Episode 14 – Omega and Z - Sit, Think, and Have a Drink
Published on: April 19, 2021
Fore: Omega; Back: Z
Hey everybody, I'm so excited for you to listen to this amazing podcast that we put together for you. We have our amazing guests. Can't say amazing enough and really amazing to the power of a thousand. We have Z and Omega from the Have a Drink Podcast and , we did talk podcasting, of course, we did talk about masculinity. We talked about what it means to be vulnerable. We talked about how people are showing up for each other, how everybody's trying different ways to bring positivity and knowledge and love into this world. As usual, we go all over the place, but I think you're really gonna love it. Enjoy
Please check out their website and suggestions in this episode:
Have a Drink Podcast Website
Have a Drink Podcast Facebook
IG: Az4everyoccasion
IG: Omega_gruv
Twitter: omegaHD
Justice for Hire
#washthehate
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“When you have an open mind and open heart, you're going to be willing to learn and ready to learn something that's going to challenge you mentally and emotionally.”
Transcript:
UBP Podcast Ep14 - Have a Drink
Linet: [00:00:00] Hey everybody, I'm so excited for you to listen to this amazing podcast that we put together for you. We have our amazing guests. Can't say amazing enough and really amazing to the power of a thousand. We have Z and Omega from the Have a Drink Podcast and , we did talk podcasting, of course, we did talk about masculinity. We talked about what it means to be vulnerable. We talked about how people are showing up for each other, how everybody's trying different ways to bring positivity and knowledge and love into this world. As usual, we go all over the place, but I think you're really gonna love it. Enjoy
Alexis: [00:00:54] Welcome everybody to another podcast episode for the Unconscious Bias Project podcast. My name is Alexis and my pronouns are she/her. I am one of your co-hosts for this podcast, along with...
Linet: [00:01:09] Hi everybody, Linet here, co-host of the Unconscious Bias Project podcast, and also she/her pronouns. And we're so excited to have as our guests today two fabulous guests, plus a guest guest, but really always they're a co-host of ours. Drum roll should be coming soon. One of our amazing guests, Mistah Z who goes by he/she/them pronouns, Z is a multi-skilled creator; is a dancer actor, voice actor, cosplayer, singer, and cohost of Have a Drink podcast. You may have spotted him at the Super Bowl L halftime show. What. And Z is also working towards building a company that promotes community growth and unity.
Alexis: [00:01:57] And our second guest is Omega. Omega is a Phys. Ed. Educator, a creator, and a 20+ years martial artist, as well as being the second half of the Have a Drink podcast. Z and Omega have a long history together as professional dancers that includes being a part of the Golden State Warriors Dub Squad. And parents may recognize them and Genevieve's Choo Choo Soul shows like royalty and Linet was lucky enough to guest for their podcast, as well as our other friend who is with us here today, Seth.
Seth: [00:02:35] Hi, everyone, Seth. I use he, they pronouns I'm here because Z and O are friends of mine.
Alexis: [00:02:43] Well, and just before the podcast the question was, you know, how much detail to go into on how you met? So let's, let's leave with that. How did, how did you meet them?
Seth: [00:02:54] I met Z at a play party where we made out. And from there, we started talking about us being involved in theater and performing arts. And from there just like, I dunno had a fun shared interest. And then one evening Z and I were chatting during pandemic, as you do and we were talking about podcasts and Z was like, "I'm doing this podcast and I'm doing it with my friend Omega. And we, you know, what UBP is doing. We want you to be on our show because I think it's something important that we should talk about." And then from doing the podcast, that's where I met Omega.
Alexis: [00:03:33] So I wish we were on video right now because you can't see my face. I'm like this, this was not the story I was expecting. Excellent story, but not the one I was expecting
Omega: [00:03:44] That makes two of us.
Alexis: [00:03:50] So for those who don't don't recognize his voice yet , that was Omega. Yeah. Awesome. Great story. Yeah. Welcome. Welcome one. And all.
Omega: [00:04:02] Sorry. I didn't mean to jump out of the bag like that, but I was holding that in for a long time, I was like, "oh my goodness." This rabbit hole went very deep. I was not expecting this.
Z: [00:04:12] Gotta save some stuff to be a surprise.
Linet: [00:04:16] I'm sure O and Z have filled a lot of things to pull out of the hat.
Alexis: [00:04:19] I think we learn something new about one of our hosts as well, every podcast episode. So this is good. So my first question for the two of you is what is, the Have a Drink podcast?
Omega: [00:04:34] The Have a Drink podcast is just a way for us to kind of connect and converse with each other, as well as the rest of the world. It was started in the beginning of the pandemic. May 17th for the first time we aired, correct, Z?
Z: [00:04:48] Yeah. It's either may or April 17th. Yeah.
Omega: [00:04:51] But yeah, and we did this because, you know, we were so used to being together all the time that the separation was kind of getting to us. So we decided to kind of meet online. So what birthed it was we always like to Have a Drink every now and then, so we're like, well, why not just Have a Drink and talk and chit chat with with the dub squad. And that's what we did. And it morphed into this great podcast where we just kind of took on a lot of our personal conversations that we would have and put it online and just started having special guests. I mean, That's just really what it is and how it came about.
