Ep 5.2 - Tinnycua Williams

Alvin and German conduct a great conversation with Professional Development Quality Assurance Manager at New York Works for Children, Tinnycua Williams, ’94. A passionate advocate for strength-based programming, Tinnycua is dedicated to empowering children, families, and the professionals who serve them. In her role, she collaborates with city and state licensing agencies, professional organizations, and training providers to elevate high-quality professional development across the early childhood field. She is also an active leader within the National Workforce Registry Alliance (NWRA), where she co-chairs the Professional Development Committee. With more than 20 years of experience, she has provided direct support to children and families while holding leadership roles at organizations such as Homes for the Homeless, Samuel Field YM & YWHA, and Harlem Children’s Zone. At Colgate, she was President of the African American Student Alliance, Resident Advisor of the Harlem Renaissance Center (HRC), campus tour guide, and a member of Konosioni, Colgate’s senior honor society. She is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education (0–8) at City College of the City University of New York and holds a Bachelor of Arts from Colgate University.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The following podcast is being brought to you by the
Defile Life podcast Network.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
Welcome to Aftergate, Powered by the Defile Life Network.

Speaker 3 (00:16):
Are you all Ready?

Speaker 2 (00:17):
Aftergate is a podcast series highlighting Colgate alumni of color
in their professional endeavors.

Speaker 4 (00:23):
Aftergate Are you all Ready?

Speaker 2 (00:26):
Aftergate is hosted by Alvin Glimp aka Al and Herman
Dubois aka A Jerry.

Speaker 3 (00:32):
Are you all ready?

Speaker 2 (00:33):
We are doing Aftergate because Colgate University has produced innovators
who have changed the world every day, Yet many alumni
of color and the mainstream Colgate community are unaware of
the amazing accomplishments of alums of color.

Speaker 3 (00:45):
Are you all ready? Welcome? Welcome, Welcome, Welcome back.

Speaker 5 (00:55):
This is Aftergate, that podcast that is totally full, just
like just our whole mission is it? It's about amplifying,
documenting the stories the journeys of alumni color from Kode
University and so as always, this is your boy, al
Alvin Glyn. I am here with my co host mister

(01:18):
hedemand Dubois aka Jerry, my home boy brother from another
mother since the summer of nineteen eighty seven.

Speaker 3 (01:28):
What up, my dude? How are you doing? What's going on?

Speaker 6 (01:31):
With you.

Speaker 7 (01:33):
I'm good. I'm good.

Speaker 2 (01:34):
You know.

Speaker 8 (01:35):
Twenty twenty five was anxiously aspired for let's just say,
you know, I was. I was every intentional about really
sitting some milestones in twenty twenty five, bouncing back, pivoting
from twenty twenty four for a lot of different reasons,
and so feeling good about where I'm at, I.

Speaker 7 (01:55):
Want to, you know, smash this first quarter.

Speaker 8 (01:57):
So we set the tone for the rest of the
year on all that was, including spiritual development, you know,
including mental health development, physical development, and just being kind
of more intentional about that's self love that we oftentimes
forget about because we just on that grind constantly, and
twenty twenty four was a grind.

Speaker 3 (02:17):
Facts.

Speaker 5 (02:19):
I hope part of that self care will be more
and more Aftergate shows, because I sent you a little
text as I was feeling good about this evening. Regardless
of what we've been doing all week, consistently, these conversations
have been rewarding and fulfilling, so looking forward to another one,
I must share a little life.

Speaker 3 (02:40):
Hack, right, Okay, talk about it.

Speaker 5 (02:42):
So as we go into the New Year's you know
how we're always thinking about how can we go into
this new year and kind of do a better. What
I found going into this last year is that I
really could only remember the last quarter, so all of
my memories, my energies was really focused from September to
the end of the year. What I chose to do

(03:04):
then was go through my pictures. Right, So here's the
life hack. You can go back to the start of
a year and picture by picture kind of remind yourself
the joy, the passion, the ups, the downs. And so
I then went into twenty twenty five with a realistic

(03:25):
thing because there were things that happened last year that
I would have said were like four or five years ago,
because they really seemed like it was a while ago.

Speaker 3 (03:31):
And I'm like, nah, my uncle passed.

Speaker 5 (03:34):
That was just in me, right, Like wow, I forgot,
I'm damn, it seemed like longer.

Speaker 8 (03:42):
I like, I like, you know, I And it such
as a reminder that you know, to embrace those good
times when you have them, because they're off.

Speaker 7 (03:51):
The short lived, right, And and it doesn't have to
be a big production.

Speaker 8 (03:54):
I mean, going on vacation is always nice, right, but
no other victories we share by just you know, being
able to have a peaceful night you know where you
know you're feeling healthy, you're not thinking about the alarm
in the morning, you're not thinking about meetings the next day,
and you just take a moment to disconnect and be present.

Speaker 7 (04:10):
And then that's I think that's my biggest life hack
is that.

Speaker 8 (04:14):
I'm trying to present, be present more or more intentional
about when I am present and what I'm present for
and what I'm not present for.

Speaker 7 (04:23):
What can wait till tomorrow? What can wait till next week?

Speaker 8 (04:25):
Because I'm always thinking about reports and proposals and so
communications and just things that I got a lot of
goals and I'm still extremely ambitious about things I want
to do in life and it ain't gonna happen just
sitting on the sidelines, and.

Speaker 7 (04:40):
So you know, check that.

Speaker 5 (04:45):
Thank you, my brother, because good reminder for all of us.
Now as I pivot to our guests in the studio,
can I get your permission and blessing them bring in
our guess to the afflicate studio?

Speaker 8 (04:58):
My brother absolutely the church always when dacon nol asks
in the church.

Speaker 5 (05:04):
Responsive well, I'd like to say to my listeners after
gate family AOC in the building, we have tonight the
one the only one of the good ones.

Speaker 3 (05:20):
Mister t Nika Williams, class of nineteen ninety four. Welcome
to Aftergate, my.

Speaker 9 (05:25):
Sister, thank you. I'm happy to be here.

Speaker 3 (05:41):
That's what I'm talking about.

Speaker 5 (05:44):
So in true after Gate traditions, we have to share
what's the context? How do we know this person? How
far do we go back, so that our listeners have
a sense. Is it somebody we meet in live and
direct like they are, or is this somebody we have
a history with, ladies and gentlemen.

Speaker 3 (06:04):
This is somebody we have a history.

Speaker 5 (06:06):
With, and so she's overlapped with us for a year,
but I think as she shares her story, the connection
will be even more apparent.

Speaker 3 (06:17):
But just say it is.

Speaker 5 (06:20):
Really I'm looking forward to this one because this is
really why we do these shows. There are people who
we went to school with and we don't even know
their stories. So selfishly, I'm ready to sit back. So
let's start there.

Speaker 3 (06:37):
Where are you from? Where were you born?

Speaker 5 (06:40):
Give us a little sense of what's life like before
you get the cold gate.

Speaker 4 (06:45):
H wow.

Speaker 6 (06:47):
Well, I'm from the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Some
people call it Lower East saida alphabet city and it
was or I mean in many ways it still is,
especially back then it was a it was black and
Puerto Rican neighborhood, and it was generational. So I grew

(07:11):
up in the Jacobriese projects and my mother was in
the Jacobriese projects. So it was one of those kinds
of things where very much a community because my grandmother
lived like in the building behind us. It was one
of those kinds of things, and it was It was
an interesting time because my family.

Speaker 10 (07:33):
My mother remarried, so.

Speaker 6 (07:37):
My biological father actually used to dance for Alvin Ailey
and he taught for Alvin Ailey, so I used to
be able when I was young.

Speaker 10 (07:45):
I could take dance classes for free.

Speaker 6 (07:47):
So I would be able to take like ballet and tap,
you know, in the morning, and then he would teach
jazz to like older students in the afternoon. And so
that went on for many years. But then unfortunately it
ended because my biological father was also homosexual, and so

(08:10):
my stepfather was very homophobic and that ended that time,
which was unfortunate. But I think as a result, I
always had an appreciation for the arts because of that,
and just surrounded by a lot of love. And then
I ended up one of the students in my middle school.

