Special Edition | Victory Lap | Season 2023

Together we will reflect on our journey together, reinforce and uplift what is important to us, and honor the work of the people who power this movement.

Let this be a personal moment of pause and praise for all that you have have personally mastered, learned, and walked through this year.

Episode Transcript

(00:20):
I don't need a lot. I just want to show all putter
God we can take a walk around the neighbourhood.
I don't need your name. I just want to walk your pretty
face looking good. Happy Monday, everyone.

(00:45):
Happy post, Black family 5K. Happy victory lap.
End of season girl Trek 2023 celebration.
It is a blessed Monday. We have woke up cloaked in our
right line, covered by the sisterhood of this movement.
And this is your girl, Vanessa. I'm feeling really good today.

(01:06):
I'm happy to be out on the line with my girl as always.
Morgan. Are you there, Morgan?
Hey y'all, hello, Hello, Hello. Yes.
Can you hear me? I can hear you.
I can hear you. I was welcoming everyone to the
victory lap. That music playing.

(01:28):
Y'all was Emily King. The song was metal, she said.
Come take a walk around the neighborhood.
I want to be the girl with the medal and that is because we are
awarding everyone on today's call.
Medal Taking a walk in the neighborhood for such a good and
amazing and wonderful. Here.

(01:50):
Did she make that song for the award ceremony?
It seems like it right? No, that was a a submission by
the staff. Haley Darby.
We took submission from the staff and Haley put that song up
and it literally seems like she made it exactly for us.
And in fact, somebody did an amazing YouTube animation
cartoon and it's a girl taking awalk in her neighborhood,

(02:12):
grabbing all her medals. So it's so cute.
Shout out to Haley, shout out tothe staff, shout out to me
walking in my flip flops with socks on.
I'm y'all, I'm a fan. Fan who we had the chance to
talk to early this morning, toldus we got to connect with the

(02:34):
earth, we got to put our feet onthe ground.
She said we got to wear skirts sometimes so that you know we
can connect our full bodies to the earth.
And I said, listen, listen, I'llwear these flip flops with these
Rosie the Riveter socks. Well, I didn't tell you.
I met the oldest living black Rosie the Riveter.
He did. She was 99 years old.
Yeah, she was on the island. I took a picture with her.

(02:55):
I had to put on on Instagram. I haven't been on Instagram in
so long. But yeah, I have to put on
Instagram. She was so sweet and so funny
and so, so sharp. And they're they just made a
documentary about her. And she's from like Maryland up
by like Baltimore. And she said that her.
A group of people were the firstRosie the Riveters, the black

(03:15):
woman who got fit into the factories during World War 2.
And she's the oldest living one.And they just did a documentary
and her daughter lives here on the island, Her daughter lives
Indigo. And I bought a jacket and some
other stuff and she did an Indigo dying workshop and I went
to it at one of my mentors househere and she was there and we
took a picture. So I told her I have some black
Rosie the Riveter socks, but I didn't have them with me.

(03:36):
I got them on today. Oh my God.
Wow, Although a winners actuallyare going to get Rosie the
Riveter socks morning. Oh, that's good.
That's. Good, yes.
And if you are wondering what I'm talking about when I say
winners, I just want to give everybody some context for why

(03:57):
we have gathered here today. We call this the victory lap
because we believe in the annualritual of celebration and we
believe in doing it in collective community.
We believe in documenting and telling our stories.
And we believe in honoring the service of the women who power
this movement, the women, the people in the community who

(04:19):
power this movement. And so we are going to have a
powerful conversation, share some of the snippets of a
powerful conversation that we had with the Queen herself,
Ayana Van Zandt. And we were going to share the
entire conversation in its entirety in an e-mail.
But today we're going to share just snippets of it.

(04:40):
It was so. Moving, Morgan, it was still
moving and then after we share those snippets, we are going to
share some of the wins that we have had in our community.
We are going to give out some Trek awards And then we are
going to hear from the women in this call as we get ready to
just close what's been a really powerful and impactful and

(05:03):
meaningful season. Awesome.
Let's get after it. Let's get after it.
All right, we are going to startMorgan.
First of all, this really was a full circle moment.
Y'all to be able to in this mostpowerful year where we decided
that we were going to get into the best shape of our life.

(05:24):
And for so many of us that was such a personal excavation and
it was such personal work. I genuinely cannot think of a
better person to have asked to join us in this celebration than
Iyama van Zandt. For both her personal story, for
both what she means to the movement.
Many of you have heard me tell the story about how Morgan and I

(05:45):
met over her book. One day my soul just opened up.
And the fact Morgan, that we hadthe platform and the ability to
reach out to her and to say sis,could you do this for us?
And that she responded so immediately and so
enthusiastically and was like absolutely I will do this.
I have had my shirt since 2016. I cannot think of a better

(06:06):
movement to be in solidarity with.
It just really means so much. And we are getting ready to
share this one clip where we talked asked Iyana about her
daughter's of story and I just wanted to frame it for people so
that they understand. And what we're getting into Girl
Trek. We have a tradition that we
teach women all over called daughters of and it is to name

(06:28):
your maternal lineage as far back as you can with an I am
statement to bring those women into the room.
And so it's I am Vanessa, the daughter of Annette, the
daughter of Olympia, the daughter of Melvina, the
daughter of Katie and then Morgan.
Maybe you do your daughter's a story.
And then I'd love if you could just share who you are the
daughter of, just to call their names.

(06:49):
OK, I would love to. Yeah.
Yeah, VI haven't talked to you in so long, but I've really been
struggling with my Daughters of Story.
I just really isn't struggling. It's just because I'm breaking
the chains. Every time I call their names.
I just, I am in it. I am just.

(07:09):
I don't want to be that scared like they were.
Well, wait a minute. Before you call that name,
before you call that name, let'slet's do it from you.
Not that you don't want to be that.
It's that you're elevating. Those of us in the 21st century,
everything that we do, we are elevating our ancestors and our

(07:36):
What's the people that come after us, our predecessors, or
whoever the hell they are? So.
We, we thank our ancestors. We thank the mothers and our
matriarchal line, the mothers and our patriarchal line.
We thank them. We thank them for their courage,
their courage to keep going. Because had they given up, we

(07:57):
wouldn't be here. We thank them.
We thank them for their wisdom. We thank them.
And now we give ourselves permission to cancel, to
eliminate, to close to, to, to neutralize, to disconnect all

(08:20):
attachments to thought patterns,belief patterns, behavior
patterns, to contracts and covenants, to secret agreements
that serve them but no longer serve us.
So we give ourselves permission to cancel those things with
gratitude, knowing that they went through things that we will

(08:45):
never have to go through, and they went through them so that
we won't have to go through that.
So we give thanks to them, and we give ourselves permission to
elevate ourselves, knowing that their cells, their genes, their
atoms, that atoms in our body will be elevated.

(09:08):
I am Iyanla, born Rhonda Eva Harris, daughter of Sahara.
Elizabeth, daughter of Elizabeth, daughter of Benet,
daughter of Trimona, daughter ofRissi, daughter of Eva.
The mothers in my matriarchal line as I am lifted, they are

(09:31):
lifted now. Call you people's name.
As I am lifted, they are lifted.I am Morgan, the daughter of
Carol, the daughter of Luisa, the daughter, the daughter of
Sarah, the daughter of Vice Anne.
I got some new ones before you. The daughter of Caroline.

(09:57):
The daughter of CP, who came from the continent of Africa.
And as I am lifted, They are lifted.
Yes, yes, they did what they hadto do so that we could be here.
Because had they jumped. Sip, we wouldn't be here.
My grandmother not pick cotton. I wouldn't be here.

(10:18):
Had she not been raped by that white man, I wouldn't be here
and my mother not clean toilets on the Pennsylvania Railroad for
20 years. I wouldn't be here.
But we know what they went through and that we honor it.
We just choose not to do it. Because the law of free will
says that we can break historical, generational,

(10:41):
ancestral contracts, covenants and agreements.
We can break them. We can cancel them.
Thank you for that. Don't have to carry their pain.
We don't have to carry their pain, but we have to see it and
look at it, you know, with a different level of
consciousness. So it's good.