Linet: [00:05:21] I'm curious about one thing though, is you talk about the squad but you've both been and correct me if I'm wrong. You're both been in death squad and also in Choo Choo Souls. So how did you actually meet, did you meet when you were dancing together?
Z: [00:05:36] Oh, no, don't, don't don't feel bad. I don't do sports talk, go sports, sports ball, right? Goals shot the whole team. But no, we, we, we actually met almost 10 years ago. Omega and I were both performing. He was working for a production company doing mitzvahs and whatnot. And I ended up joining this company after the owner found me and was like, "Hey, you should come perform for us and perform with them and dance and get paid to do that and trained to entertain" and I'm like, All right. I show up there and , I meet Omega for the first time. And I remember us like watching him move through the crowd, watching him command, like in not just an audience, but you know, a group of kids. I mean, taking a little bit of thunder, but he's an educator. So, you know, to see that sort of like teacher's command come out, I'm like, Oh, that's cool. I want to learn how to do that. We've gotten to perform many times together, go through hard times, you know travel and , it wasn't until one trip where we got a chance to really see each other in a different light and be like, Oh my goodness. Like you're someone who I can talk to about these deep, emotional, expansive, philosophical things, you know, or just random observations that we may have about our surroundings and whatnot. And yeah,
Linet: [00:07:15] That's really beautiful.
Alexis: [00:07:16] It's so great. And I love the the recognition of the teacher mode as well as a former teacher myself.
Linet: [00:07:26] I think once a teacher, always a teacher right, O?,
Omega: [00:07:29] That part, that part. Exactly.
Alexis: [00:07:31] You carry it with you everywhere you go.
Omega: [00:07:35] Yeah , you can't turn it off. And I feel like sometimes, like they can smell it. Goodness. I think this guy's a teacher and I'm like, Hey man, I'm cool like that. I'm not a teacher, I'm a coach. And they're like, Oh, that's different. I like that.
Alexis: [00:07:50] Once you have the authority voice, you can use it in unexpected places where people don't expect to hear that authority and then they're thrown off by it. And you can like get in places where you might not...
Z: [00:08:00] A hundred percent.
Omega: [00:08:02] That part.
Seth: [00:08:04] I'm curious, like how do you choose who to be on your podcast? And do you all figure out what kind of conversation you're going to have with this person before bringing them on? Or is it kind of just more organic?
Z: [00:08:18] Well, I mean, in the very beginning, we started off with a bunch of us on the podcast, a bunch of the dev squad members and what have you. And we were just chit chatting, you know, I had I'd have my nephew on and his friends and it just kind of was like this free flow of, you know, we were all meeting together to talk as, as far as, you know, when we really started asking people, asking guests to be a part of the podcast. We're we mainly, we would have like a topic that we were like, Oh my goodness. Take having a conversation with a police officer or a retired police officer. We had a unique opportunity because someone in our group had a connection that actually was in fact, his mother-in-law that he was able to bring on to the show and really give us some more insight, not just from, you know, a police officer, a retired police officer's perspective, but from a Black woman within the department. We inadvertently choose people who we've had deep conversations with, who we valued their opinion, will learn from in some way, shape or form. And that would give some value to our audience as well. I mean, as we develop the podcast, we start to hone in on different things for different episodes. Sometimes we'll discover the topic right then and there, because we know that that's the type of conversational flow we'll have with an individual versus, you know, coming in already having an idea about what the topic is going to be like. Our most recent episode that came out was Black History Month.
[00:09:55] We were, we were talking about Black history education. And we, we had a few people on, you know, we had a regular who comes on Richard, and then we had our friend, Gary, who popped in and it was just, that was the topic. And , I mean, Oh, was our wealth of knowledge, and Richard being a teacher as well. And, you know, like, like feeling like it's valuable nuggets of information being exchanged.
Linet: [00:10:22] So for folks that are tuning in, and this is your first time hearing about Have a Drink podcast. We are going to be broadcasting one of their podcasts on to ours because we think the conversations on Have a Drink podcast are so valuable. I'll be honest when I first heard of Have a Drink podcast. and Seth was like, "Hey, do you want to be on this podcast with my friends?" I was like, "Oh, this is going to be a bunch of matey bros having drinks. And like, you know, it's, it's fine." It's totally the opposite. Like, you know, I started listening to episodes and I was just blown away by not only how fearless O and Z are, but how much vulnerability in like real, you know, here's my life experience. Here's something that happened to me. Here's something that I witnessed or something that I felt. And they go that deep with every single person that guests, it was like stepping into a living room, like stepping into a hang when we guested and I think, I want to hear more about the history of the, of the podcast and what your projects are with the podcast. But I think you're already promoting and creating community, you know, and connections and providing a, a different voice out there, providing, you know, a different even role models, just like how to be vulnerable, how to talk about the difficult things in your life, how to celebrate the things that you maybe wouldn't have normally celebrated and just bring it all into the podcast. And I think that's really valuable. It's why we're so excited to bring you on because you're really building community out there and you're reaching all sorts of people like seriously, you know, it's, it's not just you know, amazing creators and artists, but you've, you've brought us on the podcast. You bring family on the podcast you know, this retired police officer, you know, business people. You know, it's being shared further than what I think maybe, I don't know. What was it, what was your initial thought of who the audience would be? I think it's much further-reaching then I even gave you credit for when I first started learning about, Have a Drink podcast, cause seriously Have a Drink. It's like, okay, it's a bunch of matey bros.
