creative ways totalk about mental health in a
just the organic fashion and then be able to provide
resources. One of the things that we did,
we partnered with Silence the Shame, which Ashanti Dawson's
(15:57):
organization, trying to make sure that we brought those
resources to our community. I wanted to kind of infuse art,
music and fashion into talking about mental health.
So we did a had compassion and contour fashion show and it was
sold out. I it was just something that we
wanted to try and it actually went pretty well and people
(16:20):
loved it. Where we had local designers
come in and a lot of youth as well to come in and design
fashions or outfits based off oftheir their feelings or
emotional. And it was, it was lovely.
It was incredible. So we're going to continue to
keep pushing that narrative. Again, we recognize mental
(16:43):
health awareness day, Black mental health awareness day.
We do a lot also too. We have a great Christmas end of
the year kickoff. It's called BU in Every Hue,
which is our toy drive where youbring out toys that look like
you. It was similar to our Bring Out
the Doll initiative that we started in South Fulton in
(17:07):
Atlanta. So we wanted to kind of try to
have another play on that. So where people, movers and
shakers come out, we have a goodtime and we bring dolls and
collect toys that look like the people that are bringing them
in. And it's always a good time.
So again, we want to find creative initiatives to really,
really focus on the the individual and have a, a
(17:30):
community that is full of, how can I say it, not necessarily
happiness, but I wanted to create a utopia of where it's OK
to be your authentic self in thecity of South Fulton.
Awesome, that's wonderful. I want to ask you to, you know,
just to stick with the subject of mental health.
And you're right, that's a he stigma still in our community
(17:51):
after all these years, even I feel like conversations about
mental health, they are taking place more, you know, we are
talking about it more, but there's still the stigma, you
know, which is which is very interesting considering like I
said, I think now people are more open and say, Hey, I go to
a therapist or just even encouraging therapy because we
know like our history, we're rooted in religion.
(18:14):
Like you said, prayed away, justgo talk to your pastor and
that's supposed to be the end ofit, which as we know you can
have God and therapy and have noshame involved.
What are just something just from your personal opinion on
just ways that we can have more conversations because again, the
stigma for some reason is still there, even though we're more
(18:36):
transparent and talking about mental health, there's still
some communities where it's really hard to explain.
And then, of course, when we seethings where people sometimes
are in mental distress and there's a fear of even calling
the police, which of course that's a second conversation.
So what are just some things we can do to just have bigger
conversations? Because these bigger
(18:57):
conversations save lives. Well, again, I think it's where
we have to be creative and meeting people where they are,
whether it's through barbershop talks or going to the local
beauty salons. We have to meet people where
they are, especially with young people as well.
You know, social media has always been a big thing where we
(19:20):
have our kids that are on socialmedia.
They see these, you know, imagesand you know, they compare
themselves to those type of things because we've also had,
you know, quite a spike in suicide attempts with our youth.
So it's being able to let them know that some of the stuff that
you're seeing is not real. Social media is a perception.
(19:41):
It's not, you know, everybody's not doing all of these great
things on social media or, you know, it's an image that people
are trying to portray and just being able to continue to talk
about it. You know, I'm going into the
schools we found creative, especially in our elementary
schools. We've done some things where we
bring in characters and we'll put on plays.
(20:03):
Again, like I said, I like to infuse the arts and music and
just culture into trying to talkabout mental health, so.
I've learned my community, I tryto find again, holistic ways
that are fun and creative to getpeople to just really start
talking about it. And the only thing we can do,
the more we talk about it, the more people will feel
(20:24):
comfortable. And it'll continue to create a
space of openness where people will, you know, talk out of, you
know, just being around and being comfortable about it.
So I think it's a work in progress.
I think there's something that we just got to continue to keep
hitting it all cylinders becausethe narrative of just acting
like it's not going to happen toyour family.
(20:45):
I think people realize that it'sin all of our families.