(11:01):
All of us, all of the women and and girl track and beyond.
All of the women and girl track and beyond, you know, it's just,
again, being willing to see it different, hear it different, do
it different without the fear that you going to hell and you
going to offend Jesus. Thank you for that.

(11:23):
Y'all you there, Morgan? Yeah, I'm here.
Are you gonna put me snotty noseall out?
From the whole conversation, I carried it with joy and
optimism. Is Tropic that part over?

(11:46):
And I'm grateful. I call her Mama V I'm just very
grateful for her. And the pain we carry in our
mother's lineage is real, and I ain't afraid to say it.
It's real. And every day I'm on the
battlefield for life, every day I put on my stuff to go out and
walk. It is an actual spiritual fight.
It is an actual declaration thatI deserve to be alive, that I

(12:10):
deserve to walk forward, that I deserve to be in the light, that
I am worthy of all goodness. And so that's an emotional
thing. And there are people out there
who feel like they are not worthy.
And I know it 'cause I feel likeit sometimes, but I am.
And I just rebuke everything andeveryone who calls me out of my
name and says that I am not who treats me like I am unworthy

(12:33):
because I am worthy and I am doing good and I am good.
So yeah, I got emotional. But I didn't expect that to be
the first clip I. Didn't know it kind of was a
hard transition in there, and yet it was I when you're when we
were in the conversation, 'causeI'm hearing it like you're

(12:53):
hearing it when we were in the conversation, it just it was an
important message for women to know this is.
What is to come in? The conversation with Ayana and
the Daughters of Tradition is sobeloved and so important to who
we are at Girl Trek and it is such a part of our victory
story. So I I appreciate and thank you

(13:14):
so much Morgan, for just always sharing your story in the way
that you do. And I know that the women do.
Y'all I know that the women do. We're going to share one other
clip from the conversation and then we're going to share the
winners. Let's I want to share this clip
because. Y'all we are really celebrating
that we made it and we made it. Whether or not you got your go

(13:38):
to shoelaces, whether or not youchecked off all the things on
the Gratitude Trek, whether or not you gathered your family for
the Black Family 5K. Maybe you meant to put up a
welcome walk in. You didn't.
Maybe you made some intentions at the Harriet house party and
they fell through, but you stillmade it.
And we are here to celebrate you.
And so we did ask Ayana about that.

(13:58):
And I just want to share this part.
We gathered you here. This, first of all, this whole
conversation is such a treat. And I know the women who are
walking are going to be so blessed by everything that you
said. And the reason that we reached
out to you and gathered today towalk with you is because we're
celebrating. The end of our girl trek season.

(14:19):
So we have a season at the end of the each year we celebrate
all the accomplishments and in aminute we're going to call the
names of some of the organizers who are getting awards.
But I wonder if I saw a recentlyin your interview with Cameron
Hall. I think it was on the Cameron
Hall. Watched a couple of interviews
and you were talking about your own feelings around at times
feeling like a fraud and you were talking about the passing

(14:42):
of your daughters and how you had to get past that and it.
You're speaking with so much authority on this call.
You know so much. You have your your wisdom is so
right there. But I'm wondering if you could
speak to all of the women who wewant to celebrate today,
regardless of if they're gettingan award or not, regardless of
if they walked all the days theywere supposed to or not.

(15:03):
Regard. Because it's like if you made it
one day, you made it to this document like you are worth
celebrating. We know that.
But I know there are so many women in our community, Ayala,
who believe they are also fraud.Who somehow don't believe that
they are deserving of the celebration that we want to
bestow upon them, who do not believe that they are worthy of
the light that we want to shine on them.

(15:25):
And I wonder if you could speak to our whole community right now
and to all the women who are feeling exactly like that.
Yeah, because the masculine domination, Remember I talked
about it, comparison and competition.
That's what masculine does. And I'm not making men wrong or
masculine energy wrong. You know, everything God

(15:47):
created, everything source brought forth has a function and
that's what they do, you know, That's why they running out
there playing football and and they draws playing basketball.
You know, the male energy thrives on competition and
comparison, but that's not who we are.
And you know, as human beings, we all have an ego.

(16:10):
We all have that voice within us.
And spiritually or psychologically, the the ego is
the part of us that eases God out, that keeps us separate from
God. And it's really, you know, what
the Bible calls the devil. But it's that voice that is
always challenging source, questioning, source keeping us

(16:33):
believing that we are separate from source.
You know your body over there, my body over here, which makes
us have to compete, which makes us have to compare.
So you know, as a person that you know, the last 43 years of
my life, I've been committed to supporting and facilitating

(16:53):
evolution of human consciousness, helping people
heal. And both of my daughter's was
sick and I couldn't help them. You know, the ego just used that
to beat me up with, oh, you can help everybody, but you can't
make your own children. What are people going to say?
And they didn't, you know, whatever.
So both in Jamia's case, which was just devastating 20 years

(17:15):
this year, she died on ChristmasDay 2003.
But I remember that first six months when that thought because
again, the human brain has a negativity bias and when it gets
a negative thought, it's like a dog with a bone.
And that thought, well, did it'll gnaw on it, gnaw on it,

(17:36):
gnaw on it. And I was running around.
I was swinging between running around doing speaking
engagements to make money and and trying to help my daughter
heal. And I needed the money to be
able to take care of her. So you know it's like you're a
fraud. You're fake.
You can't you can't really help nobody.
Why can't you help your your ownkid, you know?

(17:59):
And I'm reminded of Yeshua on the mountain when he was really
trying to get in alignment with God and the devil said, oh
you're hungry, make these bricksand make them into some bread.
You know, I had my Just Jesus inthe mountain opportunity.
And so very often because of competition, because of

(18:21):
comparison, as women, we think unless everything is perfect
according to somebody elses standards, that what we're doing
isn't good enough. So we think that we could be
great at work, but we got a unemployed husband or we could
be great in our career or in ourcommunity service, but our son
and daughter is doing drugs or we could be great and then we

(18:42):
take that on. Because as women we're usually
the beast of burden. Everybody's business is our
business. We're responsible for everybody.
We take that on to discount the value, the worth, the the, the
power, the truth that we are. It is a trick of the ego, the

(19:02):
deceptive intelligence. It really, really is.
And so when Jimmy died 20 years ago, I experienced it.
The blessing is that when Nisa passed in July, when she made
her transition and that bugger started in my brain, you know,
here you go again. You can save the world and you

(19:26):
can't save your own children. You ain't this.
And you know and then this is how this is how I got healed of
that affliction. People were putting that online.
People wrote online. I told y'all she won't nothing.
And I mean, it was violent. And when I saw it with my

(19:49):
eyeballs, I said, that is what you're doing to yourself inside.
And it's just manifesting out here.
What? What are you doing?
Because nothing happens on the outside that doesn't first
happen on the inside. But to all of us out there who
have those thoughts that we got to be perfect, our farts can't

(20:11):
stink and our breasts got to be minty when we wake up in the
morning, stop it. Stop it.
It is the deceptive intelligence.
And here is what the Holy Spiritof God's Source Creator told me.
And I'm going to share it with you when I was in that pit of

(20:34):
thinking, because I couldn't save my daughter's life, that
the work that I did was of no value or worth.
Here's what the Holy Spirit saidto me.
Oh, you're going to be tested because of the light that you
carry. God needs light.
We don't need people engulfed indarkness.

(20:56):
And the darkness job is to blockout the light.
Oh, you will be tested because of the light that you carry.
God, the spirits of light, the spirits of darkness, which is
the ego, the deceptive intelligence.
They don't need the crackhead. They already got the crackhead

(21:17):
they want the one that is feeding homeless people, that's
light. They want the one that's working
with teenagers, that's light. They want the women making
headway in the corporations. That's light.
They want the ones who are doingthe inner work to heal
themselves. That's light.
So the spirit of darkness, the deceptive intelligence of the
ego, is going to come for you based on the degree of light

(21:40):
that you are shining in the world.
So game on, buckle up and let's get it started.
Yes, let's get it started. Let's get it started.
That's exactly right, Ayanna. Thank you for that.
Thank you for game on. Yes, game on, Let's get it
started, Tyrene, we want to bring in the winner names into

(22:04):
this experience. Y'all that was just a little bit
of the knowledge and the wisdom that Miss Ayanna Van's aunt
Mama. Ayanla drops for us.
We will share the full recordingwith you.
I promise. So we want to uplift our
Organizer of the Year, our Crew Leader of the Year, and our
Sister's Keeper of the Year. And we promise you that every
other woman who has gotten an award will be announced on

(22:26):
social media and e-mail throughout the day.
So please check. Hashtag girl, check.
But please, Tyrene, can we get the names?
Can we ask you to uplift the names of a few women in our
community who are that exact light that you are talking about
before we close out our conversation?
Yeah, we want to. I think you have the names.

