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welcome to racial equity in richmond the

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web series for the racial equity uh

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essays richmond racial equity essays

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that we're doing

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which is we're asking rich vendors from

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all walks of life for different sectors

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what is their vision for racial equity

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in richmond and how exactly from their

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perspective do we get here so i have two

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ladies here today that have joined us

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thank you all so much for uh your time

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and your wisdom i've known you both for

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quite some time now

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and we were just saying that when i

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think of one i think of the other

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sisters from another mother we were

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talking about early but so glad to have

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you here today um you've taken your time

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before we get started deep into these

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heavy questions that i've given folks

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want to just take a minute or so

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your name uh where you're from

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originally how long you lived in

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richmond and what is it that you do in

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the daytime

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um hi ebony and thanks for having me um

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i'm greta harris i am a native of

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danville virginia

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haven't lived there in a long time but

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it was a great place to grow up

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and i have lived in a few places around

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the country and moved to richmond in

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1992. some a relative newcomer to the

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region

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and i have the pleasure of serving as

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the president of the better housing

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coalition

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that does affordable housing development

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and management

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here in central virginia

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wonderful what about you laura

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so i'm laura lafayette i um i'm one of

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those rare breeds i'm a native

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so um i'll tell you how old i am to tell

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you how many years i've been here i've

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been here almost 56 years

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um i think it's starting to pay off a

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little bit

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um i am the ceo of the richmond

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association realtors and the central

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virginia regional mls and we represent

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and support the 7 000 realtors who call

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central virginia home wonderful so i

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know you ladies from my time at virginia

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lisk um

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in the housing arena the community

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development arena of course um ui you

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both are

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big names and have a good amount of

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influence um

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in that arena

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for our region

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so

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you all just said you have

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years or decades of time in richmond

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lots of experience can you kind of tell

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us how we got started for you is there a

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pivotal moment or experience that kind

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of led you to the current work or the

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initiatives that you were involved in

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particularly as it relates to housing in

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richmond

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so i mentioned that i work for realtors

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um

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and they have given me

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the great um opportunity to spend a good

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deal of my days working with people like

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greta on lots of folks in the nonprofit

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sector but really kind of working on

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the issues of justice and equity and i

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would like to think we've been working

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on them long before some of those words

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became buzzwords

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um

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and for me it wasn't

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but

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when my father was born in south

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richmond and when they brought him home

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they put him in a drawer of a chester

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bureau because that's all they had there

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was no cradle

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and i could go on and on about the

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poverty in which he grew up

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but when i think about his circumstances

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and then as we brought our three

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children into the world and i thought

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about their circumstances

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you know no one

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merits the circumstances in which

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they're born

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and if my children did nothing to merit

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the

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really um wonderful circumstances in

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which they were born neither does any

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other child born in richmond today and

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so i want every child no matter the

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circumstances of their birth

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live in an environment where they have a

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chance to thrive

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and i really feel like that's our

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obligation day in and day out to get up

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and say okay

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what does the

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chance for a child to thrive look like

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wonderful you're breaking up a little

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bit laura too

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so yeah

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but but go ahead greta what's your

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what's your moment so not too dissimilar

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to laura i think that's why we get along

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so well um it's the influence of our

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family

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heritage

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that

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not just unique to us but i think our

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family helps to shape who we are as

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individuals and what our values are

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and um over my shoulder is a campaign

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poster of my dad

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um who

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was the first black elected to city

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council in danville our hometown

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which was indeed the last confederate

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capital of the south

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um

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and he became danville's first black

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mayor as well

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and my mom

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was a principal

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after integration

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uh in the most prominent white

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elementary school and 60 percent

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parents pull their kids out of the

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school rather than to have their kids go

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um to school with uh young black

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children

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and so that was the household that i

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grew up in

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and

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my parents came from very modest means

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as well

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um but even their parents told them the

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responsibility that goes along with

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opportunity to give back

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and so

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they did

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they were very active in the civil

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rights movement that was happening in

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richmond

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and so um i think

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those experiences for me and my sisters

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when we were growing up has certainly

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shaped my values and the importance of

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social justice

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and while laura and i are certainly

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hustling around central virginia to make

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it easier

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to do quality affordable housing for

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modest income households

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um the motivation i believe for both of

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us is around social justice and so it's

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not just the housing it's really

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a lower system so that every child can

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thrive i think so everyone can be joyful

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and just be their best selves i think

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that's what we're shooting for

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lovely and i thought uh a curveball in

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my question only because i have y'all

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here so y'all have been doing this work

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for a long time laura i mean greta you

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got here in 1992 is that

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28 years ago yeah so about that god i

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haven't had enough coffee to figure that

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out

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laura you've lived here your whole life

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would you double that

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just quickly like what do you feel like

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and this is an interesting moment in our

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nation right in our city

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i don't know like how do you how has

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richmond changed i guess from kind of

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when you got here granted to now what do

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you feel the biggest change has been

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over the course of your life you don't

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take a whole lot of time but i feel like

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you all have such a a long perspective

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that it i would be remiss if i didn't

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kind of pull that out a little bit yeah

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i mean it's a double-edged sword there's

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a lot of good stuff going on in our

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region and you know for the last

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i guess uh 20 years i guess at 2000 i

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was still working at liske as well too

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but i was at the national level and even

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though i lived in richmond i was gone

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all the time so i missed a decade

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and when i changed jobs eight years ago

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and joined better housing coalition

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it was a new richmond new richmond i

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mean just all sorts of new people here

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new investments very vibrant

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and i was super excited to be a part uh

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to integrate myself back into civic

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leadership

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but then some of the things that have

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always been

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a weakness of our community still

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existed so the generational poverty

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the lack of

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full opportunity access

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those things unfortunately haven't

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changed

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and as we're going through this real

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estate boom

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right now and uh we talked about

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gentrification back in the early 90s but

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it really wasn't happening it's

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happening now

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and so it's as a community we have to

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lift up our values on what's really

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important

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because we can

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steamroll our head and be like austin

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and portland and seattle and san

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francisco

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and we're going to blink and we're going

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to be all white all middle and upper

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income and the heritage and the the

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essence of who we are as a community

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will be lost because we would have

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pushed out

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being an inclusive community and people

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won't be able to afford to live here and

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what a loss that will be if that happens

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but it has to be

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in intentional value lifting values

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lifting that is going to prevent that

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from happening and to ensure that we can

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be welcoming for everyone

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lovely we're going to hold that thought

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because that's some good stuff that you

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threw out there laura what are the

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things that you've seen change um over

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your time in richmond and particularly

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your time working in housing and

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community development

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well we're profoundly more uh ethnically

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diverse particularly in the suburbs

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i mean when i was growing up there was

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very

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diversity i mean people were black or

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white i remember a kid ran for student

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body president his name was goldberg and

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we had no idea he was

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how sheltered and kind of

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myopic um

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you know we were

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but if you suburbs today we are

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profoundly more diverse and i think we

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are

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more welcoming but we can do better i

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also believe that i grew up in a

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top-down

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town

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you know there was a small group of

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white men who ran the show

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and while they may have provided

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um people of color with token political

