MetroFocus: July 16, 2020

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> THIS IS 'METROFOCUS' WITH RAFAEL PI ROMAN, JACK FORD AND JENNA FLANAGAN.

'METROFOCUS' IS MADE POSSIBLE BY -- SUE AND EDGAR WACHENHEIM III SYLVIA A. AND SIMON B. POYTA PROGRAMMING ENDOWMENT TO FIGHT ANTI-SEMITISM BARBARA HOEP HOPE ZUCKERBERG.

BERNARD AND IRENE SCHWARTZ.

ROBERT C. AND TINA STONE FOUNDATION.

> GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO 'METROFOCUS.'

I'M JENNA FLANAGAN.

IN OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, A BOLD EXPERIMENT IS UNDER WAY TO RETHINK WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A GIRL.

IT'S CALLED THE RADICAL MONARCHS AN ALTERNATIVE TO TRADITIONAL GIRL SCOUTING.

A MOVEMENT DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR GIRLS OF COLOR, BY WOMEN OF COLOR.

FOUNDED IN 2014, THE RADICAL MONARCHS HAVE MADE WAVES BY FOCUS ON SOCIAL JUSTICE AND BY CHALLENGING THE STATUS QUO.

THE ORGANIZATION IS THE SUBJECT OF A POV DOCUMENTARY.

'WE ARE THE RADICAL MONARCHS' WHICH FOLLOWS THE GROWTH OF THE ORGANIZATION'S VERY FIRST TROOP AS THEY NAVIGATE ISSUES OF IDENTITY, RACE AND ALLYSHIP AS YOUNG WOMEN.

HERE'S A PREVIEW.

SO RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU EVER FELT LEFT OUT AT SCHOOL.

I USED TO WORRY ABOUT HOW I LOOKED.

HOW I DRESSED.

HOW I ACTED.

MOSTLY ABOUT HOW I LOOKED.

I MEAN, I REMEMBER MY DAUGHTER, SHE SAID, MOM, MOST OF THE PEOPLE IN THE WORLD ARE BROWN.

HOW COME MOST OF THE PEOPLE ON TV ARE WHITE?

I THINK SELF-POWERMENT WORKS FOR YOUNG GIRLS OF COLOR IT WORKS AND IT'S REALLY LACKING IN OUR MEDIA AND EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM.

HOW DO WE CREATE ALTERNATIVE SPACES WHERE THAT CAN HAPPEN?

WHAT MAKES THE RADICAL MONARCHS DIFFERENT IS THAT WE FOCUS ON ISSUES THAT SPECIFICALLY AFFECT YOUNG WOMEN OF COLOR.

I'M THINKING WE'RE GOING TO SELL COOKIES AND IT WILL BE THE TYPICAL, YOU KNOW, TROOP THING.

I DIDN'T KNOW WE'D BE LEARNING TO LOVE US FOR WHO YOU ARE.

I'M THE MAIN BREAD WINNER IN MY FAMILY.

I FEEL A LOT OF PRESSURE.

WE GET INUNDATED WITH REQUESTS.

WE WANT A TROOP HERE, WE WANT A TROOP THERE AND WE WANT ONE TOO AND WE HAVE NO BUDGET RIGHT NOW.

WE HAVE BEEN RUNNING OUR OWN TROOP.

BEEN WORKING FULL-TIME JOBS.

SO HARD TO CHANGE.

WE'RE SORRY, WE'RE NOT READY YET.

BUT IT'S REALLY.

IF WE ARE REALLY GOING TO BE ABOUT EVOLVING IN SOCIETY, THEN WE NEED TO SEE SOCIAL JUSTICE NOW LIKE WE TEACH THE SUBJECTS.

A NEW BROWNIE TROOP IN CALIFORNIA.

THEY'RE NOT LEARNING TO SEW.

WE THINK THEY'RE BEING EXPLOITED.

WOULDN'T IT BE BETTER TO LEARN FRIENDSHIPS, SKILLS?

SO THE ONE STUDENT, WE LIVE AND WORK TOGETHER.

SOMETHING THAT'S A BIG PROBLEM, YOU CAN MAKE ANYTHING HAPPEN.

WE'RE HERE ON BEHALF OF THE RADICAL MONARCHS, WE GET TO MAKE HISTORY OR HER-STORY.

WE GET TO BE A TINY PART OF IT.

BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW THAT A LOT OF -- IT CAN EQUAL ONE BIG PART.