(22:49):
You got the names in front of you.
I do. I certainly do have that.
Look. I don't got no drum roll
working, but Ayanla, we would love it if you could announce
first who is our. Girl Trex 2023 Crew Leader of
the Year because of the light inher soul and her commitment to

(23:12):
herself, to her creator, to her community, and to her every
woman in her matriarchal and patriarchal line.
The Crew Leader of the Year is Rochelle Jones of Pasadena, CA.
Yeah, get some angels. Let's get some angels working.

(23:37):
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yes, yes, OK.
And can we announce our 2023? We now have Organizer of the
Year, I certainly. Can because of the light that
she carries in her being and herbody and that she is elevating

(23:59):
not just her community and her, her sisters that walk with her.
That she is elevating her matriarchal and her Patriarchal
Line Bullhorn Award for Organizer of the Year is Sarah
Priesta of Orangeburg. Yeah, that's amazing.

(24:22):
Thank you so much. I'm going to be so happy.
Shout out to you Sarah. All right.
Do you want to? Get the last award.
Yes, I do. We have one more, and this is
our Sister's Keeper of the Year award.
And just like you said, Ayana, I'm not just my sister's keeper.
I am my sister. And this woman has shown
everybody in the country that she is our sister.

(24:44):
So please, if you could announceour 2023 Sister's Keeper of the
Year award, Sister's People Yearof the Award for all of the
light in her being in her body, elevating her ancestors in her
matriarchal and patriarchal line, the winner is Tamika
Murray on Staten Island, NY. Yay.

(25:07):
Can. You cook the Pop sauce.
Hello Morgan, you there? Those are our winners.
Y'all that was Tamika Murray. That was Sarah from Orangeburg,
SC and shout out to Rochelle in Pasadena, CA.

(25:27):
And I can't wait to find out whohas won the rest of the victory
lap awards. Morgan, do you have anything to
say to the women, to the organizers?
Yeah, I'm really proud of everyone.
This year has been epic in our ability to like.
Slow downturn in and do the realwork and tell the real stories

(25:49):
of who we are, where we want to go, what we want to do and what
we actually need. So everyone who's been involved
in that, I'm just really proud of you.
I'm proud of our staff. Every single person who works on
girl checks team works tirelessly to be able to provide
this program, you know? Mama V says that that she and

(26:11):
her daughter who she lost, wouldwalk with Girl Trek and she was
like, you know, there's a lot ofpeople walking with Girl Trek.
You know, Susan Taylor walk withgirl.
She was dropping off these days and we were like, what?
And yet and still the people whoinspire me the most are black
women who just put on their GirlTrek shirt.
They don't know nobody in their neighborhood.
They just go for a walk in the direction of their their

(26:33):
healthiest, most fulfilled life.And I'm just proud of you all
for doing that. So whether your name was called
or not, whether you got a crew or not, whether you finish the
challenge or not, whether you got your golden shoelaces or
not, if you are here, if you areleaning into life in a way that
is brave and courageous and kind, I'm really, really proud

(26:54):
of you. If nobody else told you today, I
am really, really proud of you. So that's what I wanted to add
to that to that segment be. Thank you, Morgan.
At the end of the call with Ayanla, we're getting ready to
bring on our staff, a few of ourstaff, a few, just a few, a
handful of the amazing people who make this work and they're

(27:15):
going to talk about our wins forthe year.
But as we're getting ready to bring them on, I wonder at the
end of the call with Ayanla, when we are off the record, you
shared with her what the vision is for where Girl Trek is going
in 2024. And it feels like as we are
uplifting the work of the women,a good time to actually bring in
that vision right now. And then we're going to have
Carla on the line to share our. Whoa.

(27:38):
There's people on this line who have been with us for 10 years
and there, and first of all, thank you.
Thank you. I mean, I think about like the
Page Sisters who lost their mother this year, who was the
real matriarch of this movement,who have sisters and families
and nieces and cousins who walked with Girl Trek all across

(28:00):
America for a decade. I'm just grateful for people who
understand how to be supportive to black women and who put who,
who practice less talk and more walk.
So that's first and foremost. And in 2020 you were there with
us when we hit mission accomplished, No organization be
accomplished. And they mission and we did.

(28:20):
We was like we all get a millionblack women to talk and solve
problems together. And we did.
And you are walking out there, you were talking out there and
we are beginning to solve the problems in our own lives
together in collective action. So after that, some of y'all
watched us while we literally imploded.
We imploded from the inside likeI'm talking about.

(28:40):
We was tired. We was weary.
Half the staff left, other staffwas fighting.
It was terrible because we have,we have put too much in a way
that was not sustainable out there.
So what we did this year was something brave.
We said we're going to stop all public programming and we're
going to get in the best shape of.
Our. Lives.
That is, the 15 some black womenwho worked for Girl Trek at the

(29:02):
beginning of the year. I'm telling you, some of some of
us took time off. Some of us had got deep medical
care. Some of us went through mental
and physical crisis, and all of us sat together and learned how
to eat better, how to ask for what we need, how to meditate

(29:23):
and pray, how to get to where, how to get silent.
I don't move to the woods, Y'allI'll be in this house on myself,
don't nobody recall, and I'll just be in a retreat, just
trying to heal. Just trying to heal everything.
He did that for a whole year, all so that we could prepare for
what is about to happen next. I'm telling y'all, there is

(29:45):
nothing in America more powerfulthan a million energized,
joyful, loving black women walking the streets together.
There is nothing more powerful than door to door care.
There is nothing. More powerful than generational

(30:06):
walking and talking and healing together, There is nothing more
powerful happening in America right now than Girl Trek, and I
know it on a deeply personal level.
Cause Girl Trek has saved my life multiple times.
And So what we are committed to doing next year is when we come
back from the offseason. And let me just talk about the

(30:28):
offseason for a second. On December 1st, we are going to
take rest. We have worked hard to earn it
and we are going to turn in and stop doing.
And we are going to be. We are going to be happy.
We are going to be fulfilled. We are going to be satiated and
satisfied. We are going to be in community.
We are going to be in our families.

(30:50):
We're going to be in our beds. We're going to be in our
absolute happiest, joyful self if you don't do nothing this
offseason. But B that is enough.
That is enough, but we are goingto rest and be in repo so that
we can heal. Get energized for the work ahead
because when the work starts, the work starts.

(31:11):
On Doctor King Day, January 15th, we are coming back for a
day of Service plan. Now what you want to do to give
back to get your mind back out of that ego and into the actual
work of serving and making this planet better.
All of next year we will be focused on care.
We are going on a crusade. And that crusade is going to

(31:32):
focus across the American South.And So what we are going to do
is, first of all, we are going to honor our promise to you.
We are not coming out with fancycampaigns at the beginning of
the year. Please do not look for marching
orders. You know what it takes 30
minutes a day, five days a week.When you, when you find the way,
come back and get your sister. Harriet Tubman taught us that.

(31:53):
So yes, on Tubman Day we will have Tubman parties.
You know how to do it. We already got the guide.
There's not going to be any pompand circumstance.
There is only the work next yearfrom that we are going to select
the brightest lights across the American South.
I'm talking Mississippi. I'm talking Alabama.
I'm talking to Louisiana. I'm talking Georgia.