Z: [00:12:42] It's funny you say that, 'cause we got, we got that a lot about the title
Omega: [00:12:50] And actually, you know what, I love the fact that you said that because. That's kind of what we want. We want you to think like, Oh my goodness, like, what are these guys really going to talk about? But then you really, when you have an open mind and open heart, you're going to be willing to learn and ready to learn something that's going to challenge you mentally and emotionally. And I think that's the beautiful part about our podcast. And just when you break down Have a Drink, right. Think about that. Like when you think, when you hear the words Have a Drink, what first comes to mind? Oh, some people are saying family gatherings, a bar, or just different things like that. Those are all social moments when people like to talk and have a great time. And that's what the basis of our podcast is. And the beautiful thing about, about it that I personally feel is how we are able to use our gifts. And yes, that's an episode that we did talk about. It was about using your gifts and our gift is being able to communicate with others and open them up and get them to open up and speak freely and feel comfortable. And I find that to be very important, especially for us, because us as, as Black males, As people would see as Black males were supposed to be really strong , serious, not showing emotion, not doing any of that. We are the polar opposite -still strong, but we still show, but we're teaching others. It's okay to show emotion. It's okay to be vulnerable and open up to others and really have a true, true connection. And that's so important to me because I really firmly believe in leading by example. Now I'm not perfect, no way shape or form, and nor do I want to be perfect, but I strive to be the best that I can be. And I strive to lead by example for others. So if they, if I make a mistake, you can learn from that. If I do something right, you can learn from that, but all the time you're going to be learning. And that's what I want this podcast to be about learning, growing, and being heard and understood.
Alexis: [00:14:54] I think you both do a great job at that. Like it takes strength to be vulnerable, like you said, still being strong. And I think that's a, it's just a great part about the podcast and about the both of you just yeah. That strength that you have in order to be vulnerable in order to learn and grow and make mistakes and move forward.
Z: [00:15:14] Hmm. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah. I mean, everyone wants to just be heard and understood in life. And at the core of everything, that's, you know, what I want as well. And so kind of lending that space to others has always been something that, I mean, comes naturally to me that I enjoy that fills me up in, in the world. So being able to share that, you know, like I said, connecting with Omega and finding out we have that same level of, of, you know, energy that we want to put out in the world was amazing because we got to have these emotional, deep, raw conversations. You know, he, he feels safe enough to ask me questions, to explore, you know, different paths of life that he has had no connection to in that way. You know, like I, I get to turn to him for mentorship and work through all the things that, you know, I may be going through in any given moment, because as, as Omega say, you know, we're, we're male bodied individuals, you know, that we were trying to take that stereotype and turn it on its head of what the quote "idea of masculinity" should be of understanding that masculinity isn't inherently, you know, toxic, but it has a deep necessity in being balanced with that feminine energy and that, that being emotional, being nurturing, being raw, being open and holding space in my personal opinion, I feel like is what the, the, the podcast embodies.
Seth: [00:16:59] One thing is what attracted me to Z was like, yeah, definitely this feeling of what is masculinity and how do you redefine it and how do we present that to other people so that maybe we can become the model of something different?
Alexis: [00:17:15] Yeah.
Z: [00:17:16] A hundred percent, a hundred percent because yeah, I mean, growing up in a world, feeling like, Ooh, I'm not the definition of what they're saying. It is...
Seth: [00:17:29] "I don't fit that box."
Z: [00:17:30] I don't fit in that box actually boxes - the walls. You guys have walls?
Alexis: [00:17:37] I mean, one of the things that I love about that is, you know, I found, of course being a trans woman myself like I found that like, you know, I was like, I don't fit within this box at all, but I love that there are other people out there who also, you know, see the box and are like, well, you know, I think this is a box that I can find a home in, but I get to shape it and move it. And, you know, renovate that home to be the one that makes the most sense to me. I think that's really necessary.
Omega: [00:18:07] Z has taught me so much. And I appreciate that where he allowed me that safe space to ask those questions, like he said before, and I'm saying this as a Black cisgender male, I am a person. I need you to understand that it's hard for, for me and for us to be able to ask these questions and not feel awkward, if that makes sense, you know, I feel out of place cause you don't want to be disrespectful. You don't want to do anything like that. You want to be in a very respectful place to talk or have that conversation. And like how it was kind of mentioned before, probably before we start recording is like, you know, I was raised in a Christian home, come from a heavy Christian family and that type of conversation has never had. And even now it's like, they are still not really able to have those types of conversations or have that type of open mind. Whereas for me, it was like I had the blessing of having Z in my life who was able to explain things to me, break it down, have the patience for me to grow and understand. And even when I make my mistakes or I may trip and fall and say something incorrectly, he doesn't ridicule me, but he guides me and explains it to me.