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power

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like a a mayor who had really very

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little power back in the day

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um

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that i think has changed i for

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you know you i don't think top down

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works in this town i think there's some

287
00:10:58,240 --> 00:10:59,360
reason

288
00:10:59,360 --> 00:11:00,720
of

289
00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:01,839
don't

290
00:11:01,839 --> 00:11:04,480
engage the community and if you don't

291
00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:07,920
listen to a variety of places you're not

292
00:11:07,920 --> 00:11:09,920
going to get sufficient buy-in to move

293
00:11:09,920 --> 00:11:13,040
public policy so i think that's a bit of

294
00:11:13,040 --> 00:11:14,480
a sea change

295
00:11:14,480 --> 00:11:15,360
i think

296
00:11:15,360 --> 00:11:17,440
sometimes greta and i are on the

297
00:11:17,440 --> 00:11:20,399
receiving end of community engagement

298
00:11:20,399 --> 00:11:22,880
they're not here like nimby's like not

299
00:11:22,880 --> 00:11:24,399
in my backyard

300
00:11:24,399 --> 00:11:25,200
but

301
00:11:25,200 --> 00:11:27,519
generally

302
00:11:27,519 --> 00:11:31,040
i we are a more small d

303
00:11:31,040 --> 00:11:33,600
democratic community

304
00:11:33,600 --> 00:11:35,440
more inclusive

305
00:11:35,440 --> 00:11:38,240
uh there are more people at

306
00:11:38,240 --> 00:11:39,600
the table

307
00:11:39,600 --> 00:11:41,920
we're not satisfied with i think

308
00:11:41,920 --> 00:11:44,720
tokenism

309
00:11:44,959 --> 00:11:45,920
or

310
00:11:45,920 --> 00:11:46,720
so

311
00:11:46,720 --> 00:11:49,839
all of that is

312
00:11:49,839 --> 00:11:52,480
where you go

313
00:11:54,560 --> 00:11:56,560
all right thank you um so we're gonna

314
00:11:56,560 --> 00:11:58,959
jump in and you all begin to hit on this

315
00:11:58,959 --> 00:12:00,800
but uh thank you for kind of reflecting

316
00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:03,360
on what you've seen and in the changes

317
00:12:03,360 --> 00:12:05,040
richmond has certainly changed a lot

318
00:12:05,040 --> 00:12:07,760
i've been here for seven years

319
00:12:07,760 --> 00:12:09,360
and it seems almost like a different

320
00:12:09,360 --> 00:12:11,440
place than it was seven years ago and

321
00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:13,120
lived in virginia for

322
00:12:13,120 --> 00:12:14,880
18 so i lived in charlottesville and was

323
00:12:14,880 --> 00:12:16,880
coming here and it feels completely

324
00:12:16,880 --> 00:12:19,360
different than when i started to to come

325
00:12:19,360 --> 00:12:20,639
over here then

326
00:12:20,639 --> 00:12:22,639
but what did from your perspective what

327
00:12:22,639 --> 00:12:23,680
are the

328
00:12:23,680 --> 00:12:25,920
one or two of the biggest inequities

329
00:12:25,920 --> 00:12:28,639
that you are seeing in richmond

330
00:12:28,639 --> 00:12:30,399
particularly from your field of work but

331
00:12:30,399 --> 00:12:33,279
kind of in general

332
00:12:33,839 --> 00:12:36,480
well i think you can drive through

333
00:12:36,480 --> 00:12:38,639
metropolitan richmond

334
00:12:38,639 --> 00:12:39,440
and

335
00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:41,760
the it's startling

336
00:12:41,760 --> 00:12:43,200
or stark

337
00:12:43,200 --> 00:12:45,680
how some communities have tremendous

338
00:12:45,680 --> 00:12:46,800
investment

339
00:12:46,800 --> 00:12:48,639
in other communities

340
00:12:48,639 --> 00:12:51,440
have very little i mean whether it's

341
00:12:51,440 --> 00:12:52,800
infrastructure

342
00:12:52,800 --> 00:12:55,519
you know whether it's

343
00:12:55,519 --> 00:12:58,160
tree scape green spaces

344
00:12:58,160 --> 00:13:00,880
whether it's you know retail that folks

345
00:13:00,880 --> 00:13:02,720
need such as grocery stores or even

346
00:13:02,720 --> 00:13:04,800
think about broadband which has really

347
00:13:04,800 --> 00:13:06,160
come to light in the last year and a

348
00:13:06,160 --> 00:13:07,040
half

349
00:13:07,040 --> 00:13:08,959
and it's you just gotta drive through

350
00:13:08,959 --> 00:13:11,360
some neighborhoods and it's

351
00:13:11,360 --> 00:13:13,680
stark so that's one thing and the other

352
00:13:13,680 --> 00:13:15,360
thing of course because of the housing

353
00:13:15,360 --> 00:13:17,120
work that we care about

354
00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:19,760
the racial wealth gap is real

355
00:13:19,760 --> 00:13:22,240
and unfortunately it's grown not

356
00:13:22,240 --> 00:13:25,040
contracted and if you if you adjust for

357
00:13:25,040 --> 00:13:27,120
everything else it really comes down to

358
00:13:27,120 --> 00:13:29,279
do folks have an opportunity for home

359
00:13:29,279 --> 00:13:30,560
ownership

360
00:13:30,560 --> 00:13:33,040
at the right point in their lives

361
00:13:33,040 --> 00:13:36,880
and we've got to crack that nut

362
00:13:36,880 --> 00:13:38,240
absolutely

363
00:13:38,240 --> 00:13:40,240
yeah i think um

364
00:13:40,240 --> 00:13:41,760
my

365
00:13:41,760 --> 00:13:44,720
perception is more fundamental

366
00:13:44,720 --> 00:13:46,320
even though there are lots of good

367
00:13:46,320 --> 00:13:48,720
people um

368
00:13:48,720 --> 00:13:50,320
in our community

369
00:13:50,320 --> 00:13:52,720
lots and lots of good people

370
00:13:52,720 --> 00:13:53,920
i think

371
00:13:53,920 --> 00:13:56,320
people still

372
00:13:56,320 --> 00:13:57,920
value

373
00:13:57,920 --> 00:14:01,279
people who are different from them

374
00:14:01,279 --> 00:14:03,920
at a lesser level

375
00:14:03,920 --> 00:14:06,160
that has been the history of our country

376
00:14:06,160 --> 00:14:07,920
from the get-go

377
00:14:07,920 --> 00:14:09,760
that if you weren't

378
00:14:09,760 --> 00:14:11,040
european

379
00:14:11,040 --> 00:14:13,920
um you had less value from native

380
00:14:13,920 --> 00:14:17,600
americans to enslaved africans to

381
00:14:17,600 --> 00:14:20,000
asian workers and laborers that came

382
00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:22,160
here and currently