(08:35):
She had applied to August Martin, which was all the
way out in Queens, but I'm in Lower Manhattan. So
I used to run track when I was in junior
high school and I was one of those short distance runners.

Speaker 10 (08:49):
But I was fast. I was real fast.

Speaker 6 (08:52):
And so she went to August Martin first, and so
I was kind of following behind her. And the real
big thing was I was interested in law. So I
wanted to be District Attorney of Brooklyn. Don't ask why Brooklyn,
but just just wanted to be a District Attorney of Brooklyn.
And so August Martin had a pre law program and
so that's why I applied and ended up going there.

Speaker 10 (09:15):
And it was.

Speaker 6 (09:15):
Actually culture shock because although the neighborhood and the school
was black and Puerto Rican was it was more Puerto
Rican than anything else. So that was really Martin. No, no,
not August Martin. August Martin was predominantly black. So my
first day going there, I was actually scared, I believe it.

(09:35):
I had never been around that many black people before,
and so I didn't know what.

Speaker 10 (09:40):
To kind of do it myself.

Speaker 6 (09:41):
But it was it was good, you know, and it
was good because I got to travel and all of
those things. But I was subway the subway, yeah, because
because I already lived in a two fair zone and
August Martin is in a two fair zone.

Speaker 5 (09:56):
So I mean, just give people on because what you're
described being for many of our listeners thinking, like today,
that's a ninth grader going a bus to Queen Manhattan,
the Queens, Oh.

Speaker 10 (10:11):
My god, And can I tell you the.

Speaker 8 (10:13):
First buses and trade and we didn't you know what
you're doing a lot of time waiting for the bus
and the train.

Speaker 6 (10:22):
But we didn't have GPS back then, so there was
no like Google Maps or anything like that. And I
remember my mother gave me the instructions one time, and
I of course for a rockaway the first time. Oh
my god, I was so but you know what, it
grew me because I was like one of those quiet

(10:45):
church girls. So it got me out of my comfort zone.
I mean, that's a whole nother story for another time.
But I was I was very religious, let's just put
it that way. And I thought I was going to
become traumatized.

Speaker 3 (11:00):
You thought it's gonna be a nun. Is that what
you said?

Speaker 6 (11:02):
Yeah, I thought I was going to become a nun.
That was the direction that I was going in.

Speaker 3 (11:05):
But welcome to August Martin.

Speaker 6 (11:07):
But you can't do certain things. So then I decided
maybe that wasn't for me. And you know, I have
a different type of industry. Let's just put it that way.

Speaker 5 (11:17):
So for for all the listeners who might have been
paying attention over the shows, August Martin is also the
high school I graduated from as well, so.

Speaker 3 (11:24):
We share that. So double alum, right, double lumps.

Speaker 5 (11:30):
So now share the story of how you learn about
Kolgate University.

Speaker 3 (11:34):
Please.

Speaker 6 (11:34):
Ah. Yeah. So I was in you know, the honest classes,
and we would have different guest speakers that would that
would come to recruit for the schools. So one day, uh,
you know, I'm in class and these two gentlemen are there.
I think they're the same ones that are on this call.

Speaker 4 (11:54):
We're there.

Speaker 6 (11:56):
Recruiting for Coolgate. And and the funny thing was I
had never her to Colgate before. And the truth of
the matter was I wasn't even thinking about Colgate because
no one in my family had gone to college before,
so I really didn't have a sense as to schools
or anything like I mean, I knew I was going
to college, but I hadn't thought that far. And you know,

(12:18):
I was in the pre law program. So we had internships.
And so later that day, I'm going on my internship
to the Department of Investigations and one of my classmates, Fabia,
she's going to her internship at law firm. She had
one of the you know, the the one of the

(12:38):
esteemed internships, you know. So we're on the train, the
f train, and she's like, you know, did you think
about Colgate.

Speaker 10 (12:46):
I'm like, I don't, you know, I don't know. I
mean they came, but I don't know. I didn't think
about it.

Speaker 6 (12:51):
She was like, well, I'm applying to Colgate, but I
don't want to be the only one to go. And
I was like, oh, I said okay. I said, well,
do you have to do another the personal statement? She said, no,
you could just do the one that you that you have.
It was, oh, fine, that's just done.

Speaker 8 (13:06):
Me.

Speaker 6 (13:08):
I had, you know, that's such a big decision, but
it was just really that simple for me, just because
she asked as So I applied and I didn't even
realize that it was a big deal. I had a
sense when I got the letter in the mail for
the acceptance because you know, you see like the nice

(13:28):
little you know, cream paper.

Speaker 11 (13:31):
Yes, I was just like, oh stop, I said this
must this was this money right here, you know.

Speaker 6 (13:38):
So I said, oh okay, and then we my uh
there was a reception at the I think it was
the Harvard or the Yale Club because I had gotten
accepted into the o U S program. So me and
my mother we go and I mean, you walk into

(13:58):
the club that you get these that there's wealth, and
we're sitting there and they start doing the slide show
and they're showing pictures of the campus and I was
sold from from that point on, because you know, just
to give you a picture, you know. I mean, I'm
I don't know if projects have gotten any better, but

(14:19):
the projects that I was raised in.

Speaker 10 (14:23):
Wasn't always safe.

Speaker 6 (14:25):
And there was urine in the elevator, there was other
things in the elevator. Sometimes you had a crack hit
my neighborhood really hard. So in comparison to where I
was coming from, this was like a whole new world.
And I I fell in love with the campus right

(14:48):
from there. And then I went to Sufffrash weekend and
I mean I was kind of sheltered. So you know,
I got to go to a college party and you know,
just all of that stuff and my eyes were wide open.
And I remember my financial aid hadn't yet kicked in,
and so I remember I called home and I told

(15:10):
my stepfather. You know, they said that I don't have
financial aid and I can't go to school. And he
was like, oh, then, I guess you're gonna get it.
Just gonna have to get a job. And it was like, what.

Speaker 7 (15:22):
Excuse me. It's like, okay, no problem.

Speaker 6 (15:30):
But you know, it all worked out. I ended up
going to the summer program under Dean Rice and met
some of my best friends there.

Speaker 5 (15:43):
First of all, I think this is the first time
a guest has mentioned that reception that happens once you
accepted high school and cause it really brings back a memory,
like I feel like that that was happening while we
were coming.

Speaker 3 (15:56):
In part of.

Speaker 5 (16:01):
Their recruiting of these students of color coming from these neighborhoods,
how do you get them to want to come to
Kolgate besides just the money, also shout out to the
fruits of doing your job. Because me and Jerry recruiting

(16:22):
like we went to his high school as well, right,
but so much of it was like a free trip.

Speaker 10 (16:27):
Home, but it was it was.

Speaker 6 (16:31):
It was such a game changer though for me because
I did not have like there was no one to say,
like I just remember, thank God for fee waivers because
like my mom was a secretary, my stepfather was a custodian,
you know, like towards. He started off in a factory

(16:53):
and then he was like working in the daily news
sweeping the floors. So had it not been and then
on top of that, he was an alcoholic, so you know,
sometimes he come home and it was like doctor Juckle
and missed the hyde that was my pathway out.

Speaker 8 (17:09):
You know.

Speaker 6 (17:09):
So had it not been for you all coming to
August Martin, I don't know what that where I would
be right now.

Speaker 3 (17:15):
So thank you, amen, You're welcome, very well. Amen.

Speaker 5 (17:20):
So tell us about the summer any like good stories,
any thing.

Speaker 8 (17:27):
What was it?

Speaker 7 (17:27):
What was the standout in your summer because it's like something.

Speaker 6 (17:34):
Well, I mean, it wasn't necessarily the incident per se.
But when I this is gonna sound crazy, but when
I think of my summer program outside of Dean Rice
and Adam Clark.

Speaker 10 (17:47):
And oh god, there was a couple but.