AND JOINING ME NOW ARE THE COFOUNDERS OF THE RADICAL MONARCHS.

MARILYN HOLLINQUEST.

HI.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

AND ANAYVETTE MARTINEZ.

HI.

AND ANAYVETTE'S DAUGHTER, LUTITA.

HI.

WHO OF COURSE INSPIRED THE CREATION OF THE RADICAL MONARCHS.

AND ALSO WE ARE JOINED BY LINDA GOLDSTEIN KNOWLTON, THE DIRECTOR AND PRODUCER OF THE DOCUMENTARY.

HELLO.

SO LINDA, I WANT TO START WITH YOU VERY QUICKLY TO SORT OF THIS GET THIS OUT OF THE WAY AND THAT IS EVERYTHING OF COURSE I THINK EXISTS AT THE RIGHT TIME AND THE RIGHT MOMENT AND I'M WONDERING HOW YOU KNEW TO EVEN -- HOW YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT AND THOUGHT TO EVEN MAKE A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE RADICAL MONARCHS IN 2014 BEFORE SO MANY THINGS CHANGED THAT MAKE THEM SEEM SO CRITICAL TO THIS POINT OF HISTORY WE'RE IN.

WELL, I READ AN ARTICLE ONLINE IN THE GUARDIAN, I THINK THE TITLE WAS IS THIS THE FUTURE OF GIRL GROUPS AND IT TOTALLY CAUGHT MY EYE.

THEN OF COURSE THE NAME OF THE GROUP AT THE TIME IT WAS RADICAL BROWNIES.

NOW THE RADICAL MONARCHS AND KIND OF EVERYTHING ABOUT THE ARTICLE CAUGHT MY EYE AND THEN ANAYVETTE AND MARILYN AND THE GIRLS AND I THOUGHT WHO ARE THESE BAD ASS WOMEN AND GIRLS WHO ARE ON THE ONE HAND AHEAD OF THEIR TIME, BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, RIGHT ON TIME.

SO I REACHED OUT TO THEM AND SAID, I'D LIKE TO DO A FILM ABOUT YOU, BECAUSE WHAT WAS KIND OF THE MOST INTERESTING TO ME AT THE TIME OF COURSE THE YOUNG WOMEN WERE REALLY INSPIRING AND FUNNY AND PROVOCATIVE IN THE BEST WAYS.

BUT WHAT WAS MOST INTERESTING TO ME WAS ANAYVETTE AND MARILYN TAKING ON THAT THEY THOUGHT WAS GOING TO BE MAYBE STARTING A TROOP FOR TEN GIRLS, MAYBE ANOTHER TROOP LOCALLY AND THEN BEING TAPPED ON THE SHOULDER TO START A MOVEMENT AND THEM RISING TO THE OCCASION.

WE DON'T SEE THE STORY -- WHO ARE THE PEOPLE WHO START MOVEMENTS, HOW DO THEY DO IT, SO THAT WAS MOST INTERESTING TO ME.

WELL, ANAYVETTE, I'D LOVE TO HEAR YOUR APPARENTLY OF THE STORY BECAUSE OBVIOUS YOUR LOVELY DAUGHTER DID PLAY A ROLE IN THE CREATION OF THE RADICAL MONARCHS.

YES, ABSOLUTELY.

I ALWAYS SAY SHE'S KIND ONE -- SHE'S ONE OF THE FOUNDERS AS WELL.

AND SO MY DAUGHTER WAS IN FOURTH GRADE.

AND A BUNCH OF HER CLASSMATES WERE JOINING THE LOCAL TRADITIONAL SCOUTING TROOP AND SO NATURALLY SHE WANTED TO JOIN TO BE WITH HER FRIENDS.

AND WHEN I LOOKED AT THE COMPOSITION OF THE GROUP, I JUST FELT LIKE IT WOULDN'T REALLY SPEAK TO HER EXPERIENCE AS A YOUNG GIRL OF COLOR.

AS A YOUNG GIRL OF COLOR THAT'S BEEN RAISED IN A VERY POLITICALLY, YOU KNOW, SOCIAL JUSTICE MINDED FAMILY.

WHERE FOR HER SHE'S BEEN ATTENDING MARCHES BEFORE SHE COULD WALK, SO I TRIED TO THINK ABOUT WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE TO CREATE A TROOP THAT REALLY CENTERED HER EXPERIENCE AS A GIRL OF COLOR AND WHERE THEY CAN EARN BADGES BASED ON SOCIAL JUSTICE MOVEMENT WORK.