383
00:14:22,160 --> 00:14:23,519
you know our

384
00:14:23,519 --> 00:14:25,519
latino

385
00:14:25,519 --> 00:14:27,440
brothers and sisters who were trying to

386
00:14:27,440 --> 00:14:31,040
get here into this country and

387
00:14:31,040 --> 00:14:35,040
there is a misperception around um

388
00:14:35,040 --> 00:14:37,839
how great our country is i love being in

389
00:14:37,839 --> 00:14:41,680
this country i love america i do

390
00:14:41,680 --> 00:14:45,360
and i love the founding ideals that we

391
00:14:45,360 --> 00:14:48,560
were created upon but have yet to ever

392
00:14:48,560 --> 00:14:50,480
fully execute

393
00:14:50,480 --> 00:14:51,760
and

394
00:14:51,760 --> 00:14:54,160
even though we are very different than

395
00:14:54,160 --> 00:14:56,959
at our the time of our founding

396
00:14:56,959 --> 00:14:58,720
some of those

397
00:14:58,720 --> 00:15:03,279
deficits of valuing every human being

398
00:15:03,279 --> 00:15:06,399
still exists i believe and that is the

399
00:15:06,399 --> 00:15:08,240
basis by which

400
00:15:08,240 --> 00:15:10,639
there's a lack of investment

401
00:15:10,639 --> 00:15:12,720
in certain neighborhoods or the lack of

402
00:15:12,720 --> 00:15:15,040
opportunity access

403
00:15:15,040 --> 00:15:17,040
um and and i think the other piece is

404
00:15:17,040 --> 00:15:19,120
though even though we have good people

405
00:15:19,120 --> 00:15:22,720
we are still too myopic as a species and

406
00:15:22,720 --> 00:15:26,399
i'm worried about me and my family and i

407
00:15:26,399 --> 00:15:28,880
know other stuff is going on over there

408
00:15:28,880 --> 00:15:30,880
but i'm just focused on trying to make

409
00:15:30,880 --> 00:15:32,800
sure we're good

410
00:15:32,800 --> 00:15:35,759
and i think if everybody is willing to

411
00:15:35,759 --> 00:15:38,320
reach out and help

412
00:15:38,320 --> 00:15:40,560
only just one person

413
00:15:40,560 --> 00:15:43,920
that starts this catalytic effect of of

414
00:15:43,920 --> 00:15:45,759
making everybody's life a little bit

415
00:15:45,759 --> 00:15:49,120
better and we aren't there yet fully

416
00:15:49,120 --> 00:15:51,279
and i would just add that and i don't

417
00:15:51,279 --> 00:15:53,199
know how this happened but

418
00:15:53,199 --> 00:15:55,199
somewhere along the way

419
00:15:55,199 --> 00:15:58,480
i think particularly in our politics

420
00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:01,759
we've inculcated a culture of scarcity

421
00:16:01,759 --> 00:16:04,000
rather than abundance

422
00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:06,519
and of course politics i believe has

423
00:16:06,519 --> 00:16:08,560
exacerbated that

424
00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:11,120
and to greta's point about people

425
00:16:11,120 --> 00:16:14,320
focused on themselves and their family

426
00:16:14,320 --> 00:16:17,759
well if we would begin with the premise

427
00:16:17,759 --> 00:16:22,000
that we live in a country of abundance

428
00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:24,320
then maybe we could get past some of

429
00:16:24,320 --> 00:16:27,199
this fear or this kind of zero-sum game

430
00:16:27,199 --> 00:16:29,440
mentality in order for you to get yours

431
00:16:29,440 --> 00:16:31,600
i'm going to somehow be harmed because

432
00:16:31,600 --> 00:16:34,480
that is absolutely a false narrative and

433
00:16:34,480 --> 00:16:36,560
it's a false dichotomy

434
00:16:36,560 --> 00:16:39,759
and we have got to

435
00:16:39,759 --> 00:16:41,279
rail against

436
00:16:41,279 --> 00:16:43,759
those who want to take us down a path of

437
00:16:43,759 --> 00:16:47,600
scarcity when we live in abundance it's

438
00:16:47,600 --> 00:16:49,440
a question of how

439
00:16:49,440 --> 00:16:52,560
we uh enable people to participate in

440
00:16:52,560 --> 00:16:54,160
that abundance

441
00:16:54,160 --> 00:16:56,320
yeah i love that i just had uh finished

442
00:16:56,320 --> 00:16:58,000
reading the some of us have y'all heard

443
00:16:58,000 --> 00:17:01,360
of that book and it's just about kind of

444
00:17:01,360 --> 00:17:03,199
i guess dispelling this notion of the

445
00:17:03,199 --> 00:17:05,520
zero sum particularly as it relates to

446
00:17:05,520 --> 00:17:07,359
race and i think that's that's really

447
00:17:07,359 --> 00:17:09,760
kind of the underpinning of it all right

448
00:17:09,760 --> 00:17:10,799
and so if

449
00:17:10,799 --> 00:17:12,959
this groups does well that means that

450
00:17:12,959 --> 00:17:15,119
it's taking something away from me and

451
00:17:15,119 --> 00:17:15,919
right

452
00:17:15,919 --> 00:17:18,880
this fear baked into in one of the

453
00:17:18,880 --> 00:17:21,039
examples which i thought was just

454
00:17:21,039 --> 00:17:24,319
so crazy in the book it was like

455
00:17:24,319 --> 00:17:26,400
what ends up happening is because i

456
00:17:26,400 --> 00:17:28,079
don't want that group to prosper i'll

457
00:17:28,079 --> 00:17:31,200
actually go without and it it ends up

458
00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:33,919
hurting us all in in the long run right

459
00:17:33,919 --> 00:17:35,280
and so instead of

460
00:17:35,280 --> 00:17:37,200
integrating pools we're going to train

461
00:17:37,200 --> 00:17:39,760
them so nobody has the pools right

462
00:17:39,760 --> 00:17:41,840
yeah it's crazy it's the same thing like

463
00:17:41,840 --> 00:17:45,360
uh the book of what's wrong with kansas

464
00:17:45,360 --> 00:17:47,200
where people would vote against their

465
00:17:47,200 --> 00:17:49,120
own self-interest

466
00:17:49,120 --> 00:17:52,080
um but but i think this is driven around

467
00:17:52,080 --> 00:17:53,679
political control

468
00:17:53,679 --> 00:17:55,679
and so the narrative

469
00:17:55,679 --> 00:17:57,919
is being shaped

470
00:17:57,919 --> 00:18:00,559
in order to either get back in control

471
00:18:00,559 --> 00:18:03,360
or to preserve control of power

472
00:18:03,360 --> 00:18:05,520
it's really a power play

473
00:18:05,520 --> 00:18:07,840
and and honestly you know having

474
00:18:07,840 --> 00:18:10,000
traveled all around this country in some

475
00:18:10,000 --> 00:18:13,840
of the poorest communities around

476
00:18:13,840 --> 00:18:15,760
and also had the opportunity to travel

477
00:18:15,760 --> 00:18:18,080
around the world

478
00:18:18,080 --> 00:18:21,280
we are more alike than we are different

479
00:18:21,280 --> 00:18:24,000
and you know from a genetics perspective

480
00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:25,600
we're 99

481
00:18:25,600 --> 00:18:26,720
alike

482
00:18:26,720 --> 00:18:28,400
um as a species

483
00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:30,160
and it's only the one percent that

