It's Where I Am with Zandra Polard

Kevin Krall 0:00
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Zandra Polard 0:41
I am I am Zondra Paul lard and I am so glad to have you all here. So today, we're going to be talking about quite a few things. But they're all going to surround women's rights, women's health and women's physical health. Okay. So I want to welcome you. Thank you for being here. Yeah. Thank you. So I want to introduce my first panel, which will be Senator Dina Neil, District Four here in Nevada. Next, I'd like to welcome Andrea go clean. She is an entrepreneur. She also has a podcast called boss lady. So you can check that out? And we also have Yvette Williams, who? Yes, thank you. Yvette Williams is the president of the Clark County Black Caucus. So thank you. I'm gonna jump right into it. I'd like to start with the senator, talk more about the importance of our reproductive freedom, what we're doing here in Nevada,

Unknown Speaker 1:58
so good morning, everyone. I'm Senator Dina Neill. Nevada is one of the few states that have actually protected women's reproductive rights. We move legislation in 2019. We also move legislation in 2021. And then, after the Roe v. Wade case, the governor then did an executive order to then further protect reproductive rights in the state of Nevada. That doesn't mean that we don't still need to move the needle around. Equity and reproductive rights, right. So just because we protected the right to go and make a choice about your body in Nevada, we still have an issue in regards to how we are treated equally within the healthcare space for African American women who need equity within the healthcare space around their bodies. So there was legislation moved around maternal health in 2019. It was Assemblywoman Murrow Moreno. And then in 2021, Assembly Woman, Claire Thomas, added some meat to the bone on reproductive rights and maternal health. And then there are certain policy moving to try to deal with weight bias and other biases that are happening within the space. Because typically, if you come in and let's, I would say, like what I've learned from my OBGYN is that women, African American women, for some reason, we have heavier bones, we have heavier weight that we carry. And so typically, when we go in, if it's a non person of color, they have a tendency to see the weight bias and other things that may be associated with our health and a pregnancy as the determining factor on why they will just judge the weight versus to seek and find the other issues that may be associated with the health concerns of this individual. I only know this to be true, because it's happened to me, it's happened to my daughter, where her weight then became a factor in a diagnosis rather than what was actually wrong with her. And we still need to move the needle in that space. And that's why I say that it's an equity position within health, reproductive rights, and it's a shared relationship between all women, not just women of color to lift up these issues and try to push the policy that creates inequity.

Zandra Polard 4:25
Thank you for that. And I'm so glad that you mentioned about the health and the weight and the differences because we will on our second panel have Dr. Brathwaite who is an OBGYN and she can talk further about that and we will also have a q&a at the end and so you guys will be able to add to ask some questions. Okay, so continuing on with reproductive freedoms, things that are going on in the state. I'd like to talk to my next guest. Yvette Williams, because I know that are some things that are set in place for middle schoolers and high schoolers, particularly high school children who are able to get involved civically? So can you tell us about what's going on in Nevada, and what you have put in place, so that there is more civic engagement.

Unknown Speaker 5:20
Thank you. And thank you for, for allowing us to have an opportunity to, to have participate in the conference today and to, to add our voice to the conversation. Thank you for that. And for all the advocacy that you've done over the years in the community, thank you for your service, and contribution. So there are a lot of things going in going on in the community and many organizations are engaged in our youth, there's a real excitement right now to better engage our youth, which I'm really excited to see, because that hasn't always been the case. And so I'm really excited about that I can't speak to what we're doing within the Clark County Black Caucus, in partnership with Clark County School District, we sponsor our Black Student Union network, we're in 28, high schools, we're now in five middle schools getting ready to go into our six Middle School. And what we're trying to do is build an alignment of feeder school. So a middle school that's going into a high school, we can create mentorship opportunities with that high school BSU with that middle school BSU. But what's important, one of the purposes of doing that is in our mission, is to help students figure out their voice, and the important life lesson. One of the best skill sets you can have, or one of the most important skill sets you can take into your life, adult life is to learn how to advocate for yourself. Because in life, that's what you're going to be doing. No one else is going to do it for you. And so it's important to understand how to advocate for yourself in the importance of relationships, and building those relationships as you advocate. And so through the Black Student Union network, we've had the opportunity to every legislative session, we visit the legislature, we get an opportunity visit folks like Senator O'Neill and get an opportunity for the students that actually sit and meet with them and have conversations with them. They're aware of what some of the policy bill drafts are that are before that impact about in education, justice, I call it education justice, which is all about equity, access, inclusion, and, and opportunities, access to those opportunities. And so they get an opportunity to actually engage one on one. And it's amazing to watch the kids when they come back, we do they have to fill out a report. And so and to get that get that report back into here, and to see the growth, just from that low little day at the legislature. The other thing we do is we work with the Nevada Department of Ed in doing a roundtable with our state superintendent and her entire cabinet. And they actually have an opportunity to get before them and talk about their concerns, what issues what are they? What impacts are they having? What experiences are they have in school? And what what and what do they need from the Nevada Department of Ed, to make sure that they have access to quality education as well. And so it's been really great, because we've seen a lot of great things happening in the past few sessions and, and such as the multicultural academic standards. We had a bill this last session, but that extended it from race. The original legislation pass was just for race and ethnicity. We, the legislature course added to that now and so now it's it's a lot of other pieces to that. But that's just an example. But in the student, the students had a real impact in that they actually got to participate in that. And so we're trying to engage them around that getting them to understand the process. First, what is the process? What role do you play in that process, making sure they understand you can register at age 17. You can't vote yet but you can register at 17. And it's your it's your responsibility to tell your friend and show them how to register on their phone. And so it's been really just great and the kids are loving it. They're feeling more empowered, they're feeling like they've got some ownership now. They feel like they've got you know, a role to play in and civic, in the civic responsibilities. So so thank you for allowing me the opportunity to showcase our students.