I TOLD HER ABOUT THE IDEA, SHE LIT UP AND GOT SUPER EXCITED.

SHE WAS LIKE, YES, MOMMY THAT SOUNDS AMAZING, LET'S DO IT.

GREAT, LET'S DO IT.

BUT AT THE TIME, I WAS A FULL-TIME COMMUNITY ORGANIZER WHICH IS A VERY FULL JOB WITHIN ITSELF.

SO I KEPT PUTTING IT OFF AND SHE NEVER LET GO OF THAT IDEA.

LIKE SHE KEPT ASKING ME, MOMMY.

WHEN ARE WE DOING THAT GROUP, SHE WOULD TALK TO HER FRIENDS, RECRUITING PEOPLE ALREADY.

I WAS LIKE KIND OF OAK, WE HAVE TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.

I KNEW I NEEDED SUPPORT AND HELP BECAUSE I HAD MY HANDS FULL WITH THE JOB AS A MOTHER OF TWO.

I APPROACHED MY BEST FRIEND, MARILYN HOLLINQUEST.

WE BOTH WENT TO GRAD SCHOOL TOGETHER AND WE HAVE A SIMILAR BACKGROUND IN DOING YOUTH WORK.

I HAVE A RADICAL IDEA FOR MY DAUGHTER AND HER HOMIES, WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN DOING IT WITH ME AND SHE SAID HELL YEAH.

SO WE LAUNCHED IT TOGETHER.

WHAT WAS YOUR TAKE ON NOT ONLY THE STARTING OF THE RADICAL BROWNIES BUT A NEED IT WAS ATTEMPTING TO FILL?

WELL, I OF COURSE THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT IDEA AND SO I HAD BEEN, YOU KNOW, TEACHING SOCIAL JUSTICE FOCUSED CLASSES, MOVEMENT HISTORY CLASSES, AND SO I REALLY THOUGHT IT WAS AN AWESOME IDEA AND FELT THAT JUST I REALLY IMAGINED WHEN I KIND OF CAME INTO MY OWN CONSCIOUSNESS WHICH WAS IN COLLEGE AND SO WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE FOR YOUNGER GIRLS AND IT'S GREAT TO HAVE THAT KIND OF CONSCIOUSNESS EARLY AND SORT OF THE WOKE COLLEGE STUDENTS BUT IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE AS THEY AGED AND GOT OLDER.

WELL, MARILYN, I ALSO WANTED TO KNOW WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF THE REACTION TO THE ORGANIZATION, NOT JUST IN YOUR OAKLAND COMMUNITY, BUT OF COURSE THE GROUP NOT NATIONAL ATTENTION AND IT WASN'T ALWAYS POSITIVE.

YEAH.

THE REACTIONS WERE MIXED AND I THINK A LOT OF THAT IS BECAUSE SOCIAL JUSTICE FOCUSED CLASSES, A FULL VIEWING OF HISTORY FROM VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES IS NOT ALWAYS TAUGHT IN SCHOOLS.

SO A LOT OF THOSE KIND OF ETHNIC STUDIES TYPE CLASSES ARE OPTIONAL IF YOU CAN GET THEM IN HIGH SCHOOL AND THEY REALLY DON'T SHOW UP IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OFTEN.

AND SO COLLEGE IS KIND OF THAT PLACE AGAIN WHERE IT'S OPTIONAL, SO FOR ME, IT WAS JUST A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING FROM PEOPLE.

AND A LOT OF THE TIMES, YOU KNOW, THE WAY PEOPLE TEACH EQUALITY IS SORT OF LIKE I THINK THE LAST PLACE WE LEFT OFF WAS LIKE, OH, WE NEED TO LIVE IN A COLOR BLIND SOCIETY OR MAYBE THE MELTING POT KIND OF IDEA.

SO OFTENTIMES PEOPLE ARE STUCK IN THAT IDEA AND THEY FEEL REALLY UNCOMFORTABLE TALKING ABOUT RACE OR GENDER, SEXUALITY OR DISABILITY.

THEY'RE UNCOMFORTABLE TALKING ABOUT THOSE THINGS, SO THE KIND OF SOLUTION HAS BEEN LIKE WELL, LET'S NOT JUST MENTION IT.