(32:14):
I'm talking to the Carolinas andVirginia.
Because the this is where black women are suffering the most.
Now they don't have a nerve to call it the obesity belt with
all kinds of stuff. This is where heart disease is
thriving and snatching Mamas. So we are going to go door.
We are going to first of all find the most fired up, light

(32:34):
filled volunteers. We are going to invest in their
training and then we are going to go door to door and ask our
neighbors are you OK? And we are going to give them
the tools that we are releasing in May.
Y'all been asking for How do I find a girl?
Trekker near me? How do I track?
How do I know that I'm successful?
Y'all we got a tool that we are going to unleash onto the world

(33:00):
to answer those questions and tosupport your organizing, your
teams, your communication, your neighborhoods.
And then we are going to devote everything we have to knocking
on doors and making sure that nobody feels alone, nobody feels
alone. That nobody is isolated, that
nobody is inactive and that nobody is suffering injustice

(33:21):
alone. We are going to do that through
the election season where you better believe we are going to
rally and walk to the polls. And then, right before November,
when the world begins to crack, we are going to stand on the
stage. And announce our joy and justice
agenda. Our million black women walking
our power, the most energized power base in America.

(33:45):
You better believe the politicians are already calling
us, But we are not walking for them.
We are walking to save our lives.
We are walking to live generationally.
We are walking for our daughters.
We are walking back for our mothers and grandmothers.
Next year will be a year of radical love.
Joy service crusading for care for our neighbors.
But mostly it's going to requireus to get off the sidelines and

(34:08):
into the streets. So if you ready, I'm ready.
We prepared this entire year forthis to level up.
And I'm going to tell you something.
God didn't put us this far to leave us.
So that's where we are. That's the vision.
That's what I share with what Mama V Mama V said.
Put me in where I'm at help. What we going to do?
What she was like? Write down my phone number.
Yes, we are doing it. And we need every single person

(34:31):
to have the energy that she had.How can I help?
How can I serve? So your assignment is to rest
and get ready. Get your mind ready, Get your
body ready, get your food, get your recipes ready so that you
can fuel yourself, Get your sisters ready.
And at the Harriet house party you will.
You have your instructions already.
You're going to get people readyto walk.

(34:52):
And then around May I want you to be patient with us.
We are going to unleash a tool for you to be able.
To succeed at this mission and so be prepared for all of that.
That's what you want to be. It's it's exactly what I wanted.
More importantly, I know it's what the women want.
And I know that there are women out there who are inspired, who

(35:14):
are fired up, who this year has been transformational for them,
who are looking forward to next year.
And y'all this is that time in the in the call Star 9.
Raise your own hand Star 9 if you got something to say about
the vision that Morgan just laidout.
Star 9 If you have had If you have a testimony about this
year, Star 9. If something has moved in your

(35:35):
life because of Girl Trek, we are going to open up these
lines. We're starting the open lines
right this very minute with noneother than Carla Harris.
She doesn't need an introduction, but she is an OG
organizer and also Girl Trek Vice President of Care.
She is a powerful woman in this movement.
And Carla, you are here to shareGirl Trek's first big win.

(35:58):
With everyone this year, can youtell us what that win was?
Hey, Vanessa. Hey, Morgan.
Carla. Hey, girl.
Trek Nation. I'm so excited.
First one of. Diddle.
Exactly what Morgan just you know, the mission is beautiful.
So shout out to this, this transformative and life saving

(36:18):
movement. And I have so much gratitude
personally for Girl Trek, but what we did as a national team.
Was get into the best shape of shape of our lives, all of us.
And that is so powerful, so powerful.
And if every company across the United States could do that,

(36:38):
just think how beautiful and healthy and vibrant this world
will be. I'm so proud of all of us.
I just can't say it. I'm really proud of myself, so I
can't say it enough. It was important to our team to
do some of this to model. What works to document our

(36:59):
successes and challenges and to learn so that we can lead with
integrity. And I will say integrity was my
biggest thing. Morgan is always saying that to
me. You know, before you ask our
members to do something, we haveto really.
Model it ourselves as a staff. So I've been trying to live up

(37:23):
to that, but this year really pushed me into another dimension
where I really took it serious and I found out I had a few
health issues by going to the doctors and getting all of, you
know, my Wellness checks done. They uncovered some things.
So I took actually like 5 monthsoff from girl trek to address

(37:45):
those issues and to get better. And I'm just happy to.
Report to you all that I feel like I'm in the best shape that
I've ever been in my life and that I have lost 40 lbs since I
started in January to get into the best of my life.
And I I just feel amazing mentally, spiritually.

(38:07):
And I just want, you know? Carla, you sent me a picture of
with your doctor. You sent me a picture with your
doctor. That's what people need to know.
She sent me a picture with her doctor when she only used the
healing and being good. And then she sent me an after
picture where she's not only 40 lbs lighter, got her whole face
all bright up, but her hair is like 7 inches longer.

(38:28):
It's like it is. Yeah.
Yeah, Larry, your hair was just locking yourself.
Right. No, I think I need a whole
segment to go through everything.
But one thing I didn't know is that my hormones were out of
whack. And so my last.
Coach Dr. You know regular you know she did a a whole panel

(38:51):
blood panel on me blood work andthen she regulated my hormone.
So I'm I'm doing hormone replacement therapy along with a
lot of things and I think black women need to know that because
a lot of us aren't doing that. So with that, she was so she was
amazed when I walked into the office a few weeks ago and she
saw my hair and she's like. Carla, you're here, She said

(39:15):
She. Heard about that happening.
But, you know, I was living proof that it happened.
So yeah, I'm not going to talk too much.
About. Any more time.
But I just wanted to say thank you to Girl Trek and thank you
to all the members that reached out during the five months I was
gone. This movement is life saving.
It's radical and it's beautiful and I'm proud to be part of it.

(39:39):
Thank you. Carla, you're welcome.
Yes. How do I let me know?
Next up we have somebody who is like near and dear this girl
check movement and has been for almost a decade and she just
recently came on this year. As Girl Treks, Chief of Staff,

(40:02):
I'm telling you this woman is bad.
Ayana. Ayana, it ain't Ayana.
It's Ayana particular, and she is Girl Treks, Chief of Staff.
She manages sideways, up, down, around, pulls all the pieces
together, and one of the things she's been doing is making sure
that we have the capacity to serve.
She ain't going to run us all ragged that we have the capacity

(40:24):
to serve. She want to bring her on and
tell her one and have her tell us some of the big wins around
hiring this year and maybe even somebody she's looking for now.
So Ayana, are you there? I'm here.
Can you hear me? Yes, thank you.
OK. So hi, thank you so much,
Morgan, for that introduction. We hired an amazing.

(40:47):
Group of new team members this year including me as Morgan
said. And it's so important for us to
be able to attract world class talent and part of the way that
we're able to do that is becauseof just the welcome that we get
internally and externally. I have been in several places
this year wearing my girl Trek gear.
You've been walking in a neighborhood in New.

(41:08):
Jersey. And meeting girl Trekkers.
And when I tell them, you know what I do and that I work at the
national office, the first thingthat always comes out of.
Your mouth is thank you, Thank you for everything that you all
are doing. So I really appreciate that warm
welcome and I'm sure our other team members have experienced
that as well. And we have really tried this

(41:28):
year to move from a team of generalists to bring in more
skilled experts like the Chief Technology Officer of VP of
Marketing, someone focused on storytelling, somebody to help
us shore up operation. A lot of people who are helping
us get to the next level, but we've also been really
thoughtful about internally making sure that everyone here

(41:51):
is operating in their genius or working in their genius and
moving people into the right positions in the organization.
So we're really excited. We think we have the capacity
and the capabilities on the team.
We're hiring, as Morgan alluded to, AVP of philanthropy and
partnerships. And that will really accelerate
Girl Girl Trek growth because we'll have somebody focused on

(42:13):
ensuring that we have the financial resources and the
partnership resources in order to better support the Girl Trek
community. If they want to oppose that,
where do they go? They can go to our website.
So it's the VP of Philanthropy and partnership role is on the
website and you'll be able to access.
I'm gonna say, I'm gonna say by you, I never I'm gonna save

(42:39):
hours of work. If you ain't never worked in
philanthropy, please don't apply, OK?
If you have worked in philanthropy, you don't raise
money and and forge philanthropic partnerships, then
please apply. We have people on here who don't
work for the Gates Foundation, Rockefellers, all these sorts of
people. If that is you and you want to

(43:02):
raise up, underwrite that with your skills, that's you.
We're looking for you. We need you.
Be at the front of this revolution in this line.
And Ayana, I will add, will you give a plug for Cynthia and what
she's going to be looking? Yes, I was going to give we have
a few roles that are that will be opening.
So Cynthia in a in a little while we'll also be hiring.