Speaker 6 (17:51):
I can't I can't remember their names.

Speaker 3 (17:54):
But Rob, yes, Robin, Robin Diane.

Speaker 6 (17:59):
With Diane, yes, Rob, Diane, and and Tracy and just
oh my god, like I learned so much that summer.

Speaker 10 (18:08):
Like they would have.

Speaker 3 (18:11):
They would have a bunch, they would that's right there.

Speaker 10 (18:15):
Oh my god.

Speaker 6 (18:17):
They would have like men's meetings and they would have
women's meetings, and they would talk about things like when
a guy comes into your room, like you know, you
don't have to like basically he doesn't he doesn't need
to sit on your bed, but if he does sit
on your bed, you could sit at the desk. Which
I utilized that technique senior year. It works because the

(18:37):
idea is not that kind of party, right right right.
But I won't I won't say the names to protect
the guilty.

Speaker 10 (18:44):
But I'm just.

Speaker 6 (18:44):
Saying it's real.

Speaker 10 (18:46):
It's real, you know.

Speaker 7 (18:47):
And and I.

Speaker 6 (18:50):
And I was telling my daughter that because my youngest
is nineteen and we were talking about that, and I
was telling her, you know, those those you know, lessons
to that wisdom that gets passed down because a lot
of times you may not have that kind of guidance
that young men and women need because there's so much

(19:11):
that's happening, that that's going on.

Speaker 10 (19:13):
But so so that set out to me.

Speaker 6 (19:18):
And also I remember we went horseback riding, so that
was kind of a thing. The classes, it was great
just having the experience of taking like real college classes.
But the biggest, the biggest thing that really stands out
for me was I learned the Electric Slide to Benita

(19:39):
apple ball O.

Speaker 8 (19:42):
No.

Speaker 6 (19:44):
To this day, my kids will tell you that is
my all time favorite song.

Speaker 10 (19:48):
And it all goes back to the.

Speaker 6 (19:50):
Summer prom because it's like, I don't care where I am.

Speaker 10 (19:55):
You know, it's it's not a game.

Speaker 8 (19:57):
So give us runners through your residential experiences for your
four years.

Speaker 10 (20:04):
Oh HRC, all four years? You know, Yeah, I guess
I was. I'm a creature of habit.

Speaker 6 (20:15):
I remember getting the paperwork for like, you know, which
dorm you wanted to live in, and they would show
pictures and they would, you know, give the description and
everything about it. I mean, true disclosure. I have a
serious love for the Harlem Renaissance Center, serious love for the.

Speaker 3 (20:33):
Hall of Renaissance Center because.

Speaker 6 (20:35):
Well one because my freshman year I lived there. My
sophomore year, I was the resident advisor. I think I
was the first sophomore all right. There was controversy because
you know, people too well, people didn't. I think when
I look back through my fifty plus year eyes, I

(20:57):
think that people recognized how important of an institution the
Harlem Renaissance Center is.

Speaker 3 (21:06):
And was, and so can we trust it with us?

Speaker 10 (21:10):
Exactly? Is she gonna do it justice?

Speaker 6 (21:13):
And so there was a lot of pressure, low key,
to do right by it. But I think that grew
my leadership because then I remember that first NA gathering.
People showed up like what are you gonna do? Okay,
you're gonna come with it, you know, but I.

Speaker 3 (21:29):
Hold on for those who don't know gathering.

Speaker 6 (21:32):
Oh, So the NA gatherings were so so. The Harlem
Renaissance Center was a special interest house that focused on
African and African American studies. And it was not only
social and not only designed to promote fellowship, but it
was also designed to educate about the uh the experience

(21:55):
related to the diaspora, so all aspects of that. So
we're talking about the continent of Africa, the America's you know,
as well as the Caribbean. So all of that was
infused within Harlem Renaissance Center. And and I'm sorry, I
just got to make this one point because when I
went up to campus the last time, I was a
little insulted because somebody made a comment about their perspective

(22:19):
of HRC, and they were young, and so I get it.
But the Harlem Renaissance Center was not a militant's paradise.
It was not an anti white establishment. It was an
educational institution and we had all different types of individuals
that lived in HRC. In fact, my my senior year,

(22:42):
my suite mates were white. They were they were roommates,
and we would have a lot of enlightening conversations on
both sides. So in case anybody's listening, who thought, well,
you know what somebody said something about, well, you know,
because it's like it's racist or some nonsense like that,
even though we won't get into the definition, but you know,
you didn't have to have some power that's connected in

(23:03):
order for it to be racist. And so HRC was
not that place. But what I will say which was
so beneficial was that it was such a hub.

Speaker 10 (23:12):
So it was a support.

Speaker 6 (23:13):
System for freshman students who were coming in you know,
to have a place for them in an environment that
didn't necessarily look like them or didn't necessarily support them
in all of those different ways. And it was also
a place that all kinds of people came through like
you would have. I remember one time the phone rang

(23:35):
because back then we had payphones, right, so we'd have
cell phones like we do now. And I pick up
the phone and it is like the founder of HRC
on the line, and he gave me like a whole
history lesson and of course that conversation about HRC. So
I feel like HRC has shaped in many ways the

(23:55):
person that I've become. And it was a source of
tremendous probably doing those near gatherings. And in fact, I
remember when I was an r A that year another
famous alum, Michelle Alexandria, she was one of my residents,
and I remember it was so important to me that

(24:18):
I knew people's names and that I welcomed their families
and stuff like that, so that they would know that
their their their loved ones were gonna be okay. I
used to cook in the in the in the ra
A room. I wanted to make sure that they were
cookies and stuff for my residents, so that when they
wanted to come and have a conversation, it felt like home.

(24:39):
So yeah, just just a lot of good memories coming
out of HRC.

Speaker 3 (24:44):
So shout out to h Shout out to HRC.

Speaker 7 (24:47):
I appreciate the hub, the hub for many of us,
For many of us.

Speaker 3 (24:50):
I appreciate the love that founder of hr C, Eric Bowen, is.

Speaker 5 (24:56):
Also an Aftergate guest. He had done in the show
before HRC. I think that's a first. I don't know
if we've had someone on the show who has been
on who lived all four years yet, so you might
be the first one who's done that. But I think
what you also touched on that I thought was real
powerful is that there's this you talk about sharing guidance

(25:16):
and wisdom to young folk. That is a consistent theme
in our after Gate shows is people sharing that there
were game before them, students who passed on that guidance
and wisdom to help our navigator. Yeah, yeah, yeah, how
about extracurricula. What were you involved in from an extra Wow?

Speaker 6 (25:37):
Well, I was so interesting enough when I got to
campus because I was so quiet in high school and
people didn't know me. I threw myself into all the organizations.
So I think my first African American Student Alliance meeting,
I think you two were there, and then I got
quickly recruited. My senior year, if I remember correctly, I

(26:00):
was president of double A s A. I was like
educational officer for like CSA.

Speaker 4 (26:07):
And all of that stuff.

Speaker 6 (26:09):
I mean I would attend the lot the Latin American
Student organization meetings. That's where I met my first husband
actually at the last meeting.

Speaker 10 (26:17):
And I was involved in KENOSI. I was a tour guide.

Speaker 6 (26:24):
I was involved with like the Cultural Center under doctor
Lady Tedler. Yeah. Yeah, I in fact my because I
was an Africana Studies major and so I was even
able in order to get into one of the classes.
You had to what you had to audition for this

(26:47):
play because they were doing like a live reading and
the professor we were reading I think it was the
the What the Odyssey by Derek Walcott, the Derek Walcott version,
so he wanted us to do the reading because Derek
Walcott was actually coming to campus. So I got the
opportunity to play a Jamaican made. But don't do that
if you're African American, because you pissed a lot of

(27:08):
people off, which I did.

Speaker 10 (27:10):
It was funny.