I'M NOT GOING TO MENTION IT AT ALL.

AND SO I THINK THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE COMING FROM.

OF COURSE, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE LIKE, YOU KNOW, OH, YOU'RE TEACHING REVERSE RACISM BECAUSE YOU'RE FOCUSING ON YOUNG GIRLS OF COLOR.

AND SO AGAIN, TO ME THAT'S JUST -- YOU KNOW, A LACK OF KNOWLEDGE AND WILLINGNESS TO UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT DIFFERENCES IN ORDER TO CREATE AN EQUITABLE SOCIETY.

I'D LOVE TO GET YOUR TAKE ON YOUR -- YOUR MOM SAID YOU WERE SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS GROUP STARTING, BUT WHAT WAS IT THAT MADE YOU SO EXCITED BECAUSE WATCHING THE DOCUMENTARY IT SEEMED LIKE A LOT OF THE ISSUES THAT THE RADICAL MONARCHS ADDRESSED IN YOUR TROOP WEREN'T REALLY GETTING TALKED ABOUT OR ADDRESSED PERHAPS IN A WAY WHERE A LOT OF YOUNG GIRLS WOULD FEEL COMFORTABLE ASKING SOME VERY FRANK QUESTIONS.

SO WHAT DID IT FEEL LIKE FOR YOU WHEN THE GROUP FINALLY STARTED?

I WAS SO EXCITED.

LIKE MY MOM WAS SAYING, I WAS BOTHERING HER CONSTANTLY, WHEN ARE WE GOING TO START IT?

I HAD A GROUP OF FRIENDS READY TO START AND WHEN WE HAD THE FIRST MEETING IT WAS LIKE A DREAM.

I REMEMBER THE COMMUNITY AGREEMENTS, EVERYTHING WAS JUST LIKE PERFECT AND I THINK THAT AS WE STARTED, AS THE TROOP KIND OF PROGRESSED IT JUST GOT BETTER AND BETTER AND BUILD A REAL STRONG SISTERHOOD WITH ALL THE MONARCHS AND IT WAS AN EXCITING TIME FOR A 9-YEAR-OLD.

SPEAKING OF 9-YEAR-OLD LUTITA, WHAT IS YOUR TAKE, BECAUSE IN THE DOCUMENTARY THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS YOU GET TO ADDRESS, EXPLORE AND LEARN ABOUT THAT ARE PERHAPS UNCOMFORTABLE FOR OTHER ADULTS TO EVEN KNOW HOW TO TALK ABOUT.

SO I GUESS WHAT WOULD BE YOUR ADVICE TO OTHER PARENTS WHO HAVE KIDS WHO CLEARLY CAN SEE THAT THINGS ARE HAPPENING.

PEOPLE ARE MARCHING IN THE STREETS AND THERE'S SO MUCH TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, JUST AND EQUITY.

WHAT'S YOUR ADVICE TO PARENTS THAT SAY, 9 IS SO YOUNG I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE ISSUES WITH THEM.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?

I THINK PEOPLE UNDERESTIMATE YOUTH, YOUNGER PEOPLE SPECIFICALLY.

SO I THINK THAT LIKE AS YOUNG PEOPLE WE NOTICE THINGS IN THE WORLD.

LIKE WE'RE NOT BLIND TO INJUSTICES SO WHEN PARENTS FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE HAVING THE CONVERSATION, IT'S THEIR TIME TO -- OH, WHAT HAVE YOU NOTICED TALKING TO THEIR KIDS BECAUSE WE DO NOTICE A LOT.

I THINK THAT SOMETIMES THEY'LL -- PARENTS WILL COME UP AS A BUNCH OF INFORMATION.

LIKE WE DIDN'T KNOW THAT.

I THINK THAT AS YOUNG PEOPLE WE KNOW A LOT AND SO I THINK THAT THEY SHOULD GIVE US A CHANCE TO KIND OF LIKE EXPLAIN OUR -- JUST REALLY TALK ABOUT WHAT WE ALREADY KNOW AND WHAT WE HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING.

OKAY.

ANAYVETTE, I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU -- I MEAN, SO MUCH OF THE DOCUMENTARY OF COURSE IS IN THE YEARS LEADING UP TO OUR MOST RECENT ELECTION FROM 2016 AND THEN THE FALLOUT.