(43:27):
Morgan talked about the our Southern work that we're doing
in Alabama, Cynthia has taken over.
Managing, building up our southern strategy and she'll be
looking for some county coaches and state coaches and people to
help her build the organizing for Girl Trek in the South.

(43:47):
So you'll look out for those roles and then the other role,
the I and the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating
Officer will also be looking for.
An operation coordinator so someone can just help us like
pull our two teams together and make sure that operationally we
have all of the administrative support that we need in order to

(44:09):
do the things that we need to donext year.
So awesome. And then they're going to be a
host of volunteer positions in addition to this, to county
coaches kind of like neighborhood captain or county
captains. Back in the day, neighborhood
captains were like the premier volunteer role in Girl Trek.
County Captains will be a volunteer role, and neighborhood

(44:30):
captains are coming back. Y'all.
So get ready. Cynthia is a beautiful she's the
next Danny Lou Hammer. Watch out for emails from her.
They'll be coming from her. Not from me, not from Vanessa.
They'll be coming from Cynthia asking you to get in this
movement. And then we will be hiring,
hiring some, some professionals at the state level who have

(44:51):
backgrounds and grassroots organizing so you can volunteer
on, you know, on your weekends to get your neighborhood
together, your county together, or you can be hired as a state
coach. All right.
Or state director. I think it's called the state
director. So we're going to be looking for
a lot of people on the street team.
We called the street team. So that's exciting.
Thank you so much, Paul. Morgan.

(45:15):
Let's say by Diana and skip the order and bring Cynthia in now
since we just uplifted her name and I think she is on the line.
Hey Cynthia. Hey, hey, hey.
How y'all doing? How are you, Cynthia?
I am well. I am well, y'all might recognize
Cynthia's voice. Cynthia was one of our city

(45:37):
captains back in the day in Jackson, Ms. and then she came
on to help coordinate, lead and direct our faith-based
initiative. And then Cynthia just got
promoted to lead all of the field direction, the national
field direction. She's the VP of Grassland
organizing across the American South.
She is AKA the next Manny. Uh oh, somebody talking.

(45:58):
Who is that? Cynthia.
That's OK. I want to back up because it was
important. Cynthia came on to organize our
faith-based initiatives. Our churches back in January
came on as a full time member ofnational staff in six months
flat. She got a promotion, one of the
biggest promotions in the whole organization.
Now she's leading the entire southern region as a model for

(46:18):
how we will do grassroots organizing across the country.
And she herself will be in the street.
She will be the VP of grassrootsgrassroots movement building and
head our southern headquarters down in Montgomery.
So, Cynthia, I'm so proud of whoyou are.
I know that you are the fan Elohimer on this team.
I know that you're going to do the work that God has you to do.

(46:38):
And you might recognize Cynthia's voice because she's a
prayer warrior and has come on to our prayer tracks so many
years. So thank you so much, Cynthia,
for what you do. VE What was the question that
you had for Cynthia? I just wanted Cynthia to remind
us everybody of our big win thisyear in Alabama.
That's all. I just wanted to name it on the
call. Cynthia, go ahead and uplift.

(47:00):
It you said our big, our big game in Alabama, Absolutely our
big win. Our big win.
Our big win. Is the the actual purchase of
the brick layers hall? Building in Alabama and to be
able to have history, literal history.
In the making and we now Girl Trek own a part of history and

(47:24):
we'll continue the legacy of that history of organizing and
movement building from that headquarters throughout the
entire southern region. And so Ayana alluded to it, but
we are coming for every black county across the American
South. But for those of you who are,
don't know that there are only 104.

(47:48):
Total majority black counties throughout the entire nation,
104. Now black people are everywhere,
but there are only 104 counties that are predominantly or
majority black. And we're coming for every
single one of them. And we're going to start right
there. That's right.

(48:09):
Right out of out of Montgomery, AL and and throughout from
throughout Jackson, Ms. And beyond Georgia, Atlanta, the
Carolinas, everywhere, we're coming for you and we we need
you on board with us to to galvanize, galvanize your entire

(48:29):
county and your cities and your state and reclaim those for the
Kingdom. Seriously.
Yes, yes, she said reclaim for the Kingdom.
Thank you. Thank you, Cynthia.
Look, Reclaim for the reclaim. I was still starting on.
Y'all. Raise your hands.
I want to let you know this is avictory lapse.
I don't care if we go all the way over the hour.

(48:51):
I know I will be on board and we'll still be on.
We are going to hear from y'all.We are going to hear your
testimony. So don't you worry about it.
Shout out to Cynthia. Yeah, we are coming.
We're doing door to door care and we are going to offer women
the chance to come out and walk with us.
And then I'll hold back county and things in our backpacks that
our our partners will help us provide so that we can actually
extend the life expectancy of black women.

(49:11):
So thank you for that, Cynthia. We are coming to majority black
counties because walking is a proximity sport.
We're going to walk to our neighbors houses and knock on
and make sure they're OK. Imagine if somebody knocked on
your door and be like sister yougood, you might be like no, I
felt like no. Thank you for coming.
Where we going? We going, we going.
So where we going to walk? What we going to do?
So we need each other. Y'all.

(49:33):
And in 2024, something is opening up.
I can feel it. And then the last thing I'll say
is where Cynthia was talking about Brick Layers Hall.
If you don't know, that was Doctor King's office.
That was the head of the Montgomery Improvement
Association's organizing of the Montgomery Bus Boycott and Girl
Trek. 1.3 million black women own that building now.

(49:54):
So you tell us we're not doing the work, We're doing the work.
It's going to be a staging ground for our Southern strategy
next year. You're all invited and we cannot
wait to do this classic grassroots organizing.
So I love, y'all for love. Here we go.
Who's next to me? Beloved Morgan.
Next we got OGOGOG. She shares a name similar to

(50:14):
yours. It's Rev Morgan.
On Rev Morgan. We have been doing the dog on
theme behind the scenes. Can you let us know what's been
going down? Hey, hey, Morgan and Vanessa, I
am so excited to be with you guys.
I'm actually talking to you. From the fulfillment center here
in Kansas City where we my God, this is perfect.
It's so we got a real show here we got a real show we're.

(50:40):
The real show, right? I like it behind the scenes,
yes, Yes. I'm sitting here with Kelly.
I'm in Kansas City, which is where the girl Check fulfillment
center is right here with Kelly our What is the fulfillment
center? What is?
The fulfillment center. Yes, the fulfillment center is
when you place an order at the store.
The Girl Trek store, you buy anyof our merch, our swag, if the
order goes to the fulfillment center here in Kansas City and

(51:02):
then they process it and ship itout.
So they do a phenomenal job of handling all of the back end
stuff, all the behind the scenes.
They're the ones that get you your gear fast and.
Correct. That's so awesome.
Seldom. Thank you for all the hard work
that they did over the Black Family 5K weekend to get
everybody their shirts. We appreciate them.

(51:22):
Yes, yes, yes. They do a great job.
I am excited. Yes, it's a whole.
Like a whole wall of girl Trek stuff.
I'll post some pics. It's literally we have a nice
chunk of stuff. Reverend Morgan, what is the one
thing you're most excited about for operations for 2024?
I am excited that we are continuing to improve upon our

(51:42):
systems and the benefits for ourstaff that they can be equipped
to do their best work and to thrive and that we're bringing
on new experts in their particular field.
We're working like a a well oiled machine and it's exciting
to be around so much talent and so many experts in their own, in

(52:03):
their own lanes, so excited to to catch.
The wave of energy. I love that.
Thank you. Very good.
Awesome. Shout out to the operations
team. Oh, that's great.
Vanessa's that we're here, we got our last staff, we got one
more staff member on the line. It is none other.
This is a big deal. We've been a team of women for
so long and this year we may space at the table for adult Guy

(52:29):
to join. He is literally a tech genius.
He is an expert community builder.
He is an organizer. He is kind and generous and so
wonderful to work for. And he's girl check, new Chief
Technology officer. His name is Josh.
Are you on the line, Josh? I'm here.
Thank you so much. Josh You've got the most

(52:49):
important bullet on the page. People want to know.
People want to know what's happening with Girl Trek
technology. What are you at?
Don't be scared, Josh. I'm here to celebrate with you
all. Honestly, I I want to celebrate
that the movement has a long range plan.