And we just got to make sure that, you know, we create or be
a vehicle to where people are comfortable with coming out and
saying, hey, I need help or I'm not OK.
I want people to realize that it's OK to not be OK, right?
Right, definitely. And again, I just feel like it's
(21:07):
great when we have people who are especially in political
office who are using mental health as one of their platforms
because it's so important and just to build that knowledge in
the community, it can change lives and it is very important.
So I definitely commend you for working on that.
So I want to ask you to, as I mentioned with Sonia Massey, of
(21:27):
course, that is something to that is something that's
weighing heavy on a lot of people right now.
What are just some of the, I guess, I guess my question as
far as politics and we have the upcoming election.
Are there ways that we can make a difference and just maybe this
our relationship with the policeor maybe to be more comfortable
(21:47):
and seeking help from them? I know a lot of it has to just
do with just the people that they're hiring, which I don't
know we have any states on that obviously.
But just what are some things that we can do as a community to
just feel safer? Well, I, I think what we have
done, and I can just only speak on the city of South Fulton, is
that we really want our officersto be a part of our community.
(22:10):
They are really focusing on justdoing a lot of community
policing. And that way we have a lot of,
you know, talks where we have cops in the park where, you
know, they are actually a part of any type of football game,
basketball game. They're out there, you know,
meeting with people. We have our officers, they're on
(22:32):
bicycles and they're riding through our neighborhoods and
just, you know, doing the stop and talk type of thing.
But we've also instituted legislation to where we want to
make it more friendly to for ourofficers.
We also have established a task force for where citizens are a
(22:53):
part of the review of any type of excessive force.
Also to we've also instituted legislation about hiring
practices. If any of our officers from any
other agencies have been involved in any type of
excessive incident or have a sketchy pass, they won't get
(23:14):
hired with the city of South Fulton.
So we are being a little bit more intentional about the
officers that we do hire. And I think that's important as
well because we want to create aplace of comfortability with our
with our community, but also too, we have to find a way to
where our officers and our community are getting to know
(23:36):
each other. So tonight is National Night
Out. We have a big kick off off of
Old National Hwy. where our officers will be out there will
be intermingling with the community as well as our elected
officials. So we do again want to continue
to create a place of community policing and we hold them
accountable. We definitely do.
(23:56):
So I can tell you what we do in South Fullerton and, and you
know, there's no perfect Police Department and there will be
some bad apples, but we want to have more good apples than bad.
And we do really focus on tryingto make our police officers a
part of the community. I love it and I have heard that
(24:17):
a lot that by including officerswith the community, it does
build a relationship and it builds a relationship with
trust. So I definitely see how that is
important. So I know he's asked a lot about
all the things that you're working on, but I want to ask
questions about yourself right now.
Like you have a very heavy job and I know you mentioned that
you're a mother and of course mental health is one of your
main initiatives. I want to ask you personally,
(24:39):
what are some things that you doto cater to your own mental
health so that you're not takingall your work at home 24/7, that
you're catering to yourself? So what are some of the ways
that you cater to your mental health and Wellness?
Well, I can definitely tell you as a woman in politics, it's
it's tough. And then also to this is a part
time job, so I also work a full time corporate job as well.
(25:02):
So mental health is definitely important.
But what I have learned is that self-care is got to be one of my
top things, and I've learned to really take time for myself.
Whether it's just shutting down,cutting the computer off,
cutting the cell phone off, or just making sure that I just
(25:25):
take time to go to the spa. I need to take time for me and
it can get very overwhelming. I'm not flipping over tables,
but there's some days that I want to flip over like tables.
But at the end of the day, I have to realize that I have to
channel that energy and try to really take care of myself.
(25:45):
Because if I'm not good for myself or anybody, I really
can't be good to my community. So I really, I like to travel, I
love reading and just quiet timeand I do enjoy my dogs.
I have, you know, 3 doggies, believe it or not.
So I do like to spend time with them and that's kind of like my
(26:07):
peace. But it is important.