Speaker 6 (27:11):
I thought it was funny, but some people didn't find
it funny, so apologies in retrospect for that. And I
got to go to the Nigeria study group, which was
actually a bless and well okay, so you talk about
funny stories. So we went to So the way it
worked was there was a student from the University of

(27:31):
Nigeria at Insuka that stayed on campus for a year,
so he went he attended Kolgate for a year and
then the following semester. So this was the fall of
ninety two. I believe sixteen of us go to University
of Nigeria and we stay there for five months. So

(27:52):
two major things happened while we were there. So my
birthday is in October, so i'm October fifth, I'm a Libra.
And I got to meet another student whose birthday was
also October fifth, that he was one of the students
from University of Nigeria. So he comes up with this
idea that we should have.

Speaker 10 (28:10):
A party to celebrate. So I was like, oh, this
will this will be great. Yeah, sure. You know, word got.

Speaker 6 (28:19):
Out so quick that an American was like throwing this party,
and uh ed Edwin Edwin Release and Carlton Brandscombe Day
were the DJs.

Speaker 11 (28:34):
And and Patrice Chang was my roommate.

Speaker 10 (28:41):
And needless to say.

Speaker 6 (28:44):
We had so many people that we couldn't we couldn't
alligw any more people into the apartment. So guy shows
up and we're like, no, you know, you can't come in.
There's there's no more space. And he's like, clearly you
don't know who I am. So come to find out
he was a gang member. Up he was a gang

(29:07):
member and they were doing like initiations, so he was
basically like he would essentially deal with us if we
didn't let him miss. So then we had to stand
the party and we started it back up again. But
it just wasn't the same after that, because I wonder why,

(29:29):
I wonder why crazy? But then later on that night
they were doing they were doing these initiations, so like
a couple of people got their ears cut off, had
nothing to do with my party.

Speaker 3 (29:42):
I just want to say that you sure, are you sure?

Speaker 6 (29:45):
The reason why I'm saying that is because it got
back to the group leader, you know, the adult that's chaperoning.

Speaker 10 (29:53):
And so.

Speaker 7 (29:56):
Nigerian study group again.

Speaker 6 (30:00):
So after after, so the weekend passes and I get
pulled into this big meeting in the hallway and he's
asking me about this party, and you know what, I'm
like twenty and I'm smelling myself.

Speaker 10 (30:14):
So I'm like, I'm gonna answer you.

Speaker 3 (30:16):
Like a joint.

Speaker 6 (30:19):
Did did you ask for a permission? Who ask permission for?

Speaker 9 (30:26):
Like?

Speaker 7 (30:26):
What?

Speaker 10 (30:28):
Yes?

Speaker 6 (30:29):
I almost got sent home behind but thankfully I didn't
get sent home. But it was a huge wake up
call because I didn't realize that there was like a protocol.
I'm just like, you throw a party, like who's thinking
it just happened to be in another country, like who's right, right, right?

Speaker 10 (30:53):
So it was it was a thing.

Speaker 6 (30:54):
And then we also got to meet the sky Kingsley
h and we didn't know he was royalty and unfortunately
he passed away, so he was like in a very
bad car accident and the majority of the folks of
the car passed away. That was my first funeral. I
had never been to a funeral before, but because he

(31:16):
was a prince, this was a huge thing because he
was lying in state for like three days, and you know,
there was news media and all of this stuff, so
you know, the day of the funeral comes. Like I said,
I've never been to a funeral before, and of course
you're supposed to wear black, but I'm getting garb made
and the only nice garb that I had was a

(31:38):
blue brocade dress. So I had the head tie and
the outfit. So I go to get on the bus
with the other students, both students from Kolgate but also
students from the university there. They're giving me the side
eye because I'm not wearing the appropriate clothing for this.

(31:59):
And then I see a dead body. Now, the last
time I saw this guy, he had to be six'
three six two and their process wasn't like The, west
and so he did not look the same and that
was a little traumatic in. Retrospect so we had to
walk from the church to the family estate and it's

(32:22):
like eighty ninety degree weather and we're walking and then
we get to the estate for the. Burial Now i'm
standing there like everybody, else paying my, respects But i'm
not feeling too good because i didn't eat breakfast that,
morning And i'm asking the professor CAN i sit, down and,
no because this is the prince and he's being. Buried,

(32:43):
YES i.

Speaker 7 (32:44):
Fainted, Okay, houston we have a, problem a huge.

Speaker 3 (32:52):
Problem the lady in the inappropriate. DRESS i just fainted.

Speaker 8 (33:00):
Security over here as.

Speaker 6 (33:03):
It was so.

Speaker 3 (33:04):
Sad somebody in the crowded like he got the girl
who threw the.

Speaker 11 (33:08):
PARTY i THOUGHT i had, died AND i just REMEMBER
i THOUGHT i was in the room AND i was
waiting For kingsley to, Come and the next.

Speaker 6 (33:21):
THING i, know they're they're carrying me to the. Sides
SO i ended up sitting next to his, mother so
they gave me. Water those, students they talked about me
like a, dog that whole.

Speaker 10 (33:32):
Triple what does she think she did? Not she did
not eat what they don't eat to. Them it was
it was so.

Speaker 6 (33:38):
Bad it was so. Bad but you know, again that's
all part of the learning. Experience you bought these different,
things you.

Speaker 7 (33:46):
Know.

Speaker 3 (33:47):
Classic. Story appreciate your sharing.

Speaker 5 (33:49):
It just when you think about your time At, kogie
what do you look back at as like, accomplishments highlights
things that you're real proud.

Speaker 7 (33:59):
Of.

Speaker 6 (34:00):
WOW i think one of my fondest memories was WHEN
i was president Of DOUBLE a S a and we
had our you, know our dinner that you normally have
DURING i guess like family family, weekend AND i brought
up my, mentor who was my track coach WHEN i

(34:23):
was in junior high school because he had so much.
Wisdom he was the first afrocentric staff like faculty person
THAT i had ever come into contact, with AND i
had him come be the, keynote and that was. Huge
that was huge for. ME i remember we also did
an event when we brought up a jazz band and
they performed in The Boat Memorial chapel and The kolgate

(34:48):
news station covered that AND i didn't realize that this particular,
performer who don't ask me who it was BECAUSE i don't,
remember but, apparently like the the music class had their
classes attend the performance because apparently.

Speaker 10 (35:04):
This was someone they.

Speaker 6 (35:05):
Renowned SO i always find myself in these instances WHERE
i kind of end up doing things that are kind
of out of the, norm but it ends up creating
kind of like a whole new trajectory because it's never
been done. Before so that tends to be my pathway
a lot of the. Time but, yeah you, know just
being in that environment for four years and just all

(35:27):
of the things THAT i, LEARNED i, mean you KNOW
i became AN aka.

Speaker 10 (35:32):
THERE i, mean it just just so much that that and.

Speaker 6 (35:36):
The friendships and all THAT i, Learned LIKE i, said,
it what really WHEN i think back on my coal,
experience it's the fact that the experiment. Worked because now
there's so many attacks ON. Dei there's so many talks
about trying to. Exclude but when you open the door
and you allow that pathway for folks who may not

(35:59):
have acts us, otherwise great things can. Happen and the
idea is it's not just for, you so that.

Speaker 10 (36:05):
You can be able to reach.

Speaker 6 (36:06):
Back that's the whole point of The talented tenth AND. W. E.
B Du Bois and so just learning all of that
and recognizing the importance of that is what followed. Me
and that's kind of like my philosophy THAT i passed
both to my kids and then my kids that may
not have been the ones THAT i gave birth, to
but That i've touched, Nonetheless So colgate, powerful powerful.

Speaker 5 (36:27):
Experience so right, there we're going to take a pause
and come back with part two of this conversation and
give some love to our, sponsors but looking forward to
for our conversation With Miss Nick.

Speaker 3 (36:42):
Williams class nineteen ninety four in the.

Speaker 4 (36:45):
Building so this episode is sponsored By Hope. Murals Hope
murals is a nonprofit that provides adolescent youth with an
interactive experience of creative expression via an urban arts that
stimulates both mental and physical. Development please visit that website

(37:05):
at www dotmurals dot org to learn more and find
ways you can support the work they.