484
00:18:30,160 --> 00:18:32,640
changes the melatonin uh you know color

485
00:18:32,640 --> 00:18:35,280
of our skin the texture of our hair the

486
00:18:35,280 --> 00:18:37,120
color of our eyes the shape of our nose

487
00:18:37,120 --> 00:18:38,160
and lips

488
00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:40,960
and we tend as a country or as a species

489
00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:43,440
to focus on the one percent

490
00:18:43,440 --> 00:18:45,360
rather than the 99

491
00:18:45,360 --> 00:18:47,200
that's our starting point

492
00:18:47,200 --> 00:18:49,360
we we all want our families to be safe

493
00:18:49,360 --> 00:18:50,960
we all want to

494
00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:53,440
maybe have um opportunities to

495
00:18:53,440 --> 00:18:55,200
contribute to making the world a little

496
00:18:55,200 --> 00:18:58,720
bit better um we all want to be loved

497
00:18:58,720 --> 00:19:01,200
and and so those are universal

498
00:19:01,200 --> 00:19:03,200
traits that we share

499
00:19:03,200 --> 00:19:06,559
and if we focused on that you know we

500
00:19:06,559 --> 00:19:08,799
we could do so much better we could do

501
00:19:08,799 --> 00:19:10,880
so much better than looking at the the

502
00:19:10,880 --> 00:19:13,679
small amount of differences that we have

503
00:19:13,679 --> 00:19:15,600
yeah so let's transition a bit and talk

504
00:19:15,600 --> 00:19:16,480
about

505
00:19:16,480 --> 00:19:18,480
this kind of this idea which i think is

506
00:19:18,480 --> 00:19:20,799
a beautiful vision that you've set out

507
00:19:20,799 --> 00:19:23,440
greta and in one sentence baby two you

508
00:19:23,440 --> 00:19:25,039
don't have to fit it all in there if you

509
00:19:25,039 --> 00:19:28,240
were to say my vision for racial equity

510
00:19:28,240 --> 00:19:30,720
in richmond is x

511
00:19:30,720 --> 00:19:33,440
what would you say

512
00:19:34,080 --> 00:19:35,360
i mean

513
00:19:35,360 --> 00:19:37,360
at its most fundamental point i just

514
00:19:37,360 --> 00:19:39,679
want everybody to think that

515
00:19:39,679 --> 00:19:42,160
they have a level playing field in front

516
00:19:42,160 --> 00:19:45,360
of them and their their present

517
00:19:45,360 --> 00:19:47,600
doesn't dictate their future and they

518
00:19:47,600 --> 00:19:49,200
believe

519
00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:51,760
that the the future is right that that's

520
00:19:51,760 --> 00:19:54,080
what i would wish for everyone and i

521
00:19:54,080 --> 00:19:55,760
think there are way too many of our

522
00:19:55,760 --> 00:19:56,880
neighbors

523
00:19:56,880 --> 00:19:58,960
that don't feel that at all

524
00:19:58,960 --> 00:20:03,280
um and i i think if you believe it

525
00:20:03,280 --> 00:20:07,039
um that gives you fuel for your faith

526
00:20:07,039 --> 00:20:09,280
walk that we all have to do to step out

527
00:20:09,280 --> 00:20:11,120
on faith sometimes

528
00:20:11,120 --> 00:20:13,039
and and believe that the future can be

529
00:20:13,039 --> 00:20:15,600
brighter than the present

530
00:20:15,600 --> 00:20:17,440
got you so this fundamental is going to

531
00:20:17,440 --> 00:20:20,159
shift in belief that it's possible laura

532
00:20:20,159 --> 00:20:21,200
what do you think

533
00:20:21,200 --> 00:20:22,960
yeah i would say something very similar

534
00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:25,679
i tend to say that the circumstances of

535
00:20:25,679 --> 00:20:28,000
one's burst should not set irrevocably

536
00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:30,720
the trajectory of one's life and it is

537
00:20:30,720 --> 00:20:33,840
this notion that there's opportunity and

538
00:20:33,840 --> 00:20:35,280
that but that's

539
00:20:35,280 --> 00:20:36,640
again we have to go we have to create

540
00:20:36,640 --> 00:20:38,799
that environment and we can't just

541
00:20:38,799 --> 00:20:40,559
blithely say everyone should have

542
00:20:40,559 --> 00:20:43,039
opportunity i've never run into anyone

543
00:20:43,039 --> 00:20:45,120
who doesn't if you say shouldn't a child

544
00:20:45,120 --> 00:20:47,520
have an opportunity to sit for success

545
00:20:47,520 --> 00:20:50,400
or doesn't everyone have a right to

546
00:20:50,400 --> 00:20:52,240
a choice in their life about where they

547
00:20:52,240 --> 00:20:53,919
live and what they do for a living etc

548
00:20:53,919 --> 00:20:56,559
etc you you're going to get agreement

549
00:20:56,559 --> 00:20:58,240
but then we have to get down to the nuts

550
00:20:58,240 --> 00:21:00,159
and bolts of well how do we create safe

551
00:21:00,159 --> 00:21:02,480
streets and affordable sustainable

552
00:21:02,480 --> 00:21:04,880
housing and why do we have vast

553
00:21:04,880 --> 00:21:06,880
inequities in our public education

554
00:21:06,880 --> 00:21:09,440
system i mean that is

555
00:21:09,440 --> 00:21:10,320
i mean

556
00:21:10,320 --> 00:21:12,640
if we don't figure that out then we are

557
00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:15,120
just cheating generations of children

558
00:21:15,120 --> 00:21:17,440
and then how do we create pathways to

559
00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:19,840
good wages and then you know

560
00:21:19,840 --> 00:21:21,760
where i live should not dictate whether

561
00:21:21,760 --> 00:21:23,679
i can get healthy food or access to

562
00:21:23,679 --> 00:21:24,880
health care

563
00:21:24,880 --> 00:21:27,440
um so it's it's really creating those

564
00:21:27,440 --> 00:21:28,400
kind of

565
00:21:28,400 --> 00:21:31,280
building those fundamental blocks so

566
00:21:31,280 --> 00:21:33,840
people do have an opportunity and we're

567
00:21:33,840 --> 00:21:35,039
just not

568
00:21:35,039 --> 00:21:37,360
you know lip syncing on that we're

569
00:21:37,360 --> 00:21:40,880
actually trying to get the work done and

570
00:21:40,880 --> 00:21:41,919
um

571
00:21:41,919 --> 00:21:43,600
and it's hard work and greta and i have

572
00:21:43,600 --> 00:21:46,320
talked a lot about this it's hard work

573
00:21:46,320 --> 00:21:49,360
it requires an attention span that

574
00:21:49,360 --> 00:21:52,240
lots of folks don't have a long game

575
00:21:52,240 --> 00:21:54,720
yeah the long game and

576
00:21:54,720 --> 00:21:58,240
it requires you know a commitment of

577
00:21:58,240 --> 00:22:01,919
profound resources but resources that we

578
00:22:01,919 --> 00:22:05,360
have yeah we have the will to bring them

579
00:22:05,360 --> 00:22:07,840
yeah and i mean and and you know having

580
00:22:07,840 --> 00:22:09,760
worked around the country there are

581
00:22:09,760 --> 00:22:12,640
places without resources

582
00:22:12,640 --> 00:22:14,159
we are not that

583
00:22:14,159 --> 00:22:16,080
we have resources it's really the

584
00:22:16,080 --> 00:22:18,559
political will to do things

585
00:22:18,559 --> 00:22:21,360
and to and and also i would say we need

586
00:22:21,360 --> 00:22:23,679
to lift up our values and that sounds

587
00:22:23,679 --> 00:22:25,600
hokey but let me just give you a quick

588
00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:26,880
example

589
00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:29,360
talking to a corporation