Zandra Polard 9:30
Thank you. And so I wanted to ask you what, how do you get someone Okay, say there's a family where the parents are not as engaged. How can you engage those students more?

Unknown Speaker 9:50
So there's a couple of ways right legislators always looked at as well. I wouldn't say too far in the state but you know, we're always removed from the family per Say until the voting process happens. But I know my my actions and some of my other legislative friends have spent a lot of time within the schools, when we get an opportunity to go in and speak to parents speak to students, we talk about advocacy, we talk about their role, because the way I see civic engagement in this process, my generation is the only generation that actually knows what happened in the past, right outside of our elders who are still around, we're still the middle generation who can express what happened in post slavery would happen in the 60s, what happened in the 40s, what happened in the 70s, because we grew up in it, and we're or we grew up with the oral story or tradition from our families. And so it's very important that my generation passes down that information to the generation that's beneath this. So the 20 year olds that 17 year olds, because they need to understand where civic engagement came from, where this fight around voter policy came from, because it is the reason on in why they exist in a non segregated school, is the reason why they're able to cross the street and get on a bus that is dedicated, not just for some black school before a school across the town, and why they have a choice. And so it's very important that we teach not only the impact of law, right, because law is the sentences that dictate your life, shape, policy, shape, social organizations shape the trajectory of where nonprofit is going to go, either in the absence of or for an agenda. And so that is not necessarily always made plain to students. But we have to make it plain to students, because they have a role in advocacy. They can form their own groups, they can move forward as their own advocates within the space. And we and I think it's important because sometimes they think, Well, my advocacy is only around my grades, it's only around what's going on the school district, but actually they can move policy and very different subject matters, if we actually give that them that umbrella. And we give them that opportunity to move. So and so I have those conversations with parents, and I try to have the conversations with students that if someone has told you or tried to kill your spirit, right, delete whatever that memory is, or whatever that statement was. Because you do have purpose, you do have a place within Las Vegas, in Nevada, or in globally just in this world. And I try to say that not only to them, but also to the parent themselves. Because what we know to be true is that sometimes parents raise children based on their own personal hurt their own personal division, their own personal space. And sometimes you have to be able to talk about advocacy, around the mental position, and your belief and your purpose and your passion. Because there could have been a parent whose passion was killed while they're killing their other their children's passion. And so sometimes it takes a third party to come in and refuel, re energize and say you are someone and you have a place in this space.

Zandra Polard 13:25
Alrighty, so now I would like to thank you. Thank you. I would like to talk about the safety of our children, right? How to keep our youth safe. So I have to turn to Nelson here to talk about slavery and human trafficking, as Las Vegas is at the top, or one of the top places for sex trafficking in particular shaitana what at what are the major hubs of sex trafficking? And but before you tell us that, can you please tell us or explain to us what slavery and human trafficking is?