Speaker 3 (37:12):
Do, Welcome, Welcome.

Speaker 5 (37:17):
Welcome we are here for the second half of our.
Conversation this Is aftergate season five and we are here
With tanika looking forward to hearing what has, happened what
have you turned? Into what's been your journey Since colgate.
Graduation but before we do, that let's make sure we
show some love to our, Sponsor Hope. Murals what's, Up Hope.

(37:39):
Murals we appreciate all that y'all are, doing all the
incredible work that you're doing with our, youth exposing them
to the power of urban, arts foster and their personal
and creative. Development shout out The Hope murals At Hope
murals is their social media presence hopemurals dot org if
you want to learn about all the dope things that
they are doing to shape the next generation of. Leaders

(38:02):
also make sure you show some love to our network
because we are powered by The Defile Life. Network go
tofilife dot co is their. Website, reminder we are on
all of your favorite major podcast streaming Services Apple, pods Spreak, Us,
spotify Our, Heart all And, old so check that. Out,

(38:24):
now let's jump back into this conversation before we get
into what has your journey been like since we since
you graduated FROM.

Speaker 3 (38:34):
Kocae gotta get your thoughts on a particular. Topic so.

Speaker 5 (38:40):
You touched a little bit on it in the first
half of this, conversation BUT i really gotta just kind
of go deeper on.

Speaker 3 (38:46):
This so when you think about where our.

Speaker 5 (38:50):
Country is right now in terms OF dei right and
the attack on this concept this frame work right from
the federal government into the corporate and even to some,
universities we have seen some regression and backlash in regardss OF.

(39:11):
D i'm curious to know what your thoughts are in
terms of the future of that special interest dormitory Gnom
As Harlem Renaissance center that you touched on. Earlier as
you mentioned you was an ra lived there for four.
Years would love to get your thoughts.

Speaker 6 (39:33):
That's a really good. QUESTION i, mean, ultimately the misnomer
ABOUT dei is that at the expense of some, people
other people are accessing things that they don't necessarily deserve
or that it's not. Warranted that's like the you, know

(39:54):
that's the myth that's being. Perpetuated the, reality, though is
that de as not only, value but richness to any
kind of environment that it is. In and in the
case of The Harlem Renaissance, center what's so valuable about
the entity, itself you, know is that it one provides

(40:19):
an opportunity and a venue for. Conversation it provides a
venue for. Education but education And i'm saying this as
an educator, now is an active. Exercise it is not.

Speaker 10 (40:32):
Passive and so with the Hallm Renaissance.

Speaker 6 (40:38):
CENTER i had the opportunity to Visit colgate a few
years ago during one of the, reunions and WHAT i
was astounded by is that some of the things that
make or that made The hall Of Renaissance CENTER i
think very powerful for me WHEN i was an, undergraduate
has been. Removed like one of the big things THAT

(41:00):
i think was powerful was just the, lounges so that
it allowed for students to. Converse it allowed if there
was a keynote speaker that happened to come into, town
whether it Was Maya angelou or some Other Nikki giovanni
or some esteemed, person they could then have a place
to go to to be able to converse with students

(41:21):
and keep the conversation. Going because education is about, extension
it's about connecting to one's lived, experience making that connection
so that then you can be able to receive that additional,
information so that your knowledge is expanded and that your
worldview is. Expanded AND i think making that those lounges
on each of the three floors into study, ROOMS i

(41:45):
think was not necessarily well thought. Out but you, KNOW
i am a student of At Gar toole and as
well as Gary, zukov Gary zukov Wrote seat of The.
Soul At Gar tooli A tole WROTE A New. Earth
but in Gary zukov's, book he talks about the power of.

(42:06):
Intention are you coming to serve the intention of your?
Soul the purpose of why you've been brought to this?
Place so if you, know in this age where we
are seeking to support the collective, energy where we're seeking
to be able to educate students in a holistic. Way
that's one of the things That colgate prides itself on

(42:28):
is being able to provide these enriching experiences that expand students'.
Worldview how are you able to do that in a
really meaningful way if you cut off the opportunity for
something as significant as, conversation if you if you create
these myths about WHAT hrc, is which it never was

(42:49):
as an exclusionary, structure when it was always about. Inclusion
because together we're, stronger Right so you, KNOW i think
that as, alumni one of the most powerful tools that
we have at our disposal is our shared. Numbers there
are so many people that benefited going through the experience

(43:11):
of The Harlem Renaissance, center AND i feel that with
making it such that only sophomores and above can move
in takes away from the nurturing that goes on because and,
again And i'm pulling from a few, places So i'm
not only speaking as an, Educator i'm also speaking as a.

(43:31):
PARENT i have three. Kids they ranged from nineteen all
the way up to almost thirty at some point this,
year and one of the most challenging things that happens
when that child is making that transition from high school
to college is is there a community? There that's one
of the indicators for. Success if there is no community,

(43:52):
present that child is not going to be able to.
Thrive and what we, saw at least WHAT i saw
WHEN i was a, student was that the students that
did not have access to a community did not do as,
well because that's what feeds. You it's the same thing
with the sororities and the fraternities that you have on Frat.
Row it's the same thing with all the different organizations

(44:13):
On kolgate's. Campus AND i don't THINK hrc is any.
Different and SO i, think and AGAIN i don't know
sort of all of the, intentions but what it felt,
like as in the lum going into the basement and
seeing what looked like the equivalent of a museum with
individuals THAT i knew in those black and white, PICTURES

(44:34):
i thought was it didn't tell the full, story and it.
Didn't it made it into a museum when the experience
OF hrc is an, active current. Prison AND i think
when you put things into a, box it then becomes
something that's not, real it's not, tangible and then it becomes,

(44:56):
mythical and the problem with mythical is that it's something
that people don't always feel like they can, touch that
they can, see that they can. Taste but that's what
the whole college experience is all. About and sometimes you're
not going to. Agree but some of the best enlightening
CONVERSATIONS i had were in those near, gatherings were with

(45:17):
my suite mates who didn't necessarily look like. Me we
didn't have the same, experience but there was that open
form for, that and you cut that. Off SO i
think as, alumni we need, to particularly those of us
who lived IN hrc and had positive, experiences need to
use the power that we have in terms of our
voice and in some cases our dollars to put towards.

(45:39):
That BUT i would also say that the other piece is,
data because you, know with my, WORK i recognize the
importance of having data to show the value of, something
AND i think that perhaps those who made those decisions
to make those changes within h R c didn't have

(46:01):
the data of the number of students that were able
to succeed coming Through kolgate's hollowod halls because of places
LIKE hrc and because of you, know many of the
clubs that were.

Speaker 10 (46:13):
Present so that's really my.

Speaker 6 (46:15):
THOUGHT i think it's really the ALUMNI i have to
raise their, voices WHICH i recognize can be a challenging,
exercise right because people have different perspectives when we think
back to our. Memories but also having that data to
show the value.

Speaker 7 (46:35):
Excellent, excellent.

Speaker 8 (46:36):
Excellent now we get to learn about the journey Post,
kobe AND i want you to take, us you, know
to the best of your recollection has and the lows
of what you want to share professionally and. Personally and
you know your class of ninety. Four so were you
one of those seniors that visited the Career Planning center
and had mapped out what you know was? Next or

(46:58):
like some of us who would just happen to graduate
and we'd figure it, out you, know at some point
between that summer and make decisions about what was going
to be. Next would love to hear that, transition so to,
speak and bring us to.

Speaker 10 (47:12):
Date so a lot of.

Speaker 6 (47:15):
PATHWAYS i, MEAN i was not one of those individuals
who knew WHAT i was going to. Do After Colgate
Professor Brice, report who was you, know ended up becoming
very much a mentor of, mine, uh you, know my senior,
year his vision for me was to get my graduate
degree In african, Studies African american studies AT usc and become,

(47:41):
like you, Know Cornell west and that didn't really appeal to.
Me and then and the other alternative was to go To,
temple BUT i didn't want to be an, academic SO
i didn't go in that direction and honestly didn't know
WHAT i was going to. Do so for a couple of,
years a couple of, Months i'm, SORRY i kind of.
LANGUISHED i took on like temp jobs and things like.