BUT I'D LIKE TO GET YOUR TAKE BECAUSE WHAT I THOUGHT WAS SO INTERESTING WAS THERE WAS A MOMENT IN THE FILM WHERE IT'S JUST AFTER THE ELECTION AND YOU'RE TALKING TO THE GIRLS ABOUT WORK THAT COULD BE CONTINUED TO BE DONE AND YOU'RE EXPRESSING HOW YOU HAD ALREADY AT POINTS FELT EXHAUSTED AND THE THOUGHT OF DOING MORE WORK WAS MORE EXHAUSTING AND THAT WAS IN 2016.

SO GIVEN THAT FOUR YEARS HAVE NOW PASSED, WHAT ARE YOUR FEELINGS ABOUT THE WORK OF YOUR ORGANIZATION, THE GROWTH THAT IT'S SEEN, DO YOU FEEL AS DAUNTED AND OVERWHELMED AS YOU SEEM TO HAVE HAD IN THE FILM?

YEAH, I THINK THERE'S DEFINITELY STILL MOMENTS OF OVERWHELMED.

BECAUSE MARILYN AND MYSELF HAVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR SO LONG, AS WOMEN OF COLOR, WE HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY THESE MULTIPLE OPPRESSIONS SINCE WE WERE VERY LITTLE.pSO KIND OF SINCE BIRTH.

SO I THINK THAT THIS FOR US HAS NEVER BEEN A STRENGTH.

THIS HAS BEEN A MARATHON.

THIS IS LIKE LIFE LONG WORK SO THERE'S DEFINITELY MOMENTS WE FEEL DAUNTED AND OVERWHELMED AND EXHAUSTED BUT I THINK THAT FIRE THOUGH TO ALWAYS CONTINUE TO WORK IS ALWAYS THERE.

AND ALWAYS REMAINS.

I THINK THAT I FEEL, YOU KNOW, A HUGE SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY, RIGHT, TO PASS THAT ON TO THE YOUNGER GENERATIONS.

YOU KNOW, TO THE YOUNG MONARCHS THEMSELVES AND TO DO IT IN A DIFFERENT WAY FROM WHEN I CAME IN ORGANIZING.

MARILYN SAID IT'S IMPORTANT FOR MOVEMENTS TO EVOLVE AND I THINK WE HAVE LEARNED A LOT FROM PRIOR MOVEMENTS.

WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED THAT INTO THE RADICAL MONARCH WORK, SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULDN'T HEAR MUCH ABOUT WHEN YOU HEAR ABOUT PRIOR MOVEMENTS.

THE BLACK PANTHER MOVEMENT OR THE OTHER MOVEMENTS, IT'S THE IMPORTANCE OF SELF-CARE, SUSTAINABILITY, AND NOT FEELING LIKE YOU HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING YOURSELF.

RADICAL MONARCHS THAT'S A HUGE PART OF OUR WORK.

HOW DO WE -- HOW DO WE MAKE THIS SUSTAINABLE, HOW DO WE PRIORITIZE OUR SELF-CARE FOR OURSELVES.

I THINK MYSELF AND MARILYN TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY HOW DO WE MODEL THAT TO THE MONARCHS.

BEING THAT RIGHT NOW, WE'RE IN OUR MONTH OF REST.

WE TOOK JULY OFF TO REST AS AN ORGANIZATION PROBLEMATICALLY BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN JUST NONSTOP.

ESPECIALLY WITH THE RECENT THINGS HAPPENING IN THE WORLD AROUND US.

WITH THE MOST RECENT VISIBILITY AROUND STATE VIOLENCE AND POLICE VIOLENCE AGAINST PEOPLE OF COLOR.

I THINK THERE ARE DEFINITELY THOSE MOMENTS BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY WE TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES AND THEN WE DUST OURSELVES OFF AND GET BACK TO THE WORK.

I'M SPEAKING WITH THE COFOUNDERS OF THE RADICAL MONARCHS, MARILYN HOLLINQUEST AND ANAYVETTE MARTINEZ, AS WELL AS HER DAUGHTER, LUTITA.

WE ARE JOINED BY LINDA GOLDSTEIN KNOWLTON, THE DIRECTOR AND PRODUCER OF THE DOCUMENTARY ON POV.

WE ARE THE RADICAL MONARCHS.

NOW, MARILYN, I SORT OF WANT TO TURN TO I GUESS THE IDEA OF WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW AND WHERE THE RADICAL MONARCHS SIT.