590
00:22:29,360 --> 00:22:30,320
they

591
00:22:30,320 --> 00:22:33,039
have lots of different land holdings and

592
00:22:33,039 --> 00:22:35,280
they sent me i've been banging on them

593
00:22:35,280 --> 00:22:37,520
for a while trying to get land that's

594
00:22:37,520 --> 00:22:39,919
what i need to develop housing and they

595
00:22:39,919 --> 00:22:41,679
sent me a parcel that would they may

596
00:22:41,679 --> 00:22:45,039
donate to us 20 acres which sounds great

597
00:22:45,039 --> 00:22:47,919
right beside a landfill

598
00:22:47,919 --> 00:22:50,320
for affordable housing

599
00:22:50,320 --> 00:22:53,200
um so

600
00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:55,679
we're we aren't going to take that um

601
00:22:55,679 --> 00:22:58,240
but but i mean that's what people think

602
00:22:58,240 --> 00:23:00,080
that that's good enough

603
00:23:00,080 --> 00:23:01,919
that's good good enough

604
00:23:01,919 --> 00:23:02,880
for

605
00:23:02,880 --> 00:23:06,159
modest income households and it's not um

606
00:23:06,159 --> 00:23:07,520
laura and i worked on another

607
00:23:07,520 --> 00:23:09,520
development together

608
00:23:09,520 --> 00:23:11,679
in a great location

609
00:23:11,679 --> 00:23:16,480
and the pushback that we had to um

610
00:23:16,480 --> 00:23:17,840
experience

611
00:23:17,840 --> 00:23:20,880
with comments like we don't want

612
00:23:20,880 --> 00:23:23,520
public housing in our neighborhood

613
00:23:23,520 --> 00:23:25,120
you're going to bring down our property

614
00:23:25,120 --> 00:23:27,200
values you're going to bring drug

615
00:23:27,200 --> 00:23:30,000
dealers and prostitutes to our community

616
00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:32,720
our children are going to be at risk

617
00:23:32,720 --> 00:23:35,039
this was a senior affordable housing

618
00:23:35,039 --> 00:23:37,280
development that we were doing

619
00:23:37,280 --> 00:23:39,600
almost 40 million dollars

620
00:23:39,600 --> 00:23:42,000
almost 40 million dollar development

621
00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:43,600
that got startled

622
00:23:43,600 --> 00:23:46,799
because of those attitudes and so

623
00:23:46,799 --> 00:23:49,440
that's why the values are so important

624
00:23:49,440 --> 00:23:51,120
when things are going well and

625
00:23:51,120 --> 00:23:53,440
everything is smooth sailing

626
00:23:53,440 --> 00:23:56,080
values are important to have but not as

627
00:23:56,080 --> 00:23:58,640
important as when things are tough

628
00:23:58,640 --> 00:24:00,880
and when you're having conversations

629
00:24:00,880 --> 00:24:01,840
like

630
00:24:01,840 --> 00:24:04,480
can someone who looks differently than

631
00:24:04,480 --> 00:24:06,559
you be your neighbor

632
00:24:06,559 --> 00:24:08,240
then that's when we have to leave with

633
00:24:08,240 --> 00:24:10,240
our values and i think we're sort of

634
00:24:10,240 --> 00:24:12,799
falling short on that i know we can do

635
00:24:12,799 --> 00:24:14,159
better

636
00:24:14,159 --> 00:24:15,440
i love what y'all saying because i'm

637
00:24:15,440 --> 00:24:17,200
piecing this together like

638
00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:19,039
not only the intern so there's the

639
00:24:19,039 --> 00:24:20,960
internal belief that opera

640
00:24:20,960 --> 00:24:23,120
that i can have a good life or a better

641
00:24:23,120 --> 00:24:24,960
life right and and what you were saying

642
00:24:24,960 --> 00:24:26,480
laura was

643
00:24:26,480 --> 00:24:28,080
internal belief is good but we have to

644
00:24:28,080 --> 00:24:30,000
have opportunities and to remove the

645
00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:31,840
barriers to that for for those two

646
00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:33,840
things to come together right so you can

647
00:24:33,840 --> 00:24:35,520
have internal belief but the world is

648
00:24:35,520 --> 00:24:37,039
blocking you so we need to have those

649
00:24:37,039 --> 00:24:38,799
two things and then when i hear you

650
00:24:38,799 --> 00:24:39,840
saying that

651
00:24:39,840 --> 00:24:41,760
the outside community also needs to

652
00:24:41,760 --> 00:24:43,760
value those things right that those

653
00:24:43,760 --> 00:24:46,240
three things you know can come together

654
00:24:46,240 --> 00:24:47,600
because if you

655
00:24:47,600 --> 00:24:49,279
you know you have the internal belief

656
00:24:49,279 --> 00:24:51,520
and then we've removed opportunities but

657
00:24:51,520 --> 00:24:54,320
then the larger community has created

658
00:24:54,320 --> 00:24:56,559
this this other obstacle you still kind

659
00:24:56,559 --> 00:24:58,080
of can't get things things done

660
00:24:58,080 --> 00:25:01,440
particularly as it relates to these

661
00:25:01,440 --> 00:25:03,679
kind of larger either larger housing

662
00:25:03,679 --> 00:25:05,679
developments or public policies that

663
00:25:05,679 --> 00:25:07,360
really would that are for the the

664
00:25:07,360 --> 00:25:09,279
broader public good that

665
00:25:09,279 --> 00:25:11,440
particular people are perceiving would

666
00:25:11,440 --> 00:25:14,000
detract from their life livelihood and

667
00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:16,960
reality that benefits others yeah

668
00:25:16,960 --> 00:25:17,760
i mean

669
00:25:17,760 --> 00:25:19,840
after going through a global pandemic

670
00:25:19,840 --> 00:25:21,600
and an economic

671
00:25:21,600 --> 00:25:24,320
shutdown and then racial

672
00:25:24,320 --> 00:25:26,840
protest and political

673
00:25:26,840 --> 00:25:28,640
shenanigans

674
00:25:28,640 --> 00:25:31,440
i think there's more awareness today

675
00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:34,400
than ever before um about the need for

676
00:25:34,400 --> 00:25:36,760
safe shelter for everyone across the

677
00:25:36,760 --> 00:25:39,200
socioeconomic spectrum

678
00:25:39,200 --> 00:25:42,000
and and and more and more people across

679
00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:44,080
different sectors are saying yes i'm