[00:19:22] And that has been a godsend to me and my own person feel because I have a cousin who is actually transgender, and that helped me to have a better understanding for her and be able to talk with her, ask her questions to make sure that she's comfortable, felt heard, felt safe and protected, and I'm able to even break down those walls with my own other family members to make sure that they have a better understanding and have more respect for her as well. And that's all due to Z's great guidance and, and knowledge. And that has been amazing to me and has been so paramount to our, our podcast.
Alexis: [00:20:05] I am so excited for the kids who get to have you as a teacher and a role model.
Seth: [00:20:08] Right?
Omega: [00:20:10] I appreciate that because like our district started, started doing trainings about this, right? And trying to explain, you know, about the LGBTQ+ community, trying to explain about pronouns and all this stuff and hearing the murmurs in the room was different, you know? Cause they're like, well, well, it's interesting because then it came out that one of those teachers in that room was a transgender man and then people started to be like, "Oh, now I see why." Cause I had no idea. And it's like, well, do you know what? This is why they do this? But there were questions in that room that I couldn't ask because why I am a Black, cisgender male. They don't know me. They're not going to be able to really be able to relate to me. Whereas Z was able to relate to me and be able to talk to me and guide me through that. So it's amazing to be able to have somebody close to you that can do that.
Alexis: [00:21:02] That's so great.
Linet: [00:21:03] I'm hearing and listening to a lot of like mentorship and teaching and the impacts of teaching and educating and, and more than educating, just engaging and in the meeting of the minds and being able to relate to each other.
[00:21:17] It's one of the things that we, we really work on in our, in our workshops, whenever we design things for new clients. We try to think really hard of like who, who are these folks that we're, you know, coming into these virtual spaces with, how can we, you know, connect with where they're at with all this stuff and how can we bring something that is both accessible and challenging, but also connects with their experiences. And they can then, you know, come out of the workshop or program or whatever it is, consultation. And directly apply it and directly, you know, push themselves and, you know, and do the best they can with, with what we equip them with. And it's much more formal obviously than the discussions you're having on the podcast, but for me as a listener of your podcast, I definitely learn and, and could take, you know, information and feelings and like greater understanding of issues that I'm not as familiar with, to then talk about them with other folks and engage, engage in conversation with them about it.
Omega: [00:22:21] I noticed that since our episode with you, with with you and Seth, I have grown more and have actually started promoting and talking more about you guys and what you guys are doing and have even talked to my district and everything else about trying to bring you guys in, because I believe in what you guys are doing.
[00:22:44] And that is one of the best things about our podcast is we bring people on that we believe in. We talk to people that we believe in, and even if we have a difference of opinions, we have a respectful conversation. So we all can learn and grow. We may not always agree, but we can learn and grow. And that is what I love about this new space.
[00:23:05] And I am so honored and pleased to be here today because I feel like I'm not, I don't feel like - I am excited to learn more today. So thank you for having us.
Alexis: [00:23:16] Thank you.
Linet: [00:23:17] I'm blushing over here.
Alexis: [00:23:20] I'm like, oh my heart just group three more sizes. It's nice to hear that because you know, one of the, a couple of the rules that we often set out at the beginning of our workshops are: one, to not expect agreement, but to work towards understanding. The other one is to just accept that there might not necessarily be a resolution, a clean resolution to conversations. And you know, those are a lot of the best conversations are the ones where you don't necessarily have agreement or clean resolution, but you do have some sort of understanding.
[00:23:54] I want to know, like, do you have a favorite episode that you've done yet? And like, why? I think this is always interesting hearing from creators when they're like, "Oh yeah, this is the episode that like, man, we, we really want people to listen to this one first" or like an episode that you're like, that just went in places that we just couldn't have anticipated.
Z: [00:24:14] Anything like that. Ooh. It's like asking which one of your children is your favorite?
Omega: [00:24:22] Everybody's got one.
Alexis: [00:24:23] If we, you know, hypothetically had a student, which one would be our favorite, but we totally don't have them.
Omega: [00:24:35] Exactly. Well-played. It's hard to say a favorite, but I have a couple that really were eye opening, life changing for me and I, and I use those words specifically, our episode about the, the protests with our special guests that we had. Cause I had a friend of mine from Atlanta and I had another friend of mine who represented the army, who was in there. He spoke too and that episode.
Z: [00:25:01] Was amazing at the bottom of the glass.
Omega: [00:25:04] There you go see that . So that's why I got him.
Alexis: [00:25:07] Just, just to be clear to anyone who's listening to this in the future, we are talking about the protests during the summer of 2020.
Omega: [00:25:14] Another one would have to be our Sheriff's episode. What, the one that was aforementioned. The mother of one of our friends, she was a sheriff, Richmond Sheriff's department. Yeah. And what really made that special was the fact that she was a Black woman, but a mother as well. And that took it to another level because this is a person who has to lay her life on the line every day, in spite of raising children of her own.