(53:11):
It's ambitious. It's it's strategic and it's
beautiful. I also want to celebrate how it
was created. You know, I think some plans
seem to come out of thin air, but this plan comes from deep
listening and communal dreaming and daily practice.
It's risen from the trails, in the pavement, wherever trackers

(53:31):
have walked and gathered together.
And part of that plan is for technology to help us.
That's, you know, that's what it's here for, to help us move
and connect and organize, to walk, talk and solve problems
together and to support black women as you care for
yourselves, as you turn towards your neighbors, as you live

(53:52):
longer. I believe there's never been a
moment like this, and it's time for tech to do heavy lifting for
this movement. So I think what I want to say is
I want to celebrate that, you know, the vision that you all
have felt and carried and sharedis being revealed to others.
And it it is a light and it's giving us direction and hope.

(54:13):
So thank you Josh. I'm so proud of who you are and
how you've come into this movement.
And I'm proud of us because we actually know that we that we
have to gather together. I want to chord the 4th doctrine
is to rally our allies. So thank you for being an ally
the black women. Josh I just really appreciate
you and y'all this what you needto know.
Josh got receipts, what we're talking about doing, which is

(54:35):
community health activism, whichis knocking on doors, which is
bringing the love, the care, theprevention to our aunties in
their houses, to our cousins, oncampuses, to churches, to
prisons. Josh has already done he he
already started an organization called Medic in Africa and in
Asia and had 10s of thousands equipped with technology in

(54:58):
their hands to be able to do this work to save the lives of
millions. And so we don't come, we don't
come light in girl Trek. We bring people who have
receipts. And Josh, I'm so deeply grateful
for the work you've already doneand for how you have dived into
this work, listening and loving and caring and building out
what's happening in May, what's coming in May.

(55:19):
Josh, tell us. The Girl Trek app is coming.
We're on the call right now withTrekkers building it with us.
It's coming. Yes.
Yes, yes, yes. And listen, I know all y'all
been trying to build yourself onFacebook and stuff, but this is
what you need to know. Josh done brought Facebook, The
Girl Trek done brought all of the heads of all of the

(55:41):
different organizations who havedone this work before, who have
precise expertise, and they're now lending it to Girl Trek.
So I'm deeply excited about the team you're building, Josh,
about the technology that you have heard us say we need and
that we are rolling out in a sensible timeline.
Y'all. So it ain't coming on time
today. Just to let you know it's coming

(56:03):
in time for the Summer Crusade. So I'm excited about that.
Josh, thank you so much. I'm excited about it too.
I know our lines are going to beblowing up.
I know Social is going to be blowing up.
Everybody just get ready. And let's keep this energy
going. Let's keep the energy of the men
at the table going. Morgan and I just want to bring

(56:25):
in the voice of one of our boardmembers because it's not just
people who work full time on theGirl Trek staff who make it
work, but we have an entire world class board of directors
led by none other than Tulane Montgomery.
And we have our newest board member on the line.
Deonte, are you there? Can you introduce yourself and
can you tell people what you aremost excited about around

(56:47):
joining the Girl Trek board? This is the perfect time to say
Tulane's favorite phrase. This is a live show.
Y'all, this is a live show, OK? I think he's not going to.
Yeah, I think coming text to come.
In, yeah, do we have Wendy, Tyrene, we also have on the line
not just our Board, but one of our partners and collaborators.

(57:08):
Maybe I can queue up Wendy and Ican queue up Beyoncé, please.
Do. Yes.
Yep. Yep, Yep.
Is that you? Yeah.
Hi. Hey, Wendy.
Hi. So here's the thing.
I want you to imagine yourself knocking on a door in Baton
Rouge, LA. And a beautiful mother of four

(57:29):
answers the door and she's hiredy'all.
She's been on that job search looking for a job.
She left her other job because she underpaid her kids don't got
no access to good early childhood education.
You know how it be. That's how it is.
And she is just literally looking for somebody to knock on
her door. And you, girl Trek volunteer.
Knock on the door. You got your blue shirt on.

(57:50):
You'd be like, hey, how you doing?
How you doing? My name is Morgan.
It's good to see. You know, I live around the
block. Around the block.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm just, you know, we're with
girl Trek. We're the largest Health
Organization for black women. We're on a care crusade.
We're going door to door. I just want to know how you
doing, sis? And she'd be like, oh, girl.
And then she'd tell you how she's doing and you'd be like,
listen here, this is what we gonna do on the park, right on

(58:13):
the corner on Saturday mornings,we walk and we talk together.
Girl, you need to come out and walk.
We're going to do that. And then I'm going to tell you
what, we got all these opportunities in our back pocket
right here. We're partnering with
organizations. If you want to train to be a
doula, maybe you want to train to be a paramedic.
Maybe you want to train, like all sorts of things.
We working on them. Y'all working on that list.
You want to be a nutritionist? Whatever.

(58:35):
Here's opportunities for you to do that.
There's so many things that we can offer our community through
partnership. Girl Trek don't is not doing all
that stuff. We're walk and talk and solving
problems. But our partners, everybody from
heroes and food justice to people who know how to make
policy, to people who know how to stand up infrastructure and

(58:56):
walking trails to people who work in the medical industry who
are looking for jobs, all of ourpartners are ready to go to that
doorstep with you. And one of those partners is a
beautiful group of people out ofNew Jersey who help connect.
They're engaged philanthropist and they help connect partners
to do good work. And Wendy is one of those

(59:19):
partners. And so, Wendy, I just wanted to
tell you, thank you for helping us think about how to train
people to Girl Trek University, how to connect with hospital
systems for jobs, how to do all these sorts of things.
And I wanted to know from you, what inspires you most about the
work we're doing with Girl Trek,and what are you looking forward
to? Oh.
My gosh, thank you for letting me join this.

(59:39):
This is the best way to spend anhour coming off a Thanksgiving
break. Gosh, this is so wonderful.
So first of all, thank you. And yeah, no, just to say, I
mean I I'm very fortunate. I have a job where we get to
invest in programs and people who are like making the world a
better and just place. But even among that cohort, girl
check sticks out because you allbring so much joy and

(01:00:02):
inclusivity to this work. And so we are just lucky to be a
partner. We can't wait to bring more
partners to this work because I think what maybe it's like you
can't always see when you're theones doing The Walking is that
your work is. Actually changing systems and
like big systems like the healthcare system, which really,
really needs changing, right? Like our current system we know

(01:00:25):
is failing black women, we know it's sharing their loved ones,
failing their loved ones, and weknow it's failing communities.
So I feel like you all are demonstrating that healthcare
needs to be community care. And this year, I just love that
by taking care of yourself and one another in your communities
where you live, you've built this amazing, beautiful

(01:00:46):
foundation. That in the year to come, we're
going to see entire communities of care filled with doulas and
poetoras and people who are helping one another, popping up
and thriving throughout first and foremost, the South.
Because Cynthia is my idol. And then the rest of the
country. And we just hope we can do
whatever small part we can to bring as many funders and

(01:01:08):
partners to make this all possible under your vision.
Thank you. It's.
Brilliant shout out to Tom V whohelped stir this relationship we
Wendy. When we sat around that table,
it must have been a year ago. We were like, OK, what is
killing black women? Well, we know maternal health
and the lack of IT healthcare. Is killing black women
disproportionately at the numbers of like countries that

(01:01:31):
are considered, quote UN quote, third world countries, that
black women are dying at those levels, Right.
So we thought, what if we certified women to be doulas?
Then we thought, well, substanceabuse.
Is snatching our cousins, our moms ourselves sometimes?
Could we have substance abuse counselors walking on the trail
with us? So we started talking about a
bunch of things like that. And I just wonder like how would

(01:01:53):
you even begin to do something like that.
So I think by demonstrating thatit works first the sad truth is
people need we're not a creativebunch usually and people sitting
in government and sitting in bigsystems.
And so I think first we have to come up with the money to show
how the this works. What does it look like when
women are taking care of one another.