Unknown Speaker 14:09
Absolutely. First, I want to say in order to combat anything that is slavery, or any type of oppression, it is a tree. So as we all sit here, from different branches of this tree, nothing can be resolved without the whole tree. And often we forget that right? You can't combat racism without talking about sexual reproduction and the rights with it. Right. So as we get into this, I wanted to give you guys that perspective. So when we're talking about slavery and human trafficking, we all have perceptions that are dangerous, because if you're not educated on the topic, you can't stop it. Right. So slavery and human trafficking is is something that you can be coerced it is it can be fraud, or it could be force So everybody thinks this, this is human trafficking, it happens with the kids, they snatch the kids or they snatch the teens, and they take them. But there are elderly people in their homes that don't get their social security checks or anything, because someone is there that is forcing them to clean and take care of their children. Right. There are men who come here from a different country who are being forced to work for absolutely nothing, because they don't want to be reported that slavery. When we talk about trafficking and slavery, they are the same thing. At this point, modern day it is the exact same thing. It's anyone that's been tricked. For instance, girls that come to school with nice bracelets, and they're 17. And they're dating a 20 year old, and they're pulling up in the bands and her life looks great. But the truth is, he's grooming her. So I want everyone today to get anything out of your head of what you think Slavery and Trafficking looks like. It looks many different ways in many different forms. So if I told you what it was, in the simplest form, it is someone that has been coerced, it is either fraudulent fraud, where they are being tricked, as well just like coercion, or in some cases, they are being forced, and they can be forced to have sex. In the city like Vegas, where prostitution is legal. It's very hard to find it. And I want to let you guys know, it is a $1.5 billion business. And we probably are getting this is by what we're getting reported. And we're probably getting 30% reported, because in order to catch human trafficking, or even understand what it is, someone's got to pick up the phone and call how many immigrants are not gonna call? How many girls are not going to call how many runaway teens are never going to call, right. So that's what it is. It is very broad. It's anything where people are being forced, used or tricked into working. Rather it is working at a store a lot of the corner stores that you see those workers in there, that's trafficking, or rather, it being six. The second thing she asked me are what are the hubs. And here's the worst part about it, we can guess. And it is the scariest thing you can ever think about guessing about. The reason you're guessing at it is because she talked about what our generation bring to the table. Well, these kids know how to do things on the internet that we will never figure out. And that is the number one place the black market is ver I'm talking about meta about 70% of your kids who get on there have been looked at for human trafficking. 70% Okay. So when we talk about the major hubs, this is what we named, we named Vegas, we named Miami Beach. We name Atlanta, we name Houston, we may in New York, we may places in California. Why? Because they're big cities, and they're also party cities. So you're getting some reports there. Nobody's talking about what's going on in Louisiana, or in Mississippi, where there are major hubs there. So the hubs are everywhere, everywhere. But our biggest cities is where we have our advocates, and our legend strikes legislators, I can't talk fighting for something rather it is just an OBGYN, who sits on a panel and knows when a young girl comes in and she can go report that. But in the smaller cities where healthcare isn't as good or the teachers aren't paid, or they don't even know there's an advocacy line. We do not know we just know we're looking at a $1.5 billion business about every six months.

Zandra Polard 18:54
Donna is very humble. She came on my show about a year ago. She does many different things. One of them is the finest hour and five is PR Yeah, she was gonna bring that up. She also helped with the Obamas My Brother's Keeper, and she is also working on a project with Michelle Obama. So she continues to work with the Obamas on projects. And so you are here I am

Unknown Speaker 19:30
a woman who empowers right so that has a lot of different hats. by trade. I am a strategist. That means a quantitative strategist. That means I gather all the data around anything that anyone calls me to do. But I got my footing as most people know from the finance our PR that has represented some of the biggest entertainers on the planet. From rock nation to Def Jam. am to 50 to. I've done projects with Drake within Zeo with Black Panther movies. And that is where most people know me, she said that I'm humbled. But the truth is the work that I do here means much more than anything that I do over there. It was actually being in the entertainment industry that made me go, oh, we have a problem, have a whole bunch of people uninformed, and a whole bunch of people disappearing. So what I do over there, the finest therapy I worked with a little bit everybody on the planet, internationally, and domestically. But what I do for trafficking is around really big events. So let's say, All Star Weekend or the super VO, get a team together of different people, rather, they're law enforcement or private investigators. And we go and extract people because Because big events is the biggest time where people and traffickers don't pay attention. And we save hundreds of 1000s of people. We also go back and provide resources to those people, for instance, most of those women who are being trafficked, and men have little children who've never had a new pair of shoes. So I work with Samaritans feet across the planet, and we give out close to a million pair of shoes, school supplies and backpacks per year. So what I do on the trafficking level is I seek as safe as the stay.

Zandra Polard 21:33
I would like to now speak to my panelists. Andrea, just going to call her Dr. Andrea. She has a podcast, as I've mentioned before, called boss lady, and she's going to give us some information about entrepreneurialism. So what I wanted to ask you is with all of the social change, how can we deal with the demands of business? And what does that look like?