[00:25:47] That really, really drove things home for me. And to hear how she spoke so passionately about what she did for a living, but also was able to explain and break down "defunding the police" and what that really meant. And I was like that that really, really touched me. I mean, I would just love what we do and I love it when we have a special guest, not saying anything about just between me and Z, because we have these conversations, regardless of that I love our conversations, but when we have special guests on, I just love that because, we get to introduce them to the world.
[00:26:20] So I love all our episodes, but those two really stuck out to me. And the third one would have to be our step-parent episode because that really hit home for me.
Z: [00:26:31] Mm, Step Pop, that one. Yeah, that one definitely was heavy and probably a bit more of like, venting, but I guess for me as I've been like scrolling through our episodes, cause like I've just been, I've been thinking about each one and I mean, really, if there's one I'm going to guide people to, I always guide them to our trailer because the trailer I made takes the best of what we had at that time and gives you the snippets from it. Because I mean, within each episode we have a little ice cube of knowledge that we just drop into your drink as we're going.
[00:27:09] And like whether it's us doing it, our guests, you know, are, I've always wanted people to be able to take away with them. So it's not like an hour conversation. If you want to expand on whatever it is, you can expand on it with us, but like, you know, take this and run with it. I also loved "Sip of Death".
[00:27:28] Sip of Death was one where we got really deep and open, shared some stuff about, you know, growing up Well, we talked a little bit about mental illness. We talked a little bit about suicide. I kind of tell a story about a very close friend of mine who committed suicide when we were young, the impact that that had, and like how I chose to deal with death because of his, his death was not the only one that I experienced growing up.
[00:27:55] And it wasn't the last bit of mortality that I experienced. So we got to dive deeper into that. Like I said, they're, they're, they're all my favorite just because they each give you something new and these are all things, I've always wanted to figure out a way to talk to people about these individual topics.
[00:28:13] I'm not saying this because we're on this show, but I'm saying this because...
Alexis: [00:28:19] It wasn't a leading question!
Z: [00:28:24] Well, bias was one of my favorite episodes. We really got to see what it was like, even though Seth and I knew each other outside of the podcast, to have someone who we were disconnected from, on both ends. Cause it's either Omega knows that the guest, or I know the guest, but whenever we have someone that we both have never met before, it's beautiful to see the balance, the education, the kind of rapport that we build within each of the episodes.
[00:28:55] So I really being able to just, I feel those like real moment connections, when you're just like, ah, we're completely ourselves. We're completely in this space of safety. We're completely like in that flow of emotion. Finally, I would say "Anger over Ice", "Anger over Ice" was a good one because I mean, within all the shows shows that we do, we talk about managing fear. We talk about loving yourself. We talk about, you know getting out of your own way. We'll talk about music. We'll talk about culture, but like, One of the, this one in particular was how to manage anger just because not just anger management, but how to recognize it in your body, how to deal with it, how that affects others, you know, just more than what you get of like, Oh, you know, it's toxic for, for yourself and for others. And and, and what have you, but like, You know, learning how to cope with it, learning how to manage those individual relationships that may be based around anger.
Linet: [00:30:01] That's so powerful. That might be the first one I have to listen to first because I'll be honest since Trump took office, I mean way before then it was like every day, every hour, I get a notification about something. I couldn't avoid it. I was trying not to be on Twitter, so I wouldn't go down like the Black hole of Twitter, anger. And I was trying to like only connect with my friends on Facebook maybe. And then I would even take breaks from that, but I just, you know, I'd find out one way or another and it was just, just waves of anger, just so often and so frequently. So I could definitely use to listen to that episode for sure. With that. We're going to take a quick break and we'll be right back with your next question,
Seth: [00:30:53] Hi, everyone. This is Seth and I am one of the audio editors and volunteers here at UBP. The Unconscious Bias Project brings creative, accessible, evidence-based solutions for unintentional bias to academic, technological, governmental organizations, and beyond. We sustain a welcoming home for inquisitive and creative minds and encourage a growth mindset working by the model of 0% guilt, 100% empowerment. Please subscribe or follow our Facebook and instagram for the latest in events and how you can learn more and be involved.
[00:31:28] Also take a look and check out our guest's website and learn more. Look for that information in the description section of your podcast or on our website.
[00:31:44] We're back... uh, we didn't really go anywhere.
Alexis: [00:31:52] Should we explain the "Pocket Seth" for people who, uh....
Seth: [00:31:58] Yeah, I think we should.
Linet: [00:32:00] Now we'll have Pocket Seth tell us about... [singing] "Pocket Seth"
Z: [00:32:05] Come on, Pocket Seth..
Alexis: [00:32:06] No, you know what? We shouldn't explain pocket, Seth. We should just say if you're confused about the inside joke that we seem to be laughing about, go check out the Have a Drink podcast, where you can find out all about Pocket Seth.
Omega: [00:32:19] Look at the MVP today. That was impressive.
Seth: [00:32:24] Y'all are doing this podcast. And how do you maintain that relationship with maybe it's a day job or whatever, and the podcast? Like, what are some of the challenges you've had with that? And like, how do you manage it?