(01:02:15):
And you know remember Morgan, weI have to admit we had it wrong
at first. Remember I was like OK we need
to get you all certified to fit you into the system as
substitute peers and dealers. And then I was like no, no, no,
no. We need me to system fit into
girl tracks vision and that's what I think the next 10 years
are looking like. It is showing people what it

(01:02:36):
should be and then fixing a broken system to accommodate you
all, not, you know, squeezing all of ourselves into some, you
know, crazy box because it's crazy.
And so I do think getting some independent funds to make that
pilot work is is. Perfect.
It's one of the reasons we're starting in Montgomery as around

(01:02:57):
play space partnerships and thenwe're going to expand across the
entire South. So for that proof point that
what we are doing is working to save an extended life expectancy
for black women. So thank you so much, Wendy, for
your work and your partnership and your sisterhood.
We just have really appreciated working with you, excited that
we have arrived here as a movement.

(01:03:18):
This is such a big deal to even be able to have that
conversation. So thank you so much, Wendy And
I do think we have Deonte on ourboard member.
Are you there, Deonte. Hey.
Morgan, can you all hear me? We sure can welcome newest Rd.
Trek board member. Please introduce yourself.

(01:03:41):
I have to say I appreciate y'alldealing with me as I figure out
how to double unmute on myself so, but I just want to say so
much. I was going to say so much
gratitude for this entire movement in this community.
This has been an hour of joy forme to hear all of the things
that are going on across the movement, and to hear from the

(01:04:04):
Girl Trek team and from you to. Morgan and Vanessa as as valiant
leaders like you all just said, I just joined the board under
the leadership with William Montgomery and I'm just so
excited for the vision that this.
Community and movement will be stepping into for the work that

(01:04:25):
the Incredible Girl Trek team will be doing on a daily basis
and for the wonderful work that women.
Across this nation will be doingin their.
Communities in such powerful. Ways.
So just. Huge huge huge gratitude and
thanks and. I'm really excited to get to
work with you all as we move into the next year.
Thank you so much. Shout out to Titans of industry
like Deonte and we are building a world class Board of directors

(01:04:48):
and if you are interested. If Michelle Obama listened,
Ayana Van Zandt told us was listening and you want to join
girl? Check Board of Board of
Directors, please reach out to us at [e-mail].
We are looking for Titans to be able to stand toe to toe with
the women in communities so thatwhen we go to do the policy
work, when we go to change the systems, that we have a roster

(01:05:11):
of powerful Americans standing. Standing by our side.
So if you're looking, we are always growing our board and if
that's something you're interested in, Michelle Obama,
just let us know. But tell but don't contact info.
Michelle, get me some money. I'll just gonna let you know if

(01:05:31):
we don't respond on the info andgirl.
Care. Y'all.
We're getting a lot of emails and we try to do our best.
But Vanessa and girl care. That's Vanessa.
OK y'all, this is where in church service.
We have come to the end of the promo programming, but the
beginning of the best part of the service and I don't know if

(01:05:54):
you walking in the park, you walking on the street or you
closing up on the couch to listening because I'm my text
message, I've been blowing up. But we are getting ready to open
the lines and if you can stay on, I would recommend you do
stay on. Because if you have ever been on
any girl trek walk where you have heard from the women across
the country, they and their voices and their stories y'all

(01:06:15):
are the reason that I'm getting up every day.
You are the reason that I'm justpushing every day.
You're the reason I don't give up.
I know every woman in person andman on the team feels the same
way. So we just want to make some
space for the folks who have raised their hand this year.
Yay. And just like testimony service,
Y'all. We got a short amount of time to

(01:06:36):
get a lot of people's glory, OK?Come on in there.
Have you had a mic for a minute or so, But make sure you say
your name and make sure you tellus where you're calling from so
we can see how widespread and beautiful this movement is.
So we ready, Tyrene, we have a first caller.
Hi there, sister. I think you're on.
Hello, this is Beverly from San Diego, CA.

(01:06:57):
Hey, Beverly. Hi, I just wanted to say I am so
grateful for a girl track and for the founders of Girl track.
It really has changed my life. It has made me look at my
health. I just like the fact that I can
just put on a pair of shoes, getout and exercise, and we have
the perfect weather in San Diego, so there's no excuses for

(01:07:18):
me. So I just want to thank you from
the bottom of my heart. Thank you.
Can I call you Beth? You sure can.
Thank you, Beth. Thank you so much.
Glad to help this. And I'm so glad you're holding
it together there for us. And holding it up, holding up
the light, and holding up the banner.
So keep on walking. Oh, and we got a new staff and
and San Diego. Brittany, you've got to hook up

(01:07:40):
with our new staff. She's just Brittany at
girltrek.org and take her on a walk, please.
Oh, that's a good idea. Yes, yes, yes, I would love to.
All right, let's hear from all. Thank you.
Any other words? Encouragement, ideas, thoughts,
anything. Anything from the year stories?
What does it look? What does Girl Trek look like?

(01:08:01):
Hey, is someone on over there? Is it my turn?
Can you hear me? Yes, we can.
It's your turn. Oh, snap.
Yes. My name is Tarika.
Tarika McClellan, representing Stockton, CA.
We hear all of us here. And I just want to say thank you

(01:08:23):
for girl track. I feel like a superhero when I
walk you through my community. With my blue shirt on and women
are asking and joining and yesterday we did the 5K, the
last of the black family. And I just want to say this
because I'm walking too and thenI get excited.
But Valley View Church of Christrepresenting Doctor Reed,

(01:08:45):
representing We Get Together forthose Super Saturdays.
That I mean, we're dancing, we're doing pitch Tos, we're
walking, we have women out with walkers, canes, we're helping
each other. So this is a movement.
And amazing, I moved here from Oakland, so this is the way to
meet new people. And I'm going to give a shout
out to Louise McMillan. Can see is the one.

(01:09:07):
That'd be get into it. Come on.
Y'all trying to go woo Melissa Bear.
I'm working with NAACP members, I'm working with professors.
I'm working with all type of. Amazing women and I just want to
thank you from the bottom of my heart and.

(01:09:28):
You guys are amazing. I know I turned too much, but.
No, that was good. He was like, oh, that was good.
Just stop the DJ or girl check. That was good.
We we we little. We little.
What? What's your name against us?
My name is Tarika McClellan, butI go on Instagram as Tarika
Lachey. And I do dance videos in the

(01:09:49):
park with my friend Rasheeda after we finish walking.
And we do dance videos in the park.
And sometimes you guys have reposted, yes, yes.
God is good, I said. Did they just say yes, Lord,
they did. Thank you, ladies.

(01:10:15):
Thank you. I want to be all the kind of
workers here. Tag me.
Yes. Yes.
Well listen doctor need to and you're doing the work and that's
kind of a it's something that wehave to clarify here that
walking is the work. That joy is the work.
And So what you're doing with your community in Stockton, your

(01:10:37):
church, with your own joy, with social media, with storytelling,
all of that is the work. You are wildly successful.
You are wildly successful. So thank you so much.
The. Yeah.
And I just want to say lastly mylittle cousin walked with him
yesterday and she is pre diabetic.
It's been her first girl trap walk with us yesterday and

(01:10:57):
walked under that bridge and shewas so excited and so, hey, we
got you. Yes, yes, yes, yes.
I'm going to somebody else. Turn well, listen, wait right in
the Bay Area there we got a sister working on food justice
and you know diabetes really, really has a lot also to do with
what we're eating as well and our activity and so.

(01:11:20):
E-mail me. I'm I'm Morgan at girltrek.org.
e-mail me. Sorry, my sister will be back.
e-mail me at [e-mail] I will connect you with that
sister who's helping her, who's helping?
Her name is Angie and she's there in the Bay Area.
And maybe y'all could start a community garden there in
Stockton, just even as a pilot for doing.