THERE'S A LOT OF TALK RIGHT NOW ABOUT ALLYSHIP AND THE BEST WAY FOR NONPEOPLE OF COLOR OR WHITE PEOPLE TO SHOW ALLYSHIP.

THERE WAS SOME I GUESS PUSHBACK AT LEAST IN THE DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE RADICAL MONARCHS IS A GROUP CENTERING AROUND GIRLS OF COLOR AND FOR GIRLS OF COLOR.

DOES THAT STILL HOLD?

HAS THERE BEEN A WAY TO PERHAPS SHARE SOME OF THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING WITH MORE TRADITIONAL GIRL SCOUT TROOPS?

WHERE DOES ALLYSHIP WORK INTO THE RADICAL MONARCHS' WORK ETHIC?

YEAH.

SO WE DEFINITELY WILL ALWAYS BE CENTERED AROUND GIRLS OF COLOR AND THE REASON THAT THEY -- THAT WE DO THAT IS BECAUSE THEY OFTEN GET LEFT OUT OF THIS, YOU KNOW, ADULT CENTERED FIGHT FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND IN TERMS OF ALLYSHIP, I THINK THE WAY THAT WE WORK WITH ALLIES LIKE PEOPLE HAVE DEFINITELY APPROACHED US AND SO WE DO, YOU KNOW, WORK IN COALITION WITH THOSE FOLKS AROUND HOW TO BE AN ALLY AND ALSO TO DIRECT THEM TO RESOURCES AROUND HOW THEY CAN ALLY WITH OTHER WHITE FOLKS.

BECAUSE THE -- WHAT HAPPENS IS A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE WILL CALL THEMSELVES AN ALLY AND MAYBE THEY LEARN THE LANGUAGE AND THEY KIND OF DO THIS SURFACE WORK.

AND THEN THE DEEP WORK DOESN'T GET DONE, IT CREATES THE SYSTEMATIC CHANGES AND SO PEOPLE I FEEL LIKE HAVE THIS FEAR OF BEING CALLED RACIST AND SO OFTENTIMES WILL, YOU KNOW, TRIP ON THEMSELVES OR KIND OF HOLD BACK THEIR THOUGHTS BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO GET CALLED -- THEY DO NOT WANT TO BE CALLED RACIST.

WHICH MAKES SENSE AND SO WHEN YOU HAVE THESE WHITE ALLY GROUPS WHO WORK WITH EACH OTHER TO RAISE THEIR CONSCIOUSNESS AND TALK ABOUT HOW THEY CAN RAISE THEIR CONSCIOUSNESS AMONGST THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS, GRANDMOTHERS, GRANDFATHERS OF A DIFFERENT GENERATION, I THINK DIFFERENT WORK HAPPENS THEN.

YOU KNOW, THEY MAY FEEL LIKE NOT BEING JUDGED BECAUSE THEY'RE AROUND OTHER WHITE FOLKS WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH THE SAME ISSUES VERSUS, YOU KNOW, BEING EMBEDDED WITH PEOPLE OF COLOR 24/7 AND HAVING THAT FEAR OF MAKING A MISTAKE IN LANGUAGE OR MAYBE, YOU KNOW, MISGENDERING SOMEBODY OR BEING LIKE OH, IS THIS RACIST, I'M NOT REALLY SURE.

SO I'M NOT GOING TO SAY WHAT I'M FEELING.

SO I THINK THAT'S WHERE ALLYSHIP WORKS IS WHEN YOU WORK IN COALITION WITH PEOPLE LIKE WE SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, WORK WITH THOSE FOLKS.

BUT IT IS DEFINITELY NOT A 24/7 THING BECAUSE THE WAY THAT WHITENESS WORKS IS IT CENTERS ITSELF.

WHITE PRIVILEGE CENSORS ITSELF AND PEOPLE WILL CENSOR THEMSELVES WHETHER THEY'RE CONSCIOUS OF OR THAT OR NOT.

SO THAT'S WHY WE CENSOR GIRLS OF COLOR.

WE MAKE SURE WHEN WE HAVE WORKSHOPS, SEEING IS BELIEVING SO WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, BLACK AND BROWN WOMEN, LEADING THOSE WORKSHOPS SO THEY CAN SEE LIKE, OH, WE ARE THE HOLDERS OF KNOWLEDGE.