Z: [00:32:39] My answer is quick. I just, I decided to hide in the closet. Pretty much it, I mean, I just take care of the kids in the, in the daytime and we have time to just record at night after they go to bed and we have like an hour per week to, just to ourselves,
Alexis: [00:32:59] You don't have to be in the closet. It's safe here.
Z: [00:33:01] Hey, I'm reclaiming being in the closet. And empowering myself.
Alexis: [00:33:06] All right. Hey, you know what? Everyone has their own timeline.
Omega: [00:33:08] For me, this is just one of the, one of the many things that I juggle. You know, but this is a passion. The podcast is a passion for me. So I really do whatever I can to make a point to make sure that this happens in a timely manner. Because I have multiple jobs. That's just who I am and how I've always been.
[00:33:28] But the podcast is my passion. So I choose not to look at it as a job. I look at it as a passion and something that I'm very emotionally tied to. And that's why I do it with my heart. That's why I have performed this with my heart. I participate with my heart because it's really near and dear to me.
[00:33:46] So, I mean, we record Monday nights at 7:30. Well, let me tell you what my schedule is Monday, Monday morning, I'm in training, at 8:00 AM. Then after that I come home, I shower and I teach from 11 to 3. Then from there I do privates sessions up until about 7:15. And I drive home very fast to be on the podcast at 7:30, but I make sure I'm here, you know, and that's just my Monday that has nothing to do with the rest of my week.
[00:34:14] But we talk about the podcast throughout the week and it's just something that I'm very passionate about. And I feel the same passion from Z and that's what it gives us that driving force to keep it going.
Linet: [00:34:24] There's something that's that I find particular about people that perform people that create, which I'm looking right now. Like every single one of us on this podcast right now are creators. Whether we're singers, dancers, you know, voice actors you know, play guitar, fire spinners. There's something in us that brings the, like our full selves into what we're creating. It's both difficult and it's also really powerful. So we started this podcast to bring people into really a discussion about the worsened health and economic inequities, rise in discrimination, hate crimes and serious injustices that have happened.
[00:35:03]Really, since it started, the pandemic, we wanted to bring people some of the knowledge, some of the tools that we've been honing over the years in our workshops and our consultations with people, we wanted to bring it out to the public pile at the same time, and more importantly, amplifying voices of those that are being affected the most by these inequities, by the rise in xenophobia and you know, and then once, once we started, you know, publicly talking to our community, you know, just awful, really state sanctioned, lynchings of, you know, just so many Black folk that were now finally getting press. And really though the re-rise in, in Black Lives Matter. So we ask all our guests, you know, have you had a personal experience with discrimination or xenophobia during this pandemic? And you can talk about yourself and you can talk about something you witnessed, or you can talk about, you know, how, how you're, how you're taking in everything, it can be anything from, from Black Lives Matter, that whole experience, which is still it's still happening. It's very important to continue the spotlight on or things you're seeing in, in the, in the health system or things that are affecting, you know, your, your folks, your fam, your people, your friends.
Z: [00:36:16] I was thinking about it, cause the creator portion of it, you know, like dealing with, you know, xenophobia dealing with, you know, racism. Currently, I'm a part of this, this community called "Justice for Hire," what, what you would think of as like the WWE, which is like the the, the cinematic version of what wrestling is, you know?
[00:36:37]And they take that and they make it instead superheroes. So they'll, they'll have a bunch of people create superheroes, join the team, be villains, be clients, and you'll create a whole cinematic universe where you kind of show how your hero interacts with the world, how your they resolve certain issues. And one of the things that they they partnered with is, is a national mission for all the heroes. And it's called #washthehate. And it's a campaign to kind of bring forth, because there's, as, as Linet, you mentioned earlier, you know, there's been this rise in Asian-American, You know aggression and abuse and attacks and, and, and not just that, but like xenophobia, you know, with, with like Muslims and, and, and I'll always the rise of hate towards, towards, you know, Mexican and Latinx Americans, as well as, you know, people of color, Black people.
[00:37:31] And like it's taking this and being able to show how your character, how your person would, would respond to being confronted with, with this sort of situation there's been a lot that's been happening surrounding, you know, police brutality not, not just against, you know Black Americans and but also, you know, Asian Americans, mentally ill individuals you know, the, the, the response that's happening towards them, you know, the not just Asian American, they're mentally ill, and they're getting that same knee choke hold press that, you know, George Floyd had in his murder outright as well.
[00:38:09] You don't get to hear about a lot of those, a lot of those instances, unless you're a part of those communities. And I mean, I don't want to say fortunately, but like for the sake of my knowledge and, and, you know, to, to be able to hopefully do some work in that area, you know, like I'm a part of these communities to be able to find out this, these things that are happening, working towards finding ways to show, how to handle the situation in a non aggressive form. As I mentioned earlier, like, you know, the idea of masculinity, you know, has been perverted and made toxic, but like, you know how we're supposed to have this balance of masculine and feminine energy where, you know, the idea of superheroes and things in the media today has been like, you know, they show up, they beat up the bad guy that is attacking the, the, the victims, and then they cuff them up and throw them in jail.