680
00:25:44,080 --> 00:25:47,200
supportive of affordable housing

681
00:25:47,200 --> 00:25:49,840
until it comes into my neighborhood and

682
00:25:49,840 --> 00:25:54,159
then i lose my mind i lose my mind um

683
00:25:54,159 --> 00:25:55,600
and i think

684
00:25:55,600 --> 00:25:57,120
and laura and i've talked about this

685
00:25:57,120 --> 00:25:59,200
over and over again i we try to give

686
00:25:59,200 --> 00:26:00,720
people the benefit of the doubt that

687
00:26:00,720 --> 00:26:02,000
it's fear

688
00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:02,960
you know

689
00:26:02,960 --> 00:26:05,360
it's it's ignorance and fear

690
00:26:05,360 --> 00:26:06,960
you know you don't know what you don't

691
00:26:06,960 --> 00:26:10,080
know and you fear what you aren't

692
00:26:10,080 --> 00:26:12,080
familiar with

693
00:26:12,080 --> 00:26:13,120
but then

694
00:26:13,120 --> 00:26:15,440
honestly given the subject matter of

695
00:26:15,440 --> 00:26:17,279
this podcast

696
00:26:17,279 --> 00:26:20,080
it's really about race too and and

697
00:26:20,080 --> 00:26:23,039
everything in this country is about race

698
00:26:23,039 --> 00:26:26,000
um and and we have to be willing to talk

699
00:26:26,000 --> 00:26:29,600
about it candidly and honestly

700
00:26:29,600 --> 00:26:33,120
um that and and i think race drives fear

701
00:26:33,120 --> 00:26:36,080
um because we still even though we have

702
00:26:36,080 --> 00:26:39,360
an integrated society a lot of

703
00:26:39,360 --> 00:26:41,919
aspects of our living are still

704
00:26:41,919 --> 00:26:44,880
segregated and so our social circles of

705
00:26:44,880 --> 00:26:45,919
friends

706
00:26:45,919 --> 00:26:49,039
and associates look more like us for

707
00:26:49,039 --> 00:26:51,600
most people or for many people rather

708
00:26:51,600 --> 00:26:54,080
than you know i have a smorgasbord of

709
00:26:54,080 --> 00:26:55,440
friends

710
00:26:55,440 --> 00:26:57,440
some of them are a little wacky

711
00:26:57,440 --> 00:26:59,520
i'm looking at one right now

712
00:26:59,520 --> 00:27:00,400
but

713
00:27:00,400 --> 00:27:02,799
excluded

714
00:27:02,799 --> 00:27:05,919
but we i love that um it's just like if

715
00:27:05,919 --> 00:27:08,320
you looked at my playlist on my iphone

716
00:27:08,320 --> 00:27:11,679
it's very eclectic so are my friends

717
00:27:11,679 --> 00:27:14,080
and and we don't always agree and that's

718
00:27:14,080 --> 00:27:16,240
a good thing um and but we are

719
00:27:16,240 --> 00:27:17,520
respectful

720
00:27:17,520 --> 00:27:18,960
we are civil

721
00:27:18,960 --> 00:27:21,760
and we love each other and we love this

722
00:27:21,760 --> 00:27:23,919
community and we work really hard to try

723
00:27:23,919 --> 00:27:26,799
to make this community better for all

724
00:27:26,799 --> 00:27:28,399
you know that's what i i was thinking

725
00:27:28,399 --> 00:27:29,760
about is

726
00:27:29,760 --> 00:27:31,679
if we could all

727
00:27:31,679 --> 00:27:33,760
just think about how can we be better

728
00:27:33,760 --> 00:27:35,039
neighbors

729
00:27:35,039 --> 00:27:36,720
but also

730
00:27:36,720 --> 00:27:38,240
how do you

731
00:27:38,240 --> 00:27:41,200
like grab and maintain the joy that

732
00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:45,039
greta was just expressing the joy of the

733
00:27:45,039 --> 00:27:47,039
fact that we're different

734
00:27:47,039 --> 00:27:50,960
and that we can be curious and energized

735
00:27:50,960 --> 00:27:54,399
and and find and not bring pleasure in

736
00:27:54,399 --> 00:27:56,000
that uh

737
00:27:56,000 --> 00:27:58,720
that diversity and uh

738
00:27:58,720 --> 00:28:00,480
you know you can't that's not a public

739
00:28:00,480 --> 00:28:02,799
policy and it's not it's something you

740
00:28:02,799 --> 00:28:05,039
can dictate

741
00:28:05,039 --> 00:28:05,919
but

742
00:28:05,919 --> 00:28:08,640
i i think we're raising generations who

743
00:28:08,640 --> 00:28:11,840
are better at that than us i hope right

744
00:28:11,840 --> 00:28:13,360
yeah

745
00:28:13,360 --> 00:28:16,480
so that's what our generation is is is i

746
00:28:16,480 --> 00:28:18,640
think much more open to that

747
00:28:18,640 --> 00:28:20,240
yeah and i think it's

748
00:28:20,240 --> 00:28:21,760
it's uh

749
00:28:21,760 --> 00:28:24,080
what i appreciate about this particular

750
00:28:24,080 --> 00:28:26,880
generation is not only are they open but

751
00:28:26,880 --> 00:28:28,880
i think they're more informed right

752
00:28:28,880 --> 00:28:31,440
about the reality of race and racism and

753
00:28:31,440 --> 00:28:33,120
kind of all the isms and i think that's

754
00:28:33,120 --> 00:28:35,520
a great combination because i think that

755
00:28:35,520 --> 00:28:38,880
my generation and before probably after

756
00:28:38,880 --> 00:28:41,200
the 70s to kind of

757
00:28:41,200 --> 00:28:42,320
maybe

758
00:28:42,320 --> 00:28:44,960
90s early 2000s we thought we were doing

759
00:28:44,960 --> 00:28:46,480
so good that we kind of lost sight of

760
00:28:46,480 --> 00:28:48,720
the reality what was happening and kind

761
00:28:48,720 --> 00:28:50,080
of what i appreciate about this

762
00:28:50,080 --> 00:28:51,360
generation like when i'm talking to my

763
00:28:51,360 --> 00:28:53,360
niece she just graduated high school

764
00:28:53,360 --> 00:28:55,600
not only did she have this openness

765
00:28:55,600 --> 00:28:58,000
inclusiveness but she also understands

766
00:28:58,000 --> 00:28:59,520
the reality of what we're what we're

767
00:28:59,520 --> 00:29:01,520
dealing with and upper against so it's

768
00:29:01,520 --> 00:29:03,600
not this pollyanna issue like we've come

769
00:29:03,600 --> 00:29:05,279
a long way we have a long way to go and

770
00:29:05,279 --> 00:29:08,000
lots of folks need to be included uh so

771
00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:10,080
we're coming up on the our half hour