I do remind a lot of elected officials, especially females,
is that we have to take time because we're nurturing by
nature, we're giving by nature. We want to make sure things and
you know, women do a better. And no offense to the men, but
we also at the same time have toremember that we got to take
(26:27):
care of ourselves. So whether it's just even just
sitting for just 5 minutes just listening to ratchet music,
because I like ratchet music, that's what I got to do to
regroup. So it's important.
Self-care is definitely important.
Oh yeah. So what's actually as well,
what's your career and your profession?
Have there been any specific challenges for a woman of color
(26:51):
and politics? And if so, how did you find a
way to overcome those challenges?
I can tell you. So when I got into this thing,
you know, people, I guess I wasn't the traditional, I don't
know what a politician looks like, but I wasn't the
traditional politician, you know?
(27:12):
And now that I see it's a lot ofbeautiful women entering
politics. But I was told, Oh, well, you
need to, you know, take out your, your weave where you need
to, you know, take off your eyelashes.
It's too much or you shouldn't wear so much makeup.
And I'm just like, what? Because I'm a girly girl?
(27:33):
I'm all things girly girl. But I didn't feel like I needed
to dumb it down or change who I was in order to be in office or
to be run for office. And I think that's one of the
stigmas because I often hear, oh, well, you don't look like a
politician. Well, please tell me what a
politician looks like because atthe end of the day, you know, I
(27:53):
have a brain and I know what I want to see from our community.
So having to get over that challenge was a bit difficult at
first, but I think, you know, it's about having to show and
prove that, you know, I'm a woman, I can do all things.
And I think that's where we justhave to make sure that we stand
(28:15):
up and continue to be authentic.But it was a very, it was a
challenge and I got a lot of that Flack from a lot of
females, which disheartened me as well.
But hey, I went for the challenge.
And what I do now when I'm talking to any young person that
wants to be in politics, especially a female, I let them
know don't change it down. People gravitate to you being an
(28:38):
authentic person. So if you are at the table, be
yourself and make a difference. And don't let you know the
haters that are out there say anything to you because at the
end of the day, you serve a community and you want to see
impact. So be who you are and that's
just that's what I go with. But it was very difficult
(28:59):
because this, you know, politicsis normally a male dominated
field. You start to see more women of
color now entering into politics, especially in Atlanta.
So we just got to continue to, you know, elevate women and
champion them to run for office.I love it.
Now that's my next question. I was going to ask you like what
advice did you have for people that want to enter the field?
(29:20):
But you can still, if you have any additional advice that
expound on that, because like you said, we need to see more
people that look like us. And as you mentioned, just being
authentic, because I think that's the miscommunication.
That's the disconnect that happens sometimes when these
elections come because we look at the candidates and it's like,
I don't relate to this person. How can they speak for me?
(29:42):
Because that's what you want. You want that council person,
that Senator that you know, they, you want them to be there
to be your voice. That really is what they're
supposed to do, speak for you, speak for your community.
So I think that's a disconnection when sometimes
people look at the and it's like, I don't relate to them.
So it's refreshing when you do see people that is like, wow, I
(30:02):
get it. Like they, you know, it seems
like somebody that you would really have a conversation with
that you feel comfortable representing you.
So what advice would you have for people who, you know, they
may have some political aspirations or also advice with
someone who may think that they don't have what it takes, but
they really could make a difference.
So what advice do you have for those individuals?
(30:24):
I would say first prey on it. That's one of the things that I
did when I first decided that I was going to run.
I prayed, I talked to my family,I talked to my girlfriends.
I was like, hey, I'm thinking about doing this because it is a
disruption to your what you're normally accustomed to.
So you have to make sure that you have support centered around
(30:47):
you that will help you through those tough days.
And again, I would say just do it.
You can do it with your eyes closed, but just do it.
Don't let people talk you out ofit.
If you are passionate about it, do it.