(48:01):
That and one of the alumni who was actually a
mentor of, mine Also, jilani she knew a woman by
the name of doctor Gil foster who was the founder
of The Tucson Institute. Fund and basically what The Tucson
Institute fund. Was they provided information about historically black private.

Speaker 10 (48:20):
Schools secondary, schools.

Speaker 6 (48:23):
And they also provided a scholarship so that young black
males could attend those those. Institutions so through, HER i
was introduced to Doctor foster and that was like my
first real job out of, college you. KNOW i was,
like this was in the, City so this was In. Manhattan,
yeah SO i did, that and then that was like

(48:46):
maybe maybe not even a, year BECAUSE i ended up
getting pregnant and you, know and getting married at the
same time and had my first. Child and SO i
went from being in the workforce and starting maybe a

(49:07):
career and not for profit and then becoming a mom
and becoming a stay at home mom and all of
the things that go along with, that like one year
out of. College so that was a Different it was
a different turn of events because it's something when all
of your friends are still going to the club and
you're trying to figure out other types of. Things and

(49:30):
SO i was a young mom and a young, wife
and unfortunately the marriage didn't last because we were young
and we didn't know ourselves and we didn't know a
lot of, things and so we ended up separating and
getting divorced and going through all of the drama that

(49:51):
comes with being young and trying to navigate co. PARENTING
i will say that throughout all of, that, oh we
came out on. Top and big shout out To Richard,
cruz my co parent in that, regard, because you, know

(50:12):
for all of the different things and for our, immaturity
we brought it together and we have a beautiful twenty
nine year old daughter who's doing very well in marketing right. Now,
so you, know coming out of the, MARRIAGE i needed
to then figure out WHAT i was going to do
and also being a single, mom and ended, up you,

(50:33):
know working as as an administrative assistant for a database marketing.
Company was not happy because of, course when you're the,
admin everyone has kind of giving you all of that.
Work BUT i always had visions of grandeur AND i
always saw myself in a much bigger space and so
and you supset me BECAUSE i was, like, WAIT i
went To colgate and you went to, where And i'm

(50:56):
doing work for? Who SO i ended up doing A
i know it's it's that it's that codate. Stuff but
needless to, SAY I i had formed my own business
AND i was DOING pr for a, while BUT i
didn't know WHAT pr really, was and SO i was
trying to like make it work and ended up utilizing

(51:20):
my portfolio of things THAT i had done to get
my first job at A pr. Agency SO i worked
for like a small concern Round powers In, belcito all
female owned healthcare public relations. Agency so did that for
a little, bit worked with a couple of agencies made
more money THAN i had ever made, before BUT i

(51:43):
just FELT i felt. Discontent something in my spirit wasn't sitting,
right BECAUSE i felt like a legal drug, dealer if
that makes, sense because we were prom voting drugs and

(52:03):
we weren't even going to the communities that really needed
them the most because they didn't have the health insurance
to pay for the. Prescriptions so we were doing these
comfy like you know, campaigns A Senior citizens centers and
stuff like. That you, know like if you ever See,
nexium the purple pill that was one of the drugs

(52:23):
that we, Launched Basket reflux THAT i worked on that,
campaign we.

Speaker 10 (52:27):
Won A Bulldog award for.

Speaker 6 (52:30):
Us so The Bulldog award is it's a distinction within
the public relations field or for work that you've done
on a specific. Campaign so we worked with it was
With Astra zenica and they had a blood clot buster
drug called, reappro so we had received recognition for. That,

(52:52):
so you, know doing all of, that but LIKE i,
said just wasn't happy with WHERE i. Was and nine
to eleven comes around AND i get laid, off which
is probably the best thing that could have ever happened
to me BECAUSE i wasn't happy doing the work THAT
i was. DOING i went back to doing my business
as a. CONSULTANT i worked with a couple of different. Places,

(53:15):
Actually Volcan woodbine's father was one of my. Clients he's
a holistic doctor up In. HARLEM i don't know if
he's still, around but you, know AS i worked with Doctor,
woodbine worked With Home Sweet, harlem you, know doing a
couple of. Things but, again just really wasn't going, anywhere
if that makes, Sense because the thing about being an,
entrepreneur if you don't have seed money and if your

(53:38):
clients are not paying on a regular, basis it's a
recipe for. Disaster and that's kind of what happened to.
Me SO i couldn't pay my. RENT i was on
the verge of. Eviction through the grace Of, god didn't get.
Evicted and one of my clients told me THAT i
should go to an after school program because by this

(53:59):
point my oldest daughter was in, LIKE i think the
second or the third, grade SO i was bringing her
with me after school to the. Office and my client
was basically, like you can't keep bringing her to the.
Office but there's this free after school. Program it's a
couple of blocks. Away see if you can get her in.

Speaker 4 (54:18):
THERE i.

Speaker 6 (54:19):
Go the two minute version is THAT i go for the.
Orientation my nose is so high up in the air
Because i'm coming out of corporate, Right so my mind,
like you, know why would anybody put their child in this?
Program but a voice literally said to, me ask them
if they have a. Job AND i argued with the,

(54:39):
voice but THEN i ended up asking them if they
had a. Job turns out that they.

Speaker 10 (54:43):
DID i go for the.

Speaker 6 (54:45):
Interview, now this is for an after school program for
A cbo At Harlem Children's. Zone this is HOW i
got my, Start and.

Speaker 10 (54:53):
That's exactly.

Speaker 6 (54:54):
Right he was the executive director at that. Time AND
i go for the. Interview so the first interview, is you,
know with the site director or. Whatever then the next
interview is like with the multi site, supervisor. Right And
i'm in this interview with the beacon director and they're
asking me all of these questions and they're, like, oh

(55:15):
but you, know you seem a little overqualified for this
position all of this kind of, stuff And i'm, like,
well you, KNOW i thought this would be. Good you,
KNOW i want to get back to the. Community blah, blah,
blah blah. Blah and then she says to, me you,
know this is not going to be enough to pay the.
Rent it's not gonna be enough to pay your. Bills
AND i turned around and told, her you guys couldn't

(55:36):
pay me What i'm worth on a good. Day and
then they hired me. ANYWAY i would not have hired
me r they hired me, anyway and that's HOW i
knew this was something THAT i was supposed to. Do,
MEANWHILE i was going for the one shot deal BECAUSE
i was in rent carears and again was able to get.

(55:58):
That did have to pay it, back which never happens
normally you have to pay that. Back BUT i think
that was the beginning of my transformation in terms of
really working in a community setting and really giving back
and all of the things THAT i learned IN. PR
i was now utilizing that for the after school program
BECAUSE i went from being a part timer EVENTUALLY i

(56:19):
became the director of that. Program SO i was in
direct service running after school program for like thirteen fourteen.
Years was doing that and then the last PLACE i
ended up at was homes for the, homeless SO i
was running after school actually out of a homeless. Shelter

(56:40):
so this particular shelter was two hundred and fifty five,
families so it's like a city within a. City and
that was huge BECAUSE i got to see what the
power that can happen when you provide quality programming to
a community that really needs. It and that program not
only service children in the, show we had opened it

(57:01):
up to children in the community, too because the feeder
school didn't have an after school. Program, so you, KNOW
i was there for like seven, years got, promoted you,
know throws through the, ranks and THEN i left and
became a, Trainer SO i was training after school professionals
all around the city and then ended up AT, CuNi

(57:23):
which is WHERE i sit. Now along the, way you,
know had one, divorce, remarried unfortunately my second husband passed,
away and by this Point i'm raising you, know three
children a single, mom so a lot of that informs
the work THAT i do and in terms of HOW
i support, Children i've become very passionate about the. Youth

(57:47):
AND i realized that no parent wakes up and decides
they want to be a bad. Parent, today every parent
wakes up with the best of, intentions sometimes circumstances get
in the, way so that the PHILOSOPHY i had running
the programs at all the different after schools and even
as a, trainer training people on you know what it

(58:08):
is to be an engaging youth development professional because that's
what they. Are ended up getting my school age care
credential in that, process which was it felt like A
i don't, know like a mini graduate school course.