Unknown Speaker 21:58
Okay, let me let me just start by clarifying a number of things through all of the great information. You know, one, my name is Dr. Andrea gig line and the podcast is Hey, boss, lady. And it is because of that podcast that I'll be able to share with you some of the incredible work that these women are doing and how it all intertwines with business. Because although I'm academically trained at my heart, I am a business person. So you may think that something like slavery and human trafficking has no place in a conversation when you're trying to run your business. But here today, one of the very good brothers that were that, you know, Senator Turner mentioned that she hoped were in the room. Matt was sharing with me how he has a business of housecleaning. Well, he may be going about his business of him. But when he's in that business, he will see things. And because he is aware as a business person have conversations that take place like this. He knows what the signs are, if he's cleaning someplace, and there are signs that children are being held or that someone's being held against their will. We don't think of these things. We live in a city where we wouldn't exist. If these huge buildings with his the the 42 million people come to our city every single year. But in those hotel rooms is one of the first touch points that the work she is doing will surely help us to reduce it. And of course, again, you may think that these topics are unrelated, but I'm going to tell you the work that Senator Neal is talking about in the legislature from reproductive rights. If you think you can own a business, when you do not have control of your body and know where our children are, and how they are being educated. You cannot own that business. When when the senator Turner talked about it being our our jaw bones, and our wishbones and our backbones. There is never a time that we are together where these topics are not intertwined. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto was the person who sat with an incredible community member member Amy Ayoub and a number of years ago God, sex trafficking and the bill passed to to make to decriminalize children from having these Okay. To have these types of things brought to all of our attentions, so that me as a business person could go into and Mike, part of my community services as PBS working with PBS as a donor, what did we do we work to get A complete block on TV one night several years ago, so that everyone in our community became aware. So when you see these these as separate subjects, and I will then take you to of that subject, because I had the privilege this week as a business person to go into the rise Academy for Teach for America, one of the phenomenal programs not only in Las Vegas, but nationally that the government helps support. By the way, all this crankiness about governments. Where I was asked to come in and discuss what was my journey. And we started out to evets point, it is at the youngest ages, I asked them, What do you like to do? And as business people and adults in this room, I will ask you, what do you like to do? Start there, and build your life, your business, life and your community. So with these children, they gave me things they were nine years old, I like to paint, I like to play with my friends, we talked about what that looks like as a business. So what I would ask you to do, don't departmentalized reproductive rights, Slavery and Trafficking, what has to happen in our schools, all of these pieces, build us, as a community, build us, as a business build us as a nation. And until we can see us together like that. The concept that there is no color I know can be offensive. But I will always ask that you remember at the spiritual level, there is no color. For we have color here. Yes. But at the spiritual level, there is no line in that sand. And together through our voting, we can in fact, enact policies, as long as we hold people accountable. I love that you said that. I am the world's greatest letter writer. Caller, I will agitate you to the rest of your life. But that's what makes this is so important. And great advocate to Yes. Yeah.

Zandra Polard 27:30
Yeah. Well, does anyone have any questions for the panelist, you can come down to the mic and ask them whatever question you'd like.

Unknown Speaker 27:40
Good morning, beautiful. Ladies, can you hear me? My name is Silvia Allen. And I am part of a team of ladies here from the National Coalition of 100 black women, and we are just pleased to be here. And you're talking about some important topics that are just on our hearts today more than ever. My question is, there's a forecast across the television nationally, that there's a possibility this country is truly going to turn red, there's a forecast that Nevada may turn red, meaning red for some of you and that the Republican Party will certainly win so many seats. And having lived somewhat of a long life, I'm in the fourth quarter of life, you can't always worry about how it's going to turn, you have to worry about what you're going to do. Irrespective of what color it turns, I'd like your thoughts on the things we need to do. No matter who wins.

Unknown Speaker 28:36
You need to understand who has the power to change what you want change, then let's figure out a plan to get that done to have that conversation. It all starts with a conversation and begin to build a relationship with your elected officials. And again, I just want to stress doesn't matter who's in office, the end of the day, stay focused on the issue and push forward that that policy that you need to thrive.

Unknown Speaker 29:02
I get to talk to a lot of students everywhere. And what you find in the younger generation is they want to burn stuff down. Not really. But I mean, they want to change something right? They're willing to shake the earth, literally. Then you have the older generation, and some of them are tired and you have the people in between. And I love to use this example. I've found that very powerful Martin Luther King, it did not matter which side was in office, he was in trouble. Didn't matter if it was a Republican, didn't matter if it was Democrat, him when he decided to stand up on podiums and say we needed change. It did not matter who was in office. It was the lesser of the two evils. But he taught us a very imperative lesson that we all need to take with us forever. They are representatives that we put in these positions, but if you You want to change anything? Do it. It's nice to top. It's nice to screen. It's great for you to go and look up your representative. It's good for you to even send her a whole bunch of information is to have the local officials that's nice. But if you don't actively get up and be a part of the change, then nothing changes. It's not real. Oh go hey.

Zandra Polard 30:29
I want to say thank you for my with my first panel event, Andrew fatahna. Sen. Dina Neil, thank you for being here.

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