[00:39:06] Nah, like it's, it's not always about solving the, your problems with your fists. You know, like we, the things that like, I want to show I've practiced in life and I've tried to do as well, but like of, of showing that you can diffuse a situation. You can bring a situation back around. You can give someone the space to open up and give them a new perspective on, on the, the event, the emotions, the things that are happening. And and, and yet being able to send them out into the world with this new, new seed of life within them, and to see that, them, you know, work too. Rectify the situation heal, heal, what was broken, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, you know trying to actively change that sort of eight and bytes.
Linet: [00:39:59] I love it. I love this, this approach of like let's design these superheroes, let's, let's model. What we want to see what we're practicing. To give people alternatives, to give people, you know, tools and, and answers it's 100% what we try to do at UBP, but it's, it sounds so, both fun and engaging to have it be in part of this, like, you know, created universe, that's really a reflection of our own with each individual voice. That sounds really powerful. Where can we see this? Are there already posts for wash the hate and are there, is there a website like drop us some, some deets.
Z: [00:40:38] The, you can check out most of what they have posted on their Instagram page. They also have a Twitter and Facebook, but it's @justiceforhire. And you can check out a few of those videos on there. I mean, they have a lot of hero, intro videos. My hero's intro video is up on their Instagram as well. So yeah, I mean, you could check out there, you could also check them out on justiceforhire.com that they can show you how you can get involved. They show you how you, where you can donate. And yeah, it's about building that cinematic universe, you know, giving, giving people a chance to be a part of that, but like, Yeah, like showing you new ways. Like how, how would you be a superhero if you didn't have super powers? Because being a hero isn't just defined by having abilities or powers.
Linet: [00:41:27] Not everybody can be rich as fuck like Batman.
Z: [00:41:31] So my character is more like the hippie Batman.
Omega: [00:41:42] But you can be rich as fuck by experience. So maybe not financially, but by experience, because I'll tell you this right now, Batman is a very deeply flawed person and he's a very conflicted person and he battles, he has more fights within himself than he does out on the streets. Because he has so many different ways that he wants to represent himself and that's us on the daily basis. He just has the money to kind of distract you. You know?
Alexis: [00:42:15] I mean, my personal problem with Batman has always been that he doesn't put his money towards the systemic issues in Gotham, but...
Omega: [00:42:22] How many people really do though?
Alexis: [00:42:28] Oh, and that's my problem with rich people too.
Linet: [00:42:32] How about you? Oh, do you want to add anything to the, to the question? Our followup is really like, what can we do about it? I think Z did an excellent job telling us about Justice for Hire, how we can support and get involved, amplify.
Omega: [00:42:46] I just noticed a giant shift in social media. I mean, I try to stay away from the, I mean, obviously we're, we've been in lockdown, we're in California, but I, I notice is a giant shift in social media. And how friends become foes, family members become estranged, there's so many different things, all because of where you stand politically. And they allow things to infiltrate their relationships and separate them and cause that separation that's the one thing that I've noticed the most.
[00:43:19] And I've had so many friends that had come out to be, you know very vocal about their political views. And I had to actually step back and be like, you know what? I don't align with you. I don't agree with you, but I'm also not going to shame you and shun you. I did make a point to speak to one of my friends because the things that he was saying was actually starting to really affect me and I had to not go on his public posts and try to have this all out argument.
[00:43:54] I instead went directly to him and had a DM conversation with him and just let them know how I felt. And at the end of the day, we had an understanding and we had to change in our conversation, but, and we both ended up saying to each other, if I'm going to eat, you're going to eat no matter what, when we sit at the table, we eat and we take care of each other in that way.
[00:44:20] And I'm like, that's great. And then it felt like a week or two later, that meal got forgotten. So I was like, you know what, I'm not going to push you away. I'm just going to silence your voice for me for a little bit, so I can heal and see you as a human being again. And I think sometimes we forget how to just take a step away, and heal so we can re-engage again, you know, and I look at things like a fight, you know what I mean? Sometimes you got to regroup. Sometimes you got to take a little break. Do you guys take a little risk? You guys take that one minute to kind of try and catch your breath, even though you're still huffing and pufffing, you said, I'd take that one minute to catch your breath. But you have to get back in there. You can't just avoid it. And that's what I've been seeing is a lot of people, just all out avoiding things and not attacking them and not working through them. And that has really bothered me because I'm like before you knew their political views, you were the best of friends or you were really tight, you were cool, but then you allow it, an outside force to disrupt you.
[00:45:26] And that was really difficult for me to notice during this time. So that, that was something that really stuck out to me. And I really wanted to make a change by just saying, I'm going to speak up. And I'm not going to take a hard core stance on one side or the other, but I'm going to speak up for love, peace, and understanding.
[00:45:47] And that's what I've really been doing is I've been talking solely about love, peace, understanding, and education.
Seth: [00:45:57] We like to close out the show with shout outs, let us know about your upcoming projects or any people, groups, books, movies. Whatever's on the top of your mind that you think is relevant, that we should know, you know, anything you'd like to give gratitude to or to amplify, you know, this is your space for you to what else we should keep a lookout for?