Speaker 8 (58:26):
Was.

Speaker 6 (58:26):
Teaching the credential was you, KNOW i still serve as an.
ADVISOR i sat on the work group for The network
For Youth, success so shout out to, them and THEN
i in twenty, NINETEEN i became part OF, CuNi SO
i ended up joining them as the essentially the professional

(58:47):
development Quality assurance specialist at that, time which basically meant
THAT i had the opportunity to now engage with trainers
and training. Organizations so within every, state because of fun federal,
funding they have to have what we call a professional development,
System and what the professional development system does is it

(59:07):
supports the early childhood and school age workforce so that
they're enhanced in terms of their.

Speaker 10 (59:14):
Knowledge skills and.

Speaker 6 (59:14):
Dispositions they're getting high quality professional development experiences and things like.
That SO i support them with The Workforce. REGISTRY i
sit on a lot of state committees and we're doing
the work of making sure that educators are being supported
in all things as it relates to professional development and
they're getting what they need so that when they're in

(59:36):
that classroom with those, children or they're in that after school,
group they're giving the children the best of what they.

Speaker 8 (59:43):
Deserve during your tenure in the trainer, world did you
do any work With? Pace?

Speaker 6 (59:52):
Actually you, know, So pace has a partnership for after school.
Education they have what they call THEIR Pace conference that
they Have pace On, pace so it's usually At Pace.
University SO i would present AT pace usually things related,
to you, know enhancing your role as a. Director i've

(01:00:13):
gone to their their THEIR Pace awards ceremonies At. Cipriani Uh. So,
yeah SO i was very much involved with them because
they were a big supporter of after school back in
the day before d y C d kind of came
in and took on a lot of that.

Speaker 7 (01:00:31):
Stuff, so, Yeah alvin AND i both had some some
some wrong.

Speaker 8 (01:00:35):
With pace really early in our education practitioner.

Speaker 7 (01:00:40):
Career, yeah we'll save that for after the. Show first of,
all hell of a journey.

Speaker 8 (01:00:46):
Proper and that's also the beauty of of being in
this seat is, that, uh there's no there's no story that's.
Alike and we've heard such a range of folks of
sort of.

Speaker 7 (01:01:00):
The trials and tribulations and their successes and even their.
Downfalls and to have the hindsight, two you, know in some.

Speaker 8 (01:01:10):
Ways tie this all To cogate's pretty amazing because if
there's anything That colgate taught us was that, resiliency, right
is that how to betrayal by?

Speaker 7 (01:01:17):
Fire? Right you you, know you got to figure it.

Speaker 8 (01:01:20):
Out and as much as you, know in many ways
we we we speak to some of the unfortunate realities
and experiences we had At, cogate.

Speaker 7 (01:01:31):
It also you, know thicking that skin.

Speaker 8 (01:01:34):
And and and and it gave us those those uh
we earned the badges right that allow us to function
in the world and and and withstand you know sometimes
those those obstacles that caused us to not be set,
back but to learn to. Pivot AND i think that's
the difference on HOW i look at.

Speaker 7 (01:01:53):
Obstacles, now if you're.

Speaker 1 (01:01:55):
A business looking to get your brand in front of a, loyal,
supportive successful. Market you need to become a sponsor Of.
Aftergate our network recognizes the opportunity to work With codgate's
a lum of color to leverage the reach of the
show to increase awareness and profitability for your. Business reach
out to The Defile life podcast network and we will

(01:02:16):
work with you throughout the entire. Process we have special
packages to get you. Started contact us at info at
godofirelife dot. Com every, week professionals of, color ranging from
politicians to, educators to, judges to, entrepreneurs to, lawyers corporate,
leaders and even. Retirees aftergate reaches an array of successful bipod.

(01:02:39):
Listeners contact us to learn more about how we can benefit.

Speaker 8 (01:02:43):
You you are you having an opportunity to whisper into
your seventeen eighteen year old ear as you're Entering.

Speaker 7 (01:02:56):
Colgate coming out Of August.

Speaker 8 (01:02:59):
Martin what might be words of wisdom you would tell
your younger self and then also reflect on your coviate
experience and what words of wisdom would you share to
your twenty one year old graduating self entering the world.

Speaker 7 (01:03:17):
With what you know?

Speaker 6 (01:03:18):
Now, yeah to my seventeen year old, SELF i WOULD
i would tell her WHAT i tell my daughter and
my daughters and my son all the. Time you are.
Awesome you are, amazing and stand in that. Truth and

(01:03:40):
it doesn't matter what anybody. Says you are awesomely and wonderfully.
Made and don't forget your worth because sometimes you're gonna
have people that are going to try, to you, know
treat you as they think you should be. Treated but
you stand in how you know that you should. Be
so that that's WHAT i say to my seventeen year

(01:04:01):
old self and to my twenty one year old, SELF
i would, say run your. Race don't bother to compare
yourself to all these other folks who might be director
of this AND vp of, that because all of that
comes in. Time it's not about always getting in the.
Room it's about staying in the. Room and sometimes if

(01:04:22):
you move too, quick you reach your point of. Incompetence
so take the time to learn because that's what will
allow you to be sustainable the long mm.

Speaker 5 (01:04:34):
Hmmen they you, know let me just, say definitely appreciate
who you have, become Right and it's just you, know
we've had all of our, sessions you, know AG, Z
we've just been floored listening to people's journey when it

(01:04:56):
was like Before, colgate how did they get to be
who they? Are but definitely especially from a space of
there's a lot of alignment on this call of individual
edules who care about our, youth our, families and so
just to hear how you're pouring into lives outside of
the children that you brought into this world and their

(01:05:20):
families and you, know carring adults does us all? Proud
just you, know just she just want to share that
real Real, definitely LIKE i, said one of the good.

Speaker 3 (01:05:30):
Ones so here's the opportunity this last part of the.

Speaker 5 (01:05:34):
Show we always like to give this as a platform
for our guests to share an, initiative a, website something
that you care about that you want our listeners to
learn more about support and that's part of why we do.
This so is there something you want to?

Speaker 6 (01:05:54):
Plug so IF i, may there are two things THAT
i would like to. Plug so the first thing, is you,
Know i'm in graduate school and while in graduate, School
i've had the opportunity to participate with The University Students
senate and they have an initiative going on right now
where they are advocating for free metric cards for students

(01:06:18):
in Community college right. Now Senator Robert jackson of the
thirty first district here In New york is a big
advocate and he's been pushing. It right, now it's added
on to THE Cuny Green, sheet which is their budget
ask for the city and the. State so if you
are In New, YORK i would ask you to support that.

(01:06:40):
Campaign college, students particularly AT, CuNi a lot of many
cases don't have the same kinds of built in. Supports
many of them are international, students many of, them you,
know just like.

Speaker 10 (01:06:53):
Us when we first.

Speaker 6 (01:06:54):
Started you, know we came Into colgate and having a
free metric card makes all the difference in, community difference
between getting into getting to class that day or. Not
so you, KNOW i KNOW i passed on the information
related to, That SO i think it's ussqunity dot. Org
you can check that out and provide that. Support the second,

(01:07:17):
thing and this is a national. Thing you, know as
many people, Know headstart is under attack and Head start
provides you, know valuable support to the families and children
that they. Serve and right now there's a campaign where
you can actually write into your elected official BECAUSE i
think it's the THE i don't want to mess this,

(01:07:40):
up BUT i believe there's like an extension for the
funding that happens In, march and so writing into your
elected officials and pushing for them to really support Head
start because we, know for those who, know they know
what attack The department Of education is, Under headstart is
under during all of those different those federal programs make a,

(01:08:02):
difference and without the. Support, seriously even if you don't have,
children without that, support our children will suffer and we
will feel the pains of. It so making sure that
you reach out to your elected officials to push them
to Support headstart in, particular but just you, know The
department Of education, overall.