772
00:29:10,080 --> 00:29:11,840
mark but when i you all the last

773
00:29:11,840 --> 00:29:13,600
question so

774
00:29:13,600 --> 00:29:15,039
you all work in

775
00:29:15,039 --> 00:29:16,880
housing and community development have

776
00:29:16,880 --> 00:29:18,720
for a while if you were to say one or

777
00:29:18,720 --> 00:29:20,559
two things right what are what are one

778
00:29:20,559 --> 00:29:24,000
or two strategies as a region

779
00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:26,559
we can employ to create greater racial

780
00:29:26,559 --> 00:29:28,799
equity right so one or two things that

781
00:29:28,799 --> 00:29:29,919
would really

782
00:29:29,919 --> 00:29:32,640
help in a practical way us move towards

783
00:29:32,640 --> 00:29:35,760
the vision that you also eloquently um

784
00:29:35,760 --> 00:29:37,600
outline particularly as it relates to

785
00:29:37,600 --> 00:29:39,120
housing but you could comment on

786
00:29:39,120 --> 00:29:41,279
anything

787
00:29:41,279 --> 00:29:43,840
well on the housing front inclusionary

788
00:29:43,840 --> 00:29:45,679
zoning is key

789
00:29:45,679 --> 00:29:48,799
we have spent the last i'd say decade

790
00:29:48,799 --> 00:29:51,520
trying to incentivize developers

791
00:29:51,520 --> 00:29:54,880
but we need a state law that mandates

792
00:29:54,880 --> 00:29:56,320
whether you're doing commercial

793
00:29:56,320 --> 00:29:59,039
residential whatever kind of development

794
00:29:59,039 --> 00:30:00,240
you're either

795
00:30:00,240 --> 00:30:02,000
as part of your project you're going to

796
00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:03,919
have some of your units here marked as

797
00:30:03,919 --> 00:30:05,440
affordable

798
00:30:05,440 --> 00:30:07,039
or you're going to put money into the

799
00:30:07,039 --> 00:30:09,200
affordable housing kitty to help those

800
00:30:09,200 --> 00:30:11,120
of us who are doing affordable housing

801
00:30:11,120 --> 00:30:14,480
and over time as has been

802
00:30:14,480 --> 00:30:17,360
exhibited in various places across the

803
00:30:17,360 --> 00:30:20,240
country what you do is you give more

804
00:30:20,240 --> 00:30:23,200
people of modest means more choice as to

805
00:30:23,200 --> 00:30:24,960
where and how they live

806
00:30:24,960 --> 00:30:26,960
everywhere not just one not just the

807
00:30:26,960 --> 00:30:29,120
city of richmond doing this it needs to

808
00:30:29,120 --> 00:30:32,240
be across the state as a mandate

809
00:30:32,240 --> 00:30:34,640
and it will be a battle to try to get

810
00:30:34,640 --> 00:30:38,559
that done but i believe that that over

811
00:30:38,559 --> 00:30:41,440
the next few decades will

812
00:30:41,440 --> 00:30:43,520
really change the landscape of

813
00:30:43,520 --> 00:30:46,720
opportunity access

814
00:30:47,440 --> 00:30:50,000
um i i couple things one i would say

815
00:30:50,000 --> 00:30:51,919
that we really need to

816
00:30:51,919 --> 00:30:53,679
look at our investments whether it's

817
00:30:53,679 --> 00:30:56,159
housing or a public education system or

818
00:30:56,159 --> 00:30:57,760
our transit system

819
00:30:57,760 --> 00:31:00,640
as investments and not sticks and bricks

820
00:31:00,640 --> 00:31:02,960
but really investments in people

821
00:31:02,960 --> 00:31:04,880
i mean that's our most precious resource

822
00:31:04,880 --> 00:31:07,039
and we if we're not going to invest in

823
00:31:07,039 --> 00:31:08,159
people

824
00:31:08,159 --> 00:31:09,519
well we're are going to spend money on

825
00:31:09,519 --> 00:31:11,679
people we're either going to

826
00:31:11,679 --> 00:31:13,840
create opportunities for them to enrich

827
00:31:13,840 --> 00:31:15,360
their lives

828
00:31:15,360 --> 00:31:16,960
and i don't mean get rich i mean enrich

829
00:31:16,960 --> 00:31:19,360
their lives or we're going to spend an

830
00:31:19,360 --> 00:31:20,559
awful lot of money with all the

831
00:31:20,559 --> 00:31:22,960
interventions that come when people live

832
00:31:22,960 --> 00:31:25,279
lives without hope right

833
00:31:25,279 --> 00:31:27,200
um and then the other thing i would say

834
00:31:27,200 --> 00:31:28,399
is that we

835
00:31:28,399 --> 00:31:30,960
we talk about equitable policy

836
00:31:30,960 --> 00:31:32,399
development the mayor even has the

837
00:31:32,399 --> 00:31:34,399
equitable housing plan

838
00:31:34,399 --> 00:31:36,559
i think we need to take every public

839
00:31:36,559 --> 00:31:38,480
policy and view it through the lens of

840
00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:41,279
equity and measure and so when we have

841
00:31:41,279 --> 00:31:43,200
policies that have unintentional

842
00:31:43,200 --> 00:31:44,840
consequences like

843
00:31:44,840 --> 00:31:48,159
gentrification or we have policies that

844
00:31:48,159 --> 00:31:50,000
aren't moving the needle

845
00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:52,880
we need to stop we need to name it with

846
00:31:52,880 --> 00:31:54,559
great specificity

847
00:31:54,559 --> 00:31:55,919
and then we need to make course

848
00:31:55,919 --> 00:31:57,120
corrections

849
00:31:57,120 --> 00:31:59,039
and i mean gentrification is a great

850
00:31:59,039 --> 00:32:02,000
opportunity we have seen this before

851
00:32:02,000 --> 00:32:04,640
time and again and if we continue to go

852
00:32:04,640 --> 00:32:06,480
into neighborhoods

853
00:32:06,480 --> 00:32:08,640
and

854
00:32:09,279 --> 00:32:11,440
ignite gentrification

855
00:32:11,440 --> 00:32:13,760
without policies that mitigate the

856
00:32:13,760 --> 00:32:16,399
harmful consequences well then shame on

857
00:32:16,399 --> 00:32:19,360
us so that's why i think so important

858
00:32:19,360 --> 00:32:21,679
not to say yes we're viewing things to

859
00:32:21,679 --> 00:32:23,519
the equity lens well let's measure

860
00:32:23,519 --> 00:32:26,080
through the equity lens and then let's

861
00:32:26,080 --> 00:32:28,559
course correct where we need to

862
00:32:28,559 --> 00:32:30,159
love it so

863
00:32:30,159 --> 00:32:32,880
go ahead sorry one one last thing is

864
00:32:32,880 --> 00:32:35,279
again going back to the timeline for

865
00:32:35,279 --> 00:32:36,880
this change

866
00:32:36,880 --> 00:32:39,360
so so the types of things we're talking

867
00:32:39,360 --> 00:32:42,799
about are not one cycle uh political

868
00:32:42,799 --> 00:32:43,919
terms

869
00:32:43,919 --> 00:32:45,720
and so somehow we've got to

870
00:32:45,720 --> 00:32:48,080
institutionalize whatever our priorities

871
00:32:48,080 --> 00:32:49,120
are

872
00:32:49,120 --> 00:32:51,840
so that um

873
00:32:51,840 --> 00:32:54,159
when new people come into office which

874
00:32:54,159 --> 00:32:57,120
is a good thing for our democracy

875
00:32:57,120 --> 00:32:59,760
the priorities don't change uh because

876
00:32:59,760 --> 00:33:02,000
this is generational what we're talking

877
00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:04,399
about and um and so we have to stick