WE CAN BE IN CHARGE VERSUS HAVING THAT KIND OF -- IT'S COMMONLY KNOWN AS LIKE A SNOW CAP ORGANIZATION WHERE YOU HAVE A COMMUNITY -- A DISENFRANCHISED COMMUNITY AND ALL OF THE LEADERSHIP IS WHITE AND THAT'S WHERE THE SNOW IS ON THE SNOW CAP.

AND THEN EVERYTHING UNDERNEATH IS LIKE THE PEOPLE YOU SERVE ARE PEOPLE OF COLOR, THE PEOPLE DOING THE WORK ARE PEOPLE OF COLOR AND THEN ALL THE LEADERSHIP IS WHITE.

SO, YEAH, AND THE LAST THING I WANT TO SAY ABOUT ALLYSHIP IS YOU CANNOT CALL YOURSELF AN ALLY.

THE COMMUNITY THAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE WORKING WITH, THE DISENFRANCHISED COMMUNITY THEY CALL YOU AN ALLY.

BECAUSE SOMEONE CAN SAY, YEAH, I'M AN ALLY, BUT DID YOU DO THE WORK?

THE COMMUNITY YOU DID THE WORK WITH WOULD THEY CONSIDER YOU AN ALLY?

SO YEAH, THAT'S WHERE ALLYSHIP FALLS.

I THINK THAT'S HELPFUL AS WE CONTINUE TO NAVIGATE THE MOMENT WE ARE IN.

ANAYVETTE, I WANTED TO ASK YOU ABOUT JUST THIS ROLE THAT THESE YOUNG WOMEN -- I CAN'T REALLY CALL THEM GIRLS BECAUSE BY THE END OF THE DOCUMENTARY THESE ARE SOME POWERFUL YOUNG WOMEN, WHERE THEY GO ONCE THEY GRADUATE FROM THE RADICAL MONARCHS.

I SAY THAT BECAUSE 13 AS WE KNOW IS AN INCREDIBLY PIVOTAL AGE FOR YOUNG WOMEN AND A LOT OF THE SOCIETAL NORMS LET'S SAY OF WHAT A YOUNG WOMAN SHOULD BE REALLY STARTS TO WEIGH ON THOSE YOUNG GIRLS AROUND THAT TIME.

SO I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S I GUESS A GRADUATE PROGRAM, RADICAL MONARCHS.

WHAT HAPPEN HAS ONCE YOU GRADUATE OUT OF THE PROGRAM AND, LUTITA, I'D LOVE TO HEAR WHAT YOUR JOURNEY IS.

YEAH, WE HAVE AN ALUMNI PROGRAM SO IT'S NOT LIKE, GOOD LUCK WITH ALL OF THAT.

WE STAY CONNECTED.

WE DO ANNUAL RETREATS WITH THE ALUMNI AND WE BRING THEM TOGETHER, SO THEY'RE ABLE TO RECONNECT WITH THEM.

IT'S TIME THE RECORRECT LIKE I MENTIONED AND TO REVISIT ALL OF THE KIND OF VALUES AND TOOLS THEY GAINED WHEN THEY'RE IN A RADICAL MONARCH.

WE TALK ABOUT HOW IT SHOWING UP AS A HIGH SCHOOLER IN YOUR DYNAMICS AND HOW ARE YOU BEING MINDFUL OF WHAT YOU LEARNED ABOUT INTERDEPENDENCE, RIGHT?

AS YOU FORM RELATIONSHIPS OR FRIENDSHIPS.

WHAT IS RADICAL -- LIKE NOW AS A HIGH SCHOOLER NOW THAT YOUR BODY IS CHANGING, HOW ARE YOU STILL LOVING YOUR BODY.

HOW ARE YOU STILL BEING MINDFUL OF, YOU KNOW, DISABILITY, JUSTICE, YOU KNOW, WITHIN YOUR SCHOOL, WITHIN YOUR FRIENDSHIP CIRCLES SO IT'S A WAY TO REVISIT THE CONCEPTS, THE VALUES THEY LEARNED WITH US.

SO THAT HAPPENS ONCE A YEAR.

IN ADDITION TO THAT, THEY STAY CONNECTED AND HELP US SUPPORT THE NEWER TROOPS THAT WE HAVE LAUNCHED SO THEY COME AND SUPPORT US AS MENTORS OR AS LIKE BIGGER SISTERS.