Speaker 10 (01:08:22):
Without going into a whole lot of.

Speaker 6 (01:08:23):
Details so that's That's those are my passion projects right.

Speaker 5 (01:08:27):
Now done, Beautiful, well heed the, warning heed the. Call
make sure y'all check that out because there's a lot
to be done this, year so we all need to
be vigilant and so appreciate. That appreciate you any finer
words before we get out of, Here.

Speaker 6 (01:08:46):
Well i'll say, THIS i will say thank you to
you And jerry for this. Podcast sometimes graduating out Of.
Coldgate we have our different, perspectives but one thing you
always say that was very healing for me. Personally you
say something to the effect of The coldgate of yesterday

(01:09:06):
is not The coldgate of, today and coming from that
last reunion weekend and really feeling salty as to what
they did to OUR, hrc that's, RIGHT i said. IT
i was really feeling bitter About, colgate And i've never
been a bitter person About. Colgate but THEN i listened

(01:09:27):
to one of the podcast episodes and you said, that
and that was a healing moment for, me AND i
had to recognize that life evolves and there's different ways to.
Serve it doesn't always have to look the same, way
and it, shouldn't right because that's progress is not about.
That SO i would just echo that that you, know

(01:09:50):
we we are constantly, evolving and life is constantly, moving
and it's gonna move with you or without, You so
it's better for you to evolve with it and co.

Speaker 5 (01:10:00):
Create, man you've really summed up so much of what
we have learned in our own healing journey of doing this.
Podcast and you know that how in the show is
not HOW i started in the. Show that just really
something that just has. Evolved you, know ten twenty shows

(01:10:21):
in it's just kind of, like, yo this is a
message we need to. Amplify and it really has come
from a sitting in this, seat being able to appreciate
the historic part of The cogate experience and like seeing
some through lines but also seeing growth and progress and some.
Regreestion and there's just an interesting spot that me And

(01:10:43):
jerry have been in that has really informed but we're
trying to share and encourage the group.

Speaker 3 (01:10:49):
Healing so appreciate you calling that.

Speaker 6 (01:10:53):
Out it has it was healing because in PREPARING i
was telling my kids about a lot of different things
and that reflection piece is so. Powerful thank. You it
has been a gift for me to just share my
stories because some, things you, know you don't really talk,

(01:11:15):
about right you just kind of go on and you
know it's. It this has just been it's been, powerful
and in so many, ways there's just been a lot
of healing within my family personally that has happened as
we've been doing a lot of that like coming, back

(01:11:36):
going back almost like saying, coop going.

Speaker 10 (01:11:39):
Back so that you can move.

Speaker 6 (01:11:41):
Forward and you, KNOW i didn't realize just how Much
coldgate meant to me until, like LIKE i, SAID i
went up to that AND i brought them with, me
the two younger. Ones, YEAH i mean. WHATEVER i, mean,
look WHATEVER i can do to support in whatever way

(01:12:04):
THAT i, Can i'm. WILLING i JUST i THINK i
just need to kind of put to, rest because you
KNOW i, WAS i.

Speaker 10 (01:12:12):
Was yeah anyway the Past, no, no, NO i.

Speaker 7 (01:12:15):
Hear we trust, me we get, it we get. It
you ain't got to explain.

Speaker 8 (01:12:19):
It we had an opportunity last year to get a
brother who you're talking, about somebody who was a mover
and shaker in the, seventies and all he wanted to
do was an opportunity to share uh with currents in,
color uh sort of that that, history that that that that.

Speaker 7 (01:12:40):
The facts of how all these entities came to.

Speaker 8 (01:12:44):
Be and until he had had the opportunity to meet with,
us he had attempted but had. Failed and ALTHOUGH i
don't think we did anything extra other than trying to
use the resources and the folks that we had to, say,
hey we want to push.

Speaker 7 (01:12:57):
This this is a big. Deal and he had a
chance to really uh.

Speaker 8 (01:13:03):
You, know sort of have that platform and and and
you could tell how much it. Meant it wasn't about
the volume of folks like he just wanted to set
the reconstrate about certain things that impacted The latinum, Community
African american, Community caribbean, community his. Brothers in his late,
seventies still an, author revolutionary. Author, uh you, know traveling book.

Speaker 3 (01:13:23):
Tour just produce the.

Speaker 8 (01:13:25):
Book AND i said that just simply to say, that you,
know you mentioned, healing AND i THINK i Think i've
come to realize that you never really stop.

Speaker 6 (01:13:37):
Healing, general, Right and and here's one THING i want
TO i want to just lift up that THAT i
would be but being part OF, CuNi both being an
employee and and being part as a student and The
University Student, senate those, STUDENTS i, MEAN i thought we
would do an advocacy At. Kolgate i've never seen anything

(01:14:01):
like what that First University Student senate. Meeting now mind,
You i'm old enough to be everybody's, mother right, literally
AND i walk into that thing and it felt like
The United. Nations and When i'm talking about these seventeen,
eighteen nineteen twenty about their business like that metroclar campaign
was all, students And i'm talking about like the executive chairs, like, Oh,

(01:14:27):
Tanika i'm going up To. Albany can you come with?
ME i just took off work AND i. Went but
she's like all of like twenty two sounds like Doctor,
tayler right because she's From she's From, Guinea but like
under twenty, Five i'm, like what gives me? Life like
in this second, CHAPTER i am loving it because what

(01:14:48):
these folks are doing is not a, game and they're
they take the idea of consciousness to a whole noother,
level and many of them they don't have the kind
of resource is that we had At. Colgate SO i
just say on that to, SAY i think another message
that needs to get put out is that we didn't

(01:15:09):
just have.

Speaker 10 (01:15:10):
This coviate experience just for.

Speaker 6 (01:15:12):
US a lot of people, think, OH i went To,
colgates AND i get to put that on my.

Speaker 10 (01:15:17):
WALL i get to, Brag, no you went To.

Speaker 6 (01:15:19):
Colgates that you can take the knowledge and everything that
you've got and help somebody else who may not get
to go to A. Kogate they may go to A Saint,
john's or they may go to a city college or
whatever the case, is but you can feed into that
that's really really where the work, is you.

Speaker 10 (01:15:39):
Know SO i don't know let me get off my.

Speaker 8 (01:15:42):
Soapbox yeah, yeah and it's natural because you're talking to
two educational practitioners who have been in the business for
over thirty years in a variety of different, roles from
in the, classroom out of the, classroom government at, state,
county city, levels still doing the work in in in

(01:16:03):
the communities that lack those resources that are, underrepresented and then.

Speaker 3 (01:16:08):
Somes so let.

Speaker 5 (01:16:10):
Me close us out and say this has been another
episode After gate season. Five thank you to our, guests
thank you to our. Listeners After gate is always powered
by The Defied life Podcast.

Speaker 3 (01:16:23):
Network make sure you check us out in the.

Speaker 5 (01:16:25):
Future we are on all of your favorite podcast streaming.

Speaker 3 (01:16:30):
Platform many more dope episodes that.

Speaker 5 (01:16:32):
Follow and as The nika, said This Cold, gate the
coviate of your day is not the coate of, today
and it's certainly not the coate of the.

Speaker 3 (01:16:40):
Future peace.

Speaker 1 (01:16:41):
Family you hear, that listen, closer that my friend is
the definitely side of. Focus it drowns out all the
useless now as that can clutter the holy nay, sayers don't, exist, haters,
smaters the peanut.

Speaker 12 (01:16:58):
Gallery who's that when you're in your, zone all that
noise And all that buzz is just elementing. Music so
enjoy your, journey focus on your goal in, basque in
the quiet role that is, progressed because when it's your
time to shoot that, shot spit that, verse or close that,
deal the only voice that matters is.

Speaker 3 (01:17:19):
Yours the fire life