878
00:33:04,399 --> 00:33:06,720
with it for the long haul

879
00:33:06,720 --> 00:33:08,240
yeah absolutely so i love that

880
00:33:08,240 --> 00:33:10,080
inclusionary zoning which we need for

881
00:33:10,080 --> 00:33:12,240
the whole state to kind of mitigate the

882
00:33:12,240 --> 00:33:15,120
impacts of redlining and segregation and

883
00:33:15,120 --> 00:33:16,799
the lack of affordable housing that we

884
00:33:16,799 --> 00:33:18,880
have not only in richmond but really

885
00:33:18,880 --> 00:33:20,720
across the state because we're

886
00:33:20,720 --> 00:33:22,480
dealing rural states so we need that

887
00:33:22,480 --> 00:33:24,480
legislation but a lot of the racial

888
00:33:24,480 --> 00:33:26,960
equity lends not only now but how do we

889
00:33:26,960 --> 00:33:29,679
institutionalize that so it's not a

890
00:33:29,679 --> 00:33:32,399
lavar stoney thing or whoever is next or

891
00:33:32,399 --> 00:33:33,760
some city council thing but it's

892
00:33:33,760 --> 00:33:35,440
something that this is what we do in

893
00:33:35,440 --> 00:33:37,919
richmond this is how we do it um and how

894
00:33:37,919 --> 00:33:39,840
we're going to do it in perpetuity

895
00:33:39,840 --> 00:33:42,480
correct well any other last thoughts or

896
00:33:42,480 --> 00:33:44,320
something that i didn't ask you that you

897
00:33:44,320 --> 00:33:45,679
want to say

898
00:33:45,679 --> 00:33:47,440
uh to our audience or just about the

899
00:33:47,440 --> 00:33:48,799
conversation that we've been been

900
00:33:48,799 --> 00:33:50,840
talking about for the past couple

901
00:33:50,840 --> 00:33:54,399
minutes despite us you know

902
00:33:54,399 --> 00:33:57,440
having some pretty sobering comments um

903
00:33:57,440 --> 00:34:00,559
i am hopeful about the future

904
00:34:00,559 --> 00:34:02,720
um having i think both of us worked in

905
00:34:02,720 --> 00:34:05,360
the nonprofit sector we have to be

906
00:34:05,360 --> 00:34:07,039
you know i have to see the glass half

907
00:34:07,039 --> 00:34:08,719
full and

908
00:34:08,719 --> 00:34:10,960
um i am

909
00:34:10,960 --> 00:34:13,280
shored up by the

910
00:34:13,280 --> 00:34:15,280
caliber of people that we have in our

911
00:34:15,280 --> 00:34:16,480
community

912
00:34:16,480 --> 00:34:19,359
we have hard work to do but i am

913
00:34:19,359 --> 00:34:22,239
optimistic that we can make

914
00:34:22,239 --> 00:34:24,800
measurable progress together

915
00:34:24,800 --> 00:34:25,918
lovely

916
00:34:25,918 --> 00:34:27,839
i'm hopeful as well i mean i think hope

917
00:34:27,839 --> 00:34:29,119
is a discipline

918
00:34:29,119 --> 00:34:30,560
just like you got to get out there and

919
00:34:30,560 --> 00:34:32,960
you got to exercise hope is you you got

920
00:34:32,960 --> 00:34:34,800
to build that muscle

921
00:34:34,800 --> 00:34:37,359
it's easy for hope to atrophy

922
00:34:37,359 --> 00:34:40,079
the the path of cynicism is a much

923
00:34:40,079 --> 00:34:42,079
easier path to take

924
00:34:42,079 --> 00:34:44,480
than to kind of have the long view of

925
00:34:44,480 --> 00:34:46,639
faith and this kind of daily energy of

926
00:34:46,639 --> 00:34:48,800
hope and it is

927
00:34:48,800 --> 00:34:51,119
great that we can surround ourselves and

928
00:34:51,119 --> 00:34:52,800
work alongside

929
00:34:52,800 --> 00:34:55,440
such talent and such commitment and such

930
00:34:55,440 --> 00:34:56,639
passion

931
00:34:56,639 --> 00:34:57,599
and so

932
00:34:57,599 --> 00:35:02,160
you know yes we can sound as if we are

933
00:35:02,160 --> 00:35:04,800
frustrated tired fatigued aggravated and

934
00:35:04,800 --> 00:35:07,040
we're all of those true today

935
00:35:07,040 --> 00:35:08,960
on the daily basis all the things

936
00:35:08,960 --> 00:35:11,440
but but hope you know but we're also

937
00:35:11,440 --> 00:35:12,400
hopeful

938
00:35:12,400 --> 00:35:14,640
and that's why you do the work

939
00:35:14,640 --> 00:35:16,880
yeah yeah these are big problems so you

940
00:35:16,880 --> 00:35:19,040
definitely need hope and rejuvenation

941
00:35:19,040 --> 00:35:20,400
and like i like you said is at this

942
00:35:20,400 --> 00:35:22,160
point something you have to work on

943
00:35:22,160 --> 00:35:23,920
being intentional about and rejuvenate

944
00:35:23,920 --> 00:35:25,839
because these are what do they call them

945
00:35:25,839 --> 00:35:27,599
um

946
00:35:27,599 --> 00:35:29,599
these are some real big problems right

947
00:35:29,599 --> 00:35:30,400
not only

948
00:35:30,400 --> 00:35:32,720
in richmond but in our nation so i just

949
00:35:32,720 --> 00:35:34,000
want to thank you for the work that you

950
00:35:34,000 --> 00:35:36,000
all are doing in your lives and housing

951
00:35:36,000 --> 00:35:37,599
and helping bringing that to the

952
00:35:37,599 --> 00:35:39,680
forefront of not only policy in our

953
00:35:39,680 --> 00:35:41,440
region but bricks and mortar in our

954
00:35:41,440 --> 00:35:43,119
region so we can have

955
00:35:43,119 --> 00:35:44,960
more affordable housing

956
00:35:44,960 --> 00:35:47,119
for folks in our community so thank you

957
00:35:47,119 --> 00:35:48,320
all thank you for your time thank you

958
00:35:48,320 --> 00:35:50,960
for your wisdom this has been the racial

959
00:35:50,960 --> 00:35:53,920
equity enrichment web series stay tuned

960
00:35:53,920 --> 00:35:56,079
viewers for more conversations with

961
00:35:56,079 --> 00:35:58,079
richmonders about the vision their

962
00:35:58,079 --> 00:36:00,480
vision for racial equity and how we get

963
00:36:00,480 --> 00:36:02,730
there thank you

964
00:36:02,730 --> 00:36:15,070
[Music]

965
00:36:16,480 --> 00:36:18,560
you