Run for office because the only way you will know if you can do
something is if you do it. So that's that's always been my
(31:10):
big thing. Be your authentic self and just
know what drives your passion. What is it that you want to make
a difference? Don't get into it just because
you feel like it's going to elevate your career or things of
that nature. How can you people will see
through that? How can you really make a
difference for your community? So I just tell people if that is
(31:30):
your what you want to do, just do it and it'll happen.
Wow, I. Love it.
So and I believe in God, God, God centers people to you know
their passion and he will put you in places and open doors for
you that you may not have never thought of.
So again, you just can't be afraid.
You got to have the the courage to step out on faith.
(31:52):
Yes, faith will take you anywhere and faith puts you in
rooms that you didn't think you belonged in or you may think,
hey, I want to be in that room. I don't know how I'm going to
get there. All you have to have is faith
and believe in God. So I definitely know the power
of prayer and the power of believing in God for sure
because it'll take you anywhere in life.
So one thing I want to ask you, one of the big proponents of our
(32:14):
platform is self love. Self love is that field to you.
Put that fire in your belly to make you go ahead and pursue
your dreams, to follow your dreams and also make a
difference. And also sometimes to be a
disruptor because sometimes we have to be a disruptor in order
to be hurt. So I want to ask you, how do you
define self love and what role has it played in your life?
(32:36):
So I'm going to be honest with you as as a female I didn't.
I didn't know for a while what self love was, you know, and
some of that could be, you know,through family experiences or,
or trauma that I may have experienced in life because I
didn't identify with what self love meant to me.
(32:57):
And I'm trying not to get teary eyed, but I think one of the
things that comes with growth and maturity is understanding
what it means to love yourself. They're going to be a lot of
hiccups that happen in life. And if I love myself
differently, I probably wouldn'thave experienced those hiccups.
So that's something, if you could identify what it means to
(33:19):
love yourself pretty early on, some things, you know, you
wouldn't be dealing with for such a long period of time or
wasting, you know, energy and something that didn't suit you.
So for me it took a lot of growth.
It's a time and maturity for me to realize what it was that I
(33:41):
loved about me that I can show other people as to why, but it I
had to really find me first. And I think that comes with a
lot of maturity and growth. I could tell you my 20 year old
self and my in my teens, I probably I didn't, I didn't love
myself enough. You know what I'm saying?
(34:02):
And again, that's just being transparent.
And as women, I think it comes with time and probably have to
experience a few setbacks and obstacles.
But what it means to me now is that I actually enjoy being with
me, just enjoying who I am and the person and the woman that
I've become. I enjoy talking not, I'm not
(34:24):
crazy or anything, but I enjoy having conversations with myself
and saying, Carl, you know what,that you should have did
something different, you know, and realizing when you need to
have those conversations, havingaffirmations.
There will be days that are tougher than others, but you
sometimes still have to go back and say, you know what, I love
(34:44):
myself way too much for this. So again, I just think it comes
with time and learning who you are as a person and the impact
that you want to leave and your legacy.
So I, I think for me, that's what self love is.
I've learned to love myself and that's a a learning process.
I appreciate your transparency and you're right, it's it takes
(35:08):
wisdom and we know wisdom comes with time.
So a lot of us, our teen years, our 20 year old self, we didn't
understand what it was to love ourselves.
So it altered a lot of our decisions in life.
And that doesn't mean that we made any mistakes, but sometimes
you got to go through the rain to appreciate the rainbow and
the sunshine. So I really, really, really
(35:30):
appreciate your transparency with that.
So I want to ask you, what are some of the what's on your wish
list? What are some things that you
hope for in the future that you can work on for Fulton County,
South Fulton County? What are some of the things that
you have on your your list rightnow to work on?
Well, some of the things that I have on my list is really again
expanding our reach for mental health.
(35:51):
I am hoping that other cities will kind of take on the
initiative because we do have 8 neighboring cities that are near
7 or 8 neighboring cities. A lot of municipalities don't
really talk about mental health.They say that is the county
function, but I really believe that this is something that we
can make an impact if we get more cities that that come on
(36:13):
board. Also, to really focusing on our
environment, creating cities that are green friendly, are
really healthy focused initiatives.