(01:11:41):
There, we need an energized bunch of people.
Yeah. So just e-mail me and and we can
talk. All right.
Next call. Look.
Thank you, Sister. Thank you.
Look, we call. Look, y'all don't say you can't
do three things at once. We don't have a victory lap, a
stakeholder call. We're going to plan some stuff
and we're going to celebrate allin the same time, all right, who

(01:12:03):
we got on the walk next? Hello, can you hear me?
Yes, we can. Hello Morgan and Vanessa and
Girl Track Nation. This is Jermika and I'm calling
from Columbia, SC. I have been with Girl Track
since 2014 I think. But.

(01:12:24):
This is an amazing organization.I talk about girl track all the.
Time did the prayer track with some ladies from my church and
stuff and it was awesome. What amazed me is that they have
still been walking and stuff even after the over they send
me. Pictures.
And stuff. I was like, y'all are awesome.
I'm so proud of y'all, but I just wanted to say when, yeah,

(01:12:47):
we're talking about division for2024.
I was jumping up and shouting. I was like wow, yes, I'm amazed.
But that's what I saw for Girl track moving forward and stuff,
so I'm so amazed. And thank you all.
So much that we're moving towardthat.
Well Tamika, you need to e-mail [e-mail] because you

(01:13:08):
in one of the southern states ofSouth Carolina, Columbia.
Shout out to Christina. I don't know if you know
Christina and Columbia there too.
We love her. That's our girl.
Shout out to every organizer who's ever worked there and that
could be you, sister. You can volunteer with this door
to door care crusade. We would love to have you.
We would love to have you. I would love to.

(01:13:28):
Yeah, and you see how your church members come walking for
that. It's working.
I know it looks great. I promise.
Y'all, it's working well. This is the thing that I know
for sure. That faith is the evidence of
things that are unseen. And ain't nobody going to tell
me ever. Big girl turking work is ever,
ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever.

(01:13:48):
Because I just know it in my bones.
I see it on y'all's faces. I feel it in the entity.
I see it in the pictures. It is a fact.
Yes. Who we got next, Irene?
Oh yeah, Morgan dropped. It's OK you can bring the, but
you can bring the caller on you there sister.
Y'all got to get your mute ready.
We got time for I think two morecallers.

(01:14:10):
Hello. Sisters, my name is Elena Bell.
I'm from Pasadena, CA. I am a member of the crew, the
Girl Trek Walking crew, where Rochelle Jones is our leader who
won for crew leader. Shout out to Rochelle.
Yes, she is amazing. Our crew is amazing.
We walked yesterday for the 5K black.

(01:14:33):
Family walk. And I just want to give a shout
out to my Girl Trek sisters and to Rochelle Jones especially for
her great leadership. And it's congratulations,
Rochelle. You deserve it all.
Thank you, Thank you, thank you.Yes, thank you all.
Thank you all for walking you back, Morgan.
I'm back. Yeah, I'm walking S Country Rd.

(01:14:54):
Got that. Good reception.
Wendy's talking about system change.
We need some Internet. Sure, there's a lock on
somebody. She needs some call and some
Infinity. But I'm back.
I'm back. That's so great that she shouted
out her her sister and team leader.
That's amazing. That's amazing.

(01:15:14):
How many calls can we take left?Do we have one or two more of
these? Yeah, Let's take one or two
more. We have one more on right now.
OK. Hello.
Hello. You're on, You're on.
What's your name? Where you're from, I think we
got two callers at once, by the way, maybe.
But y'all can both call. Just hold on one to the other.
OK. I'm Rhonda in New Jersey.

(01:15:36):
Can you ladies hear me? You're on in New Jersey.
Hi. Oh my God, this gives my heart
so much joy. Congratulations to all the
winners. Congratulations Vanessa Morgan
and Morgan and your team. This is so awesome.
I am so looking forward to 2024.I'm kind of a solo trekker and

(01:16:00):
every now and then I'll send youa message via e-mail.
But I am going to go on social media next year so I could be
ever more connected. But this is so awesome.
I have my golden shoelaces. So I am ready.
I am ready for what is to come. So just enjoy your break.

(01:16:20):
Everybody get remotivated, Stay energized.
Keep that joy in your heart. And I'm just loving all of this
a million times over. Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you so much.
Oh you got a sweet sweet spirit.Yes you got a sweet spirit
Sister Vanessa, we should start calling solo trekkers like
Tubman 1 truckers cause Harriet Tubman was a solo trucker.

(01:16:42):
And then then Tubman 2 me when you come back and get a cruise,
and then Tubman 3 me when you rally to allies.
And then Tubman follow me when you retire.
And yes, oh, that's. Good.
We have one last sister on Thankyou sister for that and from
Jersey, we love that we have onefinal caller on.
Are you there? Yes.
Can you hear me? Yes, we.

(01:17:03):
Can. What's your name?
Where you. From my name is Tiana Moore and
I am from Stockton after Tarika had put us on the on the call.
And we are from Stockton, CA. We are the more stronger girl
track. I want to represent Candace
Bishop, which is my sister Brandy Moore, which is my
cousin. They are the leaders of the girl
track, more stronger. And we would like to say we give

(01:17:26):
God all the praise and all the glory for you guys putting this
out there for all the black women to get stronger and
walking and getting healthy. And we just want to give God all
the praise and all the glory forhim.
We would not be more today. So we have to uplift His name
right now. So, Lord God, we just thank You

(01:17:46):
Jesus, for your grace and your mercy and the strength that you
give us and the power to have. Us out here doing the things
that we're doing to encourage our black, our black women.
And I just only our black women because we have other people,
you know, in the community that are not just black, you know, we
we have to represent it all. So we just give God the praise
and the glory and we just want to thank you guys for what you
guys are doing. You guys are awesome and we just

(01:18:08):
thank you for it. That's all I wanted to say In in
in more stronger girl track acting calculator.
Listen if you. End this call with prayer like
somebody don't read to write. End this call in prayer.
I'm so grateful for you talk. To y'all showing out today.
We didn't even know. Girl that wasn't talking like
that. Y'all showing out.

(01:18:29):
Thank you, sister. Yes, thank you for representing
and thank you for lifting us up in prayer.
That is the perfect way to end. I'm grateful.
For everyone who's listening, ifyou have a testimony, hashtag
Girl Trek and give it to us. You don't have to be on the
line. You can do it on social media.
We would read them and share them and repost them.
Watch at Girl Trek on Instagram and Facebook for more winners

(01:18:52):
and more celebration throughout the day and week.
We love you. We'll be closing our doors
December 1st. Forrest, we encourage you to do
the same. We are coming back on Tubman
Day. It will be Classic Girl Trek, no
big. Big nothing but just have a
Harriet house party and then this summer is when we get to
work or next summer is when we get to work.
Vanessa, any final words from you?

(01:19:12):
Yeah, we are going to end with some ultralight beam and we're
going to end there in honor of all of the sisters who left us
this year. Our community suffered many
losses. Many of our truckers from
Seattle to New York to New Orleans all across the country.

(01:19:32):
We just want to uplift those women who aren't going to be
continuing to walk in this physical form and the body with
us. And so we are dedicating
Ultralight Beam to them and justsending all the love and the
light out to our entire community.
Thank you all so much. Let's sing it together.

(01:20:06):
Right here, we're on. We're on an ultra light beam.
We're on an ultra light beam. This is a God dream.
This is a God dream. This is everything.
This is everything. Oh, we're on.

(01:20:28):
We're on an ultra light beam. We're on an ultra light beam.
This is a God dream. This is a God dream.
This is everything. That's it.
That's it. This is everything.
Come on, let's go up higher. We're on.

(01:20:49):
We're on an ultra light beam. We're on an ultra light beam.
This is a God dream. This is a God dream.
This is everything. Yes, it is.
Yes, it is. This is everything.
Hey, sing it again. We're on a note.
We're on a note. You like me?

(01:21:10):
We're on a note. You like me.
This is a God dream. This is a God dream.
This is everything. This is everything.
Hey. We're stepping out on.

(01:21:36):
We are. Here's the reason love We are
stepping out on. He's the loving and the arms of

(01:21:57):
Jesus. He's the resident love we're
stabbing now at all. He's the loving we are.