WHICH THE YOUNGER MONARCHS LOVE TO SEE THEM, BUT THEY'RE LIKE LITTLE CELEBRITIES WHEN THEY COME TO THE TROOP MEETINGS, YOU KNOW?

OR THEY ASSIST IN THE GRADUATION.

THEY HAVE SPOKEN AT GRADUATIONS TO THE NEWER TROOPS AND TALKED ABOUT WHAT THEIR FAVORITE PART OF EARNING THE BADGE WAS.

WHEN WE LAUNCHED THE FOUR NEW TROOPS WE LAUNCHED THIS PAST FALL, ALL OF THE ALUMNI WERE PART OF HIRING AND THE COHORT OF THE NEW TROOP LEADERS.

THEY GOT TO ASK THEM QUESTIONS AND DO THE DEMONSTRATIONS AND THEY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR IN A TROOP LEADER.

THEY CONTINUE TO STAY VERY ENGAGED AS ALUMNI AND THEN JUST QUICKLY THIS PAST COUPLE MONTHS AGAIN WITH THE KIND OF RESURGENCE OF THE VIOLENCE, THE ALUMNIS SELF-ORGANIZED AND WANTED TO CREATE, YOU KNOW, A LIST OF RESPONSES TO WHAT WE'RE SEEING RIGHT NOW.

AND SO THEY THEMSELVES SELF-ORGANIZED A VIGIL TO HONOR THE BLACK WOMEN THAT HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, KILLED OR IMPACTED BY THE VIOLENCE.

THEY HELD IT, THEY ORGANIZED IT ALL.

IT WAS ATTENDED BY TONS OF PEOPLE.

I DON'T KNOW, I DIDN'T DO A COUNT BUT I WOULD SAY DEFINITELY OVER 100 FOLKS ATTENDED THAT VIGIL.

WE DID A VIDEO ON LIKE DIFFERENT WAYS TO GET OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.

WE TALKED ABOUT DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE PROGRAM, WHICH IS REALLY AWESOME.

AND ALLIES SPECIFICALLY TO THE BLACK COMMUNITY.

SO EACH ALUMNI, YOU KNOW, TOOK A DIFFERENT PIECE ABOUT WHERE IT LOOKS LIKE TO SHOW UP AS AN ALLY TO THE BLACK COMMUNITY SO THEY TALKED ABOUT CULTURAL APPROPRIATION.

WHAT ELSE?

NOT USING THE 'N' WORD SO THEY'RE ALSO SPEAKING TO THEIR PEERS WHICH I THOUGHT WAS IMPORTANT BECAUSE I THINK A LOT OF THE ALLYSHIP VIDEOS THAT CAME OUT IN RESPONSE TO THE VIOLENCE WAS MORE MAYBE TARGETED TOWARDS LIKE AN ADULT AUDIENCE.

SO THE ALUMNI AS YOUNG PEOPLE WERE SPEAKING TO THE PEERS AND SPEAKING ABOUT WHAT ARE THE THINGS THEY SEE THEMSELVES IN THEIR PEER GROUP AS SUCH AS CULTURAL APPROPRIATION OR THE USE OF THE 'N' WORD OR HOW TO BE MINDFUL OF LIKE YOUR OWN PRIVILEGE AS LIKE A LA TINA, A LIGHT SKINNED LATINA AND SO THEY'RE VERY ENGAGED FROM THE RADICAL MONARCH WORK.

WELL, LISTEN, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME.

THE DOCUMENTARY 'WE ARE THE RADICAL MONARCHS' IS A RADICAL DOCUMENTARY TO WATCH ON POV.

I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR CREATING THIS ORGANIZATION AND FOR ALLOWING US TO WATCH YOUR DEVELOPMENT AND SEE HOW -- WHAT IT TAKES TO CREATE A NEW MOVEMENT ESPECIALLY AROUND CHILDREN.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING ME.

THANKS.

BYE.

> 'METROFOCUS' IS MADE POSSIBLE BY -- SUE AND EDGAR WACHENHEIM III SYLVIA A. AND SIMON B. POYTA PROGRAMMING ENDOWMENT TO FIGHT ANTI-SEMITISM BARBARA HOPE ZUCKERBERG JODI AND JOHN AROUNDHOLD.

THE MILSTEIN FAMILY.

BERNARD AND DENISE SCHWARTZ.

DR. ROBERT C. AND TINA STONE FOUNDATION.