Z: [00:46:20] Well, off top, I wanna say I mean, Omega, you can correct me if I'm wrong, but for the both of us, I like to say thank you for, from the bottom of our hearts for having us on here, you know, being able to converse with y'all and, and, you know, be introduced to a new base of, you know, listeners and being just so open to receiving what we have.
[00:46:43]Well, we've had to say specifically to listeners, if, if you all want to continue in our conversations outside of here, you can check us as Have a Drink cast. You can also find us on Spotify, Apple music, really anywhere where you listen to music or streaming it, you can just type in, Have a Drink podcast and we should pop up and they'll have a picture of a drink splashing off into the sunset with a H.A.D. Podcast in the background.
[00:47:12] And yeah, feel free to pick up any episode. We always love learning from people and gaining more knowledge and, you know, everyone has something unique to offer. So, I mean, we always say don't be shy and just... I mean, even if you are jumping anyway, you know, and it's it's okay. The water is fine. We won't let you drown.
Omega: [00:47:35] You guys can follow me or find me. My name is Anthony Gooch . That is the birth name. That's the government. I'm not ashamed to admit it. And you guys can find me on there. And I actually do want to plug myself a little bit because this month I feel like I'm very proud of what I've been posting this month.
[00:47:50] And in light of that being Black history month and trying to remain with the positivity, every day has been a new fact or a new person to learn about in regards to Black history, more than just the great eight, you know, and... again, I'm about education, about knowledge, about love and peace. And that's really what you're going to find on my page and me working out and training and having fun, loving life, you know, so please follow me, find me join us on our Discord if possible.
[00:48:22] And man. You guys are truly amazing people. And I feel truly blessed to be a part of this conversation with you to be a part of this podcast. And thank you guys so much for extending the olive branch our way, and you guys are always welcome to join us.
Linet: [00:48:42] Thank you. Oh, yeah. Z definitely plug yourself too.
Z: [00:48:47] I mean, if you can tell I've been so wrapped up in the Have a Drink podcast.
[00:48:50]Yeah, I mean, it's for myself you know we'll just go with, my name is Z. You'll get to learn more about my name if you listen to the show, but you can find me on Twitter and Instagram and anywhere as az4everyoccasion. Yeah, you can check me out on there. I mean, if you like to laugh, if you like to look sideways at your score screen, if you want to be entertained in some way, shape or form, I have a one of me for everything. Yeah. I mean, you can check me out on there. I'm also on YouTube. You can check out on youtube.com/zdogg777. And yeah, that's it.
Omega: [00:49:32] And really quickly, cause I did forget you can find me on Instagram at omega_gruv . You can find me on Twitter @OmegaHD . And then if you find me on Facebook, it's just my name. I already told you what that is.
Linet: [00:49:46] And with that, thank you both so much for coming on and sharing so much of yourselves and your projects and your thoughts and your your path, your creation every time. And then we've only talked really twice on a podcast, but even just, I love following y'all on your, on your YouTube, on your Facebook posts. So thank you so much, so much for coming.
Alexis: [00:50:08] Yeah. Thank you so so much. I, you two are great.
Z: [00:50:13] Thank you.
Seth: [00:50:14] Thank you. Thank you. And I love the two of you and I look forward when we can meet up in person again and have a drink face-to-face and not be socially distant.
Omega: [00:50:25] Most definitely. And before we go, I would like to, I would like to say one more thing, nothing in this world or in this life goes without hard work. And it's not always the stuff that you see on the outside, but stuff that's happening behind the scenes. And the UBP is doing just that. They're doing a lot of stuff behind the scenes that the world hasn't really seen yet, but when they do, they're going to be very thankful for all that hard work and dedication and tireless hours. And as a person that's on the outside, finally getting to see behind the veil and seeing who the real Oz is, I want to say, thank you guys so much for all of your hard work to each and every one of you, you guys are truly, truly amazing. And we appreciate you. And I know a lot of times we're in a thankless job, but I want to tell you right now you are not going unnoticed. So thank you so much for everything that you have done to change the world one conversation at a time. Cause you definitely have changed it on my end over here. So thank you so much for having myself and Z and the Have a Drink podcast onto your show. And hopefully we can become a little bit better with the helps of you. So thank you.
Z: [00:51:35] A hundred percent. Y'all are amazing.
Linet: [00:51:38] Y'all are making me tear up over here.
Alexis: [00:51:39] Thank you so much yeah, I was like "Linet is definitely crying."
Linet: [00:51:51] thank you. Thanks so much.
Seth: [00:51:54] Thanks for listening. You can find more information and donate at unconsciousbiasproject.org. Dr. Linet Mera, she/her, and Alexis Krohn,. she/her, are your hosts. Seth Boeckman. he/they, is your editor. If you like what you hear, please subscribe to this podcast and follow us. We can be found on Facebook at Unconscious Bias Project, Twitter at UBP_stem, LinkedIn, Instagram, or join our mailing list. UBP is a fiscally sponsored project of the Social Good Fund, a tax deductible, 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. If you wish to sponsor us, please contact us in the contact us tab unconsciousbiasproject.org. .