I want us to have a healthy community, especially as African
American. So I've been partnering with a
lot of organizations such as theAmerican Diabetes Association,
(36:34):
also to the American Heart Association, as well as even the
Cancer Association. Because again, if you look at
our predominantly African American city, there are a lot
of elements that we're really now focusing on.
And I'm in healthcare by nature,that's what I love to do, but I
(36:54):
want us to have a really healthycity.
So we're focusing on actually driving a lot of senior
initiatives where they're working out, getting them out
their house. They're not focused on
isolation. So that's one of the things that
I want to continue to champion, getting them moving and fit and
things of that nature. And lastly, just overall, I'm
really building community engagement.
(37:16):
And building community engagement allows people to
understand local politics and understanding voter engagement
and things of that nature. So I want people to really get
into government, local government, and understanding
how it impacts them. So those are some key
initiatives. And then lastly, it would be
economic development. That should be first and
(37:38):
foremost. But I do know that economic
development takes time, but we really want to make sure that
we're driving businesses here, quality businesses, and then
also to creating a space for entrepreneurs and young people
because we're building a city for our future.
And that's the biggest thing forme is that I want to be able to
(38:00):
build a city where we are friendly to a business and
entrepreneurs. And then I also want my daughter
to come home and, and, and live.I don't want her to live with
me, but I want her to be able ina community that's fit for her.
So I want to make sure that young people are attracted to
the city as well. I understand that last part too,
(38:24):
but I love this. This has been an amazing
conversation. Before we end everything, I want
to ask you, can you please leaveus with the affirmation?
Now your affirmation could be just encourage us to love
ourselves or it could be even encourage us to get in those
polls. So just I'll leave it up to you
on what you'd like to leave us with affirmation, but please
leave us with some encouraging words.
(38:44):
Let's see, passion with our purpose is pointless.
Wow, enough said. I love it, I love it.
Thank you so much. And before we end everything,
tell everybody how they can findyou, how they can find you on
social media and also how they can contact you and just give
them all your information. Well, you can definitely find me
(39:06):
on Instagram IG at I am Carmelita Gums.
You can also follow me on Facebook, which is Carmelita
Gums without the L. The L is my personal.
So if I don't know, you probablywon't get on that one.
And then also too, you can find me on Twitter.
Well they call it X now. So you can find me on X at
(39:29):
Carmelita Gums and then you can go to
www.councilwomancarmelitagums.comand that is my website.
That way if you wanted to leave me a message, shoot me Adm or
anything like that, it's all connected.
So I really try to, again, like I said, reach individuals where
they are. So whatever mechanism you need
(39:49):
to reach, I usually respond. So Yep, that's it.
Awesome. Thank you so much for your time.
I really appreciate it talking shit and this has been a great
great, great conversation and I definitely hope that people that
TuneIn they can get some more information on just how to be a
stored in their community. No matter where they are.
You can make a difference even if you have to be a disruptor
(40:11):
and shake the room. It's.
Perfectly OK, a try is worth better than just sitting back
and complaining. So I definitely appreciate you
being clear about that message. So guys, I hope you were able to
pick up on some gems in this conversation.
Remember, we have some importantelections coming up.
And also remember, it's not justabout November, It's also right
in your community. Your senator, your
(40:32):
congressperson, your Councilman,they're waiting for you to go
into that poll and make a difference.
You can make a difference in your community in the most
simplest way just by simply walking into that poll and given
your choice. So don't feel like discourage
and think that your vote does not matter.
We have someone sitting right here.
She won days off of three votes,so your vote does count.
(40:53):
So thank you guys for tuning in to the key chat.
You can check this episode and more on www.goclean.com.
Make sure you be safe and of course, go love yourself.
She's acquaint about a business working hard on a mission head
hyperb driven crown on.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.